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ANN AGUIRRE
Known for her adult series in urban fantasy, romantic science fiction, apocalyptic paranormal romance, and paranormal romantic suspense, Ann Aguirre now presents her first book for Young Adults. A post-apocalyptic dystopian novel, ENCLAVE, released 4/12, is already being hailed by Publisher's Weekly as "likely to hold considerable appeal for fans of The Hunger Games."

Ann Aguirre is a national bestselling author with a degree in English Literature; before she began writing full time, she was a clown, a clerk, a voice actress, and a savior of stray kittens, not necessarily in that order. She now lives in sunny Mexico with her husband, children, two cats, and one very lazy dog.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Elena Stokes, Wunderkind PR

elena@wunderkind-pr.com, cell: 917.887.0784

WELCOME TO THE APOCALYPSE

"In her first young adult novel, Aguirre has created a gritty and highly competent heroine,
an equally deadly sidekick/love interest, and a fascinating if unpleasant civilization.
This series is likely to hold considerable appeal for fans of The Hunger Games."
—Publishers Weekly

"Aguirre's young adult debut is a gripping survival story set in an apocalyptic future...This is a tense, action-packed dystopia with intriguingly gray characters...Aguirre's gritty future is not so simple; like Deuce, readers must weigh the comparative values of law and freedom in a functioning society."
—Booklist

Ann Aguirre, the national bestselling author of the Jax series, introduces the first book in her new dystopian Young Adult series, ENCLAVE, this Spring (on sale: April 12, 2011; Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan; $16.99).

ENCLAVE has already been the subject of much pre-pub buzz excitement and the trailer, running on YouTube, has already been viewed almost 60,000 times, weeks before the book goes on-sale. Key industry trades, such as Publishers Weekly, are comparing Aguirre's writing to that of the celebrated Suzanne Collins, saying: "this series is likely to hold considerable appeal for fans of The Hunger Games."

Ann Aguirre talks about her fascination with the apocalypse:
Ann Aguirre has always been fascinated with the concept of the apocalypse. As a child of the 80s, Aguirre and her classmates would often have to go through nuclear drills, hiding from possible Cold War bombs in her school's basement. This left an indelible imprint on her and made Ann wonder from an early age what shape the end of the world might take.

When writing ENCLAVE, Aguirre held in her mind the world view of adolescents created by William Golding in Lord of the Flies. In Golding's tale, children left alone on an island quickly devolve into chaos and the order that underlies society collapses. Aguirre wanted to take an alternate approach to young adults left to survive on their own: in her post-apocalyptic world populated by youth, she wanted to write about a group of young people who create their own culture around order. Only through strict adherence to a code of rules can these youths...and the human race... hope to survive.

In ENCLAVE, Aguirre introduces us to Deuce's world, a world where people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed 'brat' has trained into one of three groups-Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.

As a Huntress, her purpose is clear-to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She's worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing's going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce's troubles are just beginning.

Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn't like following orders. At first she thinks he's crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don't always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she's never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace.

As Deuce's perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy... but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she's ever known.

More Praise for ENCLAVE:
"Spooky-cool, grimly gorgeous, tactile, tough, and terrifying."
—National bestselling author Sharon Shinn

"4 stars! Enclave is dark and thrilling, fast-paced and intense. With some graphic and gross imagery and a hard look at a post-apocalyptic world, Aguirre has take themes from Scott Westerfeld and an assortment of zombie literature and created something that is very much her own-and a very engaging read."
—RT Booklovers Magazine

"Rich worldbuilding...this well-paced zombie-esque adventure in an urban wasteland will keep fans happy."
—Kirkus Reviews

"Loved it. The only thing scarier than Reavers are Freaks."
—Gwen Hayes, author of Falling Under

Enclave by Ann Aguirre
Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, 272 pages
ISBN-10: 0312650086, ISBN-13: 978-0312650087, $16.99
National on-sale date: April 12, 2011

For more information about ENCLAVE or Ann Aguirre, please contact:
Elena Stokes, Wunderkind PR, elena@wunderkind-pr.com; 917.887.0784
Cara Selick, Wunderkind PR, cara@wunderkind-pr.com; 201.755.6927

KEN LIU

Ken Liu is an author and translator of speculative fiction, as well as a lawyer and programmer. A winner of the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy awards, he has been published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Asimov’s, Analog, Clarkesworld, Lightspeed, and Strange Horizons, among other places.

Ken’s debut novel is THE GRACE OF KINGS (2015), the first in a silkpunk epic fantasy series. He also released a collection of short fiction, THE PAPER MENAGERIE AND OTHER STORIES (2016). He lives with his family near Boston, Massachusetts.

In addition to his original fiction, Ken is also the translator of numerous literary and genre works from Chinese to English. His translation of THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM, by Liu Cixin, won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2015, the first translated novel to ever receive that honor.

ABOUT THE PAPER MENAGERIE

Ken Liu now shares his finest short fiction in The Paper Menagerie. This mesmerizing collection features all of Ken’s award-winning and award-finalist stories, including: “The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary” (Finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, and Theodore Sturgeon Awards), “Mono No Aware” (Hugo Award winner), “The Waves” (Nebula Award finalist), “The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species” (Nebula and Sturgeon award finalists), “All the Flavors” (Nebula award finalist), “The Litigation Master and the Monkey King” (Nebula Award finalist), and the most awarded story in the genre’s history, “The Paper Menagerie” (The only story to win the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards).

A must-have for every science fiction and fantasy fan, this beautiful book is an anthology to savor.

"I know this is going to sound hyperbolic, but when I’m reading Ken Liu’s stories, I feel like I’m reading a once-in-a-generation talent. I’m in awe."
--Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Questions of identity galvanize the 15 stories in this outstanding collection of fantastical fiction, giving them extraordinary gravity and resonance. In "Good Hunting," the human companion of a supernatural creature from Chinese folklore contrives an ingenious way to help her adapt to a steampunk future. The title tale (which swept the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Awards), in which a mother expresses love for her son through the magically animated origami animals she creates, is one of several in which the author uses Chinese-American experience to explore how all individuals assimilate into society. Whether writing about Asian culture and history, as in "The Literomancer" and "All the Flavors," or extraterrestrial civilizations, as in "The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species" and "An Advanced Reader's Picture Book of Comparative Cognition," Liu (The Grace of Kings) universalizes the experiences of his characters, who realize at some point, as the protagonist of "Mono No Aware" does, that "we are defined by the places that we hold in the web of others' lives." Gracefully written and often profoundly moving, these stories are high-water marks of contemporary speculative fiction. (Mar.)
--Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW Feb 29, 2016

These remarkable stories highlight Liu’s themes of family, love, and politics and gathered in one collection pack an even bigger punch. Those who revere shorter speculative works will definitely want this book.
--*STARRED REVIEW, Library Journal February 26th, 2016

Emotionally unpredictable, Liu's stories take off in unexpected directions and arrive at destinations both startling and satisfying. (Shelf Awareness, *STARRED REVIEW March 25th, 2016

Selected as “14 of the Most Buzzed About Books of 2016”
--BuzzFeed March 30th, 2016

Liu’s wondrous tales eloquently explore the place where ordinary and the extraordinary meet. (The Washington Post March 22nd, 2016)

“Like Octavia E. Butler, Liu probes our ethical wounds, examining injustice and oppression from some uncomfortable angles. For readers unfamiliar with Liu’s debut, this new short-story collection offers an excellent introduction to his strengths.”
--Nisi Shawl , The Seattle Times

There is a dark and sometimes shocking edge to some of these stories, but nearly all are provocative, and several are brilliant.
--The Chicago Tribune April 6th, 2016

Liu's book compiles brilliant stories written in several different, overlapping modes, a technically dazzling collection of compulsively readable narratives, presenting characters with agonizing moral dilemmas and never forgetting the heart.
--The Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee) March 18th, 2016

 ABOUT THE GRACE OF KINGS

Wily, charming Kuni Garu, a bandit, and stern, fearless Mata Zyndu, the son of a deposed duke, seem like polar opposites. Yet, in the uprising against the emperor, the two quickly become the best of friends after a series of adventures fighting against vast conscripted armies, silk-draped airships, and shapeshifting gods. Once the emperor has been overthrown, however, they each find themselves the leader of separate factions—two sides with very different ideas about how the world should be run and the meaning of justice.

Fans of intrigue, intimate plots, and fast-paced action will find a new series to embrace in the Dandelion Dynasty.

"Ken Liu's The Grace of Kings — a magnificent fantasy epic. Liu is building a dynasty."
--Amal El-Mohtar NPR Books

"The Grace of Kings is an ambitious, astonishing, and sublime work, one that both exemplifies and diverges from what one might think of when it comes to epic fantasy. It should rank amongst the genre's best works."
--Andrew Liptak, io9

"Liu’s combination of elements from China, Polynesia and beyond, told in an epic style, is the kind of Silk Road Fantasy that I’ve always wanted to read, and love all the more now that I have."
--Paul Weimer SF Signal

"Told in Liu’s graceful, intelligent, and literate prose, the novel is a sumptuous Epic feast."
--Rob Bedford SFF World

"The Grace of Kings is a fantasy, with petty meddling gods, odd mechanized inventions, and a sense that mystical powers lurk around the corner. It is nothing if not epic."
--Justin Landon, Tor.com

"The epic fantasy genre can only be enriched by more novels drawing from non-Western traditions. Liu’s ambitious work expertly blends mythology, history, military tactics, and technological innovation (airships and submarines). "
--Kirkus Reviews

  • You can buy THE GRACE OF KINGS on Amazon here.

ABOUT THE WALL OF STORMS

In the much-anticipated sequel to the “magnificent fantasy epic” (NPR) Grace of Kings, Emperor Kuni Garu is faced with the invasion of an invincible army in his kingdom and must quickly find a way to defeat the intruders.

Kuni Garu, now known as Emperor Ragin, runs the archipelago kingdom of Dara, but struggles to maintain progress while serving the demands of the people and his vision. Then an unexpected invading force from the Lyucu empire in the far distant west comes to the shores of Dara—and chaos results.

But Emperor Kuni cannot go and lead his kingdom against the threat himself with his recently healed empire fraying at the seams, so he sends the only people he trusts to be Dara’s savvy and cunning hopes against the invincible invaders: his children, now grown and ready to make their mark on history.

  • You can buy THE WALL OF STORMS on Amazon here.

 

KIM BARKER

Kim Barker was the South Asia bureau chief for The Chicago Tribune from 2004 to 2009, based in New Delhi and Islamabad. Her book about those years, “The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan,” a dark comedic take on her time in South Asia, was published by Doubleday. The movie version, "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot," will be released in March 2016, starring Tina Fey, Martin Freeman, Alfred Molina, Margot Robbie and Billy Bob Thornton.

Barker is now a metro reporter at The New York Times, specializing in investigative reporting and narrative writing. Before joining The Times in mid-2014, Ms. Barker was an investigative reporter at ProPublica, writing mainly about campaign finance and the fallout from the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision.

ABOUT THE TALIBAN SHUFFLE

Kim Barker is not your typical, impassive foreign correspondent—she is candid, self-deprecating, laugh-out-loud funny. At first an awkward newbie in Afghanistan, she grows into a wisecracking, seasoned reporter with grave concerns about our ability to win hearts and minds in the region. In The Taliban Shuffle, Barker offers an insider’s account of the “forgotten war” in Afghanistan and Pakistan, chronicling the years after America’s initial routing of the Taliban, when we failed to finish the job.

When Barker arrives in Kabul, foreign aid is at a record low, electricity is a pipe dream, and of the few remaining foreign troops, some aren’t allowed out after dark. Meanwhile, in the vacuum left by the U.S. and NATO, the Taliban is regrouping as the Afghan and Pakistani governments floun­der. Barker watches Afghan police recruits make a travesty of practice drills and observes the disorienting turnover of diplomatic staff. She is pursued romantically by the former prime minister of Pakistan and sees adrenaline-fueled col­leagues disappear into the clutches of the Taliban. And as her love for these hapless countries grows, her hopes for their stability and security fade.

Swift, funny, and wholly original, The Taliban Shuffle unforgettably captures the absurdities and tragedies of life in a war zone.

“Remarkable. . . . [Barker] has written an account of her experiences covering Afghanistan and Pakistan that manages to be hilarious and harrowing, witty and illuminating, all at the same time.”
—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

“The Taliban Shuffle isn’t like any other book out there about Afghanistan and Pakistan. It’s witty, brilliant, and impossible to put down.”
—Rajiv Chandrasekaran, author of Imperial Life in the Emerald City

“The Taliban Shuffle is part war memoir, part tale of self-discovery that, thanks to Barker’s biting honesty and wry wit, manages to be both hilarious and heartbreaking.”
—Chicago Tribune

“What you’d hear if the reporter never turned off the voice recorder between interviews—brilliant firsthand outtakes that wind up telling us more about the Afghan debacle than any foreign policy briefing.”
—The Seattle Times

“At once funny and harrowing, insightful and appalling. . . . The Taliban Shuffle will pull you in so deep that you’ll smell the poppies and quake from the bombs.”
—The Minneapolis Star Tribune

“If you’re looking for a window on the challenges facing Afghanistan and Pakistan today—from a resurgent Taliban to American incompetence to Afghan and Pakistani corruption and nepotism—Barker provides a sterling vantage point.”
—San Francisco Chronicle

“Kim Barker gives a true and amusing picture of hellholes and the reporters on assignment in them. But she breaks the journo code of silence and reveals a trade secret of the hacks who cover hellholes: The hell of the holes is that they’re kind of fun.”
—P. J. O'Rourke

“The Taliban Shuffle gives us an insider’s perspective of Afghanistan and Pakistan—their fascinating cultures, unstable governments, and burgeoning terrorist groups. . . . With dark, self-deprecating humor and shrewd insight, Barker chronicles her experiences as a rookie foreign reporter and the critical years when the Taliban resurged amidst the collapse of the Afghan and Pakistani governments.”
—The Daily Beast

“Politically astute and clearly influenced by Hunter S. Thompson, Barker provides sharp commentary on the impotence of American foreign policy in South Asia after the victory against the Taliban. . . . Fierce, funny and unflinchingly honest.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Reveals many enduring truths. . . . Novel both for its humor and for its perspective . . . it rises (or sinks) to levels of seriousness that will be remembered long after the po-faced analysis of other writers has been forgotten.”
—The National

“Brilliant, tender, and unexpectedly hilarious.”
—Marie Claire

“Candid and darkly comic. . . . With self-deprecation and a keen eye for the absurd, Barker describes her evolution from a green, fill-in correspondent to an adrenaline junkie.”
—Publisher’s Weekly

“The Taliban Shuffle is Scoop meets Dispatches, remixed with a twenty-first-century Bollywood soundtrack. Laugh-out-loud funny, it is the true story of what it is like to be a female journalist in one of the world's most exotic war zones, while telling the reader much about what is really going on today in Afghanistan and Pakistan.”
—Peter Bergen, author of The Longest War: The Enduring Conflict between America and Al-Qaeda

“[An] immensely entertaining memoir.”
—The Boston Globe

“Yes, there are bombs. And there is carnage. And all sorts of mayhem. But mostly there are people, human beings even, with appetites—for life, for adventure, for riches, for love. Ms. Barker offers this world—the human world caught in the crosshairs of history—with a vitality rarely seen in accounts of the war. A compelling read that offers readers a glimpse of the goings-on behind the byline.”
—J. Maarten Troost, author of The Sex Lives of Cannibals

 

STEVEN M. BOOTH

Steve is proud to be a part of the development team at Disney Imagineering, creating new and exciting shows and attractions at the world's best theme parks. He has also worked as a software developer, programming the production and artist tools used to convert 2D to 3D films such as Transformers 3, The Green Lantern, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Smurfs.

Coming from an artist-centric family and a love of science, Steve uses his innate understanding of story and the universe to create the fantasy world of his first novel, DARK TALISMAN.

Steven has been a championship-caliber amateur ballroom dance competitor, an iPhone app developer, a SCUBA enthusiast, and a consultant. He currently lives in San Diego.

 ABOUT DARK TALISMAN

Meet the Dark Elf, Altira. She set out to rob a sultan, and ended up stealing the deadliest gem in the world. This mistake could cost Altira her life or save her race, and possibly the world as she knows it. As Altira struggles to triumph over the vast forces arrayed against her, she acquires (mostly against her will) a rich cast of unexpected allies perceptive dwarves, giant Phoenix birds with mysterious powers, and ephemeral creatures made from nothing but air. Together they must find a way to defeat the army of assassins set against her, overcome the wrath of three nations, and forge allegiances with despised enemies, to reveal the truth to a people kept in darkness for

"WOW doesn't even do this book justice. This book is everything you want and expect from your favorite fantasy books, but usually don't get. Dark Elf, Altira, is fierce, strong, determined, and feisty! After stealing a priceless gem, her life is on the line as she is now being trailed by assassins out to end it. What she soon finds out about the gem could mean saving her people and herself."
-- Janessa, Youth Reviewer with San Francisco Book Reader.

"DARK TALISMAN features a snarky heroine along with a colorful cast of magical creatures struggling to triumph in the midst of an eternal battle set in a vividly written world. This fun, fantasy adventure is not to be missed!"
--Fantasy Book Addict

"This is definitely a series to look out for if you are looking for a light easy fantasy read or if you looking for something to get your child to read."
--Night Owl Reviews *Top Pick*

"A delightfully sassy heroine takes center stage in this vibrant tale of action and intrigue, set in a lovingly crafted world of magic and mystery. A treat for new and veteran fantasy readers alike."
--Eldon Thompson, author of THE LEGEND OF ASAHIEL

"Steven Booth has delivered a fun, action-packed fantasy novel aimed at the young adult market, but more than suitable for an older audience that enjoys their fantasy aligned with role-playing games... Dark Talisman is well worth a look"
-- Monster Librarian

 

AMY S. FOSTER

Amy S. Foster was born in Victoria, Canada to singer B.J. Cook and legendary record producer David Foster.  ButAmy opted out of a career in music and chose international business instead.  While going to American University in Washington DC, she took a course in creative writing with renowned poet Ann Darr that would change the direction of her life.  After graduating, Amy moved to London to hone her literary skills, determined to get a collection of her own poetry published.  It was there that she met producer Martin Terefe (KT Tunstall, Jason Mraz, Cat Stevens) who asked her if she wanted him to put some music to her poetry.  The two made a ground breaking spoken word record which turned Amy’s focus entirely to music and from there, the progression to becoming a lyricist was natural.  Since then, artists have sought out Amy’s easy, conversational style of writing and her uncanny ability to help them tell their own stories.  She has penned three number one hits with Michael Buble (Home, Everything and Haven’t Met You Yet).  “Home” has also been covered by Westlife and most recently Blake Shelton which gave Amy her first country Number One.  She has worked with artists such as Andrea Bocelli, Destiny’s Child, Solange Knowles, Eric Benet, Diana Krall, Josh Groban, One Flew South, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, John Paul White of The Civil Wars, RyanDan, The Three Graces and Brooke White.

The premiere installment of the Jaen Sisters, “When Autumn Leaves”, Amy’s first work of fiction was published by The Overlook Press in September 2009.

Currently, Amy lives in Portland, OR with her husband Matt Freeman and their three children, Mikaela, Eva and Vaughn. Her next release is, the first in the Battle Ground Trilogy, for Harper Collins is coming to a bookstore near you in the Fall of 2016.

 ABOUT THE RIFT UPRISING

Normal seventeen-year-old girls go to high school, binge watch TV shows all weekend, and flirt with everyone on the face of the Earth. But Ryn Whitaker is trying to save it.

Ryn is a Citadel. A soldier. A liar. Ryn and her fellow Citadels were specially chosen and trained to guard aRift—one of fourteen unpredictable tears in the fabric of the universe that serve as doorways to alternate Earths. Unbeknownst to her family, Ryn leaves for school each day and then reports for duty as an elite, cybernetically-altered soldier who can run faster, jump farther, and fight better than a Navy SEAL—which comes in handy when she’s not sure if axe-wielding Vikings or any number of other scared and often dangerous beings come through the Rift. A fine-tuned weapon, Ryn is a picture-perfect Citadel.

But that’s all about to change.

When a young man named Ezra is pulled through the Rift, Ryn finds herself immediately drawn to him, despite her training. What starts as a physical attraction quickly grows deeper, and Ezra’s curiosity throws Ryn off balance when he starts questioning the Rifts, the mysterious organization that oversees them, and the Citadels themselves—questions that lead Ryn to wonder if the lies she’s been telling her family are just the surface of a much bigger lie told to her. As Ryn and Ezra desperately try to get to that truth, they discover that each revelation blurs the line between the villains and the heroes even more.

  • You can buy THE RIFT UPRISING on Amazon here
  • Learn more about Amy on her site
  • Follow Amy on Facebook

 

BETH LEWIS

Beth Lewis was raised in the wilds of Cornwall and split her childhood between books and the beach. She has traveled extensively throughout the world and has had close encounters with black bears, killer whales, and great white sharks. She has been, at turns, a bank cashier, a fire performer, and a juggler, and she is currently a managing editor at Titan Books in London. The Wolf Road is her first novel.

 ABOUT THE WOLF ROAD

ELKA BARELY REMEMBERS a time before she knew Trapper. She was just seven years old, wandering lost and hungry in the wilderness, when the solitary hunter took her in. In the years since then, he’s taught her how to survive in this desolate land where civilization has been destroyed and men are at the mercy of the elements and each other.

But the man Elka thought she knew has been harboring a terrible secret. He’s a killer. A monster. And now that Elka knows the truth, she may be his next victim.

Armed with nothing but her knife and the hard lessons Trapper’s drilled into her, Elka flees into the frozen north in search of her real parents. But judging by the trail of blood dogging her footsteps, she hasn’t left Trapper behind—and he won’t be letting his little girl go without a fight. If she’s going to survive, Elka will have to turn and confront not just him, but the truth about the dark road she’s been set on.

The Wolf Road is an intimate cat-and-mouse tale of revenge and redemption, played out against a vast, unforgiving landscape—told by an indomitable young heroine fighting to escape her past and rejoin humanity.

An Amazon Best Book of July 2016: Beth Lewis’ debut novel, The Wolf Road, is a brilliant amalgam of literary thriller and gritty western. Long after a cold war mis-step has turned back the clock to a time of living off the land, gold rush fever, and vigilante justice, a sassy young tomboy is saved from certain death by a strange tattooed backwoodsman, who raises her in isolation and teaches her his way of life. At eighteen Elka, as she’s been named, ventures into town and there makes a horrible discovery about the man she called daddy, though never to his face. This bombshell sets Elka on a campaign to find her long-lost parents and distance herself from the dangerous man she thought she knew. On her journey, Elka’s wits are put to the test time and again, but she is a child of the wilderness and lives by its rules, “You ever see a bear jump off a cliff ‘cause life handed him a few rough draws? No, you don’t. The wild keeps going till it don’t have strength in its muscles and bones. The wild don’t give up; it’s forever and so was I.” Inner fire, honest vulnerability, and an endearing sense of humor, make Elka a remarkable character; and since I finished The Wolf Road I have missed her. And I expect that I will for a good long while…--Seira Wilson, The Amazon Book Review

"A white-knuckle trip through a gritty, frightening, and all-too-plausible post-apocalypse. You won't know whether to root for or be afraid of heroine Elka, and you won't be able to put the book down."
—Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts

"A remarkable first novel that drew me in from page one. I was reminded of the beautiful savagery of Cormac McCarthy's The Road and the elegiac overtones of Dickey's Deliverance while reading—but Lewis has crafted something completely unique here, carried so powerfully along by the voice of its indelible young narrator."
—Nick Cutter, author of The Troop

"Addictive and compelling..an apocalyptic thriller with a dark, horrible heart. It's impossible not to root for Elka as she fights her way through a chilling -- but disturbingly familiar -- wasteland. "
—Kelly Braffet, author of Save Yourself

"Stark and soulful, The Wolf Road is a brutal yet poignant journey into the truth of one girl's origins in a shattered wilderness. It masterfully dances between the savagery of the wild and the raw, blunt humor of frontier logic. A rollicking, striking read."
—Robert Jackson Bennett, author of City of Stairs

“Dazzling…a literary thriller that weaves lush language and unforgettable characters into a genuine page-turner.”
-–Scott Hawkins, author of The Library at Mount Char

“An extraordinary novel—dark and funny and full of wild energy. Elka is a brilliant creation—fierce and vulnerable at the same time. Her story and her voice pull you in from the first page and never let you go. Gripping and unforgettable.”
—Antonia Hodgson, author of The Devil in the Marshalsea

 

A. LEE MARTINEZ

A. Lee Martinez was born in El Paso, Texas. At the age of eighteen, for no apparent reason, he started writing novels. Thirteen short years (and a little over a dozen manuscripts) later, his first novel, Gil's All Fright Diner was published. Since then he has published or is about to publish five additional novels, including the forthcoming Divine Misfortune. His hobbies include juggling, games of all sorts, and astral projecting. Also, he likes to sing along with the radio when he's in the car by himself.

 ABOUT THE LAST ADVENTURE OF CONSTANCE VERITY

Constance Verity has been saving the world since she was seven, and she’s sick of it. She sets off on one last adventure to reset her destiny and become the one thing she’s never been: ordinary.

Ever since she was granted a wish at birth by her fairy godmother, Constance Verity has become the world’s great adventurer. She is a master of martial arts, a keen detective, and possesses a collection of strange artifacts. Constance has spent the past twenty-eight years saving the world, and she’s tired of it. All she wants is to work in an office and date a nice, normal guy. And she’s figured a way out. The only problem is that saving the world is Constance’s destiny. She’s great at it, and there are forces at work to make sure she stays in the job.

Then again, it’s also her destiny to have a glorious death.

ELAINE VIETS

Elaine Viets has written twenty-nine mysteries in three series: the bestselling Dead-End Job series with South Florida PI Helen Hawthorne, the cozy Josie Marcus Mystery Shopper mysteries, and the dark Francesca Vierling mysteries. With the Angela Richman Death Investigator series, Elaine returns to her hardboiled roots and uses her experience as a stroke survivor and her studies at the Medicolegal Death Investigators Training Course at St. Louis University. Elaine is director at large for the Mystery Writers of America. She's a frequent contributor to Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and anthologies edited by Charlaine Harris and Lawrence Block. Elaine won the Anthony, Agatha and Lefty Awards.

 ABOUT BRAIN STORM

The ultrawealthy families of Chouteau Forest may look down on a woman like death investigator Angela Richman, but they also rely on her. When a horrific car crash kills a Forest teenager, Angela is among the first on the scene. Her investigation is hardly underway, however, when she suffers a series of crippling strokes. Misdiagnosed by the resident neurologist, Dr. Gravois, and mended by gauche yet brilliant neurosurgeon Dr. Jeb Travis Tritt, Angela faces a harrowing recovery.

It’s a drug-addled, hallucinating Angela who learns that Dr. Gravois has been murdered…and the chief suspect is the surgeon who saved her life. Angela doesn’t believe it, but can she trust her instincts? Her brain trauma brings doubts that she’ll ever recover her investigative skills. But she’s determined to save Dr. Tritt from a death-row sentence—even if her progress is thwarted at every turn by a powerful and insular community poised to protect its own.

“Viets’s new series launch carries more heft than her earlier cozies. Her complicated heroine deserves a return outing.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“In her thrilling new series debut, Brain Storm, Elaine Viets calls upon her own challenging life experience in introducing Angela Richman, a death investigator working for upper-class Chouteau County in Missouri. Like Viets, Angela suffered a series of strokes and this death investigator is now struggling—in the midst of her recovery—to investigate a homicide that put her lifesaving neurosurgeon Dr. Jeb Travis Tritt in jail. Crisply written, with deft characterizations and action, Viets tells a tale that only she could have written.”
—Brendan DuBois, author of Fatal Harbor, two-time Shamus Award winner, and three-time Edgar Award finalist

ALLY HAMILTON

Ally Hamilton grew up in New York City and graduated from Columbia University with a B.A., having done an English major and Psychology minor. During her senior year, she wandered into a yoga class thinking it was going to be too easy for her, and that yoga was “stretching on the floor.” After having her ass handed to her, she was hooked. Not only was the physical challenge appealing, she discovered yoga was a way of being, not something you do for 90 minutes on a mat.

Ally is a Santa Monica-based yoga teacher, writer and life coach, who connects daily with yogis all around the world via her online yoga classes. She's the co-creator of http://www.yogisanonymous.com, which has been featured in The New York Times, Yoga Journal, Self Magazine, Shape Magazine and The Wall Street Journal. She's a regular contributor for The Huffington Post and Positively Positive, a wellness expert at MindBodyGreen, and writes an almost-daily blog at http://blog.yogisanonymous.com. Her first book, “Open Randomly: Fortune Cookies for the Soul” is available on Amazon. Her next book, "Yoga's Healing Power: Looking Inward for Change, Growth and Peace" is due from Llewellyn Worldwide in August, 2016. She’s the mama of two amazing kids and one energetic Labradoodle.

 ABOUT YOGA'S HEALING POWER

Ally Hamilton changed her life with the eight limbs of yoga, a spiritual tradition first recorded in the Yoga Sutras 1,600 years ago. Join Ally as she shows you how to apply the wisdom of this honored tradition to your modern-day life.

Physical poses?asanas?are the best-known aspects of yoga, but in the eight limbs practice, healing comes through exploring your relationship to the world and to yourself while learning to recognize the obstacles that block your path. Yoga’s Healing Power shows how to create the life you want from the inside out, working with your mind and emotions, your body and breath, your memories and your pain. With hands-on exercises, meditations, journaling prompts, and stories of healing, this book helps you uncover your particular gifts and begin to feel joy.

“Ally is really onto something fantastic with Yoga’s Healing Power. . . . We’re not talking just physical yoga; this is yoga as a way of life.”
?Kathryn Budig, author of Aim True

“I was deeply humbled and greatly inspired by Ally Hamilton’s courageous take on life, love, loss, and surrender.”
?Claire Bidwell Smith, author of The Rules of Inheritance

B.A. PARIS

B.A. Paris is from a Franco/Irish background. She was brought up in England and moved to France where she spent some years working as a trader in an international bank before re-training as a teacher and setting up a language school with her husband. They still live in France and have five daughters.

 ABOUT BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace. He has looks and wealth, she has charm and elegance. You might not want to like them, but you do.

You’d like to get to know Grace better. But it’s difficult, because you realise Jack and Grace are never apart.

Some might call this true love. Others might ask why Grace never answers the phone. Or how she can never meet for coffee, even though she doesn’t work. How she can cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim. And why there are bars on one of the bedroom windows.

From author B. A. Paris comes a thriller and international phenomenon Behind Closed Doors.

“A hair-raising debut, both unsettling and addictive...A chilling thriller that will keep you reading long into the night.”
?Mary Kubica, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author ofThe Good Girl

"This outstanding debut novel will leave you breathless."
?Bella

"Brilliant, chilling, scary and unputdownable."
?Lesley Pearse, bestselling author of Without a Trace

"This one is 2016’s answer to Gone Girl. Nuff said."
?Women’s Health UK

"You’ll love this."
?The Sun

  • You can buy BEHIND CLOSED DOORS on Amazon here
  • Learn more about B.A. on her author page
  • Follow B.A. on Twitter


JIM HARDISON

Jim Hardison has worked as a writer, screen writer, animator and film director. He started his professional career by co-writing and producing a low-budget direct-to-video feature film, The Creature from Lake Michigan. Making a bad movie can be a crash course in the essential elements of good character and story, and The Creature From Lake Michiganwas a tremendously bad movie. Shifting his focus entirely to animation, Jim joined Will Vinton Studios where he directed animated commercials for M&M’s and on the stop-motion TV series Gary and Mike. While working at Vinton, he also co-wrote the television special Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappywith actor Paul Reiser.

Jim has appeared on NBC's The Apprentice as an expert advisor on brand characters, developed characters and wrote the pilot episode for the PBS children's television series SeeMore's Playhouse and authored the graphic novel,The Helm, named one of 2010's top ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens by YALSA, a branch of the American Library Association. These days, Jim is the creative director and co-owner of Character LLC, a company that does story-analysis for brands and entertainment properties. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his lovely wife, two amazing kids, one smart dog and one stupid dog.

 ABOUT FISH WIELDER

In ancient times, the Dark Lord Mauron cooked the most powerful magic chocolate dessert ever made, the Pudding of Power. One thousand and two years later, the evil leader of the Bad Religion, the Heartless One, is trying to recover the lost pudding in order to enslave the peoples of Grome. Only the depressed barbarian warrior Thoral Might Fist and his best friend, Brad the talking Koi fish, have a chance to save the world of Grome from destruction, but that's going to take a ridiculous amount of magic and mayhem. Thus begins the epically silly epic fantasy of epic proportions, Fish Wielder--book one of the Fish Wielder Trilogy.

"This is one wild romp! I'm not sure I've seen such preposterously determined critic-baiting parody since Xanth or Asprin's Myth-Begotten series. I recommend it to anyone."
?Piers Anthony, New York Times Bestselling Author

"Fast, fun, fantastic! Fish Wielder is hilarious and unpredictable, like a drunk bear playing whack-a-mole."
?Logan J. Hunder, author of Witches Be Crazy

"A great time. Fast and funny, it races along in a self-aware tone that should appeal to anyone who loves fantasy but has ever found themselves thinking, huh, that was a little melodramatic."
?Clay Johnson, author of OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD

 

GENEVIEVE VALENTINE

Genevieve Valentine's fiction has appeared or is forthcoming in Clarkesworld, Strange Horizons, Journal of Mythic Arts, Fantasy Magazine, and Apex, and in the anthologies Federations, The Way of the Wizard, Running with the Pack, Teeth, and more. Her nonfiction has appeared in Lightspeed, Weird Tales, Tor.com, and Fantasy Magazine.

Her first novel, Mechanique: A Tale of the Circus Tresaulti, is forthcoming from Prime Books.

Her appetite for bad movies is insatiable, a tragedy she tracks on her blog at genevievevalentine.com. She is currently working on a formula to evaluate the awfulness of any given film, a scale that will be measured in Julians to honor Julian Sands, who has bravely uttered some of the worst lines ever filmed,in some of the worst wigs ever made.

 ABOUT PERSONA

In a world where diplomacy has become celebrity, a young ambassador survives an assassination attempt and must join with an undercover paparazzo in a race to save her life, spin the story, and secure the future of her young country in this near-future political thriller from the acclaimed author of Mechanique and The Girls at Kingfisher Club.

When Suyana, Face of the United Amazonia Rainforest Confederation, is secretly meeting Ethan of the United States for a date that can solidify a relationship for the struggling UARC, the last thing she expected was an assassination attempt. Daniel, a teen runaway turned paparazzi out for his big break, witnesses the first shot hit Suyana, and before he can think about it, he jumps into the fray, telling himself it’s not altruism, it’s the scoop. Now Suyana and Daniel are on the run—and if they don’t keep one step ahead, they’ll lose it all.

"Beautifully brutal in the best way. By the end of this book I was on my feet cheering. You will be, too."
--N.K. Jemison, author of the Inheritance trilogy

“Suyana Supaki is a heroine you wish were real. She's a living, breathing woman of spirit and mettle—the kind of woman the world hates, for having too much of a mind of her own. Her story in Persona offers the reader a reminder of the enduring power other people have to surprise you, just when it feels like all hope is lost.”
--Sonia Saraiya, television critic at Salon

"Blending celebrity and international diplomacy in a near-future Paris, Valentine crafts an intimate thriller that unmasks the players in the game."
--Publishers Weekly

"Suyana is a great character—chosen as a puppet, but smarter and more determined than many of those who would pull her strings.”
--Library Journal

"Valentine has crafted a really intriguing thriller with Persona, one that reminded me a bit of Max Berry’s brilliant novel Jennifer Government....a lightning fast read, but there’s as satisfying level of substance to the story that makes this an interesting read from beginning to end."
--io9.com


GORDON CHAPLIN

Gordon Chaplin is the author of the novel Joyride and several works of non-fiction, including Dark Wind: A Survivors Tale of Love and Loss: Full Fathom Five: Ocean Warming and a Father's Legacy, and Fever Coast Log: at Sea in Central America. A former journalist for Newsweek, the Baltimore Sun, and the Washington Post, he has worked on marine conservation with the Baja group Niparaja and since 2003 has been a research associate with the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. He lives with his wife Sarah and young daughter Rosie in New York City and Hebron, NY, and is the father of two older daughters, Diana and Julia.

 ABOUT PARAISO

Peter and Wendy—their mother chose the names—felt as close as twins, despite their difference in age. As teens, they fled their gothic Philadelphia home in the family station wagon and headed for Mexico, only to be discovered sleeping in the car on the banks of the Mississippi, in Huck Finn country. Now, many years later, estranged by an apparent betrayal as profound as their family's disfunction, the two live separate lives, Peter as an editor in New York, Wendy as an edgy sports photographer with a taste for risk With a new book out and an invitation to Los Cabos, she drives the old Mercedes inherited from their father down Baja California, finally completing the trip begun twenty years earlier.

But when the engine fails near a small town named Paraíso—Paradise--she finds herself trapped in a dangerous affair with her psychopathic mechanic and almost inexorablybecomes witness to a vicious murder. Meanwhile, in New York, Peter watches the Twin Towers fall on a beautiful September day and realizes it's time to find his sister and to finally make peace with her. A noirish tale reminiscent of David Lynch or the Coen brothers, Paraíso traces the journey from a mother's dark secret to a place where love, even perfect love, is possible.

"Chaplin sets the stage for a rowdy adventure story. . . . Fast-paced.”
—Publishers Weekly

"Chaplin has written a genre-crossing novel based on family dysfunction that becomes darker and more compelling as Peter chases after Wendy and pages turn."
—Booklist

“Paraíso is an atmospheric novel both realistic and rooted in fantasy . . . Chaplin offers a cast of whimsical, imperfect, loveable characters that readers will not soon forget. . . . The momentum of this expertly paced noir fairy tale increases as it nears its denouement. Gorgeous, vivid scenery and fascinating people enrich a story that is both eccentric and universal: how to love and how to handle betrayal. . . . This moody novel combines fantasy, noir and the complexities of every form of love.”
—Shelf Awareness

“Paraíso has a story so compelling, so sinuously told and passing strange, you feel like you can’t take your eyes off the road for a second. Wonder and dread pull you forward. You need to see what’s around the next curve.”
—William Finnegan, Pulitzer Prize–winning author ofBarbarian Days: A Surfing Life

“Gordon Chaplin is a brave explorer of the human heart. With his wickedly observant new novel, he leads us from East Coast to West and then south to Baja, where this strange and mysterious tale pulses with life. Paraíso probes the heart of what it is to be a sibling, what it is to know regret, how to take risks and how to forgive.”
—Joanna Hershon, author of The Outside of August and A Dual Inheritance

“Some will say of Paraíso, ‘I couldn’t put it down.’ But Gordon Chaplin’s novel is so good I had to put it down repeatedly—to think, to savor. It’s an intricate story, rich in surprises, with passages that are too well written to read just once. Entangling and then disentangling intrigues past and present, it accelerates to a dramatic conclusion on a misty mountainside, closing with scenes that—I promise you—no other writer has ever imagined."
—Jonathan Penner, author of the story collections Private Parties and This Is My Voice

“A misunderstanding between brother and sister evolves through twenty years of separate adventures, from the fall of the Twin Towers to murderous surfing off the coast of Baja California, from a past of American secrets to a present of Mexican tumult and resolution in the heights—delivering you to its hard won Paradise. This is a ride you won’t want to miss.”
—Bruce Berger, author of Almost an Island

"This book is compelling . . . It’s a good read."
—Gringo Gazette

 

KAT HOWARD

Kat Howard is a writer of fantasy, science fiction, and horror who lives and writes in New Hampshire. Her short fiction has been nominated for the World Fantasy Award, performed on NPR, and anthologized in year’s best and best of volumes. In the past, she’s been a competitive fencer and a college professor. Her debut novel, Roses and Rot was released from Saga Press in May of 2016, and will be followed by another novel in summer 2017 and a short fiction collection, A Cathedral of Myth and Bone, in 2018, both also from Saga.

 ABOUT ROSES AND ROT

What would you sacrifice for everything you ever dreamed of?

Imogen has grown up reading fairy tales about mothers who die and make way for cruel stepmothers. As a child, she used to lie in bed wishing that her life would become one of these tragic fairy tales because she couldn’t imagine how a stepmother could be worse than her mother now. As adults, Imogen and her sister Marin are accepted to an elite post-grad arts program—Imogen as a writer and Marin as a dancer. Soon enough, though, they realize that there’s more to the school than meets the eye. Imogen might be living in the fairy tale she’s dreamed about as a child, but it’s one that will pit her against Marin if she decides to escape her past to find her heart’s desire.

 Publishers Weekly Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Novel of Summer 2016

 “Captivating, fiercely smart (about sisters, artists), utterly transporting. I read it so consumingly, it was more akin to swallowing it whole. Not to be missed.” —Megan Abbott, Edgar-winning author of The Fever and You Will Know Me

"Kat Howard is a remarkable young writer, and she's written a powerful first novel, as strong as Emma Bull's War For The Oaks. This is a book about family, about the price we’re willing to pay for art, and the strange music and haunting glades of faerie."
--Neil Gaiman , bestselling author of American Gods and The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Howard weaves a dark and enticing tale of sisterly bonds, fairy promises, and the price of artistic success in this lushly written debut fantasy set in the present-day U.S. As a child, Imogen was certain that no fairy tale stepmother could possibly be crueler than her own mother, a controlling tyrant. Fortunately, Imogen and her younger sister, Marin, escaped to pursue their dreams: Imogen as a writer, Marin a dancer. After seven years apart, the women are reunited when both are selected to be fellows at Melete, a prestigious artist colony in rural New Hampshire. Melete’s fantastical campus seems perfect, but the sisters learn it’s hiding an extraordinary secret:Melete’s creative energy feeds the Fair Folk. Every seven years, the most promising Fellow is taken to live in Faery—and Imogen and Marin are shortlisted for this dubious honor. Howard’s characters are deftly drawn, and her writing is seductive as fairy magic. This story will resonate with readers long after the last page.
--Publishers Weekly *STARRED REVIEW* April 4, 2016

The realm of fairy tales meets the harsh world of the Fae in this starkly enticing debut. With undercurrents of darkness in the midst of the beauty of the arts, this is a Brothers Grimm tale for the contemporary reader.
--Library Journal, *STARRED REVIEW March 15th, 2016

“Captivating, fiercely smart (about sisters, artists), utterly transporting. I read it so consumingly, it was more akin to swallowing it whole. Not to be missed.”
--Megan Abbott , Edgar-winning author of The Fever and You Will Know Me

“Kat Howard seems to possess a magic of her own, of making characters come alive and scenery so vivid, you forget it exists only on the page. Roses and Rot is both beautiful and dark, lovely, and haunting."
--Anton Bogomazov , Politics and Prose Bookstore

 

JULIETTE FAY

Juliette Fay was born in Binghamton, NY, the first of three daughters. The family moved to Massachusetts when she was three. With just one very cranky black and white TV in the house for much of her childhood, Juliette developed a great love of books, one particular favorite being The Boxcar Children. She was deeply impressed by the siblings’ bravery, self-reliance and the shocking lack of squabbling and hair-pulling.

At age 12 Juliette began to write a journal, a practice that would continue for many years. Though it began, as most pre-teen journals do, with a basic recitation of daily drama, Juliette soon experienced the joy of narrating her life to her own specifications. Those journals have made their way safely to obliteration, but she remembers them fondly as the vehicle that drove her love of writing.

Juliette received a bachelor’s degree in human development and theology from Boston College. Upon graduation she began a year-long stint in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Seattle, Washington where she served as an emergency shelter worker, and was very quickly treated to the bleak realities of homelessness. Juliette spent two more years in Seattle and co-founded a childcare center for children of homeless families. Returning to the Boston area she continued her career in human services, which included teaching at a school for autistic children, working at a state child abuse prevention agency, and running a parenting education program. She also waitressed quite a lot to supplement her often laughable income, and worked to receive a master’s degree in public policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Along the way she met and married her husband Tom, also a former Jesuit Volunteer, now an attorney in Boston. They have four children. Juliette took time off from work in state and municipal government after her third child was born, and always assumed a return to that career path lay somewhere in her future. However in 2005, with the youngest then two, fate intervened when she read a really bad book. It made her wonder if she couldn’t do a little better—if she could just commit to paper the stories that seemed to run in her head like movie marathons on a daily basis. She began tapping away at her computer each day while the younger kids napped, between the fights over who pinched who first, and late at night after the older kids had wrestled their homework to the ground.

Juliette’s latest novel, The Tumbling Turner Sisters, was published by Simon & Schuster on June 14, 2016. Her first published novel, Shelter Me, was designated as one of the ten best works of fiction in 2009 by the Massachusetts Center for the Book, an affiliate of the Library of Congress. It was also named to the Indie Next List of the American Booksellers Association, was chosen as one of six novels for Target’s 2009 Bookmarked Club, and was a Good Housekeeping featured Book Pick. Her second novel, Deep Down True, was short-listed for the Women’s Fiction Award of the American Library Association. The Shortest Way Home, her third novel, was chosen as one of Library Journal‘s Top 5 Best Books of 2012: Women’s Fiction.

Writing fiction is by far the best job she’s ever had.

 ABOUT THE TUMBLING TURNER SISTERS

In 1919, the Turner sisters and their parents are barely scraping by. Their father is a low-paid boot-stitcher in Johnson City, New York, and the family is always one paycheck away from eviction. When their father’s hand is crushed and he can no longer work, their irrepressible mother decides that the vaudeville stage is their best—and only—chance for survival.

Traveling by train from town to town, teenagers Gert, Winnie, and Kit, and recent widow Nell soon find a new kind of freedom in the company of performers who are as diverse as their acts. There is a seamier side to the business, however, and the young women face dangers and turns of fate they never could have anticipated. Heartwarming and surprising, The Tumbling Turner Sisters is ultimately a story of awakening—to unexpected possibilities, to love and heartbreak, and to the dawn of a new American era.

“This novel of love, dreams, and the everlasting strength of family perfectly encapsulates the social mores and pressures of the early twentieth century. The Turner sisters dare to dream big--don’t miss this page turner!”  
--Sara Gruen, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Water for Elephants

“Filled with energetic prose and colorful characters—you won’t soon forget the Turner girls!”
--Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train

“Book clubs are sure to fall for The Tumbling Turner Sisters. Through this band of charming young women—and their stage mother, of course—Juliette Fay delivers the history, mystery, and prejudice of vaudeville in a story that is ultimately about the possibility of practice making something perfect (or perfect enough, anyway), the benefits of humor and ambition, and the redemptive power of love."
--Meg Waite Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Race for Paris

"Lovable, memorable characters propel this heartwarming story, which makes you laugh while it makes you think, then sticks with you long after the last vibrant page is savored."
Lynn Cullen, bestselling author of Twain's End and Mrs. Poe

"The Turner sisters come tumbling out of this terrific story, full of life, passion and trouble. Forced into a life in vaudeville, the four young girls and their mother push the boundaries of propriety to achieve their dreams in a world that doesn’t often allow women to have dreams. Gert and Winnie shine as each, in her own way, fights for her right to be who she is. A great piece of historical fiction that rings true one hundred years later."
B.A. Shapiro, NYT bestselling author of The Muralist and The Art Forger

"Evoking the entrepreneurial, madcap era of vaudeville, Juliette Fay immerses us in the trials, joys, and dangers of three young women, whose bid for success is as uproarious and heartbreaking as the time in which they lived."
--C.W. Gortner, bestselling author of Mademoiselle Chanel

“The Tumbling Turner Sisters explores vaudeville with stunning humanity and sharp humor. Juliette Fay’s novel of sisters forced by their ultimate stage mother into this show business world of fanciful facade hiding cutthroat innards reveals America—from Jim Crow laws to skirting prohibition. Like Little Women, these four sisters, facing loss and poverty, reveal a family with an unbreakable core of fortitude and love.”  
Randy Susan Meyers, bestselling author of Accidents of Marriage

"As colorful as its vaudeville setting, The Tumbling Turner Sisters made me laugh, cry, and clap my hands with delight as I cheered on these four lovable and spunky sisters. A big-hearted tale of adventure."
--Ann Mah, author of Mastering the Art of French Eating

"Packed with lively characters and charming detail, Juliette Fay's thoughtful prose sheds light on an almost forgotten part of entertainment history."          
--Allie Larkin, bestselling author of Stay and Why I Can’t Be You

“The Tumbling Turner Sisters takes you on a wild ride through the glory days of vaudeville, following Winnie and Gert as they hit the gritty floorboards of backwater theaters, pick themselves up, and strive again toward laughter-filled heights.  The prose is riveting as the sisters carry their family out of poverty in a time of racially charged political turmoil. Through Juliette Fay’s multilayered characters, I feel the sisters’ entanglements and passions as if they were my own.”  
--E. B. Moore, author of An Unseemly Wife and Stones in the Road

“An absorbing and heartfelt tale of four sisters in desperate contortions to keep their family aloft. I loved this slice of theatrical history, and Fay’s meticulous research brings to life the vivid playhouses and costumed performers — ingénues and divas, swindlers and sots. I stayed awake far too late wondering whether the girls would come in for a safe landing.”  
--Nichole Bernier, author of The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D.

 

ANNE FRAISER

Anne Frasier writes fiction and nonfiction in the genres of suspense, mystery, thriller, romantic suspense, paranormal, and memoir. She won a RITA for romantic suspense, and the Daphne du Maurier for paranormal romance. Her thrillers have hit the USA Today list and have been featured in Mystery Guild, Literary Guild, and Book of the Month Club. Her memoir, The Orchard, was an O, The Oprah MagazineFall Pick, One Book, One Community read, a B+ review in Entertainment Weekly, and a Librarians’ Best Books of 2011.

During her award-winning career, she’s written for Penguin Putnam, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins Publishers, Bantam Books/Random House, Silhouette Books, Grand Central Publishing/Hachette, and Thomas & Mercer.

Well-known in the mystery community, Frasier served as hardcover judge for the Thriller presented by International Thriller Writers, and was guest of honor at the Diversicon 16 mystery/science fiction conference held in Minneapolis.  Frasier has received high praise from print publications such as Publishers Weekly, Minneapolis Star Tribune, and Crimespree, as well as online praise from Spinetingler,  Book Loons,Armchair Interviews, Sarah Weinman’s Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind, and Ali Karim’s Shots Magazine.  Her books have featured cover quotes from Lisa Gardner, Jane Ann Krentz, Linda Howard, Kay Hooper, and J.A. Konrath. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and International Thriller Writers. She divides her time between  Saint Paul, Minnesota, and her writing studio in rural Wisconsin.

 ABOUT THE BODY READER

For three years, Detective Jude Fontaine was kept from the outside world. Held in an underground cell, her only contact was with her sadistic captor, and reading his face was her entire existence. Learning his every line, every movement, and every flicker of thought is what kept her alive.

After her experience with isolation and torture, she is left with a fierce desire for justice—and a heightened ability to interpret the body language of both the living and the dead. Despite colleagues’ doubts about her mental state, she resumes her role at Homicide. Her new partner, Detective Uriah Ashby, doesn’t trust her sanity, and he has a story of his own he’d rather keep hidden. But a killer is on the loose, murdering young women, so the detectives have no choice: they must work together to catch the madman before he strikes again. And no one knows madmen like Jude Fontaine.

 

SHARON POTTS

Sharon Potts is the award-winning, critically acclaimed author of three thriller novels. A native of New York, Sharon graduated from New York University's Stern School of Business. Before migrating to Miami, she worked as a CPA for a major public accounting firm. In Miami, Sharon served as a managing director of an international staffing company and president of an executive search/accounting recruitment firm.

Sharon is vice-president of the Florida chapter of Mystery Writers of America and a member of International Thriller Writers. Her career as a mystery/thriller writer began with In Their Blood, winner of the Benjamin Franklin Award and recipient of a starred review in Publishers Weekly, followed by Someone's Watching and now, The Devil's Madonna.

Sharon lives in Miami Beach with her husband, Joe, and Australian shepherd, Gidget.

 ABOUT SOMEONE MUST DIE

When her six-year-old nephew vanishes from a neighborhood carnival, Aubrey Lynd’s safe, snow-globe world fractures; it shatters when the FBI’s investigation raises questions about her own family that Aubrey can’t answer.

Aubrey picks apart the inconsistencies to expose the first of many lies: a ransom note—concealed from the FBI—with a terrifying and impossible ultimatum. Aubrey doesn’t know what to believe or whom to trust. The abduction is clearly personal—but why would someone play a high-stakes game with the life of a child? The more she presses for answers, the more Aubrey is convinced that her mother is hiding something.

Desperate to save her young nephew, Aubrey must face harsh truths and choose between loyalty to her family and doing the right thing. And she’d better hurry, because vengeance sets its own schedule, and time is running out.

 

JOE HART

Joe Hart was born and raised in northern Minnesota. Having dedicated himself to writing horror and thriller fiction since the age of nine, he is now the author of eleven novels that include The River Is Dark, Lineage, and The Last Girl. When not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising, exploring the great outdoors, and watching movies with his family.

 ABOUT THE LAST GIRL

 A mysterious worldwide epidemic reduces the birthrate of female infants from 50 percent to less than 1 percent. Medical science and governments around the world scramble in an effort to solve the problem, but twenty-five years later there is no cure, and an entire generation grows up with a population of fewer than a thousand women.

Zoey and some of the surviving young women are housed in a scientific research compound dedicated to determining the cause. For two decades, she’s been isolated from her family, treated as a test subject, and locked away—told only that the virus has wiped out the rest of the world’s population.

Captivity is the only life Zoey has ever known, and escaping her heavily armed captors is no easy task, but she’s determined to leave before she is subjected to the next round of tests…a program that no other woman has ever returned from. Even if she’s successful, Zoey has no idea what she’ll encounter in the strange new world beyond the facility’s walls. Winning her freedom will take brutality she never imagined she possessed, as well as all her strength and cunning—but Zoey is ready for war.

“What if there were only 1,000 women left on the planet? This is the conceit of The Last Girl, and it’s the kind of premise I live for. Part Children of Men, part The Count of Monte Cristo for the modern age, Joe Hart has written a rapturous, thought-provoking, impossible-to-put-down thriller that is destined to become the first BIG BOOK of 2016.”
—Blake Crouch, bestselling author of The Wayward Pines Trilogy

 

WILLIAM LASHNER

William Lashner is the New York Times Bestselling creator of Victor Carl, who has been called by Booklist one of the mystery novel’s “most compelling, most morally ambiguous characters.” The Victor Carl novels, which have been translated into more than a dozen foreign languages and have been sold all across the globe, include BAGMEN, KILLER’S KISS, FALLS THE SHADOW, FATAL FLAW, and HOSTILE WITNESS. He is also the author of BLOOD AND BONE, THE ACCOUNTING, and, most recently, THE BARKEEP, which was a Digital Book World Number One Bestselling Ebook.

Lashner was a criminal prosecutor with the Department of Justice in Washington D.C. before quitting the law to write fulltime. A graduate of the New York University School of Law, as well as the Iowa Writers' Workshop, he lives with his wife and three children outside Philadelphia.

 ABOUT THE FOUR-NIGHT RUN

J.D. Scrbacek has just won the biggest trial of his career, but even as he crows to the press, his entire life blows sky-high. Was the bomb meant for him, or for his mobster client? In this seaside casino town where the tables run hot and the tensions run high, the odds say the attorney is a marked man.

Alone and on the run, Scrbacek flees into the city’s forgotten underbelly, a ruined corridor called Crapstown, where he is forced to confront the ghosts of his past, his present, and his future. Somewhere in the sordid stream of his own existence lie the answers he needs. But in order to emerge from the depths of Crapstown, Scrbacek must argue for his life before a jury of the forgotten and the damned. Is he lawyer enough to save his own skin?

From the bestselling author of The Barkeep comes a raucous tale of reckoning, racketeering, and revenge.

“Lashner melds a nightmarish vision of a city driven by greed and poverty with serious discussions of criminal law and its practice and its corruption.”
—Publishers Weekly

  • You can buy THE FOUR-NIGHT RUN on Amazon here.
  • Learn more about William on his website

 

JONATHAN STONE

Jonathan Stone does most of his writing on the commuter train between the Connecticut suburbs and Manhattan, where he is a creative director at a midtown advertising agency. His fifth novel, Moving Day, published in May 2014, was a Kindle First selection. His novel The Teller was published in May 2015. And his forthcoming novel Two for the Show will be published in June 2016.

He has short stories in the two most recent Mystery Writers of America anthologies. "East Meets West," appears in the collection "Ice Cold - Tales of Intrigue from the Cold War," (2104) edited by Jeffery Deaver. "Hedge", appears in the MWA anthology, "The Mystery Box", edited by Brad Meltzer (2013). His short story "Mailman", will be published in Best American Mystery Stories 2016, edited by Elizabeth George.

A graduate of Yale, Jon is married, with a son and daughter.

 ABOUT TWO FOR THE SHOW

Chas is a detective who doesn’t stake out cheating husbands, track down missing persons, or match wits with femmes fatales. Instead of pounding the pavement, he taps a computer keyboard. He can get the goods on anyone, and it’s all to make sure superstar Las Vegas mind reader Wallace the Amazing stays amazing. Thanks to Chas’s steady stream of stealthy intel, Wallace’s mental “magic” packs houses every night.

But when someone threatens to call the psychic showman’s bluff, the sweet gig takes a sour—and sinister—turn. Who’s the clean-cut couple gunning for Wallace with an arsenal of dirty tricks? Why does Wallace keep upping the ante instead of backing down? And just how much does Chas really know about his mysterious boss’s life…or his own? The tangled truth—of blackmail, kidnapping, and false identities—quickly becomes the biggest case of his strange, secret career.

  • You can buy TWO FOR THE SHOW on Amazon here
  • Learn more about Jonathan on his website

 

K. EASON

Eason started telling tales in her early childhood. After earning two degrees in English literature, she decided to stop writing about everyone else’s stories and get back to writing her own. Now she teaches first-year college students about the zombie apocalypse, Aristotelian ethics, and Beowulf (not all at once). She lives in Southern California with her husband and two black cats, and she powers everything with coffee.

 ABOUT ENEMY

The Illhari Republic rests on the bones of gods, telling tales of conquest and forgetting its once-bloody devotion to its most powerful goddess. Snowdenaelikk, half-blood conjuror and smuggler, cares less about history than the silver she can win with sharp metal and sharper wits. But when the local legion blames her for burning a village, an outlander with a sense of honor intervenes, and Snow finds herself tangled in politics and an unwelcome partnership.

Snow and her new partner, Veiko, together with the legion scout Dekklis, uncover a conspiracy that will destroy the Republic from within. It seems that the goddess is back from wherever dead gods go. She has not forgotten the Republic, and she wants revenge.

Loyal Dekklis will do anything to save the Republic, and Snow reluctantly agrees to help—until she realizes that “anything” means sacrificing Veiko. Now Snow must decide whether her partner’s life is worth betraying her allies and damning the Republic to war.

 

STEPHEN BAXTER AND ALASTAIR REYNOLDS

Stephen Baxter was born in 1957 and has degrees from Cambridge and Southampton. He is the preeminent science fiction writer of his generation. With Terry Pratchett, he as coauthored the Long Earth novels. As a world-renowned bestselling author, Baxter has won many major awards in the UK, US, Germany, and Japan including the British Science Fiction Award (four times), and he has been shortlisted for the Hugo Award (six nominations), the Arthur C. Clarke Award (seven nominations), and has been awarded the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, the Philip K. Dick Award, and the Theodore Sturgeon Award. Baxter has also been shortlisted for the Locus Award seventy-two times, and won once. He lives in Northumberland with his wife.

Alastair Reynolds was born in Barry, South Wales, in 1966. He studied at Newcastle and St. Andrews Universities and has a PhD in astronomy. He stopped working as an astrophysicist for the European Space Agency to become a full-time writer. Reynolds is a bestselling author and has been awarded the British Science Fiction award, along with being shortlisted for the Hugo Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, the Theodore Sturgeon Award, and the Locus Award.

 ABOUT THE MEDUSA CHRONICLES

A sequel to Sir Arthur C. Clarke’s Nebula Award–winning novella “A Meeting with Medusa,” this novel continues the thrilling adventure of astronaut Howard Falcon, humanity’s first explorer of Jupiter from two modern science fiction masters.

Howard Falcon almost lost his life in an accident as the first human astronaut to explore the atmosphere of Jupiter—and a combination of human ingenuity and technical expertise brought him back. But he is no longer himself. Instead, he has been changed into an augmented human: part man, part machine, and exceptionally capable.

With permission from the Clarke Estate, Stephen Baxter and Alastair Reynolds continue this beloved writer’s enduring vision and have created a fresh story for new readers. The Medusa Chronicles charts Falcon’s journey through the centuries granted by his new body, but always back to mysteries of Jupiter and the changing interaction between humanity and the universe. A compelling read full of incredible action right from the beginning, this is a modern classic in the spirit of 2001 and The Martian.

"A worthy sequel to a classic."
--Jack McDevitt , Bestselling and Nebula award-winning author of SEEKER and STARHAWK

"Two of the most acclaimed contemporary hard SF writers successfully team up in this ambitious epic space opera, spanning almost 800years, that expands the themes raised by Arthur C. Clarke’s classic 1971novella, A Meeting withMedusa. Clarke’s hero, Howard Falcon, suffered horrific injuries in anaccident in 2080, surviving only by cybernetic surgery; his new abilities ledhim to a successful search for extraterrestrial life and positioned him to bean “ambassador... between the creatures of carbon and the creatures of metal.”That unsought status tests Falcon as, over the centuries, robots begin tobecome self-aware and seek autonomy. Humankind’s expansion of its reach beyondEarth provides more opportunity for conflict, and the authors do a superior jobof predicting plausible political developments. The novel’s reach does come atthe expense of some psychological depth, but fans of the authors’ other workwon’t be disappointed."
--Publishers Weekly *STARRED REVIEW* May 2, 2016

 

MISHELL BAKER

Mishell Baker is a 2009 graduate of the Clarion Fantasy & Science Fiction Writers’ Workshop.  Her short fiction has appeared in Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Daily Science Fiction, Redstone Science Fiction, and Electric Velocipede.

Her urban fantasy series The Arcadia Project is being released by Simon & Schuster’s Saga imprint beginning with Borderline in March 2016.  The series is narrated by Millicent Roper, a snarky double-amputee and suicide survivor who works with a ragtag collection of society’s least-wanted, keeping the world safe from the chaotic whims of supernatural beasties.

When Mishell isn’t convention-hopping or going on wild research adventures, she lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two changelings.  When her offspring are older, she will probably remember what her hobbies are.  In the meantime, she enjoys sending and receiving old-fashioned handwritten paper letters

A cynical, disabled film director with borderline personality disorder gets recruited to join a secret organization that oversees relations between Hollywood and Fairyland in the first book of a new urban fantasy series from debut author Mishell Baker.

A year ago, Millie lost her legs and her filmmaking career in a failed suicide attempt. Just when she’s sure the credits have rolled on her life story, she gets a second chance with the Arcadia Project: a secret organization that polices the traffic to and from a parallel reality filled with creatures straight out of myth and fairy tales.

For her first assignment, Millie is tasked with tracking down a missing movie star who also happens to be a nobleman of the Seelie Court. To find him, she’ll have to smooth-talk Hollywood power players and uncover the surreal and sometimes terrifying truth behind the glamour of Tinseltown. But stronger forces than just her inner demons are sabotaging her progress, and if she fails to unravel the conspiracy behind the noble’s disappearance, not only will she be out on the streets, but the shattering of a centuries-old peace could spark an all-out war between worlds.

No pressure.

"Borderline is worldbuilding at its most original...I loved this book."
--Charlaine Harris, New York Times bestselling author of DEAD UNTIL DARK

"Smart, snappy, fast, fantastic. You will not be sorry you read this."
--Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author of the October Daye series

* "Fully articulated, flawed, and fascinating characters combine with masterly urban fantasy storytelling in Baker’s debut novel... [a] beautifully written story that is one part mystery, one part fantasy, and wholly engrossing."
--Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

* "Baker’s debut takes gritty urban fantasy in a new direction with flawed characters, painful life lessons, and not a small amount of humor."
--Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

"An enjoyable fantasy mystery that tackles physical disability and mental illness without sacrificing diverting, fast-paced storytelling."
--Kirkus Reviews

"Baker’s consistent, caring integration of the realities of disability into the narrative, makes Borderline one of the most purely respectful portrayals of people with disabilities that I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading, and that in turn makes it an excellent launch to a very promising urban fantasy series."
--Publishers Weekly STAFF PICK

"Baker has crafted a swift, delightful, and complex beginning to your next favorite urban fantasy series, very nearly redefining the genre along the way...an unabashed pleasure cruise, filled to the brim with snappy dialogue, smart character choices, behind-the-scenes Hollywood shenanigans, and delightful fish-out-of-water moments."
--B&N Sci-Fi and Fantasy blog

"Mishell Baker’s new Arcadia Project series is off to a thrilling and glamorous start with Borderline...Baker has given her audience urban fantasy at its finest—visceral and real in its sense of space, and dancing on the uncanny edges of our vision...Borderline is dark and creeping and smart as a whip."
--Tor.com

"Borderline [is] a strange, fast-paced, and surprisingly dark tale about magic, madness and mystique...Despite the engaging plot, Millie’s character, and the complexities in the characters around her made the book a real page-turner for me...Immensely riveting, with unexpected influxes of depth."
--MuggleNet.com

"A fast-paced story of high costs laced with humor that goes from light-hearted to scathing with the flip of a coin...navigates the borderlands of friendship and enmity, trust and betrayal, with shrewd and unrelenting grace."
--NPR

"Boasting a truly unique heroine whose flaws only make her more compelling, Baker’s debut is an exciting entry into an imaginative new world."
--Booklist

"A smart, witty, and engrossing book that made me laugh-out-loud and hold my breath as I fell under its spell...Baker is on par with Elmore Leonard when it comes to mastery in the art of dialogue."
--SF Signal

"A quick-paced, engrossing read with a surprisingly genuine and realistic portrayal of mental illness and physical disability...successfully balances darkness, humor and wit, set against a creatively imagined world...Readers will be left excited for more."
--Romantic Times Book Reviews

 

T.R. RAGAN

T.R. Ragan (Theresa Ragan) is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. Her exciting Lizzy Gardner series (Abducted, Dead Weight, A Dark Mind, Obsessed, Almost Dead, and Evil Never Dies) has received tremendous praise. In August 2015 Evil Never Dies hit #7 on the Wall Street Journal Bestselling List. Since publishing in 2011, she has reached over two million readers and has been mentioned in the Wall Street Journal, the L.A. Times, PC Magazine, Huffington Post, and Publishers Weekly.

Theresa grew up in a family of five girls in Lafayette, California. An avid traveler, her wanderings have carried her to Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, China, Thailand, and Nepal, where she narrowly survived being chased by a killer elephant. Before devoting herself to writing fiction, she worked as a legal secretary for a large corporation. Theresa and her husband Joe have four children and live in Sacramento, California.

 ABOUT FURIOUS

 Faith McMann comes home to a nightmare: her husband is killed and her son and daughter are taken. Although the intruders leave her for dead, she survives. Crippling grief and fear for her children make life unbearable. Until her anguish turns to anger…and she trades victimhood for vengeance.

Frustrated with the law’s efforts, she takes action to rescue her children—and wreaks havoc on the brutal criminals who tore them from her. With her family and newfound allies at her side, Faith descends into the hellish underworld of human trafficking, determined to make those who prey on the innocent pray for mercy.

The forces she’s up against have already proven that their ruthlessness knows no bounds. And there’s nothing they won’t do to turn Faith’s crusade into a suicide mission. But they’re about to learn that nothing is more dangerous than a mother fighting for her children—especially one who’s earned the nickname Furious.

"Suspenseful and smart, in equal measure."
—Don Crinklaw, Booklist

“Searing...Readers with strong stomachs will eagerly await the next installment.”
—Publishers Weekly

 

SCOTT HAWKINS
Scott Hawkins lives in Atlanta with his wife and a large pack of foster dogs. When not writing he enjoys woodwork, cooking long and impractical recipes, and playing fetch with his dogs. He works as a computer programmer. The Library at Mount Char is his first novel.

 ABOUT THE LIBRARY AT MOUNT CHAR

Carolyn's not so different from the other people around her. She likes guacamole and cigarettes and steak. She knows how to use a phone. Clothes are a bit tricky, but everyone says nice things about her outfit with the Christmas sweater over the gold bicycle shorts.  

After all, she was a normal American herself once.   

That was a long time ago, of course. Before her parents died. Before she and the others were taken in by the man they called Father.

In the years since then, Carolyn hasn't had a chance to get out much. Instead, she and her adopted siblings have been raised according to Father's ancient customs. They've studied the books in his Library and learned some of the secrets of his power. And sometimes, they've wondered if their cruel tutor might secretly be God.  

Now, Father is missing—perhaps even dead—and the Library that holds his secrets stands unguarded. And with it, control over all of creation.

As Carolyn gathers the tools she needs for the battle to come, fierce competitors for this prize align against her, all of them with powers that far exceed her own.

But Carolyn has accounted for this.

And Carolyn has a plan.

The only trouble is that in the war to make a new God, she's forgotten to protect the things that make her human.

Populated by an unforgettable cast of characters and propelled by a plot that will shock you again and again, The Library at Mount Char is at once horrifying and hilarious, mind-blowingly alien and heartbreakingly human, sweepingly visionary and nail-bitingly thrilling—and signals the arrival of a major new voice in fantasy.

“Wholly original…the work of the newest major talent in fantasy.”
—Wall Street Journal

"Freakishly compelling...through heart-thumping acts of violence and laugh-out-loud moments, this book practically dares you to keep reading."
--Atlanta Magazine

An engrossing fantasy world full of supernatural beings and gruesome consequences."
--Boston Globe

"Vivid...the dialogue sings...you'll spend equal time shuddering and chortling."
--Dallas Morning News

“A spellbinding story of world-altering power and revenge…Hawkins has created a fascinating, unusual world in which ordinary people can learn to wield breathtaking power—and he's also written a compelling story about love and revenge that never loses sight of the human emotions at its heart. A wholly original, engrossing, disturbing, and beautiful book.”
—Kirkus (starred)

“An extravagant, beautifully imagined fantasy about a universe that is both familiar and unfamiliar…Hawkins makes nary a misstep in this award-worthy effort of imagination. You won't be able to put it down.”
—Booklist (starred)

"A bizarre yet utterly compelling debut...might remind readers of Robert Jackson Bennett's or Neil Gaiman's horror/fantasies.”
—Library Journal (starred)

 

MARKO KLOOS

Marko Kloos was born and raised in Germany, in and around the city of Münster. In the past, he has been a soldier, bookseller, freight dock worker, and corporate IT administrator before he decided that he wasn’t cut out for anything other than making stuff up for a living.

Marko writes primarily science fiction and fantasy, his first genre love ever since his youth when he spent his allowance mostly on German SF pulp serials. He likes bookstores, kind people, October in New England, Scotch, and long walks on the beach with Scotch.

Marko lives in New Hampshire with his wife, two children, and roving pack of vicious dachshunds.

 ABOUT CHAINS OF COMMAND

The assault on Earth was thwarted by the destruction of the aliens’ seed ship, but with Mars still under Lanky control, survivors work frantically to rebuild fighting capacity and shore up planetary defenses. Platoon sergeant Andrew Grayson must crash-course train new volunteers—all while dulling his searing memories of battle with alcohol and meds.

Knowing Earth’s uneasy respite won’t last, the North American Commonwealth and its Sino-Russian allies hurtle toward two dangerous options: hit the Lanky forces on Mars or go after deserters who stole a fleet of invaluable warships critical to winning the war. Assigned to a small special ops recon mission to scout out the renegades’ stronghold on a distant moon, Grayson and his wife, dropship pilot Halley, again find themselves headed for the crucible of combat—and a shattering new campaign in the war for humanity’s future.

“Marko Kloos’s military science fiction Frontlines series is quickly becoming one of our favorites, and his latest, Chains of Command, shows that Kloos is well on his way to becoming one of the genre’s best assets.”
—io9

STEPHANIE FAUBION 

As a clinician who has practiced in the Women's Health Clinic at Mayo Clinic for over 10 years and has evaluated and treated women with menopausal, hormonal and sexual health concerns, Stephanie S. Faubion, M.D., has a broad interest in women's health. Dr. Faubion's research encompasses sex- and gender-based differences in disease, menopause, hormone therapy, healthy aging, and sexual health and dysfunction in women.

 ABOUT MAYO CLINIC: THE MENOPAUSE SOLUTION

Mayo Clinic The Menopause Solution is the definitive guide to making your life change a positive one. Drawing on the latest information, leading women's health expert Dr. Stephanie Faubion covers common questions, lifestyle strategies, and treatment options.

Unlike other books, Mayo Clinic The Menopause Solution is comprehensive, easy to navigate, and authoritative.

Features include:

  • A complete look at what happens to your body before, during, and after menopause.
  • Up-to-date information on over-the-counter medications, nutritional supplements, and hormone therapy
  • Sidebars, lists, and summaries to make finding information a cinch

Dr. Faubion knows that what works for one woman doesn't necessarily work for another. In approachable terms, she presents a balanced, unbiased overview of what to expect in midlife and beyond. You'll find accurate information on perimenopause, premature menopause, menopause symptoms, long-term effects of estrogen loss, and a wide variety of therapies to enhance health.

Professional, accessible, and essential for any woman entering menopause, Mayo Clinic The Menopause Solution offers everything you need to take charge of your own health and get the best care from your doctor.

  • You can buy MAYO CLINIC THE MENOPAUSE SOLUTION on Amazon here
  • Learn more about Stephanie on her website.
  • Follow Stephanie on Twitter

JEFF WHEELER 

Jeff took an early retirement from his career at Intel in 2014 to write full-time and is now a WSJ bestselling author. He is, most importantly, a husband and father, a devout member of his church, and is occasionally spotted roaming hills with oak trees and granite boulders in California or in any number of the state's majestic redwood groves. He is also one of the founders of Deep Magic: the E-zine of Clean Fantasy and Science Fiction

 ABOUT THE QUEEN'S POISONER

King Severn Argentine’s fearsome reputation precedes him: usurper of the throne, killer of rightful heirs, ruthless punisher of traitors. Attempting to depose him, the Duke of Kiskaddon gambles…and loses. Now the duke must atone by handing over his young son, Owen, as the king’s hostage. And should his loyalty falter again, the boy will pay with his life.

Seeking allies and eluding Severn’s spies, Owen learns to survive in the court of Kingfountain. But when new evidence of his father’s betrayal threatens to seal his fate, Owen must win the vengeful king’s favor by proving his worth—through extraordinary means. And only one person can aid his desperate cause: a mysterious woman, dwelling in secrecy, who truly wields power over life, death, and destiny.

 

ACHIM NOWAK

Achim Nowak is an author, speaker, C-Suite coach, and international authority on personal presence. In his new book "The Moment: A Practical Guide to Creating a Mindful Life in a Distracted World" (New Page Books), Achim introduces readers to 4 deliciously simple keys that instantly elevate our experience of any moment.

Achim has been featured on 60 Minutes, NPR, Fox News, and in The Miami Herald. He has received a PEN Syndicated Fiction Award for his writing, and his work for the Shimon Peres Centre for Peace was captured in the award-winning documentary "The Last Enemy."

Achim has a checkered past. That is one of his finer assets.

It includes training performers at The Actors Institute in Manhattan, spending a decade on the faculty of New York University, leading transformational AIDS Mastery retreats in church basements and community centers throughout North America, and disappearing to the island of Tobago for a year. In Tobago Achim windsurfed everyday and explored the art of doing nothing.

 ABOUT THE MOMENT

What if there was a way of knowing our moments more richly and more deeply as they unfold? What if we experienced more memorable moments in any given day? How might this alter the experience of our lives?

That is the tantalizing premise of Achim Nowak's book, THE MOMENT. It introduces us to 4 simple keys. These keys are entirely common-sense. That is their beauty.

Return to experiencing the world with all of your senses. Learn how to tune into prajna wisdom - the wisdom that talks to us as a moment unfolds. Discover ways of receiving and wave-riding energy. And reap the rewards of making time stand still.

THE MOMENT is a compulsively readable book. Instead of urging us to do more and work harder, THE MOMENT shows us how to rediscover a childlike delight in the world. Apply the 4 keys, and sumptuous moments will suddenly pop up all around you. You will instantly experience more success in business and in life. You will know the infinite pleasures of living in the moment.

"Crystal clear and deeply affecting all at once. An inspired roadmap for creating a boldly lived life."
--LeGrande Green, 4-Time Emmy-winning producer, The Oprah Winfrey Show

"Takes the mysticism out of mindfulness and shows us how to reclaim the simple pleasures in life."
--Tom Asacker, author of The Business of Belief

"An irreplaceable and highly readable guide to rediscovering how to see the world as it's meant to be seen: in the immediate present and with child-like wonder."
--Ben Michaelis, PhD, clinical psychologist, author of Your Next Big Thing

 

LEIGH RUSSELL

After many years teaching English in secondary school, internationally bestselling author Leigh Russell now writes crime fiction full time for No Exit Press. Published in English and in translation throughout Europe, her Geraldine Steel and Ian Peterson titles have appeared on many bestseller lists, including #1 on kindle. Leigh's work has been nominated for several major awards, including the CWA New Blood Dagger and CWA Dagger in the Library, and her series are in development for television with Avalon Television Ltd.

 ABOUT JOURNEY TO DEATH

Journey to Death, set in the Seychelles, is the first title in her Lucy Hall series published by Thomas and Mercer.

Lucy Hall arrives in the Seychelles determined to leave her worries behind. The tropical paradise looks sun-soaked and picture-perfect—but as Lucy soon discovers, appearances can be very deceptive.

As black clouds begin to gather over what promised to be a relaxing family break, Lucy realises that her father stands in the eye of the coming storm. A shadow from his past is threatening to destroy all that he holds dear—including the lives of his loved ones.

A dark truth is about to explode into their lives, and that truth is going to hit them right between the eyes.

“Russell evokes the exotic locale beautifully, but readers will be in the grip of the suspenseful story, too, even as they feel the island heat and smell the flowers.”
—Booklist

The Times/Sunday Times Crime Club pick

“As usual, Russell delivers imaginative plots, perfectly paced.”
—The Times

“[Leigh Russell] will have you coming back for more with her adrenaline pumping novels, full of adventure, anticipation, and excitement. Be sure to add Leigh to your mystery TBR list.”
—A Comfy Chair

“I found myself engrossed in this tense thriller from Leigh Russell.”
—Shots

“Lucy is an attractive and likeable protagonist...Journey to Death makes the subtle point that those who appear fragile and vulnerable often have unexpected resources of strength and resilience. It is a thoroughly enjoyable read.”
—Mystery People

“Russell has delivered another cracking read...Lucy is a brilliant new character and I doubt very much you'll put this one down until you're done. I certainly couldn't.”
—Crimesquad

 

ANNE CHARNOCK

Anne Charnock's debut novel, A Calculated Life, was a finalist for the 2013 Philip K. Dick Award and The 2013 Kitschies Golden Tentacle Award (Debut Novel). Her writing career began in journalism and her articles appeared in the Guardian, New Scientist, International Herald Tribune, and Geographical. She travelled widely as a foreign correspondent and spent a year overlanding through Egypt, Sudan, and Kenya.

Although Anne’s education initially focused on science—she studied environmental sciences at the University of East Anglia—she later attended the Manchester School of Art, where she gained a master’s degree in fine art. At the end of her art studies, she began exhibiting her work internationally, and on the quiet, she started writing fiction.

Anne is an active blogger, and she contributes exhibition reviews and book recommendations to the Huffington Post. She splits her time between Chester and London, and whenever possible, she and her husband, Garry, take off in their camper van. They have recently traveled as far as the Anti-Atlas Mountains in southern Morocco, and they next plan to drive from London to Athens.

 ABOUT SLEEPING EMBERS OF AN ORDINARY MIND

History is storytelling. But some stories remain untold.

In fifteenth-century Italy, Paolo Uccello recognizes the artistic talent of his young daughter, Antonia, and teaches her how to create a masterpiece. The girl composes a painting of her mother and inadvertently sparks an enduring mystery.

In the present day, a copyist painter receives a commission from a wealthy Chinese businessman to duplicate a Paolo Uccello painting. Together, the painter and his teenage daughter visit China, and in doing so they begin their escape from a tragic family past.

In the twenty-second century, a painting is discovered that’s rumored to be the work of Paolo Uccello’s daughter. This reawakens an art historian’s dream of elevating Antonia Uccello, an artist ignored by history because of her gender.

Stories untold. Secrets uncovered. But maybe some mysteries should remain shrouded.

“Anne Charnock’s Sleeping Embers of an Ordinary Mind is an expert braiding together of past, present, and future that puts a fifteenth-century Italian female artist centre stage to say penetrating things about womanhood, creativity, and history.”
—The Guardian

“The centuries-spanning story gives the mystery an epic feel.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Acclaimed science-fiction author Anne Charnock combines history, art, and sci-fi in this spinning novel that encompasses fifteenth-century Italy, the present-day, and the twenty-second century.”
—Bustle

“Sleeping Embers of an Ordinary Mind is certainly one of 2015’s tip-top releases in science fiction.”
—Speculiction

“An intriguing look at three women in different time periods.”
—Library Journal

“This quiet, lovely, and exquisitely crafted novel is itself a masterclass in composition...As in her debut novel, A Calculated Life, the clarity and refined elegance of Charnock’s prose is a significant achievement.”
—Nina Allan, winner of the 2014 BSFA Novella Award for Spin

 

BETH THOMAS COHEN AND MICHELE MATRISCIANI

BETH THOMAS COHEN has been in the fashion industry for sixteen years. As cofounder of the public relations agency B' squared Public Relations, Beth launched new fashion brands and breathed life into older ones. She previously worked as senior director at Lividini & Co., in-house public relations director at the luxury/accessories company Lambertson Truex, and worked in the fashion department at O, The Oprah Magazine. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and children.

MICHELE MATRISCIANI is a New York Times bestselling editor and former Editorial Director of HCI Books-the original publisher of Chicken Soup for the Soul. Specializing in memoir and practical nonfiction, Michele was an acquisitions editor and developmental editor for fifteen years, working at several New York houses, including Macmillan, Hyperion, Contemporary Books, and McGraw-Hill Trade. In 2011, Michele founded Bookchic LLC, a full-service content development consulting company.

Her experience as a publisher, marketer, and writer uniquely positions Michele Matrisciani as the quintessential Bookchic-a valuable collaborator to help authors, literary agents, and publishers creatively, commercially, and competitively deliver their messages and brands to a wide audience. Now that's chic!

She is a native New Yorker and a graduate of the University of Central Florida, where she majored in journalism/news editorial and minored in psychology.

Description of Drop the Act, it’s Exhausting!:

Drop the Act, It’s Exhausting! is one woman’s call to all women to embrace the imperfections in their lives and to air their “improper” thoughts about relationships, love, sex, parenting, careers, self-esteem, and self-image. By no longer being ashamed or apologetic about how they "really feel,” women will become more aware of who they are and more accepting of themselves and one another. With wit, candor, and refreshingly blunt observations, Beth Thomas Cohen proves herself the prime example of how freeing, fun, and unifying it can be to drop the act and live a not so put-together life.

“The tone is sassy, blunt (like Cohen, who is always refreshingly honest even when the truth hurts) and witty. After just a few pages you'll feel way better about your relationship, career and life in general.”
--People StyleWatch (People)

“Written in the tone of a girlfriend chatting over a bottle of wine, the book is peppered with quotes from celebs plus authentic storytelling about the author’s upbringing, marriage, age and self-image. Cheers to hearing the truth and embracing your own imperfect life.”
-- Star Magazine (Studies In Second Language Acquisition)

“Accessories editor and publicist Beth Thomas Cohen has quite the reputation in the fashion industry—for being incredibly nice and down to earth. Both of which are rare qualities at the top of any business, but fashion especially. So how, you might wonder, did she manage to stay a happy, well-adjusted person? Lucky for you, she’s written a whole book about it. Drop the Act, It’s Exhausting!: Free Yourself from Your So-Called Put-Together Life, hit shelves this week, and her no-bull sh*t life manual offers straightforward advice on how to lighten up—and enjoy yourself along the way.”
--Yahoo! Style (Yahoo)

“Is it possible to be so composed all the time? No, actually. And that’s okay. Living with imperfections and coming to terms with them is the subject of former fashion editor and publicist Beth Thomas Cohen’s new book, Drop the Act, It’s Exhausting!: Free Yourself from Your So-Called ‘Put-Together’ Life, available starting Nov. 4. Cohen’s straight-forward, no-nonsense attitude covers every one of the 147 pages of this self-help tome, which tackles subjects like marriage, kids, friendships, and yes, even having it all.”
--InStyle (InStyle)

“Beth’s fantastic new book, Drop the Act, It’s Exhausting!, is out this week, and it’s jam-packed with all of the sassy, savvy, real-life advice you need to keep yourself on the track to sanity. Reading it is exactly how I imagine a dinner date with Beth would be. And by the time I’d turned the last page, I was ready to hop on a plane to do just that.”
-- Shopping’s My Cardio

There’s nothing more refreshing, and in this case more fun, than an outspoken woman. For truth, empowerment, and the Feminine Way, nobody says it better than my friend Beth Thomas Cohen.
--Debra Messing

If I had to describe Beth in one word it would be 'real.' She's always honest and upfront, both professionally and personally. I go to her when I want to hear the truth (so, like, half the time).
--Andrea Lavinthal, PEOPLE Style & Beauty director

"I felt like I could be sitting down having coffee with Cohen. .. .You should read this book because it celebrates our imperfections. It calls us on our BS. It reminds us to be open-minded and maybe a little nicer and not quite so judgmental. .. .its tone and message are refreshing. .. .it validates the snarky texts a friend and I share about an acquaintance who only posts on Facebook the things that talk about how wonderful and perfect her life is. You should read it because it made me decide that the next time my client calls me the wrong name, I’m correcting him- because it is, indeed, ok for me to speak up. You should read it because Cohen makes the list of authors that I’d love to have a drink with sometime."
--The Book Fetish

"Publicist Cohen's new book succeeds in encourageing women who are juggling work, famly, and fashion, to remove the fantasy veil of perfection."
--Library Journal

 

LIAN DOLAN

Lian Dolan is a mother, wife, novelist, talk show host, Satellite Sister and Chaos Chronicler. Her first novel, Helen of Pasadena, was an LA Times Bestseller for over a year and a nominee for Best Fiction from the Southern California Indie Booksellers. Part Rom-Com, part social satire, Helen of Pasadena was a hit with critics and book clubs alike. Her latest novel, Elizabeth the First Wife, continues the tradition with wit, romance and Shakespeare.

Lian writes and talks about her adventures in modern motherhood for her website, www.chaoschronicles.com and her weekly podcast, The Chaos Chronicles. Lian has always used her voice to take on all aspects of motherhood, from common-sense parenting to all-consuming school volunteering to overcoming handbag envy. She is known for her humorous take on the day-to-day issues that face women everywhere. The Chaos Chronicles was developed by Nickelodeon as a half-hour comedy.

Prior to The Chaos Chronicles, Lian spent a decade hosting Satellite Sisters, an award-winning talk show that she created with her four real sisters. Satellite Sisters has won 11 Gracie Allen Awards for Excellence in Women's Media, including Talk Show of the Year in 2006. On air, Lian has interviewed everybody from Bill Clinton to Nora Roberts to Maya Angelou.

In addition, Lian has written regular columns for many national magazines and websites including regular columns in O, The Oprah Magazine, oprah.com and Working Mother Magazine.

Lian has appeared numerous TV shows including The Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

She lives in Pasadena, California with her husband and two sons. Her dream is to ride on a Rose Parade float.

 ABOUT YOU'RE THE BEST

You're the Best is a thank-you note to female friends, the women we call when the best things in our lives happen—or the worst. Written by two generations of Satellite Sisters, this beautifully packaged hardcover book explores how we rely on our friends to get us up, get us going, get us through, and, most importantly, get us laughing. It makes a superb gift for friends, sisters, mothers, daughters, and granddaughters.

The Satellite Sisters—Julie, Liz, Sheila, Monica, and Lian Dolan—are five sisters who believe that a sense of connection is what gives meaning to our lives. The Dolan sisters created Satellite Sisters first as a nationwide radio show and website. Now, the Satellite Sisters connect with a blog, a podcast, books, personal appearances, and social media; joining them regularly are their cadre of twenty-something nieces. After winning twelve Gracie Allen Awards for excellence in women's media, they still have plenty more to say.

 

MATTHEW FITZSIMMONS

Matthew FitzSimmons, an American boy from Illinois, grew up in London in the 1970s under the baleful eye of the Kings Road punks. His otherwise idyllic childhood was shattered by the traumatic experience of seeing Star Wars on December 27, 1977 in Leicester Square, listening to his father sleep through what was clearly the greatest cinematic achievement of all time, and fearing he was adopted.

For college, he attended Swarthmore College where he earned a B.A. in Psychology but lived largely in and for the theater.

After several years in New York City, and having learned he wouldn’t do absolutely anything to make it, he absconded to China. There he wrote a first novel (the less said about which the better), played center back for a foreigner’s soccer team, sparked a near riot and was forced to write a ziwo pipan (self-criticism) by the University of Nanjing—his first work of political fiction.

He now lives in Washington, D.C., where he taught English literature and theater at a private high school for over a decade. He cohabitates with a pair of old boots, collects bourbon and classic soul LPs, and wonders if he will ever write anything half as good as the first sentence of James Crumley’s The Last Good Kiss.

ABOUT POISONFEATHER

When jailed billionaire Charles Merrick hints publicly that he has stashed a fortune in an offshore cache, a school of sharks converges upon his release from federal prison.

Among his swindled victims is Judge Hammond Birk, the man who saved Gibson Vaughn’s life when he was a troubled teenager. Now Gibson intends to repay that debt by recovering Merrick’s victims’ money.

But Gibson isn’t the only one on the trail of the hidden fortune.

The promise of billions has drawn a horde of ruthless treasure hunters, including an edgy ex-con, a female bartender with a mysterious history, a Chinese spy with a passion for fly-fishing, and a veritable army of hardened mercenaries. To stay ahead of the sharks and win justice for his mentor, Gibson will need all his formidable skills. But at the end of the road, he’ll still have to face “Poisonfeather”—a geopolitical secret that just might get Gibson killed…or worse.

ABOUT THE SHORT DROP

A decade ago, fourteen-year-old Suzanne Lombard, the daughter of Benjamin Lombard—then a senator, now a powerful vice president running for the presidency—disappeared in the most sensational missing-person case in the nation’s history. Still unsolved, the mystery remains a national obsession.

For legendary hacker and marine Gibson Vaughn, the case is personal—Suzanne Lombard had been like a sister to him. On the tenth anniversary of her disappearance, the former head of Benjamin Lombard’s security asks for Gibson’s help in a covert investigation of the case, with new evidence in hand.

Haunted by tragic memories, he jumps at the chance to uncover what happened all those years ago. Using his military and technical prowess, he soon discovers multiple conspiracies surrounding the Lombard family—and he encounters powerful, ruthless political players who will do anything to silence him and his team. With new information surfacing that could threaten Lombard’s bid for the presidency, Gibson must stay one step ahead as he navigates a dangerous web to get to the truth.

An Amazon Best Book of December 2015

With a complex plot, layered on top of unexpected emotional depth, The Short Drop is a wonderful surprise on every level. By the time I was done reading I couldn't believe the journey Fitzsimmons had just taken me through - unsolved mysteries, computer hacking, political twists, and human redemption - and all done with such a grace and ease of writing. This is much more than a solid debut, its proof that Fitzsimmons has what it takes - and I will certainly be looking forward to seeing what he comes up with next. --Penny Mann

Named by Goodreads a Best Book of December 2015

“FitzSimmons has come up with a doozy of a sociopath.” —The Washington Post

“This live-wire debut begins with a promising lead in the long-ago disappearance of the vice president’s daughter, then doubles down with tangled conspiracies, duplicitous politicians, and a disgraced hacker hankering for redemption...Hang on and enjoy the ride.” —People

“Writing with swift efficiency, FitzSimmons shows why the stakes are high, the heroes suitably tarnished, and the bad guys a pleasure to foil.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Beyond exceptional. Matthew FitzSimmons is the real deal.” —Andrew Peterson, author of the bestselling Nathan McBride series

“Unbridled power and relentless revenge converge in the exciting, tightly plotted The Short Drop...The multifaceted Gibson has the makings to support a long series.” —SouthFlorida.com

“The Short Drop is an adrenaline-fueled thriller that has it all—political intrigue, murder, and suspense. Matthew FitzSimmons weaves a clever plot and deftly leads the reader on a rapid ride to an explosive end.” —Robert Dugoni, bestselling author of My Sister’s Grave

 

S. HARRISON

Harrison is an author from New Zealand, where he often indulges in his love of watching superhero movies and art house films. He frequently escapes to the many islands of the South Pacific, where he is hard at work on his writing. Infinity Lost is his first novel.

 ABOUT INFINITY LOST

In the near future, one corporation, Blackstone Technologies, has changed the world: no disasters, no poverty, and life-altering technology. Blackstone has the impunity to destroy—or create—as it sees fit.

Infinity “Finn” Blackstone is the seventeen-year-old daughter of Blackstone’s reclusive CEO—but she’s never even met him. When disturbing dreams about a past she doesn’t remember begin to torment her, Finn knows there’s only one person who can provide answers: her father.

After Finn and an elite group of peers are invited to Blackstone’s top-secret HQ, Finn realizes she may have a chance to confront her father. But when a highly sophisticated company AI morphs into a killing machine, the trip descends into chaos. Trapped inside shape-shifting walls, Finn and her friends are at the mercy of an all-seeing intelligence that will destroy everything to get to her.

With no hope of help, Finn’s dream-memories may be the only chance of survival. But will she remember in time to save her own life and the lives of those around her?

"Recommended for avid science-fiction fans; a good addition to larger collections."
—Paige Rowse, Needham High School Library, Massachusetts

“S. Harrison’s first novel, Infinity Lost, is a great twist on a realistic world mixed with sci-fi elements...I can’t wait to pick up his next book, Infinity Rises.”
—MuggleNet

 

ROBERT MASELLO

Robert Masello is an award-winning journalist, television writer, and the bestselling author of many books, including "The Einstein Prophecy," a number one bestseller in the Amazon Kindle store for several weeks running. Other historical thrillers include "The Romanov Cross," "The Medusa Amulet," and "Blood and Ice," all published by Bantam/Random House in both hardcover and mass market editions.

His articles, essays and reviews have appeared often in such publications as New York Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, Town and Country, Travel and Leisure, The Washington Post, Elle, People, Parade, and The Wilson Quarterly. His nonfiction book, "Robert's Rules of Writing" (a Los Angeles Times bestseller) has been adopted in many high school and college classrooms, and his guide to the television industry -- "A Friend in the Business: Honest Advice for Anyone Trying to Break Into Television Writing" -- continues to explain the intricacies of the TV field to newcomers. "Writer Tells All: Insider Secrets to Getting Your Book Published" (Owl/Holt) performs the same function for aspiring authors everywhere.

Born and raised in Evanston, Illinois, Masello studied writing at Princeton under the noted authors Geoffrey Wolff and the late Robert Stone. After graduation, Masello moved to New York City, where he worked on staff at Esquire and GQ before embarking on his solo writing career. In 1991, he relocated to California where he wrote for television programs airing on the CBS, FOX, Showtime and Syfy channels. His produced credits include such popular shows as "Charmed," "Sliders," "Poltergeist," and "Early Edition." For six years, he also served as the Visiting Lecturer in Literature at Claremont McKenna College. A longstanding member of the Writers Guild of America West, he now lives and works a few blocks from the beach in Santa Monica, California.

ABOUT THE EINSTEIN PROPHECY

As war rages in 1944, young army lieutenant Lucas Athan recovers a sarcophagus excavated from an Egyptian tomb. Shipped to Princeton University for study, the box contains mysteries that only Lucas, aided by brilliant archaeologist Simone Rashid, can unlock.

These mysteries may, in fact, defy—or fulfill—the dire prophecies of Albert Einstein himself.

Struggling to decipher the sarcophagus’s strange contents, Lucas and Simone unwittingly release forces for both good and unmitigated evil. The fate of the world hangs not only on Professor Einstein’s secret research but also on Lucas’s ability to defeat an unholy adversary more powerful than anything he ever imagined.

From the mind of bestselling author and award-winning journalist Robert Masello comes a thrilling, page-turning adventure where modern science and primordial supernatural powers collide.

“A page-turner offering up a wealth of unforgettable action and intrigue stemming from the time in history where Hitler made his attempt to rule the world. This author has a great imagination, taking science from the ’40s and linking it to the supernatural. Readers will wait impatiently as they take this incredible thrill ride.” —Suspense Magazine

ABOUT THE JEKYLL REVELATION

A chilling curse is transported from 1880s London to present-day California, awakening a long-dormant fiend.

While on routine patrol in the tinder-dry Topanga Canyon, environmental scientist Rafael Salazar expects to find animal poachers, not a dilapidated antique steamer trunk. Inside the peculiar case, he discovers a journal, written by the renowned Robert Louis Stevenson, which divulges ominous particulars about his creation of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It also promises to reveal a terrible secret—the identity of Jack the Ripper.

Unfortunately, the journal—whose macabre tale unfolds in an alternating narrative with Rafe’s—isn’t the only relic in the trunk, and Rafe isn’t the only one to purloin a souvenir. A mysterious flask containing the last drops of the grisly potion that inspiredJekyll and Hyde and spawned London’s most infamous killer has gone missing. And it has definitely fallen into the wrong hands.

  • You can buy THE JEKYLL REVELATION from Amazon here

 

JENNY SANTI

Jenny Santi was born and raised in Manila in the Philippines; has lived in London, the French Loire Valley and Singapore, and is now based in New York. Santi is a trusted philanthropy advisor to some of the world’s most generous philanthropists and celebrity activists, and for five years beginning at only 28, was the Head of Philanthropy Services (Southeast Asia) for the world’s largest wealth manager. Her consulting firm Saint & Partners based in Singapore and New York City, serves clients including an Oscar-winning actress and signatories of the Buffett-Gates Giving Pledge. She holds an MBA from INSEAD, went to Wharton business school as an exchange student, graduated summa cum laude from the Ateneo de Manila University, attended New York University’s Heyman Center for Philanthropy & Fundraising, is a Social Entrepreneur in Residence at INSEAD, and is a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy. She is the author of “The Giving Way to Happiness: Stories & Science Behind the Life-changing Power of Giving,” coming in October 2015 from Penguin Random House.

 ABOUT THE GIVING WAY TO HAPPINESS

We often focus on how our gifts can help those in need. But the act of giving actually improves our own lives as well. In The Giving Way to Happiness, Jenny Santi overturns conventional thinking about what it takes to be happy by revealing how giving to others—whether in the form of money, expertise, time, or love—has helped people from all walks of life find purpose and joy. Drawing on the wisdom of great thinkers past and present, as well as cutting-edge scientific research, Santi makes an eloquent and passionate case that oftentimes the answers to the problems that haunt us, and the key to the happiness that eludes us, lie in helping those around us.

This book is filled with inspiring stories told firsthand by Academy Award winner Goldie Hawn, Noble Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, maternal health advocate Christy Turlington Burns, Teach for America founder Wendy Kopp, philanthropist Richard Rockefeller, environmentalist Philippe Cousteau, and many others from all over the world. Despite their diverse backgrounds, they have all found unexpected happiness and fulfillment through giving.

In addition, Santi reveals:

- How altruism involves far more than suppressing basic selfish urges. Rather, we are wired to give, as it activates the same pleasure centers of the brain stimulated by food, sex, and drugs

- How helping others is a proven means of dealing with adversity and processing grief

- Practical, universally applicable lessons on what kind of giving makes people happy and what doesn’t. How do you discover giving that is unique to you and makes you feel good?

In this inspiring book, Santi reveals giving is the secret to living a life that is full of meaning, purpose, and happiness.

“The Giving Way to Happiness is full of interesting insights from big-ticket philanthropists and prominent personalities, but it is also about something bigger: how we can all find happiness through helping others. If done right, giving may well be the greatest gift you can give yourself.”
—Adam Grant, professor, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and New York Times-bestselling author of Give and Take

“This thoughtful look at philanthropy honestly examines the self-interest often involved in it and suggests that a self-focused approach to giving may in fact be entirely appropriate.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Well done! A wonderful and timely contribution.”
—Christy Turlington Burns, founder of Every Mother Counts

“The Giving Way to Happiness will change the way you approach giving, shifting the focus from charity to empathy, from a one-way transfer to a mutually beneficial act, from guilt and obligation to pleasure and happiness. Jenny Santi, through her well-researched, eloquent, and insightful book, teaches us how we can help ourselves by helping others."
—Carl Liederman, former CEO of One Young World, and founder & CEO of Liedership

"Does humanity really need another book about happiness? If it’s this one, yes. Jenny Santi brings unique access to some of the world’s highest profile givers. By getting into their heads, she gives us moving glimpses into their hearts. And into hers—a new generation MBA who seeks justice and joy. These pages pop with hope for both."
—Irshad Manji, founder of NYU's Moral Courage Project, and New York Times-bestselling author of The Trouble with Islam Today

"Jenny Santi’s book delivers an important message: Giving can make as much of a difference in your own life as it does in others’. It’s a new way of thinking and a compelling case for giving that can help cultivate purpose for individuals and change for communities. Her stories of how inspiring people such as Ted Turner and Muhammad Yunus made the decision to give at scale also show you don’t have to be a billionaire or world leader to make a difference."
—Kathy Calvin, CEO, United Nations Foundation

"As Jenny Santi so eloquently shows, to give is not just better than to receive; to give is to receive. The people in this book are from all walks of life—a dolphin captor who comes to regret his work, the grieving mother of a 9/11 victim, a Bangladeshi economist doubtful that what he's teaching really matters, an entrepreneur struggling with ALS, and many others—but they share a passion for giving that changes them in profound ways. Their stories are a testament to the fact that when we give of ourselves, we not only improve the lives of others, but we find genuine happiness and deeper meaning in our own."
—Brandt Goldstein,  visiting associate professor at New York Law School and author of Storming the Court

"Given the growing inequity on our planet, what is the solution? Santi shows us that a culture of giving can change the world around us while fulfilling each of our lives at the deepest level. Impressive, inspiring, and full of wisdom!"
—Shiv Khemka, Vice Chairman, SUN Group

"Jenny Santi has succeeded in crafting a compelling blend of moving stories, powerful insights, and practical advice on how each of us can find 'The Giving Way to Happiness.' This book demonstrates that each of us can feel the impact and spiritual rewards of giving if we choose to make the journey. Her efforts and personal experiences will be an inspiration to many."
—Alex Charlton, president of Cavendish Global

“This is an inspirational book, which addresses both philosophical and practical questions. Santi’s perceptive account is uplifting and insightful. The book is packed with heart-warming stories, fascinating research, personal revelations, useful tips, and timely advice. The Giving Way to Happiness explores the very real connection between helping others and helping ourselves.”
—Ilian Mihov, Dean, INSEAD

"With expertise, passion, and captivating real-life stories that keep you at the edge of your seat, Jenny Santi reminds us of the life-changing power of giving—it is essential to our well-being as individuals, families, and communities. The Giving Way to Happiness is an important book for people of every generation who want to be fully alive in the world."
—Tara Stiles, founder and CEO of Strala Yoga

"There is now compelling evidence from neuroscience that giving tends to make people happy. Jenny Santi has added to this science the evidence of a fascinating collection of people, some well known, some not, who have  experienced life changing happiness through dedication to  philanthropy. Santi has written a book that is insightful and  entertaining and sure to inspire readers to try some of that recipe for happiness themselves.
—Matthew Bishop, globalisation editor at The Economist, and coauthor of Philanthrocapitalism

“Authentic, candid, and insightful, The Giving Way to Happiness masterfully interweaves touching and often surprising stories into the analysis of how people live lives full of meaning, purpose and happiness. This is an important book that sends a wonderful message that is so simple at its core but that is unfortunately too often overlooked—that the act of giving creates a multiplier effect, adding something to the life of those in need but also intrinsically rewarding the giver too, making him or her happier as well. Altruistic or not—the effect is positive. Santi's book is filled with lessons you’ll want to immediately start applying to your life. Read it to find out more."
—Boris FJ Collardi, CEO of Julius Baer

“An enlightening read, filled with open, honest glimpses into the lives of inspirational personalities from different walks of life. This is a rare book that will make you smile, move you to tears, inspire you to make a difference, and make you happy—while reading the same page. This book is a friendly, approachable yet sharply written narrative packed with ideas you’ll want to immediately start applying to your life."
—Malvinder Mohan Singh, executive chairman of Fortis Healthcare Ltd.

"This book presents a groundbreaking new perspective on happiness. Through her exciting career as a philanthropy advisor to some of the world’s most generous individuals, Jenny Santi offers us a view into the principles that have made them not only successful, but truly happy."
—Jayesh Parekh, co-founder of Sony Entertainment Television and managing partner of Jungle Ventures

"A wonderful book for a new generation of individuals who not only want to make a difference but also want to live exciting, fulfilling, and happy lives. Packed with inspiring stories of people from different walks of life and with lessons directly applicable to your own. Just pick it up and you’ll be hooked!"
—Katherine Lorenz, President, Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation

“In a very readable and compelling way, Jenny Santi weaves together science and strategy that will inspire anyone who is looking to build more strategic purpose into philanthropy, gain insights into volunteering, or better understand their purpose. A must-read!”
—John R Hart, vice chairman, New York Private Bank & Trust

 

MELANIE DICKERSON

Melanie Dickerson is the author of Historical Romances, and her two favorite time periods are Medieval, which she has combined with her love of fairy tales, and Regency England, which stems from her enduring love of Jane Austen. She is a 2-time Christy Award finalist, a 2-time Maggie Award winner, winner of The National Reader's Choice Award for 2010's Best First Book, and winner of the 2012 Carol Award in Young Adult fiction. She earned her bachelor's degree in special education from The University of Alabama and has taught children with special needs in Georgia and Tennessee, and English to adults in Germany and Ukraine. Now she spends her time writing, hanging out on facebook, and taking care of her husband and two daughters near Huntsville, Alabama.

 ABOUT THE HUNTRESS OF THORNBECK FOREST

 The margrave owns the finest hunting grounds for miles around—and who teaches children to read, but by night this young beauty has become the secret lifeline to the poorest of the poor.

For Jorgen Hartman, the margrave’s forester, tracking down a poacher is a duty he is all too willing to perform. Jorgen inherited his post from the man who raised him . . . a man who was murdered at the hands of a poacher.

When Jorgen and Odette meet at the Midsummer festival and share a connection during a dance, neither has any idea that they are already adversaries.

The one man she wants is bound by duty to capture her; the one woman he loves is his cunning target . . . What becomes of a forester who protects a notorious poacher? What becomes of a poacher when she is finally discovered?

 

AYSE BIRSEL

Ayse Birsel is the Co-founder and Creative Director of the award-winning design and innovation studio, Birsel+Seck, and the creator of Design the Life You Love, a coursework and book that teaches non-designers how to create a meaningful life using her design process, Deconstruction:Reconstruction™, and its tools.

Born in Izmir, Turkey, Ayse came to the US in 1986 to attend Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY on a Fulbright Scholarship. Since then she has called New York her home, living there with her husband and partner, Bibi Seck, and their three children, who continue to inspire her life's design.

Ayse is the recipient of numerous awards including the 2001 Young Designers Award from the Brooklyn Museum of Art and the Athena Award for Excellence in Furniture Design from Rhode Island School of Design. Her work can be found in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum and Philadelphia Museum of Art.

 ABOUT DESIGN THE LIFE YOU LOVE

Life, just like a design problem, is full of constraints-time, money, age, location, and circumstances. You can’t have everything, so you have to be creative to make what you want and what you need co-exist. Design the Life You Love is a joyful, inspirational guide to building the life you’ve always wanted, using the principles and creative process of an award-winning product designer. Through four steps that reveal hidden skills and wisdom, anyone can design a life they love!

“Ayse Birsel is a designer who knows how to find elegant solutions for complex issues not only with products, but also with everybody’s search for serenity, inspiration, and fulfillment in life.”
–- Paola Antonelli, senior curator of architecture & design, Museum of Modern Art

“I know it’s easy to live a pessimistic life, grinding it out and waiting for someone to give you orders. But just because it’s easy doesn’t mean you should do it that way. Ayse Birsel has a better idea.”
-– Seth Godin, author of What to Do When it’s Your Turn       

“Ayse Birsel has a unique gift for making the complex simple and the simple beautiful. This book will help you to a better life and unleash your hidden creative talent.”
-– Brian Walker, President and CEO of Herman Miller

“Ayse Birsel has designed furniture, office systems, cookware and even a toilet seat. Taking what she’s learned from product design, she has developed a fun, playful approach to designing a life you love. Who else but a designer could give you the tools you need to examine your life and make it the best it can be?”
-– John Edelman, CEO, Design Within Reach

“If you want to stoke someone’s imagination, give them a picture book. If you want to feed their intellect, give them a book of literature. But if you want to fuel their future, give them this book. Design the Life You Love is an invitation to prioritize what’s important in your life—to literally put it down on paper through four simple but ingenious steps—and emerge with a kind of personal mission statement that will give you clarity, power, and purpose.”
-– Allan Chochinov, chair of the MFA Products of Design program at the School of Visual Arts

“Ayse Birsel has delivered the ideal self-help workbook for our harried age—one that is playful, smart, pragmatic, and contagiously optimistic. Her fun, simple exercises add up to a remarkably powerful tool for realigning your life with your dreams.”
-– Mason Currey, author of Daily Rituals: How Artists Work

“Remember when people used to tell each other impatiently to "Get a life!"? Well, with this engaging book, Ayse Birsel provides a well-wrought strategy for doing precisely that. In the process, readers gain some precious insights into what design is and what designers do.”
-– Ralph Caplan, author, By Design, and recipient of the National Design Award for design thinking

“Nothing is more important than designing the life that you love.  One of the world’s best designers can show you how to do it!”
-– Marshall Goldsmith, author of Triggers, MOJO, and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

"A fun, interactive workbook for unleashing creativity and redesigning our daily lives."
-– Adam Grant, professor at the Wharton School and author of Give and Take

“Ayse Birsel's book costs very little money, takes almost no time to go through and may have a gigantic impact on your life. This is good design: a tiny investment featuring enormous possibilities.”
-– Stefan Sagmeister, Designer, Sagmeister & Walsh

“Ayse Birsel's talent as a designer and her unique worldview collide perfectly in Design The Life You Love. For anyone who is looking for an imaginative yet logical way to think through life's challenges, this is for you. Learn how to shift your perspectives with design-thinking, and be inspired by her illustrations along the way.”
-– Beth Comstock, CEO, GEO Business Innovations

"Ayse Birsel's warm, affirming tone convinces readers that a deeply fulfilling life is possible. . . Design the Life You Love would be the perfect gift for anyone in a rut, at a crossroads or about to embark on a new career path."
-– ShelfAwareness

"The book would benefit people wanting or needing to change their lives, from high achievers wondering what's next to people just starting their careers."
-– The Portland Oregonian

"I am beginning to realize that there is an opportunity to apply the metaphysical to certain design tactics. The designer Ayse Birsel proposes just that in her book Design the Life You Love: A Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Meaningful Future. . .  A final extension of human-centric design, this application of design-to-life is analogous to the fusion of art and life."
-– Philip Wood, California Home + Design

 

SEAN CHERCOVER
Sean Chercover is a dual citizen, born to a Canadian father and an American mother.  He grew up in Toronto and spent childhood summers in Georgia. After earning a Liberal Arts degree from Columbia College Chicago, he worked as a private investigator in Chicago and New Orleans.  His other professions have included television writer, video editor, support diver, waiter, encyclopedia salesman, and some best forgotten. After a series of corporate PR writing gigs drove Sean insane, he settled down to write fiction in earnest.

He is the author of the novels THE DEVIL’S GAME, THE TRINITY GAME, TRIGGER CITY, and BIG CITY BAD BLOOD, as well as short stories that have appeared in a number of anthologies. His work has received the Anthony, Shamus, CWA Dagger, Dilys, Crimespree, Gumshoe and Lovey awards, and has been shortlisted for the Edgar, Macavity, Barry, ITW Thriller and Arthur Ellis.

He lives with his wife and son in Toronto. Right now, he’s probably riding his bike.

 ABOUT THE DEVIL'S GAME

Daniel Byrne spent ten years as a Vatican investigator, scrutinizing and debunking miracle claims—until he burned that life to the ground when one investigation shook his faith and revealed disturbing earthly conspiracies. Determined to find the truth, he steps into a new life of secrets and lies, joining a powerful group that wields hidden influence over world events.

Daniel infiltrates a covert government facility and uncovers a bizarre new strain of the Plague that seems to flood the minds of its victims with visions of the future. Teaming up with disgraced physician Kara Singh, a woman beset with inexplicable visions of her own, Daniel traces the root of this deadly pathogen around the globe, and discovers a terrifying truth.

In this fast-paced sequel to the bestselling The Trinity Game, can Daniel navigate a shadow world of secrets and conspiracy to stop a pandemic with devastating global consequences?

“The Devil's Game is an exceptional read. Explosive and gripping, you'll get blisters on your fingers from flipping the pages to find out what happens next. This is everything you want in a conspiracy-driven thriller, and some of the smoothest writing you'll ever hope to read.”
—Blake Crouch, international bestselling author of The Wayward Pines Series

“A savvy hero. A ticking clock. Global travel. High stakes. Chercover delivers everything we love about international thrillers in The Devil’s Game. Snappy, smart, and satisfying, it makes for a compulsive read.”
—Chelsea Cain, New York Times bestselling author of One Kick

"The Trinity Game takes the reader on the wildest of rides, from a fabulous and truly diabolical premise to a shattering finale that will leave you gasping for breath. This is one hell of a good thriller."
—Douglas Preston, bestselling author of Blasphemy and The Monster of Florence

“Chercover’s fast, engrossing, and original tale—of a Vatican sleuth charged with investigating so-called miracles—will restore your faith that something new and exciting is being brought to the crime novel.”
—Linwood Barclay, international bestselling author of The Accident

"Sean Chercover shows a stellar hand through a coiling plot, weaving one taut drama. The story is tense, intelligent, harsh, and surprising—just what a reader wants in a thriller. This one goes on your keeper shelf."
—Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Columbus Affair

"The Trinity Game is a rare find. Heart-pounding cinematic action, unpredictable twists, and wonderful characters—all packed into a fascinating story. What a thrilling ride! I loved it from the start, couldn’t put it down, and was sorry to see it end. You have got to read this book!"
—Marcia Clark, New York Times bestselling author of Guilt By Association

"The Trinity Game swept me up from page one. High octane and thought provoking—a powerful combination."
—Meg Gardiner, Edgar Award–winning author of Ransom River

"The Da Vinci Code meets The Dead Zone in Sean Chercover's The Trinity Game, a fascinating thriller that catapults us headlong into Vatican intrigue, global conspiracies, complex family relationships, and nonstop excitement."
—Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of Paranoia and Buried Secrets

“Insightfully devised and written, The Devil's Game is another exhilarating, fast-paced thriller by Sean Chercover. The action-packed, intricate plot runs a suspenseful, twisting course to a riveting conclusion that promises more excitement in the final book of this extraordinary trilogy.”
—Fresh Fiction

 

ELENI GAGE

The daughter of a Greek father and a Minnesotan mother, Eleni Gage grew up in Athens, Greece, and Worcester, Massachusetts, and has always been fascinated by cultural rituals, traditions, and syncretisms. That interest led her to study Folklore and Mythology at Harvard University as an undergraduate, and, eventually, to earn an equally practical master's degree, an MFA in Creative Writing, Fiction, from Columbia University. It may have also nudged her to marry the first Nicaraguan she ever met, a coffee trader.

Now the Executive Editor of Martha Stewart Weddings magazine and a freelance writer whose travel articles have appeared on the covers of Travel+Leisure, T, Budget Travel, and Town&Country Travel, Eleni has also contributed to Real Simple, the New York Times, Parade, and The American Scholar, and held staff positions at Allure, Elle, InStyle and People magazines. She is the author of the travel memoir North of Ithaka, which describes the year she spent living in a Greek mountain village overseeing the rebuilding of her grandparents' house, and the novel Other Waters, which details the life of Maya Das, an Indian-American psychiatrist who thinks that her family has been cursed, as she struggles to forge a single identity while torn between two cultures. Her upcoming novel, The Ladies of Managua, follows three generations of women, each with her own secret, as they’re forced to confront their complicated relationships to each other and to their homeland, Nicaragua. Having spent much of the last decade in Greece, Nicaragua, and Miami, Eleni now lives in New York with her husband and their Greekaraguan daughter.

 ABOUT THE LADIES OF MANAGUA

 When Maria Vazquez returns to Nicaragua for her beloved grandfather's funeral, she brings with her a mysterious package from her grandmother's past-and a secret of her own. And she also carries the burden of her tense relationship with her mother Ninexin, once a storied revolutionary, now a tireless government employee. Between Maria and Ninexin lies a chasm created by the death of Maria's father, who was killed during the revolution when Maria was an infant, leaving her to be raised by her grandmother Isabela as Ninexin worked to build the new Nicaragua. As Ninexin tries to reach her daughter, and Maria wrestles with her expectations for her romance with an older man, Isabela, the mourning widow, is lost in memories of attending boarding school in 1950's New Orleans, where she loved and lost almost sixty years ago. When the three women come together to bid farewell to the man who anchored their family, they are forced to confront their complicated, passionate relationships with each other and with their country-and to reveal the secrets that each of them have worked to conceal.

Lushly evocative of Nicaragua, its tumultuous history, and vibrant present, Eleni N. Gage's The Ladies of Managua brings you into the lives of three strong and magnetic women, as they uncover the ramifications of the choices they made in their pasts and begin to understand the ways in which love can shape their futures

“This novel fairly begs to be filmed [...]Gage carefully explores the social demands placed on women and the repercussions of submitting to or defying them.” ?Kirkus

“In Gage's (Other Waters) sweet, stately story, three generations of women reunite in Managua, Nicaragua, for a family funeral, where they reflect on their loves, losses, and what the future holds for each of them . . . a universal narrative of hurt and forgiveness.” ?Publishers Weekly

“Readers will find themselves completely absorbed in this rich, multigenerational tale of love lost and reclaimed.” ?Booklist

“This smart page-turner about love, family, and passion comes with a bonus: lush evocations of fascinating Nicaragua” ?In Style

“Eleni N. Gage, in her spellbinding The Ladies of Managua, looks at three generations of Nicaraguan women, reunited in their homeland.” ?Travel + Leisure

“Get away with the three women in The Ladies of Managua . . . which transports you to Nicaragua and New Orleans.” ?Martha Stewart Living

“Three generations . . . confront the tumultuous history of their country and their family in this vibrant story about radical acts of womanhood.” ?O Magazine

“Eleni N. Gage has again combined a strong heroine and captivating setting in a winning novel.” ?Shelf Awareness

“In this richly imagined, heartfelt book, a Nicaraguan man's funeral brings together three generations of women at turning points in their lives...This is a complex, satisfying tale with wonderful characters, especially the lovable Isabela, who admonishes her girls to behave properly and cross their legs at the ankles, but in the end, follows her heart.” ?Julie Wu, author of THE THIRD SON

“The three women at the center of Eleni Gage's new novel will stir readers with their fierce voices and independent spirits. Multigenerational and international in scope, this tale of love, betrayal, and nation-building is both intimate and confiding, soaring and passionate. A luscious read.” ?Diana Abu-Jaber is the author of Crescent and Birds of Paradise

“A work of fiction that is, at its core, very real, full of vivid descriptions of a country I know intimately. I recommend it highly.” ?Ernesto Cardenal, nominee for the Nobel Prize in Literature

“Eleni Gage vividly conveys the complexities of mother-daughter relationships, all the while exploring the tensions that emerge when national struggles disrupt the bonds of family. THE LADIES OF MANAGUA brings Nicaragua beautifully alive through the eyes of fierce and loyal women. Readers are going to fall hard for this book.” ?Chantel Acevedo, author of The Distant Marvels

“Full of heart and wisdom, this entertaining novel examines a troubled history through the lens of a complex family, and illuminates the lives of women in three distinct and memorable voices. Gage writes with great authority, refreshing humor and rich insight.” ?Christopher Castellani, Author of ALL THIS TALK OF LOVE

   

 

GARY WHITTA 

GARY WHITTA is the former Editor-in-Chief of PC Gamer magazine and now an award-winning screenwriter best known for the explosive post-apocalyptic thriller The Book of Eli starring Denzel Washington. He also co-wrote the Will Smith sci-fi adventure After Earth, and was writer and story consultant on Telltale Games' The Walking Dead, for which he was the co-recipient of a BAFTA award.

Most recently he served as writer for the upcoming Star Wars movie Rogue One, and for the TV series Star Wars Rebels. He also wrote the film adaptations of the Mark Millar comic Starlight for 20th Century Fox, and the David Fisher book The War Magician for StudioCanal and Benedict Cumberbatch. His first novel,Abomination, is now available, and his original comic series Oliver arrives via Image Comics in early 2017.

Born and raised in London, England, Gary currently lives with his wife and daughter in San Francisco.

 ABOUT ABOMINATION

He is England's greatest knight, the man who saved the life of Alfred the Great and an entire kingdom from a Viking invasion. But when he is called back into service to combat a plague of monstrous beasts known as abominations, he meets a fate worse than death and is condemned to a life of anguish, solitude, and remorse.

She is a fierce young warrior, raised among an elite order of knights. Driven by a dark secret from her past, she defies her controlling father and sets out on a dangerous quest to do what none before her ever have?hunt down and kill an abomination, alone.

When a chance encounter sets these two against one another, an incredible twist of fate will lead them toward a salvation they never thought possible?and prove that the power of love, mercy, and forgiveness can shine a hopeful light even in history’s darkest age.

"Game of Thrones by way of H.P. Lovecraft." ?Cliff Bleszinski, creator of Gears of War

"A well-written debut that skillfully blends science fiction, historical fantasy, and spiritual themes...a tense, nail-biting ride." ?Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Brutal, brilliant, and deeply compelling. An absolute must-read." ?Nerdist Podcast

"[This] novel about a medieval knight battling an unspeakable horror is getting tons of buzz." ?io9

"I enjoyed this book thoroughly, horror historical magic fun." ?Felicia Day

"Nothing can prepare you." ?Naomi Kyle

"Abomination is an unexpected love-hate/buddy picture fantasy tale with swordplay, knights, and magic?though one with a heaping helping of many-tentacled, acid-blood-filled, gut-chomping creatures. We'll take that sequel now." ?The Barnes & Noble Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog

"Abomination is truly fantastic. It's everything I loved about The Name of the Wind and so much more." ?Gale Anne Hurd, producer ofThe Terminator, Aliens, and The Walking Dead

"An epic blend of black magic, badass monsters, broadswords, and bloodshed." ?Nicole Perlman, cowriter of Guardians of the Galaxy

"Bloody, unapologetic fantasy?this is history twisted by the hands of a master storyteller." ?Chuck Wendig, author of Blackbirds and Zer0es

"Whitta has done an incredible job weaving together historical fiction, fantasy, and horror. This is a book that stays with you." ?Veronica Belmont, Sword & Laser podcast

"Dark. Scary. Magical. Monstrous. Abomination is my kind of wonderful." ?Adam Christopher, author of The Burning Dark

"It's a story where the reader travels to some very dark places that Whitta has created, with elements of horror, action and (thankfully) humor that keeps you turning pages until you get to the last one." ?Elliott Serrano, Geek to Me

"The one-time editor for the acclaimed gaming magazine PC GAMER, Whitta has carved a name out for himself with his sensational screenplay for The Book of Eli, overseeing Telltale Games' The Walking Dead game and writing a draft for Star Wars: Rogue One. Now, Whitta's debut novel, Abomination, takes the writer deep into the world of dark fantasy." ?Fangoria

"Abomination looks to place [Whitta] even more prominently on the must-read map." ?Daily Dead

"One of the biggest debut novels of the summer is Gary Whitta's Abomination." ?Dread Central

"If you're looking for a true escape?from real life and from the standard fantasy tropes?then look no further." ?Science Fiction Book Club

"Abomination is an immensely satisfying combination of everything we love about fantasy and horror but so rarely see together in the same book. I cannot recommend it highly enough and will definitely be keeping an eye to see what Whitta produces next." ?Charlie Hopkins, A Reading Machine

"Abomination is remarkable for more than just the words between its pages, but also its road to publication, via Inkshares, a new publisher who offer authors a unique way to engage with their audience." ?A Dribble of Ink

"With Abomination, Whitta offers up a well-written, concise, quick-moving Dark Ages historical-fantasy tale of honor, redemption, and fortitude laced with horror elements that’s perfect for today’s audiences." ?Geeks of Doom

"Abomination is tons of fun." ?Revolution SF

"Whitta has woven a compelling tale of inner darkness and perseverance, and of betrayal and secrets, into a highly cinematic, visceral experience. It is wonderfully paced, with fantastic and vivid action. A thrilling read!" ?Elan Samuel, The Warbler

"Suspenseful, frightening, and gripping to the final line, Abomination is a modern masterpiece of fantasy/horror fusion." ?VGBlogger

 

SAM MUNSON

Sam Munson's writing has appeared in The National, the New York Times, The Daily Beast, Commentary, the Times Literary Supplement, the New York Observer, The Utopian, and numerous other publications. He graduated from the University of Chicago in 2003, and he lives in New York City.

 ABOUT THE WAR AGAINST THE ASSHOLES

Contemporary fantasy meets true crime when schools of ancient sorcery go up against the art of the long con in this stunningly entertaining debut fantasy novel.

Mike Wood is satisfied just being a guy with broad shoulders at a decidedly unprestigious Catholic school in Manhattan. But on the dirty streets of New York City he’s an everyman with a moral code who is unafraid of violence. And when Mike is unwittingly recruited into a secret cell of magicians by a fellow student, Mike’s role as a steadfast soldier begins. These magicians don’t use ritualized rote to work their magic, they use willpower in their clandestine war with the establishment: The Assholes.

"Somehow Sam Munson has you believing in his urban-teen-grift-noir-magician-brawl from paragraph one. WAR AGAINST THE ASSHOLES is original, sharp, and mean and it crackles with attitude and style. Death to the assholes! Long live the assholes!"
-- Paul Tremblay, two-time Bram Stoker Award nominee and author of A HEAD FULL OF GHOSTS (Paul Tremblay)

  • You can buy THE WAR AGAINST THE ASSHOLES on Amazon here.
  • Learn more about Sam on his website.

 

RICK BRAGG

Rick Bragg was born in the small city of Piedmont in northeastern Alabama and grew up in the community of Possum Trot near Jacksonville. He worked at several newspapers before joining the New York Times in 1994. He covered murders and unrest in Haiti, then wrote about the Oklahoma City bombing, the Jonesboro killings, the Susan Smith trial and more as a national correspondent based in Atlanta.

He then moved to Miami, as bureau chief, where he won the a Pulitzer for his reporting of the international controversy surrounding the cuban boy, Elián González. He left the New York Times in May 2003 after being given a two-week suspension for writing a story that primarily used the research of a stringer, causing Bragg to resign in protest.

Bragg has taught writing in colleges and in newspaper newsrooms and now works as a writing professor at the University of Alabama's journalism program in its College of Communications and Information Sciences.

 ABOUT MY SOUTHERN JOURNEY

From the celebrated bestselling author of All Over but the Shoutin' and winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Rick Bragg, comes a poignant and wryly funny collection of essays on life in the south.

Keenly observed and written with his insightful and deadpan sense of humor, he explores enduring Southern truths about home, place, spirit, table, and the regions' varied geographies, including his native Alabama, Cajun country, and the Gulf Coast. Everything is explored, from regional obsessions from college football and fishing, to mayonnaise and spoonbread, to the simple beauty of a fish on the hook.

Collected from over a decade of his writing, with many never-before-published essays written specifically for this edition, My Southern Journey is an entertaining and engaging read, especially for Southerners (or feel Southern at heart) and anyone who appreciates great writing.

''[Bragg has] a true gift for great storytelling, the kind . . . that makes you think it's just a plain old story, until he gets to the end and you're either weeping or covered with goosebumps.''
--New Orleans Times-Picayune

''Bragg tells about the South with such power and bone-naked love . . . he will make you cry.''
--Atlanta Journal-Constitution

 

TED KOSMATKA

Ted Kosmatka was born and raised in Chesterton, Indiana, and spent more than a decade working in various laboratories where he sometimes used electron microscopes. He is the author of Prophet of Bones and The Games, a finalist for the Locus Award for Best First Novel and one of Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2012. His short fiction has been nominated for both the Nebula and Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Awards and has appeared in numerous Year's Best anthologies. He now lives in the Pacific Northwest.

 ABOUT THE FLICKER MEN

Eric Argus is a washout. His prodigious early work clouded his reputation and strained his sanity. But an old friend gives him another chance, an opportunity to step back into the light.

With three months to produce new research, Eric replicates the paradoxical double-slit experiment to see for himself the mysterious dual nature of light and matter. A simple but unprecedented inference blooms into a staggering discovery about human consciousness and the structure of the universe.

His findings are celebrated and condemned in equal measure. But no one can predict where the truth will lead. And as Eric seeks to understand the unfolding revelations, he must evade shadowy pursuers who believe he knows entirely too much already.

“A high-speed thriller. . . . The pages turn rapidly with well-orchestrated suspense.”
?The New York Times

“Kosmatka effectively harnesses his impressive imagination in the service of a mind-blowing plot in this outstanding SF [science fiction] thriller. . . . Ingenious plot twists, well-realized characters, and superior prose elevate this above similar books.”
?Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“Brilliant . . . . This well-written and fast-paced scientific thriller builds into a beautiful and suspenseful crescendo until the climax in the final chapters. It will leave readers wondering about the possibilities of this world and others.”
?Library Journal, Starred Review

“Impressively ominous . . . . This novel is at its most memorable when it's at its smartest, leaving its flawed narrator to contend with the terrifying implications of all that he's set in motion.”
?Kirkus

“Kosmatka combines real science, fictional characters, and some clever (and plausible) speculation to create a first-rate thriller.”
?Booklist

“An original, smart physics thriller . . . . Kosmatka writes with great skill and . . . . sells his concepts so well that it's hard to pinpoint where the real science ends . . . . Kosmatka's prose is lean and creative. He handles action and sci-fi speculation with wit and a flair for drawing out suspense. . . . A fun, exciting read.”
?The Missourian

“Ted Kosmatka has combined solid scientific research with a highly inventive imagination to create a sci-fi thriller full of chase scenes, murder, kidnappings and mayhem . . . . Kosmatka ponders the religious and scientific implications of the results through Argus and the other well-formulated characters . . . . Comprehending this mind-bending process is well worth the effort . . . . Kosmatka has taken a complex scientific paradox and turned it into a rapid race against time.”
?Shelf Awareness

“The most interesting science thriller I've read this year. . . . The Flicker Men twists the weird implications of the [double-slit] experiment into a narrative that is both surprising and philosophically rich. . . . A five-star read. . . . A singular work of hard SF by one of the most inspired science fiction writers working today. ”
?Science Thrillers

“The Flicker Men by Ted Kosmatka is what the best SF should be; a story that compels the reader to grapple with the questions that drive the conflict, writing so good that you're fixed in place like a pithed frog, and characters that you care about from the opening sentence. . . . This book is nonstop terrific. . . . One of the best novels I've read in a long time. . . . The Flicker Men is as finely crafted as it is provocative. I'd recommend it for summer reading by the beach, or winter reading by the fire. Where you are won't matter once you get lost in its pages.”
?SF Revu

“This book hurt my brain, which is actually a compliment to author Ted Kosmatka. The Flicker Men raises serious issues concerning science, theology, free will, fate, and basically, our understanding of the universe--leaving the reader a lot to think about long after the last page is turned. . . . Despite the emphasis on quantum mechanics, the storyline itself was so intriguing that I was able to enjoy the book even though I personally didn't understand all the aspects of the experiment . . . . The story walked a fine line between science and science-fiction, and should please fans of both.” ?Mystery Scene Magazine

 

CAMILLE GRIEP

Camille Griep lives just north of Seattlewith her partner, Adam, and their dogs Dutch(ess) and Hippo(lyta). Born in Billings, Montana, she moved to Southern California to attend Claremont McKenna College, graduating with a dual degree in Biology and Literature.

She wrote her way through corporate careers in marketing, commercial real estate, and financial analysis before taking an extended sabbatical to devote more time to her craft.

She has since sold short fiction and creative nonfiction to dozens of online and print magazines. She is the Editor of Easy Street and is a senior editor at The Lascaux Review. She is a 2012 graduate of Viable Paradise, a residential workshop for speculative fiction novelists.

ABOUT NEW CHARITY BLUES

After a devastating plague, two communities emerge as bastions of survival. One is called the City, and its people scrabble for scraps in the wasteland. The other, New Charity, enjoys the bounty of its hydroelectric dam and refuses City denizens so much as a drop of precious water. When City-dweller Cressyda inherits her father’s ranch within New Charity, she becomes intent on opening the dam to all—no matter the cost.

But when Syd reunites with her old best friend, Casandra, a born seer and religious acolyte, she realizes that her plans could destroy the fragile lives they’ve built in order to survive. What’s more, the strange magic securing the dam’s operations could prove deadly if disturbed. Yet when Syd discovers evidence that her father might have been murdered, she is more determined than ever to exact revenge on New Charity’s corrupt.

Pitted against Cas, as well as her own family, Syd must decide how to secure the survival of both settlements without tipping them over the brink to utter annihilation.

"Griep's writing is fresh and intense, imbued with suspense. She excels at the rich imagining of a world where magic, science, and politics intertwine. The spunky heroine is doubtful and questioning, and those who are vital to the oligarchical power structure might also topple it. Most vividly, Griep plumbs questions of what home means, and what it means to have a safe place in the midst of chaos."
--Publishers Weekly

"In a story of family and betrayal, community and survival, Griep (Letters to Zell) reimagines a post-apocalyptic Trojan War that brings new life to a classic epic."
--Library Journal (Starred Review)

ABOUT LETTERS TO ZELL

Everything is going according to story for CeCi (Cinderella), Bianca (Snow White), and Rory (Sleeping Beauty)—until the day that Zell (Rapunzel) decides to leave Grimmland and pursue her life. Now, Zell’s best friends are left to wonder whether their own passions are worth risking their predetermined “happily ever afters,” regardless of the consequences. CeCi wonders whether she should become a professional chef, sharp-tongued and quick-witted Bianca wants to escape an engagement to her platonic friend, and Rory will do anything to make her boorish husband love her. But as Bianca’s wedding approaches, can they escape their fates—and is there enough wine in all of the Realm to help them?

In this hilarious modern interpretation of the fairy-tale stories we all know and love, Letters to Zell explores what happens when women abandon the stories they didn’t write for themselves and go completely off script to follow their dreams.

“Captivating...The rich and realistic depictions of these young women, and their touching efforts to navigate old and new relationships in a changing world, display a deep understanding of human nature and the ways that well-meaning attempts to help one’s friends can go awry.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“Readers who can’t get enough of stories about fairy-tale characters will find that Griep’s debut scratches the same itch as the movie Into the Woods, TV’s Once Upon a Time, or Bill Willingham’s Fables comic book series. Her light and unobjectionable fantasy offers a peek into the emotional lives of fairy-tale heroines”
—Library Journal

“Griep’s debut is a fresh, original take on a group of fairy-tale familiars...This fractured fairy tale will appeal to Gregory Maguire devotees as well as fans of television shows like Once Upon A Time and Grimm.”
—Booklist

“Fantasy fans, Disney devotees, and former princesses will like this one.”
—Seattle Times

“There’s nothing more magical and potentially summer-lengthening than a fairy-tale, and Letters to Zell contains four of them. The literary version of Once Upon A Time, this delightful novel follows Disney princesses as they question their happily-ever-afters and go in search of a new life. This book is a lot of fun, and will make you wish you could go work on a unicorn preserve like Rapunzel (or ‘Zell’).”
—Bustle

  • You can buy LETTERS TO ZELL on Amazon here.

 

ELYSSA FRIEDLAND

Elyssa Friedland attended Yale University, where she served as managing editor of the Yale Daily News. She is a graduate of Columbia Law School and subsequently worked as an associate at a major firm. Prior to law school, Elyssa wrote for several publications, including Modern Bride, New York magazine, Columbia Journalism Review, CBS MarketWatch.com, Yale Alumni Magazine, and Your Prom. She grew up in New Jersey and currently lives in New York City with her husband and three young children.

 ABOUT LOVE AND MISS COMMUNICATION

 Evie Rosen has had enough. She's tired of the partners at her law firm e-mailing her at all hours of the night. The thought of another online date makes her break out in a cold sweat. She's over the clever hashtags and the endless selfies. So when her career hits a surprising roadblock and her heart is crushed by Facebook, Evie decides it's time to put down her smartphone for good. (Beats stowing it in her underwear—she's done that too!)

And that's when she discovers a fresh start for real conversations, fewer distractions, and living in the moment, even if the moments are heartbreakingly difficult. Babies are born; marriages teeter; friendships are tested. Evie may find love and a new direction when she least expects it, but she also learns that just because you unplug your phone doesn't mean you can also unplug from life.

“A witty, wonderful, and thoroughly modern love story. Friedland’s writing is sharp and funny, tender and true. I couldn’t put it down.” (Cristina Alger, author of The Darlings)

“Wholly irresistible—smart and poignant and laugh-out-loud funny.” (Sara Houghteling, author of Pictures at an Exhibition)

“An extremely fun reminder that we can all survive without emoticons. #greatread!” (Erin Duffy, author of ON THE ROCKS and BOND GIRL)

“Part modern girl-power moxie manual and part cleverly twisted old-fashioned love story, Elyssa Friedland’s sublime debut was a delight to devour.” (Jill Kargman, author of The Rockstar in Seat 3A and star of Bravo's Odd Mom Out)

“A delicious and timely novel. Friedland takes a look at how our addiction to social media brings us together while keeping us apart.” (Molly Jong-Fast, author of The Social Climber's Handbook)

“Funny, fast-paced, charming, and totally relatable, Friedland gives us a brilliant love story and reminds us it’s nice to pick up a smart book instead of a smartphone for a change.” (Jennifer Belle, bestselling author of High Maintenance and The Seven Year Bitch)

“a funny and fresh take on working and dating in the age of social media. Readers will root for the flawed but lovable Evie Rosen as she fights to separate who she is from how she appears online.” (Susan Gloss, author of Vintage)

“Love and Miss Communication is a cut above standard chick lit fare. [...] it’s a smart, funny and sweetly old-fashioned love story.” (Examiner.com)

“Friedland’s Love and Miss Communication challenges our mind-set with a thought-provoking what if. And Evie’s story promises an enjoyable experience with a happy ever after.” (USAToday.com Happy Ever After Blog)

 

SHARI BECKER

Shari Becker was born in Montreal, Quebec, and was raised speaking both English and French. As a child, she spent her summers in the Adirondack Mountains catching fireflies, minnows, and toads. She has an MA from New York University and has worked for Nickelodeon, for Disney-owned companies, and even for an Emmy Award–winning puppeteer. She is the author of two picture books, including Maxwell’s Mountain, a Junior Library Guild Selection and Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book. She now lives in Brookline, Massachusetts, with her husband, their two daughters, and their dog. She loves lakes, but despises the bridges that run over them.

 ABOUT THE STELLOW PROJECT

When a killer storm unexpectedly hits Manhattan, seventeen-year-old Lilah Stellow’s dad insists that she and her younger sister, Flori, take refuge at their cabin in the mountains. But instead of joining them with the experimental drug that keeps Lilah alive, he disappears just as news reports name him as a prime suspect in an act of ecoterrorism.

As days pass without her medicine, Lilah finds herself teetering on the edge, caring for her sister, and growing increasingly certain they’re being watched. In her search for answers, Lilah is thrown into the center of a mystery involving an off-the-grid research facility and finds herself drawn in by Daniel, an intriguing boy who is the son of the lead scientist. As she dares to seek answers, Lilah slowly realizes that even the best intentions can go horribly wrong.

“A pair of teenagers uncovers familial secrets after environmental terrorists wreak havoc on New York City… Lilah has a solid emotional journey, one that Becker illuminates well.”
—Kirkus

“A thrilling mystery with suspenseful moments...I would recommend this to anyone of 12+ who loves a suspenseful combo of simple romance and adventure and mystery.”
—YA Books Central

"A relevant, modern thriller with heart, perfect for readers who don't yet know they like sci-fi. Lilah is a heroine teen readers will root for. Her resilience and maturity in the face of incredible challenges is downright inspiring. The Stellow Project is a thought-provoking read packed with romance, action, and some serious creepiness!”
—Heather Demetrios, award-winning author of Something Real and Exquisite Captive

“This fast-paced story of bioterrorism, family relationships, trust, and secrets comes with a breathtaking conclusion that screams sequel.”
—Booklist

 

LISA ERSPAMER

Lisa Erspamer is president of Lisa Erspamer Entertainment and Unleashed Media. Previously, Lisa served as chief creative officer and executive vice president of programming and development for OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, as well as co-executive producer at The Oprah Winfrey Show, where she produced hundreds of shows. The creator and coauthor of A Letter to My Dog and A Letter to My Cat, Lisa lives with her dogs Lily and Grace in Los Angeles.

 ABOUT A LETTER TO MY MOM

Just in time for Mother's Day, the next book in the A Letter to My series (after A Letter to My Dog and A Letter to My Cat) takes on mothers, with celebrities and civilians writing letters of gratitude and admiration to the women who raised them, alongside gorgeous, intimate photos.

 

JOANNE M. HARRIS

Joanne Harris (MBE) was born in Barnsley in 1964, of a French mother and an English father. She studied Modern and Mediaeval Languages at Cambridge and was a teacher for fifteen years, during which time she published three novels, including Chocolat (1999), which was made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp.

Since then, she has written 15 more novels, two collections of short stories and three cookbooks. Her books are now published in over 50 countries and have won a number of British and international awards. She is an honorary Fellow of St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, has honorary doctorates in literature from the universities of Sheffield and Huddersfield, and has been a judge for the Whitbread Prize, the Orange Prize, the Desmond Elliott Prize and the Royal Society Winton Prize for Science.

Her hobbies are listed in Who’s Who as: “mooching, lounging, strutting, strumming, priest-baiting and quiet subversion of the system”, although she also enjoys obfuscation, sleaze, rebellion, witchcraft, armed robbery, tea and biscuits. She is not above bribery and would not necessarily refuse an offer involving exotic travel or pink champagne. She works from a shed in her garden, plays bass in the band she first joined when she was 16, is writing a novella for Dr Who and lives with her husband and daughter in a little wood in Yorkshire.

 ABOUT THE GOSPEL OF LOKI

 This novel is a brilliant first-person narrative of the rise and fall of the Norse gods—retold from the point of view of the world’s ultimate trickster, Loki. A #1 bestseller in the UK, The Gospel of Loki tells the story of Loki’s recruitment from the underworld of Chaos, his many exploits on behalf of his one-eyed master, Odin, through to his eventual betrayal of the gods and the fall of Asgard itself.

Using her lifelong passion for the Norse myths, New York Times bestseller Joanne M. Harris has created a vibrant and powerful fantasy novel that the Sunday Sun recommends “to her long-standing audience with wit, style and obvious enjoyment;” The Sunday Times claims it “lively and fun;” andThe Metro adds that “Harris has enormous fun with her antihero...this mythical bad boy should beguile fans of Neil Gaiman.”

a fun read, and a nice new slant on the old tales Fortean Times Allan Corduner's charming voicing of our antihero makes us sympathise with him more than we ought to; imaginative accents for the huge cast of gods, giants and demons, and splendid musical effects add to the fun"
-- THE TIMES

A chatty, cheeky style that works a treat SFX Moves at a cracking pace and it's a lot of fun
-- Jonathan Hatfull, SciFiNow

A beautifully written darkly fun fairy tale which breathes new life into the Trickster
-- GEEK PLANET ONLINE

An ingeniously skewed retelling of Norse mythology. It's fun and you'll keep going to the end.
-- Callum Shephard, Starburst Magazine

Vogue quirky, amusing throughout, with an undercurrent of darkness and menace. This is a lot of fun...A must-read for all fans of Norse legends, fantasy and great writing.
-- Stefan Fergus, Civilian Reader

The type of book where you've gone through fifty pages and are still hungry for more...a joyous, terrifying, tumulutuous ride. And there's undoubtedly more to come.
-- Chris Nickson. Chris Nickson Harris is an expert of Norse mythology

Utter Biblio Fun, witty and wholly entertaining, this is a neat retelling of classic legends which maintains their ancient roots without diminishing them in any way through the use of a modern filter
-- Matt Adams, Herts Advertiser

It has the right amount of epic fantasy and tongue-in-cheek humour...Harris skillfully weaves the stereotypical evil Loki into a self-aware but misunderstood antihero...a wonderful piece by a wonderful author, Well worth your time. The Tempered Pen Joanne is a natural storyteller who knows a few things about comedy timing...I was snorting with laughter in a most unladylike manner before even emerging from the cast list
-- Ani Johnson, THE BOOK BAG

Joanne M Harris brings her fascination with norse mythology from her previous children's literature foray to her long-standing adult audience with wit, style and obvious enjoyment...For lovers of myth, legend and Game of Thrones Sunday Sun utterly compelling and well worth a read
-- BURY FREE PRESS

dark, quirky, occasionally grim, often hilarious and gloriously bold Booktopia This book is about playfulness and trickery and their darkside...there is a sly humour to this novel - both the narrator's and at his expense
-- THE INDEPENDENT

a rich, sexy and entertaining tale of Loki...an imaginative retelling of the old myths, as seen through the eyes of the bad guy, and Harris (she reads Old Norse) handles it brilliantly! SAGA the first foray into adult fantasy fiction by the author of Chocolat is lively and fun
-- THE SUNDAY TIMES

Harris has enormous fun with her antihero...this mythical bad boy should beguile fans of Neil Gaiman
-- THE METRO

retells the sagas for adults, in all their wintry, saucy, grandiose, melancholy glory
-- THE FINANCIAL TIMES

An ingenious and funny retelling of the rise and fall of the Norse gods
-- CHOICE

fantasy fans and those who like to read Norse myths will appreciate the Gospel of Loki. I speculate that Joanne Harris's regular readership will enjoy the book too -- GEEK NATIVE

The Chocolat writer moves into the adult fantasy world...we loved it
-- BELLA

The Gospel of Loki, a retelling of Norse myths, is hilarous
-- GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

mixing of ancient myth with cracking modern story telling alongside wonderful prose and pace
-- FALCATA TIMES

Fun, witty and wholly entertaining, this is a neat retelling of classic legends which maintains their ancient roots without diminishing them through the use of a modern filter
-- HERTFORDSHIRE ADVERTISER

inventive and absorbing...I look forward to Harris' next foray in to fantasy, especially if she applies her love of Norse mythology again Fantasy Book Review Joanne writes this story with panache and skill, infusing it with humour and wry smile throughout
-- SFF WORLD

 

KIM KORSON

KIM KORSON is a writer, originally from Montreal, Canada. She has written for O Magazine and Moomah The Magazine. Kim now lives in Southern Vermont with her husband and two kids. She doesn’t get out much.

 ABOUT I DON'T HAVE A HAPPY PLACE

 When a trip to the therapist ends with the question “Can’t Kim be happy?” Kim Korson responds the way any normal person would—she makes fun of it. Because really, does everyonehave to be happy?

Aside from her father wearing makeup and her mother not feeling well (a lot), Kim Korson’s 1970s suburban upbringing was typical. Sometimes she wished her brother were an arsonist just so she’d have a valid excuse to be unhappy. And when life moves along pretty decently--she breaks into show business, gets engaged in the secluded jungles of Mexico, and moves her family from Brooklyn to dreamy rural Vermont—the real despondency sets in. It’s a skill to find something wrong in just about every situation, but Kim has an exquisite talent for negativity. It is only after half a lifetime of finding kernels of unhappiness where others find joy that she begins to wonder if she is even capable of experiencing happiness.

In I DON’T HAVE A HAPPY PLACE, Kim Korson untangles what it means to be a true malcontent. Rife with evocative and nostalgic observations, unapologetic realism, and razor-sharp wit, I Don’t Have a Happy Place is told in humorous, autobiographical stories. This fresh-yet-dark voice is sure to make you laugh, nod your head in recognition, and ultimately understand what it truly means to be unhappy. Always.

Kim Korson must be stopped. My wife thinks she's funnier than me.
--Jon Stewart

I Don't Have a Happy Place is the book you'll beg your friends to read--for its pitch-perfect humor, scintillating wit, and refreshing depiction of life in all its extraordinary, and ordinary, absurdity. Kim Korson is certainly a new and exciting voice in nonfiction, unafraid to shout out loud the things you and I may only dare to think. I haven't laughed like this since David Sedaris.
--Julia Fierro author of Cutting Teeth

I love this book. It’s like 95 percent cacao chocolate – bitter but delicious.
--A.J. Jacobs New York Times bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically

In the razor-sharp, acerbic I Don’t Have A Happy Place, Kim Korson— think: Jewish, female, Canadian David Sedaris— recounts her adventures as a true malcontent.
--Miranda Beverly-Whittemore New York Times bestselling author of Bittersweet

Makeup-wearing dads, squirrel attacks, death, Phil Donahue, - there’s something for everybody in Kim Korson’s great new book. And if not having a happy place is what it takes to make writing so hilarious, smart, and honest, I selfishly hope Kim remains miserable within reason for many years to come.
--Dave Hill author of Tasteful Nudes

Korson’s preoccupations—checking crime blotters for neighborhood stats, being certain that her first child would come out crazy, avoiding chitchat at parties—may keep her firmly in her cranky cave but will strike a funny bone in readers.
--Publishers Weekly

 

SANDRA BLOCK

Sandra A. Block graduated from college at Harvard, then returned to her native land of Buffalo, New York for medical training and never left. She is a practicing neurologist and proud Sabres fan, and lives at home with her husband, two children, and impetuous yellow lab Delilah. She has been published in both medical and poetry journals. "The Girl Without a Name" is her second Zoe Goldman novel. Her debut was "Little Black Lies."

ABOUT THE GIRL WITHOUT A NAME

In what passes for an ordinary day in a psych ward, Dr. Zoe Goldman is stumped when a highly unusual case arrives. A young African American girl, found wandering the streets of Buffalo in a catatonic state, is brought in by police. No one has come forward to claim her, and all leads have been exhausted, so Zoe's treatment is the last hope to discover the girl's identity.

When drugs prove ineffective and medical science seems to be failing, Zoe takes matters into her own hands to track down Jane Doe's family and piece together their checkered history. As she unearths their secrets, she finds that monsters hide where they are least expected. And now she must solve the mystery before it is too late. Because someone wants to make sure this young girl never remembers.

The Girl Without a Name is a powerful novel of memory and forgetting, of unexpected friendship and understanding...and of the secrets we protect no matter the consequences.

"Sandra Block's heroine is smart, heartbreakingly vulnerable, and laugh-out-loud funny. I am a forever-fan of the Zoe Goldman series and will read anything Block writes. You should too."
?Lisa Scottoline, New York Times bestselling author

"What author Sandra Block does best...is the incorporation of real psychiatry and therapy into the story...Between Zoe's own treatment and her work at the hospital, the book sometimes feels like a cross between TV's CSI and House; a compelling, realistic read."
?Rifflebooks.com

"A psychological suspense story smartly narrated... Zoe has a quick wit that emerges in wickedly unexpected ways."
?New York Times Book Review

"The suspense keeps building throughout until the shocking ending. This is a riveting debut from a promising new author."
?Booklist

"Little Black Lies is a darkly intriguing mystery with a feisty young doctor as its protagonist. Sandra Block pulls you in deep and doesn't let go."
?Meg Gardiner, Edgar Award-winning author

"Sandra Block's heroine is smart, heartbreakingly vulnerable, and laugh-out-loud funny. I am a forever-fan of the Zoe Goldman series and will read anything Block writes. You should too."
?Lisa Scottoline, New York Times bestselling author

"Little Black Lies is a daring, original debut that explores the dark side of memory. In Zoe, Block has created a character who is complicated, smart, and sympathetic. I can't wait to see what Block has in store for Zoe next."
?Heather Gudenkauf, New York Timesbestselling author

"Taut writing. Great protagonist. Believable plot. As well as an ending you didn't see coming."
?BookLoons.com

 

CLAIRE KELLS

Claire Kells was born outside Philadelphia and has lived in Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco since graduating from Princeton University in 2005. An English major, she didn’t start writing fiction until her first year of medical school. Now a third-year resident physician in the Bay Area, she spends her free time writing stories about love, loss, and adventure.

 ABOUT GIRL UNDERWATER

Nineteen-year-old Avery Delacorte loves the water. Growing up in Brookline, Massachusetts, she took swim lessons at her community pool and captained the local team; in high school, she raced across bays and sprawling North American lakes. Now a sophomore on her university’s nationally ranked team, she struggles under the weight of new expectations but life is otherwise pretty good. Perfect, really.

That all changes when Avery’s red-eye home for Thanksgiving makes a ditch landing in a mountain lake in the Colorado Rockies. She is one of only five survivors, which includes three little boys and Colin Shea, who happens to be her teammate. Colin is also the only person in Avery’s college life who challenged her to swim her own events, to be her own person—something she refused to do. Instead she’s avoided him since the first day of freshman year. But now, faced with sub-zero temperatures, minimal supplies, and the dangers of a forbidding nowhere, Avery and Colin must rely on each other in ways they never could’ve imagined.

In the wilderness, the concept of survival is clear-cut. Simple. In the real world, it’s anything but.

“Your first must-read beach book of the summer.”  
-- Oprah.com

“The riveting drama is sure to keep readers up into the night devouring each and every twist and harrowing scene.”
-- RT Reviews

“A romantic thriller full of raw and conflicting emotions…a roller coaster full of frustrating, exciting, heartwarming and heart-wrenching moments that leave surprises at every turn.”
--Deseret News

"As a former competitive swimmer and the recipient of a medical degree, first-novelist Kells amply demonstrates her technical knowledge, lending realism to the story...The story ably demonstrates that survival is not just physical, but also mental and emotional."
--Booklist

"Skillfully interspersing flashbacks with current events, debut novelist Kells has written an absorbing tale that will grip anyone who enjoys survival stories or psychological dramas."
-- Library Journal (starred review)

"Kells's visceral story is quite memorable and eminently readable."
-- Publishers Weekly

"With its subzero temperatures that will make you reach for a blanket and a wounded but never weakened heroine, Kells' assured debut is a winner."
-- Kirkus

"What if the most devastating moment of your life was also the beginning of something beautiful?  Girl Underwater is a compelling coming-of-age love story that will have you rooting for its teen narrator, a girl who survives a disaster, and finds herself trapped between a traumatic past and a fragile future. Trust me--dive in!"
-–Jodi Picoult, New York Times Bestselling author of The Storyteller and Between the Lines

“A powerful love story embedded in an action-packed tale of survival. Even as the characters are fighting for their lives, it’s impossible to turn away from the breathtaking range of emotion they reveal.”
-–Tracey Garvis-Graves, author of On the Island and Covet

 

SHANE KUHN

Shane Kuhn is a writer and filmmaker with twenty years of experience working in the entertainment business and the ad world. In feature film, he has writing credits with Universal, Paramount, Sony, and Fox, and a writing and directing credit with Lionsgate. In the world of independent film, he is one of the four original founders of the Slamdance Film Festival and currently serves as an Executive Board member of Slamdance, Inc. A shameless product pusher in the ad world, he has worked as a copywriter, creative director, and broadcast video director and producer for several notable brands and charitable organizations.  

As a college baseball player, he threw a fastball in the low 90s but his career was cut short by a Bull Durham strike zone. The Intern’s Handbook is his first novel. He lives with his wife and family in a bi-coastal/mountain migration pattern that includes Massachusetts, Colorado, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

ABOUT THE INTERN'S HANDBOOK

John Lago is a very bad guy. But he’s the very best at what he does. And what he does is infiltrate top-level companies and assassinate crooked executives while disguised as an intern.

Interns are invisible. That’s the secret behind HR, Inc., the elite “placement agency” that doubles as a network of assassins for hire who take down high-profile targets that wouldn’t be able to remember an intern’s name if their lives depended on it.

At the ripe old age of almost twenty-five, John Lago is already New York City’s most successful hit man. He’s also an intern at a prestigious Manhattan law firm, clocking eighty hours a week getting coffee, answering phones, and doing all the grunt work actual employees are too lazy to do. He was hired to assas­sinate one of the firm’s heavily guarded partners. His internship provides the perfect cover, enabling him to gather intel and gain access to pull off a clean, untraceable hit.

Part confessional, part DIY manual, The Intern’s Handbook chronicles John’s final assignment, a twisted thrill ride in which he is pitted against the toughest—and sexiest—adversary he’s ever faced: Alice, an FBI agent assigned to take down the same law partner he’s been assigned to kill.

“All of the testosterone-bloated wisdom of Tucker Max mixed with the satire of American Psycho.”
--Entertainment Weekly

“A sexy, darkly comic thriller with cinematic flourishes… Explosively violent and psychologically wily the way a good thriller should be.”
--New York Daily News

“This Handbook was made for the multiplex. . . . Faceless and forgettable, an intern's as invisible as a ninja in fluorescent lights—and, at least in John Lago's case, just as deadly.”
--NPR.org

“Imagine Dexter working in The Office."
--Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

“Once I started reading The Intern’s Handbook, I had a hard time putting it down. Over the course of three days, I spent any spare moment I had immersed in the book. The wit and humor had me laughing out loud at times; the twists and turns in the plot kept me wondering what was going to happen next.”
--The Coloradoan

“Just the kind of book we love to read. . . . On our short list for best debut of the year.”
--Crimespreemag.com

“John is an appealing narrator, a hit man with his own code of honor about collateral damage that sometimes puts him at odds with his elusive boss, Bob, who may or may not have John's best interests in mind. Fans of Duane Swierczynski's Charlie Hardie trilogy and Josh Bazell's Beat the Reaper should enjoy this witty, deadly thriller.”
--ShelfAwareness.com

“Black humor and surprise twists distinguish Kuhn’s highly entertaining debut, which puts a fresh spin on the theme of the hardened criminal planning one last job. . . . Not least of the charms of this likable and energetic, if amoral, character are the amusing swipes he takes at other killers in fiction and film.”
--Publishers Weekly

“Kuhn’s debut is a prime example of dark and mordant humor in the midst of a fast-moving, suspenseful, action-packed ride. Those who like Dexter will love John Lago.”
--Booklist

“A propulsive, well-written black comedy. . . . Believable dialogue, a whip smart and cynical central character, clever reversals and an entertaining amount of bone-crunching violence help wrap up this nasty package with a pretty little bow. An entertaining, ferociously violent romp about a morally bankrupt killer trying to find his way home.”
--Kirkus Reviews

“An immersive literary experience.” (Vogue UK)

ABOUT HOSTILE TAKEOVER

At the end of THE INTERN'S HANDBOOK, John tracks down his nemesis Alice but instead of putting a bullet in her head, he puts a ring on her finger and marries her. Together, they execute a hostile takeover of Human Resources, Inc., the “placement agency” that trains young assassins to infiltrate corporations disguised as interns and knock off high profile targets. As HR’s former top operatives, they are successful until conflicting management styles cause an ugly breakup that locks John out of the bedroom and the boardroom.

But when Alice takes on a new HR target, John is forced to return to the office battlefield in a role he swore he would never play again: the intern. What starts out as a deadly showdown turns into the two of them fighting side by side to save HR, Inc.—and their marriage.

“Suspenseful, bloody, and eminently entertaining. Kuhn can spin a fine phrase (a cold day, he says, is “like Flannery O’Connor’s last breath—raw and as hard as the hammer of divine retribution”), and his smart, witty prose carries the day in this masterfully plotted mayhem with more than a touch of wry.”
—Booklist (starred review)

“All of the testosterone-bloated wisdom of Tucker Max mixed with the satire of American Psycho.”
—Entertainment Weekly

“Kuhn's sharp-as-a-blade humor keeps readers, like the bullets, flying through pages. And despite the deadly doings, Hostile is quite romantic, for Lago is hopelessly smitten with Alice, just a boy standing in front of a girl, asking her not to kill him.”
—Shelf Awareness

“Far grittier than a Bond film and infused with the mind-bending, identity-shifting elements of, say, “Mission: Impossible,’’ “Hostile Takeover’’ is fun, smart and jam-packed with serious splatter and gore. Lago’s canny shenanigans will keep you riveted, from its taut opening pages to its explosive, cinematic ending.”
—Boston Globe

  • You can buy HOSTILE TAKEOVER on Amazon here.

ABOUT THE ASSET

Kennedy—a private airport security contractor—knows more about airports than the head of the TSA, and he feels more comfortable in his British Airways Club World flatbed seat than in his own home. Haunted by the memory of his sister’s death on 9/11, Kennedy takes his job and the protection of the American people very seriously. So when he’s kidnapped and recruited into a CIA ghost operation known as Red Carpet, he jumps at the opportunity to become a civilian asset working with a team of some of the CIA's best counterterrorism analysts and spec ops soldiers as they race against the clock to stop the greatest terrorist threat the United States will ever face.

Shane Kuhn’s bold, darkly comic voice has earned him rave reviews for his previous series, starting with the INTERN'S HANDBOOK which was called, “a serious guilty pleasure” by The Seattle Times and, “explosively violent and psychologically wily the way a good thriller should be” by the New York Post. Shane brings that same intense voice and gripping storytelling to THE ASSET—an edge-of-your seat read you won’t be able to put down.

"With witty but tender dialogue...the ultimate twist makes readers' jaws drop."
—Kirkus Reviews

"Shane Kuhn's The Asset is a savage, fun and action-packed thriller that blasts the reader around the world, never letting up its blistering pace. The plot sizzles and the twists come at you a mile a minute."
—Drew Chapman, author of The Ascendant and King of Fear

"This thriller just plain works."
—Booklist

“All of the testosterone-bloated wisdom of Tucker Max mixed with the satire of American Psycho.”
—Entertainment Weekly

“Far grittier than a Bond film and infused with the mind-bending, identity-shifting elements of, say, “Mission: Impossible,’’ “Hostile Takeover’’ is fun, smart and jam-packed with serious splatter and gore. Lago’s canny shenanigans will keep you riveted, from its taut opening pages to its explosive, cinematic ending.”
—Boston Globe

  • You can buy THE ASSET on Amazon here

 

SALLA SIMUKKA

Salla Simukka is a translator and author of juvenile fiction. She was born and raised in Tampere, the second largest city in Finland. At the age of nine she knew that she wanted to be a writer. The first version of her first published book she wrote when she was 18. She has written several novels and one collection of short prose for young readers, and has translated adult fiction, children’s books, and plays. She writes book reviews for the newspapers Helsingin Sanomat and Hämeen Sanomat and the weekly Suomen Kuvalehti. Salla was an editor and associate editor at a literary magazine for young people, LUKUfiilis, in 2009-2013. She has also worked as one of the scriptwriters for the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE’s series Uusi Päivä (New Day) since 2009.

In January 2013 Salla Simukka was awarded with the Topelius Prize for her novels Without a Trace(Jäljellä, Tammi Spring 2012) and Elsewhere (Toisaalla, Tammi Fall 2012) in recognition of the best Finnish youth novel. Established in 1946, the Topelius Prize is Finland’s oldest prize in recognition of the best Finnish book for children and young people. In December of 2013 she was given the Finland Prize, awarded in recognition of a significant career in arts, an exceptional artistic achievement, or a promising breakthrough.

 ABOUT AS WHITE AS SNOW

The heat of the summer sun bakes the streets of Prague, but Lumikki’s heart is frozen solid.

Looking to escape the notoriety caused by the part she played in taking down Polar Bear’s crime ring, seventeen-year-old Lumikki Andersson escapes to Prague, where she hopes to find a few weeks of peace among the hordes of tourists. But not long after arriving, she’s cornered by a skittish and strange young woman who claims to be her long-lost sister. The woman, Lenka, is obviously terrified, and even though Lumikki doesn’t believe her story—although parts of it ring true—she can’t just walk away.

Lumikki quickly gets caught up in Lenka’s sad and mysterious world, uncovering pieces of a mystery that take her from the belly of a poisonous cult to the highest echelons of corporate power. On the run for her life again, Lumikki must use all her wits to survive, but in the end, she just may discover she can’t do it all alone.

“Simukka continues to reel out hints regarding the skeletons in the Andersson family closet, and even readers who find Lumikki’s propensity for near-fatal encounters to be improbable will anxiously await the series’s conclusion and, hopefully, a ray of light in her troubled life.”
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Fans of Nesbø and Larsson won’t be disappointed.”
—Publishers Weekly on As Red as Blood (Starred Review)

“Limned in stark red, white, and black, this cold, delicate snowflake of a tale sparkles with icy magic.”
—Kirkus Reviews on As Red as Blood (Starred Review)

“[A] YA novel in the tradition of Nordic noir—edgy crime novels set in frigid lands.”
—Booklist on As Red as Blood (Starred Review)

 

DAVID HAIR

David Hair is an award-winning writer of fantasy for adult and YA readers. He was born in New Zealand and travelled widely, and after spending time in Britain, then India, he now lives in Auckland, New Zealand, with his wife. His epic fantasy saga The Moontide Quartet and his YA series The Return of Ravana, are published by Jo Fletcher Books.

 ABOUT SCARLET TIDES

With the Leviathan Bridge now uncovered from the sea, it re-opens the East to the Rondian legions and the Third Crusade ensues in the name of Emperor Constant.

The Rondians are determined to succeed in their latest Crusade and have recruited the strongest and most lethal magi of the Church's Inquisition to lead the way--and to leave nothing but blood and ruins in their wake.

While most of the Rondians have their sights set on gold, one fraction of the Inquisition is set on finding a more important treasure--the Scytale of Corneus. As the source of all magical power, the Scytale is a sure game-changer, and it is imperative that the power-hungry and ruthless Rondians to keep it out of the hands of their enemies if they wish to maintain their growing empire.

Yet, as the Inquisition marches forward, conspiracy to overthrow the new emperor lurks in the shadows in both the East and West.

With the unlikely heroes of Alaron, a failed mage; Ramita, a lowly market maid; and Cymbellea, the daughter of a gypsy set on ending a world of war, SCARLET TIDES is an impressive world-building feat that proves that sometimes even weapons and magic cannot overcome the power of love and loyalty.

"Scarlet Tides is simply faster, better and even more satisfying that its prequel. So long for the difficult second book--Hair seems to handle these with ease and I'm already looking forward to the third one even though it's so far away."
?Liviu Suciu, Fantasy Book Critic

"A mashup of J.R.R. Tolkien and Henry Kissinger... Hair capably spins a rather elaborate storyline, or better multiple storylines, all suitably tangled, given the conspiracies and mind-scramblings that are afoot... the reader will want to keep plenty of gnostic energy on hand...fans of the series will be eager to see what comes next."
?Kirkus Reviews

"David Hair's Scarlet Tides, the second novel in his Moontide Quartet series, has been compared to great fantasy epics such as A Song of Ice and Fire and The Wheel of Time, and it easily earns it place amongst them... Scarlet Tides is an engaging, well-developed book."
?Fanboy Comics

"Along the way, the author introduces some very unusual fantasy elements and handles them well. One such is a magical construct, theLeviathan Bridge that is underwater most of the time....this engrossing story will continue in the third episode, Unholy War."
?Bookloons

"Hair's Scarlet Tides continues a fantastic epic fantasy series with a great cast, immersive world, and fascinating system of magic that builds to a stunning several-hundred page conclusion in the vein of Steven Erikson, where everything possible happens to everyone. He improved on everything that made Mage's Blood so good and added even more oomph to it. I cannot wait to start Unholy War."
?A Bitter Draft

"I love the depth of Hair's magic system, as well as the wide variety of his characters...We've got two more books left in David Hair's world, and I can't wait to see what he's got up his sleeves next."
?Geeksmash

"Hair takes his time with all these narrative arcs, allowing the characters lots of space within which to grow. Depth of character was a strong point in Mage's Blood and it is here as well. Many of the characters are realistically complex, few remain the same by the end of the novel, and many are thrown into situations that either reveal or create different facets of their personality."
?Fantasy Literature Reviews

"A heavy tome with lots of excellent story inside of it."
?Novelnaut

"One of the best epic fantasies for a long time... If you do not read any other fantasy book this year, ensure you read Scarlet Tides."
?Opionator

DEAN FLEISCHER-CAMP AND JENNY SLATE

Dean Fleischer-Camp is a writer, director, and artist. Jenny Slate is a writer, comedian, and actress. Dean and Jenny created the short filmMarcel the Shell with Shoes On in the late summer of 2010. It screened at film festivals all over the world, including Sundance and the New York International Children's Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury and Audience awards. It subsequently became a viral sensation, garnering over twenty million views on YouTube. Their first picture book, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On: Things About Me, is aNew York Times bestseller. Dean and Jenny live together in Los Angeles, California, with their dogs Reggie and Arthur, and Marcel and his dog Alan.

 ABOUT MARCEL THE SHELL: THE MOST SURPRISED I'VE EVER BEEN

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is walking on the blanket when he is unexpectedly launched high into the air. Tumbling through space, the bird's-eye view offers our small friend not only a glimpse of the important things in life--his beloved Nana who sleeps in a fancy French bread, a stinky shoe, and a monstrous baby--but also a much bigger picture. Sometimes the most wonderful discoveries are the ones we least expect.

"Marcel the Shell is a mollusk on the rise."
— People

"We basically can't get enough Marcel--ever."
— Glamour

"Our favorite anthropomorphic shell."
— Entertainment Weekly

"Utterly charming."
— The Washington Post

"Delightful."
— TIME

"Charming Brooklyn-spawned viral video 'Marcel the Shell' is now a charming (and beautiful) children's book."
— New York Magazine

"If you thought the viral video for Marcel the Shell with Shoes On was charming, check out this...new children's book featuring Marcel."
—The New Yorker

 

MARCUS WYNNE

Marcus Wynne is a charter member of the Been There, Done That Club. He's got all the T-shirts and knows all the secret handshakes. He enjoys poetry, ballet, knife fighting, and serial monogamy with fierce feminists. He is the author of NO OTHER OPTION, WARRIOR IN THE SHADOWS, BROTHERS IN ARMS, WITH A VENGEANCE, JOHNNY WYLDE, AIR MARSHALS, LOVELADY, TOO WYLDE and, most recently, THE SWORD OF MICHAEL. He manages, with more than a little help from his friends, to eke out a living in this silly business.

 ABOUT SWORD OF MICHAEL

Marius Winter doesn’t walk the road of the shaman-warrior alone.  He has powerful allies in the Other Realms and in ordinary reality.  His spirit guides are a Lakota war-chief and medicine man, First In Front; Tigre, a powerful feminine spirit who appears as a white tiger; and Burt, a spirit raven who channels an old Jewish bookie from the Bronx.  

Now Marius is targeted by a powerful sorcerer. In the battle for the souls of his friends and lover, he must storm the gates of the underworld and fight through the Seven Demi-Demons of Hell to the deepest dungeons to confront Belial himself.

"Wynne takes a page out of the Raymond Chandler book of writing and has someone kick in a door and start shooting every time the plot slows down, so there is never a dull moment...I t is a fun book, fast paced with oodles of action."
—New Myth

"Marcus Wynne has created a rare find--an action packed book with characters filled with heart and soul. This is a true "keeper." You have to keep reading--and then keep to read again and savor one more because the story is so rich."
—Heather Graham, #1 New York Times best-selling fantasy author

"I'm glad to welcome Marcus Wynne back to the author fold.  His own personal journey through Hell and hardship has been transformed into a gripping, action-filled urban fantasy about a man's Journey to Hell to  ave all those he loves best in the world.  A great debut in a new genre by one of the best action writers in any genre."
—David Morrell, New York Times best-selling author of Murder as a Fine Art

"Marcus Wynne's newest page-turner—his best to date—rips the veil off of our everyday perceptions to reveal the eternal battle between good and evil that takes place around us and, yes, within us. Labeled as fiction, THE SWORD OF MICHAEL is very real, a story where even Humanists and Theists can find common and exciting ground and which features a New Age shaman exorcist who hopefully has a real world model. If he doesn't, we are all in deep trouble. —"Joseph Hartlaub, Senior reviewer, BOOKREPORTER.COM

"Marcus Wynne delivers again . . . Shamanic practitioner Marius Winter risks all traveling to the depths of Hell to save everything and everyone important to him. "
—WWE Legend Lance Storm

"In Sword of Michael, my good friend Marcus Wynne has created a world where the fight between good and evil is as close as the next visitor or the next town over. The action, both physical and spiritual, jumps off the pages and exposes you to a side of conflict and human nature that is rarely considered by the conscious mind. Sword of Michael provides a modern urban backdrop for a story that is as powerful as it is personal."
—Senior Training NCO, John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center, SERE Cadre, Fort Bragg

 

ADAM MANSBACH

Adam Mansbach is a novelist, screenwriter, cultural critic and humorist. He is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Go the Fuck to Sleep, which has been translated into forty languages, named Time Magazine's 2011 "Thing of the Year," and sold over two million copies worldwide. The 2014 sequel, "You Have to Fucking Eat," is also a New York Times bestseller.

Mansbach's 2013 novel, Rage is Back, was named a Best Book of the Year by National Public Radio and the San Francisco Chronicle; it is currently being adapted for television by Mansbach and Danny Hoch. Mansbach's previous novels include The End of the Jews (2008) which won the California Book Award, and the cult classicAngry Black White Boy, or the Miscegenation of Macon Detornay (2005), which is taught at more than eighty schools and was adapted into a prize-winning stage play in 2008.

Mansbach is the recipient of a Reed Award, a Webby Award, and a Gold Pollie from the American Association of Political Consultants for his 2012 campaign video "Wake The Fuck Up," starring Samuel L. Jackson. He was the 2009-11 New Voices Professor of Fiction at Rutgers University, a 2012 Sundance Screenwriting Lab Fellow, and a 2013 Berkeley Repertory Theatre Writing Fellow.

Mansbach's work has appeared in The New Yorker, New York Times Book Review, Esquire, The Believer, The Guardian, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, and on National Public Radio's All Things Considered.

Recently, Mansbach has begun writing in several other literary genres. His debut thriller, The Dead Run was published by HarperCollins in 2013, and the sequel, The Devil's Bag Man, in 2015. The first book in a middle grades series co-written with Alan Zweibel and entitled Benjamin Franklin: Huge Pain in my Ass, was published in September by Hyperion. Jake the Fake Keeps It Real, the first title in a middle grades series co-written with Craig Robinson, is forthcoming from Crown in 2017. He is also the author, with Zwiebel and Dave Barry, of Haggadah!, forthcoming from Flatiron Books in time for your 2017 seder.

As a screenwriter, Mansbach has adapted the children's classic The Pushcart War for Park Pictures, and won the 2013 Indian Paintbrush Filmwriting Grant for his original screenplay We're Entertainment. His screenplay Barry, about Barack Obama's first year at Columbia University, will be shot in March by Vikram Ghandi.

Mansbach lives in Berkeley, California, and is a frequent lecturer on college campuses.

 ABOUT YOU HAVE TO FUCKING EAT

 Mansbach's long-awaited sequel is about that other great parental frustration: getting your little angel to eat something that even vaguely resembles a normal meal. Profane, loving, and deeply cathartic, You Have to F**king Eat breaks the code of child-rearing silence, giving moms and dads (new, old, grand-, and expectant) a much-needed chance to laugh about a universal problem.

Anchored by a hilarious performance from Cranston, You Have to F**king Eat is the perfect blend of talented voice actor and subversive fun that expertly captures Mansbach’s trademark humor. Due to its explicit language, you probably shouldn't play this one for your kids.

"You Have to F**king Eat just begs to be given as a gift."
--What The Flicka

"A great parent poem that all who deal with kids at meal time will appreciate."
--Maria's Space

"What's great about this book is the juxtaposition between the profane text and the idyllic illustrations."
--I've Read This

"I'm so happy to have this book in my collection. I won't hesitate to make anyone who sits at my table for a meal read this before they eat!"
--The Reading Vixens

"Get a copy today. And grab one for your friend whose kid will only eat foods that are white. They will thank you."
--Absolute Mommy

"Mansbach's offering is so simple that it's genius...Eat already has bestseller written all over it."
--Yummy Mummy Club

 

S.G. REDLING

S.G. Redling, a graduate of Georgetown University, has spent fifteen years waking up the good folks of Huntington WV and its environs on the WKEE-FM morning radio show. She recently wound up her headphones for the last time and is focusing on thrillers, mysteries and urban fantasy. When S.G. isn't writing (don't tell Christine Witthohn!) she loves to paint, travel and embarrass herself by speaking wretched Italian.

ABOUT OURSELVES

They have always been among us.

An ancient, nature-loving race, the Nahan have protected their secret world by cultivating the myths of fanged, bloodsucking monsters that haunt legends. Yet they walk through our world as our coworkers and our neighbors, hiding in plain sight and coexisting in peace. They survive…and they prosper.

A shy young dreamer, Tomas wanders through his life with help from his good friends and influential family on the ruling Council. Now, he’s decided his future lies with the Nahan’s most elite class: the mysterious Storytellers. But his family is troubled by his new choice?and by his new girlfriend, Stell, a wild, beautiful, and deadly outcast from a fanatical Nahan sect.

As Tomas descends into the dark wonders of the Nahan’s most powerful culture, Stell answers her own calling as an exceptional assassin. But when a lethal conspiracy threatens their destinies, Tomas and Stell must unite their remarkable talents against the strongest?and most sinister?of their kind.

  • You can buy OURSELVES on Amazon here.

ABOUT BAGGAGE

Over the years, terrible things keep happening to Anna Ray on February 17. First, there was the childhood trauma she’s never been able to speak about. Then, to her horror, her husband killed himself on that date.

A year later and a thousand miles away, Anna tries to find solace in the fresh start of a new job in a new place. She takes comfort in her outspoken cousin Jeannie, the confidant and best friend who’s there whenever she needs help. On the day of the dreaded anniversary, Anna and Jeannie hit the town, planning to ease the pain with an alcohol-induced stupor and then sleep…

When Anna awakes the next morning, she thinks she can put one more February 17 behind her, but fate is about to intervene in the form of two gruesome murders with eerie similarities to her violent past. This time, however, she won’t be an abandoned daughter or a grieving widow. This time, she’ll be a suspect.

"Redling does a superior job of sharing Anna’s fear that someone is out to get her and that she’s living in a nightmare."
-- Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

 

ALAN HRUSKA

Alan Hruska writes and directs films and plays, and is a novelist and book publisher.

Alan’s first film, "Nola," released by Samuel Goldwyn in 2003, was chosen the next year in a Best of Tribeca program for presentation to the troops in Kuwait and Qatar. His second film, "The Warrior Class," premiered in the Hamptons International Film Festival in 2006 and is being distributed by Echo Bridge. "Reunion," his third film, was released in New York in 2009. All three films ran on Showtime and are now available for streaming on various Internet outlets. His fourth film, "The Man On Her Mind," recently had its theatrical release in 12 cities. ??Alan was also Associate Executive Producer of the documentary, "Trumbo," Co-Producer of the film, "Handsome Harry", and Executive Producer of the comedy, "Tiger Lily Road.

Alan began his theatrical life in 2005 by directing an off-Broadway revival of "Waiting for Godot", developed at the Actors Studio. The New York Times called Hruska’s Godot “a pleasure,” and The New York Post, “an admirable production” having “just the right mixture of pathos and comic bluster.” Alan’s own play, "New House Under Construction", which he also directed, ran at the 59 E 59 Theaters in 2008-09. "The Man On Her Mind", a play he wrote, directed by Bruce Guthrie, was produced in 2012 at the Charing Cross Theatre in London. Of Hruska's next play, produced in the fall on 2016, The New York Times wrote, "If an existentialist philosopher ever attempted a light romantic comedy, it might sound a little like “Laugh It Up, Stare It Down,” Alan Hruska’s quaintly absurdist play at the Cherry Lane Theater."

In 1985, Doubleday published Alan’s first novel, "Borrowed Time". The following year, Alan co-founded the New York book publishing company, Soho Press, of which Alan is still Chairman. In 2011, Alan’s second novel, "Wrong Man Running," was published in the U.K. and the U.S.A. by the British publisher, Severn House, and worldwide by Thomas & Mercer. His third novel, "Pardon The Ravens," was published in February 2015 by Prospect Park Books. The soft cover edition will be released in September 2016.

In an earlier life, Alan was a trial lawyer, representing many individuals and institutions, public and private. He was also president of several professional organizations and a member of various commissions and community boards. He is now a director of the Lark Play Development Center in New York and a member of the Actors Studio, Playwrights and Directors Unit.

PARDON THE RAVENS is a fast-paced legal thriller from the author of Wrong Man Running and the writer and director of films,Nola, The Warrior Class, Reunion, and The Man on Her Mind.  Alan Hruska tells the gripping story of what happens when a man lets his heart get in the way of his business affairs--and the consequences of crossing the man who controls organized crime in New York City during the Mad Men era.

Gifted young lawyer Alec Brno is given the chance of a lifetime to try a huge fraud case making international headlines--a case that might make him partner in a prestigious law firm.  But he risks it all when he falls for an alluring young woman whose enraged husband is a sadistic Mafia don--and the criminal mastermind behind Alec's case.

Suddenly, Alec finds himself caught between saving the woman he's fallen for, pleasing the partners of his firm--and trying not to get killed in the process.   This riveting ride blasts through Wall Street, the city's most dangerous neighborhoods and worlds where sex, drugs and unsolved murders hide behind every facade.  PARDON THE RAVENS will grab you and not let go until the last page.

“Vividly real and quite compelling… Hruska really knows how to write; fans of legal-thriller stars like John Grisham, John Lescroart, William Lashner, and especially Scott Turow will want to add this fine novel to their must-read lists.”
— Booklist

“A classic legal thriller in the mold of Scott Turow, with a fiery heroine, a monster of a mobster, corporate villains, and a young lawyer fighting to win his first big case. The action is compelling in and out of the courtroom. Taut, lean storytelling with a great finish.”
— Michael Sears, award-winning author of Black Fridays and Mortal Bonds

"With the backdrop of Mad Men–era New York, Pardon the Ravens never fears to get dirty with style. Alan Hruska brings it all—sounds, smells, tastes, and attitude—to life with passion. Bravo!"
— Cara Black, author of the New York Times bestselling Aimée Leduc series

“Grabs readers and leaves them hanging on for dear life… excellent dialogue and nonstop action.”
— Suspense Magazine

“… an erudite legal thriller”
— Library Journal

“The plot rockets along”
— Kirkus Reviews

"Pardon the Ravens by Alan Hruska is a legal thriller that keeps the reader guessing as to who will prevail. Brno is a great character, one you would want on your side at all times. And you've got to admire his girl friend. She's got guts. Hruska, a graduate of Yale Law School and a former trial lawyer, is no stranger to writing or directing. Pardon the Ravens is his third novel. He rivals any of the other authors of legal thrillers."
—Bookloons.com

  • You can buy PARDON THE RAVENS on Amazon here.
  • Learn more about Alan on his website.

 

KRIS CALVIN

John Lescroart, author of 16 New York Times bestsellers says debut author Kris Calvin "sets herself apart as a writer to watch".

Robert Dugoni, #1 Amazon and NYT author says Kris Calvin's debut novel One Murder More is "an irresistible political thriller" that reminds him of House of Cards.

A former local elected official, debut author Kris Calvin knows politics from the inside out. She lives minutes from Sacramento, capital city of California and has been honored by the State Assembly and the California Governor's office for her leadership in political advocacy on behalf of children.

Educated at Stanford and UC Berkeley in psychology and economics, respectively, Kris Calvin uses her training to create "characters that all stand up in an emotionally rich and gripping novel," according to Kirk Russell, critically-acclaimed author of eight thrillers.

One Murder More is the first in Kris Calvin's new Maren Kane mystery series. She is working on Maren Kane's next adventure, A Timely Murder, which will be released in June 2016. In November, 2015, Kris Calvin’s short story, “The Merriest of Murders,” was featured in a holiday-themed anthology, Tinsel & Temptation.

 ABOUT ONE MURDER MORE

In Kris Calvin's debut mystery One Murder More, a beautiful legislative aide is found stabbed to death in California's Capitol building. Maren Kane, a lobbyist for a fledgling Sacramento-based toy company, is in the midst of a legislative fight that could make or break her career. She doesn’t have time for a coffee break let alone involvement in a murder investigation.

But when police arrest Maren's colleague for the crime, she's certain they have the wrong man. The cops suspect a crime of passion?love gone wrong. Maren knows that in the capital, money and power drive all things tragic and scandalous. Sex and love are little more than window-dressing.

But will she be able to prove her theory?and free her friend?before she becomes the next victim?

"Crisp and entertaining, One Murder More marks a solid debut for Kris Calvin, who sets herself apart as a writer to watch." ?John Lescroart, New York Times Bestselling Author

"In One Murder More, Kris Calvin gives us a front-row seat in California’s capitol and exposes the underbelly of the state’s political machine. An irresistible political thriller that reminds me of House of Cards."
?Robert Dugoni, #1 Amazon and New York TimesBestselling Author of My Sister’s Grave

"An emotionally rich and gripping novel that tracks through intrigue, missteps, and false leads to the credible solving of a brutal murder... Meet Maren Kane, and hope you get to see her in action again."
?Kirk Russell, Critically-Acclaimed Author of the John Marquez Eco-Crime Thrillers and Ben Raveneau Thrillers

"One Murder More investigates the lengths to which some people will go in the pursuit of money and power, while never forgetting the human element of its large-hearted protagonist as she navigates the treacherous, even life-threatening terrain of state politics... a standout amongst political mysteries."
?Criminal Element

"I'd have read One Murder More for the setting alone?who could resist such a detailed peek along the corridors of power? But add a complex and engaging protagonist, a crisp plot with a couple of gasp-worthy twists, and a fully realized set of relationships and you've got a real treat of a debut. Totally satisfying."
?Catriona McPherson, Multi-Award-Winning Author of Edgar-Nominated The Day She Died

"One Murder More is a smart, fast-paced mystery. Calvin's insider knowledge and keen eye for detail make for a heady combination, one that will keep you up reading all night."
?Eileen Rendahl, National Bestselling and Award-Winning Author

"Kris Calvin's debut novel will captivate fans of murder mysteries and thrillers alike. With her natural ability to weave an intricate and intriguing storyline, she has established herself as an accomplished and talented addition to the world of murder and suspense."
?Skin Deep Exposures Magazine

"Author Kris Calvin has the background and know-how about politics, and will keep readers guessing with every page.”
?Woman Around Town

 

CHRISTINA McDOWELL

Christina McDowell is an advocate for restorative justice and criminal justice reform. She has traveled to state prisons to speak on behalf of families of the incarcerated and victims of crime. She is the co-producer of the soon to be released documentary The Survivor's Guide to Prison about America's mass incarceration crisis and is a teacher with InsideOUT Writers, a nonprofit that uses writing as a catalyst for personal change for currently and formerly incarcerated youth. She has written for LA Weekly, Porter Magazine, Marie Claire and more. After Perfect is her debut book.

 ABOUT AFTER PERFECT

Selected as one of the year’s “Fifteen Books You Need to Read” by the Village Voice, Christina McDowell’s unflinching memoir is “a tale of the American Dream upended.” Growing up in an affluent Washington, DC, suburb, Christina and her sisters were surrounded by the elite: summering on Nantucket Island, speeding down Capitol Hill’s rich back roads, flying in their father’s private plane. Their life of luxury was brutally stripped away after the FBI arrested Tom Prousalis on fraud charges. When he took a plea deal as he faced the notorious Wolf of Wall Street Jordan Belfort’s testifying against him, the cars, homes, jewelry, clothes, and friends that defined the family disappeared before their eyes, including the one thing they could never get back: each other.

Christina writes with candid clarity about the dark years that followed and the devastation her father’s crimes wrought upon her family: the debt accumulated under her identity; her mother’s breakdown; her own spiral into addiction and promiscuity; and the delusion that enveloped them all. She shines a remarkable, uncomfortable light on a family’s disintegration and takes a searing look at a controversial financial time and also at herself, a child whose “normal” belonged only to the one percent. A rare, insider’s perspective on the collateral damage of a fall from grace, After Perfect is a poignant reflection on the astounding pace at which a life can change and how blind we can be to the ugly truth.

"[Christina McDowell] exposes the side of ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ we didn’t get to see."
--Metro US

"In her gritty, heart-wrenching memoir, After Perfect, she describes her long journey through depression, addiction, grief, and anger as she reeled from her father’s unimaginable betrayal—and how she ultimately found forgiveness."
--Parade.com

"McDowell traces how her privileged family lost everything...and that was only the beginning of her nosedive."
--O Magazine

"Christina McDowell opens up about her Wolf of Wall Street life."
--MarieClaire.com

"[A] buzzy book...McDowell lays bare the sad and sordid aftermath of her father's deserved downfall."
Sherryl Connelly New York Daily News

“[Christina McDowell] reflects on how facing up to loss can lead to new beginnings.” (Porter Magazine)

"[Christina McDowell] has written a memoir about the fallout from her father's crimes, a tale of the American Dream upended."
--The Village Voice, Fifteen Books You Need to Read in 2015

"A searing memoir of loss and redemption."
--People Magazine

"After Perfect tells the expanded tale of her personal hell...Throughout her book, McDowell retains an awareness of the sense of entitlement wrought by her upbringing and her ongoing privilege."
--LA Weekly

"Without sensationalizing her lifestyle...McDowell faces her past with an admirably rigorous level of criticism and self-awareness."
--Shelf Awareness

 

LUCY MANGAN

Lucy Mangan is a journalist and columnist. She was educated in Catford and Cambridge. She studied English at the latter and then spent two years training as a solicitor, but left as soon as she qualified and went to work much more happily in a bookshop instead. She got a work experience placement at the Guardian in 2003 and hung around until they gave her a job.  Lucy now writes a regular columns for the newspaper as well as features and TV reviews there. She has written for most of the major women's magazines, including Grazia, Marie Claire andCosmopolitan, and has a weekly column in Stylistmagazine. She was named Columnist of the Year at the PPA Awards in 2013.

In 2009, a collection of her columns from the Guardian was published as a book entitled MY FAMILY AND OTHER DISASTERS. Her other works include HOPSCOTCH AND HANDBAGS: The Essential Guide to Being a Girl, a book about the experience of growing up in 80s suburbia, and  THE RELUCTANT BRIDE which is the lightly-fictionalised story of her wedding.

A commemoration of 50 years of Roald Dahl's CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, INSIDE CHARLIE'S CHOCOLATE FACTORY was published by Puffin UK/US. Lucy is now working on BOOKWORM, a personal history and celebration of children’s literature, to be published by Square Peg.

She lives in south-east London with one husband, one son, two cats and fourteen double-stacked Billy bookcases.

 ABOUT INSIDE CHARLIE'S CHOCOLATE FACTORY

 Inside Charlie’s Chocolate Factory explores the unique appeal and lasting cultural impact of Roald Dahl’s beloved classic. This non-fiction book looks at the development of the original story  and charaters, its social history, and the varying film and stage adaptations. With never-before-seen material from the archives, full-color photos and illustrations throughout, and quotes from Roald Dahl enthusiasts this gorgeously produced gift book is a great way for fans to celebrate Charlie, Wonka, and Roald Dahl!

“This thoughtful critique of an enduring classic combines elements of biography, the creative process, literary and film analyses, and social commentary, and it should appeal to a wide audience of fans.” —Booklist

“This title will especially strike a chord with fans of Dahl’s work, students of classic children’s literature, and those interested in the early days of modern publishing…this book ensures that Dahl's legacy will endure as long as an everlasting gobstopper.” —SLJ

“An effusive celebration of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on its 50th anniversary.” —Kirkus Reviews

 

PJ MANNEY

PJ Manney writes the same way she lives—with an abiding passion for exploring new, exhilarating, and utterly unique experiences. A devotedly positive futurist, she was on the board of directors of Humanity+, an international nonprofit organization that advocates the ethical use of technology to expand human capabilities. PJ has also been active in communications, public relations, and film production. To date, she has written numerous scripts for television pilots, as well as worked on shows such as Hercules: The Legendary Journeys andXena: Warrior Princess. She has lived as far afield as New York and New Zealand, and loves delving into the cultural landscape of wherever she finds herself. Whenever she’s not working on her novels, she continues to expound on her perspective of a technology-driven posthumanity while encouraging hopeful visions of the future. She lives with her husband of twenty-five years and their two children.

 ABOUT (R)EVOLUTION

Scientist Peter Bernhardt has dedicated his life to nanotechnology, the science of manipulating matter on the atomic scale. As the founder of Biogineers, he is on the cusp of revolutionizing brain therapies with microscopic nanorobots that will make certain degenerative diseases become a thing of the past. But after his research is stolen by an unknown enemy, seventy thousand people die in Las Vegas in one abominable moment. No one is more horrified than Peter, as this catastrophe sets in motion events that will forever change not only his life but also the course of human evolution.

Peter’s company is torn from his grasp as the public clamors for his blood. Desperate, he turns to an old friend, who introduces him to the Phoenix Club, a cabal of the most powerful people in the world. To make himself more valuable to his new colleagues, Peter infuses his brain with experimental technology, exponentially upgrading his mental prowess and transforming him irrevocably.

As he’s exposed to unimaginable wealth and influence, Peter’s sense of reality begins to unravel. Do the club members want to help him, or do they just want to claim his technology? What will they do to him once they have their prize? And while he’s already evolved beyond mere humanity, is he advanced enough to take on such formidable enemies and win?

"[An] intriguing and fast-paced debut...With poignancy and sensitivity, Manney constructs an intricate and adventurous plot...Fans of gosh-wow SF will devour this novel all the way to the startling ending." —Publishers Weekly

"(R)evolution builds momentum to a rollicking chase through hope and terror, fast-looming biotech, and a tasty-paranoid look at who 'actually runs’ the USA." —David Brin, author of The Postman and The Transparent Society

"(R)evolution is a superhumanly researched hybrid of sci-fi, techno-thriller, epic myth of the hero's journey with vivid and memorable characters. And its e-book presentation is perfect for the times and the material. Truly an achievement." —Joe Quirk, bestselling author ofThe Ultimate Rush, Exult, and It's Not You, It's Biology

“Reading (R)evolution is a thrilling cinematic experience in your head on par with a Bourne novel. You will find yourself rushing to find out how the protagonist survives and thrives, and along the way develop an appreciation for how emerging technologies will soon change our experience of daily life.” —Dr. James Hughes, executive director of IEET, former ED of Humanity+, author of Citizen Cyborg, bioethicist, futurist

 

WENDY SUZUKI

Dr. Wendy A. Suzuki is a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology in the Center for Neural Science at New York University.

Her major research interest continues to be brain plasticity. She is best known for her extensive work studying areas in the brain critical for our ability to form and retain new long-term memories. More recently her work has focused on understanding how aerobic exercise can be used to improve learning, memory and higher cognitive abilities in humans.

 ABOUT HEALTHY BRAIN, HAPPY LIFE

A neuroscientist transforms the way we think about our brain, our health, and our personal happiness in this clear, informative, and inspiring guide—a blend of personal memoir, science narrative, and immediately useful takeaways that bring the human brain into focus as never before, revealing the powerful connection between exercise, learning, memory, and cognitive abilities.

Nearing forty, Dr. Wendy Suzuki was at the pinnacle of her career. An award-winning university professor and world-renowned neuroscientist, she had tenure, her own successful research lab, prestigious awards, and international renown.

That’s when to celebrate her birthday, she booked an adventure trip that forced her to wake up to a startling reality: despite her professional success, she was overweight, lonely, and tired and knew that her life had to change.  Wendy started simply—by going to an exercise class. Eventually, she noticed an improvement in her memory, her energy levels, and her ability to work quickly and move from task to task easily. Not only did Wendy begin to get fit, but she also became sharper, had more energy, and her memory improved.  Being a neuroscientist, she wanted to know why.

What she learned transformed her body and her life. Now, it can transform yours.

Wendy discovered that there is a biological connection between exercise, mindfulness, and action. With exercise, your body feels more alive and your brain actually performs better.  Yes—you can make yourself smarter. In this fascinating book, Suzuki makes neuroscience easy to understand, interweaving her personal story with groundbreaking research, and offering practical, short exercises—4 minute Brain Hacks—to engage your mind and improve your memory, your ability to learn new skills, and function more efficiently.

Taking us on an amazing journey inside the brain as never before, Suzuki helps us unlock the keys to neuroplasticity that can change our brains, or bodies, and, ultimately, our lives.

 

CRISTIN O'KEEFE APTOWICZ

Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz is a New York Times bestselling nonfiction writer and poet. She is the author of six books of poetry (including Dear Future Boyfriend, Hot Teen Slut, Working Class Represent, Oh, Terrible Youth andEverything is Everything) as well as the nonfiction books, the >Dr. Mutter’s Marvels: A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovation at the Dawn of Modern Medicine, which made 7 National “Best Books of 2014″ lists (including Amazon, The Onion’s AV Club, NPR’s Science Fridays and the UK newspaper The Guardian, among others) and Words In Your Face: A Guided Tour Through Twenty Years of the New York City Poetry Slam, which Billy Collins wrote “leaves no doubt that the slam poetry scene has achieved legitimacy and taken its rightful place on the map of contemporary literature.” On the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) podcast Art Works, host Josephine Reed introduced Cristin as being “something of a legend in NYC’s slam poetry scene. She is lively, thoughtful, and approachable looking to engage the audience with her work and deeply committed to the community that art (in general) and slam poetry (in particular) can create.” Cristin’s most recent awards include the ArtsEdge Writer-In-Residency at the University of Pennsylvania (2010-2011), a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Poetry (2011) and the Amy Clampitt Residency (2013). Her sixth book of poetry, The Year of No Mistakes, was released by Write Bloody Publishing in Fall 2013, and would go on to win the Writers’ League of Texas Book of the Year Award for Poetry (2013-2014). Her second book of nonfiction, Dr. Mutter’s Marvels: A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovation at the Dawn of Modern Medicine, was released by Gotham Books (Penguin) in Fall 2014, debuted at #7 on the New York Times Bestseller List for Books about Health

 ABOUT DR. MUTTER'S MARVELS

Imagine undergoing an operation without anesthesia performed by a surgeon who refuses to sterilize his tools—or even wash his hands. This was the world of medicine when Thomas Dent Mütter began his trailblazing career as a plastic surgeon in Philadelphia during the middle of the nineteenth century.

Although he died at just forty-eight, Mütter was an audacious medical innovator who pioneered the use of ether as anesthesia, the sterilization of surgical tools, and a compassion-based vision for helping the severely deformed, which clashed spectacularly with the sentiments of his time.

Brilliant, outspoken, and brazenly handsome, Mütter was flamboyant in every aspect of his life. He wore pink silk suits to perform surgery, added an umlaut to his last name just because he could, and amassed an immense collection of medical oddities that would later form the basis of Philadelphia’s Mütter Museum.

Award-winning writer Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz vividly chronicles how Mütter’s efforts helped establish Philadelphia as a global mecca for medical innovation—despite intense resistance from his numerous rivals. (Foremost among them: Charles D. Meigs, an influential obstetrician who loathed Mütter’s "overly" modern medical opinions.) In the narrative spirit of The Devil in the White City, Dr. Mütter’s Marvels interweaves an eye-opening portrait of nineteenth-century medicine with the riveting biography of a man once described as the "P. T. Barnum of the surgery room."

"Performance poet Aptowicz turns her attention to the birth of modern American Medicine, and the atonishing degree that it was influenced by one man, in this moving and delicately crafted biography... Aptowicz shows Müt­ter, beloved by his students, evolving from a mischievous, impatient young doctor to an increasingly spiritual man beset by premature illness, and her writing is as full of life as her subject."
-- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (starred review)

"Biography of a flamboyant surgeon who helped transform American medicine... In her deftly crafted narrative, the author provides an absorbing account of the charismatic surgeon's life and career as well as a vivid look at the medical practices and prejudices of his time. His students adored him, and the disfigured flocked to him. European contemporaries saw him as a "dashing, outspoken, idiosyncratic American visionary." His life story will move many readers. His life story will move many readers."
-- KIRKUS REVIEW (starred review)

"Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz's new biography, Dr. Mütter's Marvels, is set in Philadelphia in the middle of the 19th century... Mütter quickly rose through the medical elite, specializing in "radical surgery"--the art of fixing "monsters." Mütter did not just establish a museum of "marvels"; he was a marvel himself... Aptowicz approaches her subject with passion and finesse, so that the book to reads more like fiction than nonfiction, ensuring that it will appeal to a wide audience."
-- Publishers Weekly (Galley Talk column)

"Aptowicz has penned a fast-moving and popular history of the early to mid-­19th-century American and Parisian medical worlds, making the most of works by and about Mütter's contemporaries. The book connects the dots among the doctor's youthful dandyism, his attractiveness, his kindness toward his patients, and his fascination with what we would today call reconstructive plastic surgery, of which he was a pioneer... Written for the general public, this will be of great interest to large public libraries..."
-- LIBRARY JOURNAL (starred review)

"Ms. Aptowicz rescues Mütter the man from undeserved obscurity, recreating his short life and hard times with wit, energy and gusto. Her book, like the Mütter Museum, is a reminder that the course of human suffering and the progress of medical science are often messy, complex and stranger than can be imagined."
-- THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

“Aptowicz has a keen eye for the era’s grotesque details (amputation accidents, for one thing) and an obvious sympathy for Mütter’s passion and legacy...”
—The Boston Globe

A best Book of 2014

Amazon.com

The Onion’s AV Club

The Guardian

Library Journal

School Library Journal

io9.com

Science Friday

JOHNNY SHAW

Johnny Shaw was born and raised on the Calexico/Mexicali border, the setting for his novels DOVE SEASON, BIG MARIA, and the upcoming PLASTER CITY. He has won both the Spotted Owl Award and the Anthony Award.

His shorter work has appeared in Plots With Guns, Thuglit, Shotgun Honey, Crime Factory, and numerous anthologies.

Johnny also acts as the editor-in-chief and is a frequent contributor for the online fiction quarterly BLOOD & TACOS, a loving homage to the men’s adventure paperbacks of the 1970′s & 1980′s.

Johnny received his MFA in Screenwriting from UCLA and over the course of his writing career has seen his screenplays optioned, sold and produced.  As a playwright, his stage collaborations with actor Jaime Arze, NATURAL ACTS and A GOOD KIND OF CRAZY, have been performed throughout Los Angeles.

For the last dozen years, Johnny has taught screenwriting.  He has lectured at both Santa Barbara City College and UC Santa Barbara.

He is the owner of Johnny’s Used Books, formerly a brick-and-mortar bookstore in Los Angeles, now entirely online.

Johnny lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife, artist Roxanne Patruznick.

ABOUT PLASTER CITY

Jimmy Veeder and Bobby Maves are back at it, two years after the events of Dove Season—they’re not exactly the luckiest guys in the Imperial Valley, but, hey, they win more fights than they lose.

Settled on his own farmland and living like a true family man after years of irresponsible fun, Jimmy’s got a straight life cut out for him. But he’s knocking years off that life thanks to fun-yet-dangerous Bobby’s booze-addled antics—especially now that Bobby is single, volatile, profane as ever, and bored as hell.

When Bobby’s teenage daughter goes missing, he and Jimmy take off on a misadventure that starts out as merely unfortunate and escalates to downright calamitous. Bobby won’t hesitate to kick a hornets’ nest to get the girl to safety, but when the rescue mission goes riotously sideways, the duo’s grit—and loyalty to each other—is put to the test.

"Violent, hilarious, and touching... Joe R. Lansdale perfected this brand of compassionate mayhem in his Hap & Leonard stories, but Anthony Award–winner Shaw does it extremely well, too."
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Readers who enjoy mysteries and suspense novels with plenty of action and humor will delight in this series."
—Amy Nolan, Library Journal

  • You can buy PLASTER CITY on Amazon here.

ABOUT FLOODGATE

Andy Destra is a mostly honest cop in the most notoriously corrupt and crime-ridden city in America: Auction City. After discovering explosive information that reveals corruption within the highest levels of the police department, Andy is kicked off the force, framed, and disgraced, left to wage a lonely one-man crusade against conspiracies he can’t prove.

Andy’s investigation plunges him into a blackly comic maelstrom of one-armed gang members, slick pickpockets, criminal syndicates, hired mercenaries, escaped convicts, sewer dwellers, and one sinister ice cream truck. At the same time, he must contend with a mystery closer to home: the true identity of his parents, his most unshakeable obsession. Understanding their past may be the key to Auction City’s future as it teeters on the brink of chaos.

If Andy can’t solve this case, the Floodgate will fail…and his city will burn.

“Shaw (Plaster City) deftly mixes the odd and the humorous with cinematic action.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Floodgate is at once hilarious, relentless, wicked, gritty, sardonic, and earnest. In other words, it’s a Johnny Shaw novel, which means it’s guaranteed to make your day vanish in a headlong rush of joy.”
—Marcus Sakey, author of the bestselling Brilliance trilogy

“Darkly comic, marvelously inventive, and thrumming with the promise of cataclysmic violence no more than a page turn away, Floodgateis a runaway freight train. Auction City is a fantastic creation, equal to Frank Miller’s Sin City in the scope of its mythology—and in the godless depravity that lives within its borders.”
—Owen Laukkanen, author of The Stolen Ones

“It’s well established that Johnny Shaw’s got a knack for character and a facility with language, but in Floodgate, Shaw tackles his most sweeping, epic tale to date—without sacrificing an iota of his trademark humor. It reads like The Warriors broke out in Dashiell Hammett’sPoisonville and The Untouchables were too hungover to take the call. Bottom line: I loved this book—and I think anybody with working eyeballs and a pulse is gonna, too.”
—Chris Holm, author of The Killing Kind

“Johnny Shaw has crafted a uniquely devilish world with its delightfully memorable inhabitants and their odd histories, married with a page-turning plot full of surprises and twists down the scary back alleys of the mythical city of Auction, USA.”
—Gregory Widen, author of Blood Makes Noise and screenwriter of Highlander

“Floodgate is dark and violent, twisted and funny in the way that makes you wonder if you should be laughing. Writing with equal parts gallows humor, history, and mayhem, Johnny Shaw recasts the police procedural as an exploration of corruption that gets weirder—yet makes more sense—at every turn.”
—Dana Cameron, author of the Fangborn series

“Every new Johnny Shaw novel is a cause for celebration, and Floodgate may be his best yet. A tilt-a-whirl ride of crime and conspiracy that turns on a dime from madcap comedy, to high-octane thriller, to touching family drama. I absolutely loved it. Johnny Shaw is a mad genius.”
—Sean Chercover, author of The Devil’s Game

“I hate Johnny Shaw. He's funny, and smart, and he makes me jealous. Floodgate is a noir novel by way of Big Trouble In Little China, and I wish I'd thought of it first. But don't take my word for it. Go read the book, and hate him your own self.”
—Jay Stringer, author of Ways to Die in Glasgow

 

STEVEN S. DRACHMA

Steven S. Drachman is a writer and critic whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Village Voice, The Boston Phoenix, The Chicago Sun-Times, and Entertainment Weekly. He has also written on the Middle East for the IsraelPalestinePeace e-zine and in the Kindle single, Enough Already: A Framework for Permanent Peace, which was the the basis for a Ted Talk in 2014.

His first novel, a Western sci-fi historical fantasy entitled The Ghosts of Watt O'Hugh, was named one of the Best of 2011 by Kirkus Reviews, and Winner, Best Fantasy Novel by Indie Excellence Book Awards 2012. Book 2 of the Watt O'Hugh trilogy, Watt O'Hugh Underground, was published by Chickadee Prince Books in 2014, to equivalent acclaim. The final book of the trilogy, Watt O'Hugh in The Hell of the Innocent Dead, is slated for publication in 2017.

 ABOUT THE GHOSTS OF WATT O'HUGH

Watt O'Hugh III is a self-made man, Civil War vet, Time Roamer, former orphan of the New York slums and dime novel hero of the lost, magical West of the 1870s, and his adventures mark one of the most original, riotous literary fantasy novels in recent memory. When O'Hugh returns to New York as the star of a Wild West show, he thinks his ship has come in. But that's before he wakes up in a Wyoming penitentiary facing a murder charge, a corrupt Wall Street banker turned outlaw and a 2000-year-old Chinese mystery that could change the world forever. All he really wants is to woo Lucy Billings again, the woman he loved and lost in a gilded New York City before the War ....

"NAMED TO KIRKUS REVIEWS' BEST OF 2011: [An] engaging tale of Western science fiction and amazing fantasy.... The cool hero's tale is told in charming, romping detail, from the magical adventurer's poor childhood in the Five Points and the Tomb[s], to his notorious, gun-toting dalliances in the Wild West and his wilder exploits through time itself ....  Fast-paced, energetic and fun; a dime novel for modern intellectuals."  
-- Kirkus Reviews 

"If you gave up on the feasibility of a Western/science fiction mash-up when Cowboys vs. Aliens tanked a few months back, give it another try. On the page at any rate ... Drachman revives the nascent genre with his rip-snorting, mind boggling novel .... [T]here's a lot going on in this teeming tome!"
- Peter Keough, The Boston Phoenix

"Watt O'Hugh is a character for sure and an engaging narrator who will take you through fascinating worlds, meticulously researched .... Watt O'Hugh is cowboy fantasy noir and worth a read."
- Mike Brotherton, author, Star Dragon and Spider Star (Tor Books)

"... a fine, literary mashup of cowboy adventure and science fiction magic that makes you wish you could meet its carefully hewn characters in real life."
- Harold Goldberg, author, All Your Base are Belong to Us (Random House)

"Love story, action-adventure, historical characters, time-travel science fiction - Watt O'Hugh has it all. A perfect read for those who like to delve into the realm of the offbeat."
- Granville Burgess, screenwriter, Tales from the Darkside, playwright, Conrack

"... a vivid, fast-paced and unpredictable journey, keenly observed and lyrically presented[.]"
- Helen Pfeffer, Contributing Writer, FilmCritic.com

  • You can buy THE GHOSTS OF WATT O’HUGH on Amazon here.
  • Learn more about Steven on his website.

 

KAREN KESKINEN
Karen Keskinen was born and raised in Salinas, California, and has lived for extended periods of time in Wellington, New Zealand and in California's Northern San Joaquin Valley. She now lives and works in Santa Barbara. Keskinen is the author of BLOOD ORANGE and BLACK CURRENT, first two books in the Jaymie Zarlin mystery series. BLOOD ORANGE has been nominated for the coveted Shamus Award for Best First PI Novel (2014).

 ABOUT BLACK CURRENT

 Santa Barbara, California. Private investigator Jaymie Zarlin is still recovering after taking on her first murder case when she receives a call to look into the death of Skye, a local teen  found dead in a tank at the Santa Barbara Aquarium. The police are calling Skye's death an accident, but Skye's parents are convinced that there's something more to this mysterious death. Eager to prove that she's up to the task of solving another murder case, Jaymie sets to work and turns up a number of likely suspects, from rich teens with too much time on their hands to people who hated Skye's grandfather. But when information begins to surface about Jaymie's brother, who died in prison years ago, she is torn between doing right by her clients and uncovering the truth about a mystery that hits much closer to home. Suspenseful, smart, and featuring a setting soaked in sunshine and packed with secrets,Black Current is a riveting mystery about the dangerous sacrifices we make for the people we love.

“Readers sad to see the end approach of Sue Grafton's novels about another perky California PI should investigate this series.”
?Publishers Weekly

“Clever and complex, "Black Current" is an addictive read that surpasses even its fine predecessor, "Blood Orange." Complete with a cast of eccentrics – intrepid Jaymie is particularly fascinating – it confirms Keskinen's stature as a master of sun-splashed noir worthy of Sue Grafton.”
?Richmond Times-Dispatch

“Keskinen juggles multiple plotlines skillfully and develops secondary characters...in this second entry in an appealing series.”
?Booklist

“Exciting...Keskinen has created yet another well-crafted and fast-paced murder mystery with a strong, well-rounded protagonist. Let's hope we hear a lot more from Jaymie Zarlin.”
?Santa Barbara News-Press

“Seethes with mystery and intrigue.... A beautiful, richly entertaining series.”
?Gumshoe Review

“A sleeper... The story flows well and the characters live up to their billing. You can really feel the frustration of dealing with Skye's grandfather and understand his parents' grief and inability to accept a too easy explanation for the death of a promising young man.”
?BookLoons

 

ALISON HELLER

Alison Heller grew up in Connecticut and attended Bates College in Maine. After graduation, she wandered dreamily around the eastern seaboard, temping and interning and shelving books, trying a little of this and a little of that, before landing in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Having hit her limit for dreamy wandering, she enrolled at the University of North Carolina School of Law. In 2000, she graduated from UNC with honors and moved to New York City, where she toiled in several law firms, growing increasingly nostalgic for those days of dreamy wandering. Alison opened her own family law and mediation practice in 2006 to help couples divorce with their sanity intact.

Alison is the author of THE NEVER NEVER SISTERS and THE LOVE WARS (both from The Penguin Group).

Alison recently moved to Denver, Colorado with her family and is right now probably asking someone for directions.

 ABOUT THE NEVER NEVER SISTERS

Marriage counselor Paige Reinhardt is counting down the days to summer, eager to reconnect with her workaholic husband at their cozy rental cottage in the Hamptons. But soon a mysterious crisis at Dave’s work ruins their getaway plans. Paige is still figuring out how to handle the unexplained chill in her marriage when her troubled sister suddenly returns after a two-decade silence. Now, instead of enjoying the lazy summer days along the ocean, Paige is navigating the rocky waters of a forgotten bond with her sister in the sweltering city heat.

As she attempts to dig deeper into Dave’s work troubles and some long-held family secrets, Paige is shocked to discover how little she knows about the people closest to her. This summer, the self-proclaimed relationship expert will grapple with her biggest challenge yet: Is it worth risking your most precious relationships in order to find yourself?

“A poignant, powerful story about family, friendship, and the true nature of love." - Beth Kendrick, author of Cure for the Common Break-Up

" A triumph of witty dialogue and characters as true to life as your best friends." -Kirkus Reviews

"Touching and poignant, endearing and entertaining, Heller writes a wonderfully creative lesson on the necessity for healing and forgiveness." -USA Today

A "must read"! --New York Post

"Heller has captured the true essence of friendship, family and love in THE NEVER NEVER SISTERS. Writing with such an engaging voice, her carefully crafted story immediately pulls readers into this contemporary novel." --Bookreporter

“Heller writes with…razor-sharp wit.”—Meg Donohue, Author of All the Summer Girls

 

RORY FLYNN

Rory Flynn is the pseudonym and Irish twin of novelist Stona Fitch, whose novels (Senseless, Give + Take, others) have been published in more than a dozen languages and adapted as feature films. He is also the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the revolutionary Concord Free Press, as well a founding member of the country punk band Scruffy the Cat. Rory and Stona both live and write in West Concord, Massachusetts.

 ABOUT THIRD RAIL

 At crime scenes, Eddy Harkness, the "Harvard Cop," is a human Ouija board, a brilliant young detective with a knack for finding the hidden something—cash, drugs, guns, bodies. Harkness's swift rise in an elite narcotics unit is derailed by the death of a young Red Sox fan in the chaos after a World Series win, a death some camera-phone-wielding witnesses believe he could have prevented. Scapegoated, Eddy is exiled to his hometown, Nagog, just outside Boston, where he empties parking meters and struggles to redeem his disgraced family name.

But one night Harkness’s police-issued Glock disappears. Harkness starts a search—just as a string of fatal accidents in Nagog lead him to uncover a dangerous new smart drug, Third Rail. With only a plastic gun to protect him, Harkness begins a high-stakes investigation that sends him into the darkest corners of the city.

One of the most electrifying thrillers you'll read this year, Third Rail takes you deep into a gritty world of wronged heroes, corrupt politicians, and sinister kingpins, where your friends can't be trusted, a sleepy town breeds deadly crimes, and nothing ever happens by accident.

"Already compelling plot-wise, Third Rail also glows with the kind of sawdust-dry humor regarding Beantown, cops, and the darkest of urban underbellies that you might find at 3 a.m. in the back booth of a backstreet bar…With its gaggle of crazy-yet-riveting characters, its spare approach and its unflagging action, Third Rail, the first in a promised series of Eddy Harkness novels, adds yet another striking feather to [Rory Flynn]’s impressively-crowded cap." —Boston Globe

"Third Rail gets off to a ripping start and never lets off the gas. Rory Flynn is a suspense writer to watch." —Jess Walter, author of the bestselling Beautiful Ruins

“Third Rail is an adrenaline-soaked tale of political corruption and personal redemption that never lets up. Eddy Harkness, the self-destructive Massachusetts narcotics detective at the novel’s center, is a worthy successor to Robert B. Parker’s Jesse Stone.” —Sean Chercover,  author of the bestselling The Trinity Game

"Third Rail is driven equally by character and plot. Harkness's Nagog is faintly reminiscent ofFargo (the film or television series, take your pick). It is populated by quirky characters, some of whom are dangerous to others, others who are dangerous only to themselves." —Book Reporter

"Terrific debut...impressive economy and stylish, sophisticated prose...Readers will want to see more of Flynn’s gritty Boston—and Eddy Harkness." —Publishers Weekly, boxed and starred

"The start to a successful crime writing career." —Library Journal

 

MARCUS SAKEY

Marcus Sakey’s thrillers have been nominated for more than fifteen awards, named New York Time‘s Editor’s Picks, and selected among Esquire Magazine‘s Top 5 Books of The Year. His novel GOOD PEOPLE was made into a movie starring James Franco and Kate Hudson, and his other books are in various stages of development for film.

Born in Flint, Michigan, Marcus fell in love with story at a young age. At five, when other kids were hoping to be rock stars and astronauts, he dreamed of becoming a novelist. He attended the University of Michigan before beginning a decade-long career in television and advertising, which gave him “plenty of exposure to liars and thieves”—the perfect apprenticeship.

His debut thriller THE BLADE ITSELF was sold at auction and published to wide critical acclaim, allowing him to work full-time as a writer.

To research his novels, Marcus has rappelled with SWAT teams, pub-crawled with bank robbers, dissected a human brain, chased pirate treasure, and learned to pick a deadbolt. He is a certified SCUBA diver and sailing captain, a rock climber, an accomplished carpenter, a spice junkie, and “a hell of a cook.”

Marcus was the host and writer of the acclaimed television show Hidden City on Travel Channel, for which he was routinely pepper-sprayed and attacked by dogs.

He lives in Chicago with his wife and daughter.

ABOUT A BETTER WORLD

The brilliants changed everything. Since 1980, one percent of the world has been born with gifts we’d only dreamed of. The ability to sense a person’s most intimate secrets, or predict the stock market, or move virtually unseen. For thirty years the world has struggled with a growing divide between the exceptional…and the rest of us.

Now a terrorist network led by brilliants has crippled three cities. Supermarket shelves stand empty. 911 calls go unanswered. Fanatics are burning people alive.

Nick Cooper has always fought to make the world better for his children. As both a brilliant and an advisor to the president of the United States, he’s against everything the terrorists represent. But as America slides toward a devastating civil war, Cooper is forced to play a game he dares not lose—because his opponents have their own vision of a better world.

And to reach it, they’re willing to burn this one down.

  • You can buy A BETTER WORLD on Amazon here.

ABOUT WRITTEN IN FIRE

For thirty years humanity struggled to cope with the brilliants, the one percent of people born with remarkable gifts. For thirty years we tried to avoid a devastating civil war. We failed.

The White House is a smoking ruin. Madison Square Garden is an internment camp. In Wyoming, an armed militia of thousands marches toward a final, apocalyptic battle.

Nick Cooper has spent his life fighting for his children and his country. Now, as the world staggers on the edge of ruin, he must risk everything he loves to face his oldest enemy—a brilliant terrorist so driven by his ideals that he will sacrifice humanity’s future to achieve them.

From “one of our best storytellers” (Michael Connelly) comes the blistering conclusion to the acclaimed series that is a “forget-to-pick-up-milk, forget-to-water-the-plants, forget-to-eat total immersion experience”
--Gillian Flynn

“The kind of story you’ve never read before.”
—Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author of the Jack Reacher Series

“Ridiculously good. I love this story so much.”
—Gillian Flynn,New York Times bestselling author of Gone Girl

“Sakey brings his cinematic series to a ferocious close.”
—Kirkus

 

 

SEBASTIEN DE CASTELL

Sebastien de Castell had just finished a degree in Archaeology when he started work on his first dig. Four hours later he realized how much he actually hated archaeology and left to pursue a very focused career as a musician, ombudsman, interaction designer, fight choreographer, teacher, project manager, actor, and product strategist. His only defence against the charge of unbridled dilettantism is that he genuinely likes doing these things and that, in one way or another, each of these fields plays a role in his writing. He sternly resists the accusation of being a Renaissance Man in the hopes that more people will label him that way.

Sebastien is the author of the acclaimed swashbuckling fantasy series, The Greatcoats. His debut novel, TRAITOR'S BLADE, was shortlisted for both the 2014 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fantasy and the Gemmell Morningstar Award for Best Debut. He lives in Vancouver, Canada with his lovely wife and two belligerent cats.

 ABOUT TRAITOR'S BLADE

With swashbuckling action that recall Dumas' Three Musketeers Sebastien de Castell has created a dynamic new fantasy series. In Traitor's Blade a disgraced swordsman struggles to redeem himself by protecting a young girl caught in the web of a royal conspiracy.

The King is dead, the Greatcoats have been disbanded, and Falcio Val Mond and his fellow magistrates Kest and Brasti have been reduced to working as bodyguards for a nobleman who refuses to pay them. Things could be worse, of course. Their employer could be lying dead on the floor while they are forced to watch the killer plant evidence framing them for the murder. Oh wait, that's exactly what's happening.

Now a royal conspiracy is about to unfold in the most corrupt city in the world. A carefully orchestrated series of murders that began with the overthrow of an idealistic young king will end with the death of an orphaned girl and the ruin of everything that Falcio, Kest, and Brasti have fought for. But if the trio want to foil the conspiracy, save the girl, and reunite the Greatcoats, they'll have to do it with nothing but the tattered coats on their backs and the swords in their hands, because these days every noble is a tyrant, every knight is a thug, and the only thing you can really trust is a traitor's blade

Best Debut of 2014

"A terrific read. I enjoyed reading it very, very much. Sebastien de Castell directly places himself upfront to many of my favorite authors."
?The Book Plank

"Traitor's Blade is the first 'new' fantasy of 2014 that met and even exceeded my expectations."
?Fantasy Book Critic

"If this isn't your most anticipated debut novel of 2014, then you're doing it wrong. Traitor's Blade may well end up going down as one of the strongest first fantasy novels of recent times--it's an absolute stunner that you can't afford to miss."
?Bane of Kings, The Founding Fields

"Traitor's Blade never falters, with writing as smooth and decisive as a rapier's swish through the air and a story as passionate as life itself. I can't wait to read more about these wonderful characters. Highly recommended!"
?Julie E. Czerneda, author of A Turn of Light

"In short, I loved loved loved Traitor's Blade. I would recommend it to everyone... Seriously, this is one excellent and remarkably entertaining book! Read it."
?BiblioSanctum

"Like a master-crafted rapier, Traitor's Blade is perfectly-balanced, sharp and to the point. Very highly recommended, this is a must read."
?Civilian Reader

"Some books you can't put down. This one won't even let you try; it whirls you along in a wild dance of fights, treachery, and jaw-dropping surprises."
?Dave Duncan, author of King of Swords

"In Traitor's Blade, Sebastien de Castell combines the best of Joe Abercrombie and Alexandre Dumas. He can break your heart and spike your adrenaline with the same sentence. Riveting."
?Violette Malan, author of Path of the Sun and The Storm Witch

ADI ALSAID

Adi Alsaid is the author of LET'S GET LOST, coming from Harlequin Teen and Alloy Entertainment in August 2014. He was born and raised in Mexico City. He attended college at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. While in class, he mostly read fiction and continuously failed to fill out crossword puzzles, so it’s no surprise that after graduating, he packed up his car and escaped to the California coastline to become a writer.
Adi is now back in his hometown, Mexico City, where he writes, coaches high school and elementary basketball, and has perfected the art of making every dish he eats or cooks as spicy as possible. In addition to Mexico, he’s lived in Tel Aviv, Las Vegas and Monterey, California. A tingly feeling in his feet tells him more places will eventually be added to the list.

ABOUT LET'S GET LOST

Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: a girl named Leila. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most.

Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia find a friend in Leila. And when Leila leaves them, their lives are forever changed. But it is during Leila's own 4,268-mile journey that she discovers the most important truth—sometimes, what you need most is right where you started. And maybe the only way to find what you're looking for is to get lost along the way.

"Reminiscent of John Green's Paper Towns, Alsaid's debut is a gem."
--School Library Journal

"Characters are portrayed attractively and with a colorful authenticity... An entertaining and romantic road-trip debut."
--Kirkus Reviews

"Debut author Alsaid creates enough adventure to make the stories feel breathless."
-- Publishers Weekly

"With romantic interludes, witty banter, some exhilarating minor drinking and law-breaking, an empowering message, and satisfying conclusions for everyone involved, this will likely be a popular summer hit, especially for older teens about to embark on their own journeys of self-discovery."
-- Sarah Hunter, Booklist

"...An impressive novel by a rising star with effortless style and voice."
-- RT Book Reviews

"A do-not-miss."
--Justine Magazine

"...for readers of John Green or any realistic YA authors, I would highly recommend this new wonderful novel."
--Fresh Fiction

"Follow Leila...on her action-packed quest toward self-discovery. This feel-good novel is four love stories for the price of one."
--Wendy Wunder, author of The Probability of Miracles

"Mesmerizing."
--Glitter Magazine

  • You can buy LET’S GET LOST on Amazon here.

ABOUT NEVER ALWAYS SOMETIMES

Best friends Dave and Julia were determined to never be cliché high school kids—the ones who sit at the same lunch table every day, dissecting the drama from homeroom and plotting their campaigns for prom king and queen. They even wrote their own Never List of everything they vowed they'd never,ever do in high school.

Some of the rules have been easy to follow, like #5, never die your hair a color of the rainbow, or #7, never hook up with a teacher. But Dave has a secret: he's broken rule #8, never pine silently after someone for the entirety of high school. It's either that or break rule #10, never date your best friend. Dave has loved Julia for as long as he can remember.

Julia is beautiful, wild and impetuous. So when she suggests they do every Never on the list, Dave is happy to play along. He even dyes his hair an unfortunate shade of green. It starts as a joke, but then a funny thing happens: Dave and Julia discover that by skipping the clichés, they've actually been missing out on high school. And maybe even on love.

"There is a kernel of truth in every cliché, and Alsaid cracks the teen-lit trope of friends becoming lovers wide open, exposing a beautiful truth inside. He also perfectly captures the golden glow of senioritis, a period when teens are bored and excited and wistful and nostalgic all at once. Everything is possible in this handful of weeks, including making up for squandered time." -Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Alsaid deftly handles Dave's complicated and longstanding feelings for Julia. The clever banter between the two best friends, along with pitch-perfect emotional resonance, makes this book more enduring in spite of its predictability. With all the fun of a classic teen movie, this one should fly off the shelves." -Booklist

"This fun romp will appeal to students looking to push beyond the edges of their own comfort zones." -School Library Journal

"Exploring universal feelings of friendship and love, Alsaid (Let's Get Lost) offers a colorful depiction of two teens discovering what they have in common with others. Their escapades and realizations will evoke laughter and empathy." -Publishers Weekly

"Alsaid's latest takes a really fun look at the question that romantic comedies have asked again and again: Can a man and a woman ever be just friends...the author takes an in-depth look at a fascinating pair of individuals and the messiness of a relationship that develops under dubious circumstances. Julia particularly is a fascinating character; her growth throughout the novel is truly remarkable." -RT Book Reviews

"An utterly charming and thoughtful meditation on love, friendship and all the territories in between." -Nicola Yoon, author of Everything, Everything

"A refreshing novel about friendship and romance that defies cliché, Never Always Sometimes will win readers over with its hilarious musings and universal truths." -Adam Silvera, author of More Happy Than Not

 

MARY WEBER

Mary Weber is a ridiculously uncoordinated girl plotting to take over make-believe worlds through books, handstands, and imaginary throwing knives. In her spare time, she feeds unicorns, sings 80’s hairband songs to her three muggle children, and ogles her husband who looks strikingly like Wolverine. They live in California, which is perfect for stalking L.A. bands, Joss Whedon, and the ocean. Her debut YA fantasy novel, STORM SIREN and SIREN'S FURY are available now in bookstores and online, and SIREN'S SONG will be out March 2016 from TN HarperCollins.

 ABOUT STORM SIREN

As a slave in the war-weary kingdom of Faelen, seventeen-year-old Nym isn’t merely devoid of rights, her Elemental kind are only born male and always killed at birth—meaning, she shouldn’t even exist.

Standing on the auction block beneath smoke-drenched mountains, Nym faces her fifteenth sell. But when her hood is removed and her storm-summoning killing curse revealed, Nym is snatched up by a court advisor and given a choice: be trained as the weapon Faelen needs to win the war or be killed.

Choosing the former, Nym is unleashed into a world of politics, bizarre parties, and rumors of an evil more sinister than she’s being prepared to fight . . . not to mention the trainer whose dark secrets lie behind a mysterious ability to calm every lightning strike she summons.

But what if she doesn’t want to be the weapon they’ve all been waiting for? Set in a beautifully eclectic world of suspicion, super abilities, and monsters, Storm Siren is a story of power. And whoever controls that power will win.

"Readers who enjoyed Marissa Meyer's Cinder series will enjoy this fast-paced fantasy which combines an intriguing story line with as many twists and turns as a chapter of Game of Thrones!"--Dodie Owens, Editor, School Library Journal Teen

"Weber builds a fascinating and believable fantasy world. Inventive and entertaining." --Kirkus Reviews

"Readers will easily find themselves captivated. The breathtaking surprise ending is nothing short of horrific, promising even more dark and bizarre adventures to come in the Storm Siren trilogy."--RT Book Reviews, 4 stars

  • You can buy STORM SIREN on Amazon here. 

 ABOUT SIREN'S FURY

Nym risked her life to save Faelen, her homeland, from a losing war, only to discover that the shapeshifter Draewulf has stolen everything she holds dear. But when the repulsive monster robs Nym of her storm-summoning abilities as well, the beautiful Elemental realizes her war is only just beginning.

Now powerless to control the elements that once emboldened her, Nym stows away on an airship traveling to the metallic kingdom of Bron. She must stop Draewulf. But the horrors he’s brought to life and the secrets of Bron are more than Nym bargained for. Then the disturbing Lord Myles tempts her with new powers that could destroy the monster, and Nym must decide whether she can compromise in the name of good even if it costs her very soul.

As she navigates the stark industrial cityscape of Bron, Nym is faced with an impossible choice: change the future with one slice of a blade . . . or sacrifice the entire kingdom for the one thing her heart just can’t let go.

GENEVIEVE MORGAN

Genevieve (G.A.) Morgan is an author and editor living in Portland, Maine. Her most recent work is The Five Stones trilogy (Islandport Press) for YA readers and readers who love fantasy and adventure. The first two books are available now: The Fog of Forgetting and Chantarelle. The final volume is called The Kinfolk and will be published in 2016. Morgan is also the author of numerous non-fiction titles, including Undecided: Navigating Life and Learning after High School (Zest Books/2014) which was turned into a TedxTalk, so if you are undecided whether to buy a book or watch a video, you can do both.

ABOUT FOG OF FORGETTING

There’s no turning back for the five children in The Fog of Forgetting when they are engulfed in a mysterious and impenetrable fog and washed ashore on an island in the North Atlantic. Their struggle to survive is the epic beginning of a new adventure-fantasy trilogy that will take you on a memorable journey from coastal Maine to worlds unknown, where friend and foe may be the same."The Fog of Forgetting," the first volume in The Five Stones Trilogy, begins at the best of all possible times: the start of summer vacation. For the three Thompson brothers, Chase (13), Knox (11),  and Teddy (6), this means a long drive to Summerledge, their beloved house in Maine, near the village of Fells Harbor. All is as it should be until the sudden appearance of two adopted neighbor girls from Haiti, Evelyn (13) and Frankie (9), a hasty departure of their parents, and a sunny day lead to an unexpected voyage. Before long, the children find themselves beyond familiar waters and engulfed by a curtain of dense fog, beyond which lies a land forgotten and besieged, an island of ancient secrets and terrible history: Ayda. As the children explore their surroundings and meet strange new friends, it becomes clear that they have landed somewhere far from home?and beyond rescue. Crackling with action and suspense, The Fog of Forgetting plumbs the rich territory between realism and fantasy by immersing the reader in an imaginative world that is also natural and recognizable. Funny, gripping and?above all?compelling, The Fog of Forgetting brings together captivating characters, integrated narrative, myth, romance, and mystery for the delight of all, be they a sophisticated ten-year-old boy or a fifty-year-old reader who still remembers what it’s like to be young with the long days of summer ahead.

 

KATE FAGAN
Kate Fagan is a columnist and feature writer for espnW, ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine. She is also a regular panelist onESPN's Around the Horn and can also be seen on First Take and His & Hers, which airs on ESPN2. Previously, Fagan spent three seasons covering the 76ers for thePhiladelphia Inquirer. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

 ABOUT THE REAPPEARING ACT

It’s hard enough coming out, but playing basketball for a nationally ranked school and trying to figure out your sexual identity in the closeted and paranoid world of big-time college sports—that’s a challenge.

Kate Fagan’s love for basketball and for her religious teammates at the University of Colorado was tested by the gut-wrenching realization that she could no longer ignore the feelings of otherness inside her. In trying to blend in, Kate had created a hilariously incongruous world for herself in Boulder. Her best friends were part of Colorado’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes, where they ran weekly Bible studies and attended an Evangelical Free Church. For nearly a year, Kate joined them and learned all she could about Christianity—even holding their hands as they prayed for others “living a sinful lifestyle.” Each time the issue of homosexuality arose, she felt as if a neon sign appeared over her head, with a giant arrow pointed downward. During these prayer sessions, she would often keep her eyes open, looking around the circle at the closed eyelids of her friends, listening to the earnestness of their words.

Kate didn’t have a vocabulary for discussing who she really was and what she felt when she was younger; all she knew was that she had a secret. In THE REAPPEARING ACT, she brings the reader along for the ride as she slowly accepts her new reality and takes the first steps toward embracing her true self.

"This well-crafted memoir will appeal to readers hoping to better understand the complications of being gay in sports."
-- Publishers Weekly

"A gripping memoir written with honesty and wry humor ...  The Reappearing Act should be required reading for anyone who hopes to understand the crippling effects of homophobia."
--Pat Griffin, Professor Emerita at the University of Massachusetts and author of Strong Women, Deep Closets: Lesbians and Homophobia in Sport.

"A thought-provoking read that takes you on the journey of a young woman navigating her discoveries and beginning to find her true self."
-- Library Journal

"Reads much like a conversation you have with someone who is telling you a captivating coming out story over a couple of beers at a cozy little pub. It's a heart-warming and heart-wrenching tale all at once."
-- Curve Magazine

"Triumphant ... not only because Fagan is a strong and determined individual, but because she is a fine and honest writer."
-- Only A Game, NPR

“Kate Fagan’s The Reappearing Act is a much needed personal story about the struggles and anxiety surrounding sexual identity. In a humorous, intimate and endearingly vulnerable way, Kate shares her lonely but ultimately triumphant battle of coming to terms with being gay. Her memoir will serve as a guide and source of confidence for many others fighting the same internal conflict.”
— Julie Foudy, analyst for ABC/ESPN and former midfielder for the United States women’s national soccer team

“Kate Fagan’s beautifully written coming-of-age memoir is raw, wise, honest and courageous. ‘The Reappearing Act’ reminds us that it may seem impossible to reconcile the world’s expectations with your heart’s, but if you stay true to yourself, you may just get what you want. I love this book.”
— Don Van Natta Jr., ESPN investigative reporter and New York Times, best-selling author of First Off the Tee, Wonder Girl, and Her Way

“A sensitive, witty and altogether moving coming-out story told with the salty, sharp verve of a sports writer? That’s what Kate Fagan has given us. The Reappearing Act is a treasure, a must-read for people inside and outside the sports world. I bet it will also make a difference in the lives of a lot of young people coming to grips with the act of growing up.”
— Dave Zirin, sports editor for The Nation

“I didn’t think any writer could weave so many themes—college sports, evangelical Christianity, sexual identity, family dynamics—into an accessible and easy-to-read narrative. But in The Reappearing Act, Kate Fagan has done that and more. She’s written a moving, funny and revelatory memoir that entertains even more than it informs, which is saying something.”
— Gary Belsky, Time.com columnist and former editor in chief of ESPN The Magazine.

 

STEPHANIE SAULTER

Stephanie Saulter is a writer of speculative fiction and the author of the ®Evolution novels: GEMSIGNS, BINARY and REGENERATION. They're set in a near future that's been fundamentally altered by neurological pandemic, genetic manipulation and social media, and use the lens of an altered humanity to take a new look at the old issues of race, class, religious dogma and social conflict. Stephanie's books are taught at university level.

Before she got around to being an author, Stephanie developed real estate, managed restaurants, was a corporate executive, a public policy wonk, a management consultant, and founded the Scriptopus interactive website for writing short fiction. She doesn't have a poor attention span; on the contrary she finds lots of things interesting and figures you learn more by doing. Few of her jobs would appear to have any relationship to her Humanities degree (English literature and anthropology) from MIT, but she would disagree. She lives in London.

 ABOUT THE GEMSIGNS

For years the human race was under attack from a deadly Syndrome, but when a cure was found--in the form of genetically engineered human beings, Gems--the line between survival and ethics was radically altered. Now the Gems are fighting for their freedom, from the oppression of the companies that created them, and against the Norms who see them as slaves. And a conference at which Dr Eli Walker has been commissioned to present his findings on the Gems is the key to that freedom. But with the Gemtech companies fighting to keep the Gems enslaved, and the horrifying godgangs determined to rid the earth of these "unholy" creations, the Gems are up against forces that may just be too powerful to oppose.

"Like all the best science fiction, the ®Evolution series uses its speculative construct to examine aspects of modern life, in this case tolerance and the benefits of multiculturalism."
?GeekDad

"Gemsigns is a modern-day dystopian masterpiece, and Stephanie Saulter adroitly weaves into her SciFi novel a mixture of politics, philosophy, science, corporate greed, and slavery. It's a book that will make you consider what it means to be called human."
?The Guardian Liberty Voice

"a fascinating and compelling read, exploring the boundaries of human behavior, religious influences, and the morality of the everyday person. It comes highly recommended."
?Starburst magazine

"Well-written and thought provoking, Gemsigns is an all-around superb debut from Stephanie Saulter"
?Bibliosanctum

"It's more of an experience than just a mere story, a new world rather than a mere novel. It's very possibly one of the best things I'm going to read this year. Social sci-fi just doesn't get any better than this!"
?Bibliotropic

ELEANOR MORAN

Eleanor Moran is the author of three previous novels: Stick or Twist, Mr Almost Right and Breakfast in Bed, which is currently being developed for television. Eleanor also works as a television drama executive and her TV credits include Rome, MI5, Spooks, Being Human and a biopic of Enid Blyton, Enid, starring Helena Bonham Carter. Eleanor grew up in North London, where she still lives.

 ABOUT THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU

When Olivia Berrington gets the call to tell her that her best friend from college has been killed in a car crash in New York, her life is turned upside down. Her relationship with Sally was an exhilarating roller coaster, until a shocking betrayal drove them apart. But if Sally really had turned her back, why is her little girl named after Olivia?

As questions mount about the fatal accident, Olivia is forced to go back and unravel their tangled history. But as Sally's secrets start to spill out, Olivia's left asking herself if the past is best kept buried.

"This compelling story of a troubled woman whose actions powerfully affect those closest to her will attract fans of Gillian Flynn's work. It may also appeal to readers who appreciate stories of women's relationships."
?Library Journal

"Eleanor Moran is a stunningly good writer. Her prose is a joy to read, it wraps you up and draws you in and you daren't take your eyes off the page for fear of being wrenched out of her gripping narrative... An excellent read on every level."
?Santa Montefiore, author ofThe House by the Sea

"Gripping, emotional--looks at how losing a friend can be worse than losing a lover."
?Daisy Goodwin, author of My Last Duchess

"Unputdownable."
?Jenny Colgan

"You'll be transported by this gripping tale, so don't miss it!"
?Cosmopolitan UK

 

ANDY WEIR
ANDY WEIR was first hired as a programmer for a national laboratory at age fifteen and has been working as a software engineer ever since. He is also a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist of subjects like relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight. The Martian is his first novel.

 ABOUT THE MARTIAN

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.

Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first.

But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

“Brilliant…a celebration of human ingenuity [and] the purest example of real-science sci-fi for many years…Utterly compelling.”
--Wall Street Journal

“Terrific stuff, a crackling good read that devotees of space travel will devour like candy…succeeds on several levels and for a variety of reasons, not least of which is its surprising plausibility.”
—USA Today  

“An impressively geeky debut…the technical details keep the story relentlessly precise and the suspense ramped up. And really, how can anyone not root for a regular dude to prove the U-S-A still has the Right Stuff?”
--Entertainment Weekly

“Andy Weir delivers with The Martian...a story for readers who enjoy thrillers, science fiction, non-fiction, or flat-out adventure [and] an authentic portrayal of the future of space travel.”
--Associated Press

"A gripping tale of survival in space [that] harkens back to the early days of science fiction by masters such as Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke."
--San Jose Mercury News

“An excellent first novel…Weir laces the technical details with enough keen wit to satisfy hard science fiction fan and general reader alike [and] keeps the story escalating to a riveting conclusion.”
—Publisher’s Weekly (starred)

"Riveting...a tightly constructed and completely believable story of a man's ingenuity and strength in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds."
--Booklist

“Sharp, funny and thrilling, with just the right amount of geekery…Weir displays a virtuosic ability to write about highly technical situations without leaving readers far behind. The result is a story that is as plausible as it is compelling.”
—Kirkus

"Weir combines the heart-stopping with the humorous in this brilliant debut novel...by placing a nail-biting life-and-death situation on Mars and adding a snarky and wise-cracking nerdy hero, Weir has created the perfect mix of action and space adventure."
--Library Journal (starred)

 

DENISE KIERNAN
Denise Kiernan is an author, journalist and producer. She is author of The New York Times Bestselling book, "The Girls of Atomic City" (Touchstone/Simon & Schuster). Denise is the author of several nonfiction books, including the popular history titles "Signing Their Lives Away" and "Signing Their Rights Away." Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Village Voice, Reader's Digest, Saveur, Discover, Ms., and many other publications. In addition to her books for adults and children, she was head writer for ABC's "Who Wants to be Millionaire" during its Emmy award-winning first season and has produced for ESPN, MSNBC and others. As an author, she has been featured on NPR's Weekend Edition, PRI's "The Takeaway," PBSNewsHour and in numerous newspapers and magazines.

 ABOUT THE GIRLS OF ATOMIC CITY

At the height of World War II, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, was home to 75,000 residents, and consumed more electricity than New York City, yet it was shrouded in such secrecy that it did not appear on any map. Thousands of civilians, many of them young women from small towns across the U.S., were recruited to this secret city, enticed by the promise of solid wages and war-ending work. What were they actually doing there? Very few knew. The purpose of this mysterious government project was kept a secret from the outside world and from the majority of the residents themselves. Some wondered why, despite the constant work and round-the-clock activity in this makeshift town, did no tangible product of any kind ever seem to leave its guarded gates? The women who kept this town running would find out at the end of the war, when Oak Ridge’s secret was revealed and changed the world forever.

“I love these kinds of books, and this is a great one....It’s a phenomenal story.”
-- Jon Stewart, The Daily Show

“Fascinating ... Kiernan has amassed a deep reservoir of intimate details of what life was like for women living in the secret city, gleaned from seven years of interviews and research. ... Rosie, it turns out, did much more than drive rivets.”
--The Washington Post

“Kiernan…brings a unique and personal perspective to this key part of American history.…Instead of the words of top scientists and government officials, Kiernan recounts the experiences of factory workers, secretaries, and low-level chemists in a town that housed at its peak 75,000 people trained not to talk about what they knew or what they did. She combines their stories with detailed reporting that provides a clear and compelling picture of this fascinating time.”
--The Boston Globe

“Kiernan’s focus is on the intimate and often strange details of work and life at Oak Ridge. It’s told in a novelistic style and is an intimate look at the experiences of the young women who worked at Oak Ridge and the local residents whose lives were changed by the presence of the project.”
--The San Francisco Book Review

“Kiernan’s book, the result of seven years of research and interviews with the surviving 'girls,' sparkles with their bright, WWII slang and spirit, and takes readers behind the scenes into the hive-like encampments and cubicles where they spent their days and nights.…The Girls of Atomic City brings to light a forgotten chapter in our history that combines a vivid, novelistic story with often troubling science.”
--Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“The image of Rosie the Riveter — women filling in at factories to help the war effort — is well known. But women also assisted on the Manhattan Project, signing up for secret work in Oak Ridge, Tenn., to help build the atomic bomb. Kiernan looks at the lives and contributions of these unsung women who worked in jobs from secretaries to chemists.”
--New York Post

“Kiernan’s accounts ring with authenticity.…The Girls of Atomic City is fascinating."
--Minneapolis Star Tribune

"As most of us are all too aware, the generation who fought in World War II or supported the effort from home are leaving us -- their children, grandchildren, and greats -- to carry on without them. Thanks to author Kiernan, we hear from a group of that generation's women, now in their eighties and nineties, whose wartime experience matched no one else's. Ever. Anywhere."
--Seattle Post-Intelligencer

“A fresh take on the secret city built in the mountains of Tennessee as part of the Manhattan Project during World War II… An inspiring account of how people can respond with their best when called upon.”
--Kirkus Reviews

“Kiernan snugly fits original research into the creation story of Oak Ridge and should engage readers interested in both women’s history and the background of the atomic bomb.”
--Booklist

“This intimate and revealing glimpse into one of the most important scientific developments in history will appeal to a broad audience.”
--Publishers Weekly

 

AIDAN HARTE
Aidan Harte is a writer and sculptor.

His fantasy novels IRENICON and THE WARRING STATES are published by Jo Fletcher Books, an imprint of Quercus. Spira Mirabilis, the conclusion of the trilogy, will be out in 2014.

He studied in the Florence Academy of Art. His sculpture can be seen in Sol Art Gallery in Dublin and The sculpture Company in London. He works in the classical tradition informed by the early 20th century expressionists.

He directed the IFTA winning, BAFTA nominated kids’ TV show, Skunk Fu, seen on BBC and Cartoon Network.

 ABOUT IRENICON

The river Irenicon was blasted through the middle of Rasenna in 1347 and now it is a permanent reminder to the feuding factions that nothing can stand in the way of the Concordian Empire. The artificial river, created overnight by Concordian engineers using the Wave, runs uphill. But the Wave is both weapon and mystery; not even the Concordians know how the river became conscious - and hostile. But times are changing. Concordian engineer Captain Giovanni is ordered to bridge the Irenicon - not to reunite the sundered city, but to aid Concord's mighty armies, for the engineers have their sights set firmly on world domination and Rasenna is in their way. Sofia Scaglieri will soon be seventeen, when she will become Contessa of Rasenna, but her inheritance is tainted: she can see no way of stopping the ancient culture of vendetta which divides her city. What she can't understand is why Giovanni is trying so hard to stop the feuding, or why he is prepared to risk his life, not just with her people, but also with the lethal water spirits - the buio - that infest the Irenicon. Times are changing. And only the young Contessa and the enemy engineer Giovanni understand they have to change too, if they are to survive the coming devastation - for Concord is about to unleash the Wave again…

'Harte manages to combine a series of intricate plots lines, intriguing characters and the creation of his version of renaissance Europe without ever becoming confusing ... Harte proves the genre can be as thought-provoking and intelligent as any other work of fiction ... he has created a world that could have easily stepped out of any history book, but which is infinitely more interesting'
--Blogcritics.

 'Harte is a brilliant new voice in historical fantasy, and this is quite simply the best piece of fantasy that I have read so far this year'
--Inter Zone magazine.

'If there were stars for world-building Irenicon would be a five plus, no question'
--SFX.

'The book is a fountain of gorgeous detail, festooned with enriching codices and enlightening, subtly subsumed exposition'
--Sci-Fi Now. 

 

CHRIS BECKETT
Chris Beckett was born in Oxford, England in 1955, and now lives in Cambridge, England. He has published three novels - Dark Eden, The Holy Machine and Marcher - and two short story collections: The Turing Test and The Peacock Cloak. He has been publishing short stories in the UK and the US, since 1990.

The Turing Test, won the Edge Hill Short Fiction Award in 2009, the UK's only national prize for single-author short-story collections. Dark Eden won the Arthur C. Clarke award in 2013.

 ABOUT DARK EDEN

 On the alien, sunless planet they call Eden, the 532 members of the Family take shelter beneath the light and warmth of the Forest’s lantern trees. Beyond the Forest lie the mountains of the Snowy Dark and a cold so bitter and a night so profound that no man has ever crossed it.

The Oldest among the Family recount legends of a world where light came from the sky, where men and women made boats that could cross the stars. These ships brought us here, the Oldest say—and the Family must only wait for the travelers to return.

But young John Redlantern will break the laws of Eden, shatter the Family and change history. He will abandon the old ways, venture into the Dark...and discover the truth about their world.

Already remarkably acclaimed in the United Kingdom, Dark Eden is science fiction as literature: part parable, part powerful coming-of-age story, set in a truly original alien world of dark, sinister beauty and rendered in prose that is at once strikingly simple and stunningly inventive.

“Poetic…Beckett renders the terror of the darkness beyond the forests with a riveting deftness that evokes all primordial fears of the unknown…There’s plenty here to intrigue and entrance.”
–New York Times Book Review
“A linguistic and imaginative tour de force.”
—The Guardian (UK)

“Captivating and haunting…human plight and alien planet are both superbly evoked.”
—Daily Mail(UK)

“A stunning novel and a beautiful evocation of a truly alien world.”  
—Sunday Times

“Pure astonishment and pleasure, a storytelling ride full of brio and wonder.”
—Locus

“Dazzlingly inventive… superbly well paced and well written… packed with ideas.”  
—Reader’s Digest

“Brilliantly imaginative…a superb entertainment, a happy combination of speculative and literary fiction. Not to be missed.”
-–Booklist (starred)
“Riveting…a keenly imagined vision of the interaction between human nature and a truly alien world.”
-–BookPage

 

PETER LINEY
Peter was born in Wiltshire, UK, though he has spent a lot of his life travelling, with Australia and Thailand occasionally acting as his second home. His list of occupations is embarrassingly long, everything from teaching English to two days as a trainee stuntman (he gave up, thought it was far too dangerous). He loves photography, music - both listening to and playing, and is a great movie lover. Which is possibly why he has been accused of not writing books at all, but 'movies in a book form'.

If he wasn't a writer, he would've loved to have been an opera singer, so we should all be grateful for his writing success.

 ABOUT THE DETAINEE

 The Island is a place of hopelessness. The Island is death. And it is to this place that all the elderly and infirm are shipped, the scapegoats for the collapse of society. There's no escape, not from the punishment satellites that deliver instant judgment for any crime--including escape attempts--and not from the demons that come on foggy nights, when the satellites are all but blind. But when one of the Island's inhabitants, the aging "Big Guy" Clancy, finds a network of tunnels beneath the waste, there is suddenly hope--for love, for escape, and for the chance to fight back.

"If you want to read a novel with a dystopian look at ageism, an examination of an extreme example of a police state, and a dose of The Lord of the Flies blended into a unique vision of the future, this may be exactly what you've been looking for. Liney's characters and world manage to get under the reader's skin even when the exact details are a little off-putting."
?FanBoy Comics, from the Hardcover edition

An Amazon.com "Big Spring Books" Pick

The book I'm most excited about this spring, and therefore my selection for the Big Spring Books Editors' Picks, is The Detainee, the debut novel by British author Peter Liney. From the moment I read the book's description months ago, I was antsy to get my hands on this one. And once I read the first page, I didn't put it down until I'd turned the last--literally.
?Robin Greene, Amazon Editor

"The story takes you by surprise and never lets up."
?Amy Phelps, Parkersberg News and Sentinel

"I always enjoy finding a good surprise read, especially debut novels. I've just finished The Detainee by Peter Liney, and I'm already anxious to read the next book in the series. If I had to place its theme and concept, it'd be a mix of Logan's Run with Lord of the Flies... with a hint of Battle Royale's oppressiveness."
?GeekDad

 

ROALD DAHL
Roald Dahl (1916-1990) was born in Llandaff, South Wales, and went to Repton School in England. His parents were Norwegian, so holidays were spent in Norway. As he explains in Boy, he turned down the idea of university in favor of a job that would take him to"a wonderful faraway place. In 1933 he joined the Shell Company, which sent him to Mombasa in East Africa. When World War II began in 1939 he became a fighter pilot and in 1942 was made assistant air attaché in Washington, where he started to write short stories. His first major success as a writer for children was in 1964. Thereafter his children's books brought him increasing popularity, and when he died children mourned the world over, particularly in Britain where he had lived for many years.The BFG is dedicated to the memory of Roald Dahls eldest daughter, Olivia, who died from measles when she was seven – the same age at which his sister had died (fron appendicitis) over forty years before. Quentin Blake, the first Children’s Laureate of the United Kingdom, has illustrated most of Roald Dahl’s children’s books.

 ABOUT CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

Willy Wonka's famous chocolate factory is opening at last!

But only five lucky children will be allowed inside. And the winners are: Augustus Gloop, an enormously fat boy whose hobby is eating; Veruca Salt, a spoiled-rotten brat whose parents are wrapped around her little finger; Violet Beauregarde, a dim-witted gum-chewer with the fastest jaws around; Mike Teavee, a toy pistol-toting gangster-in-training who is obsessed with television; and Charlie Bucket, Our Hero, a boy who is honest and kind, brave and true, and good and ready for the wildest time of his life!

"Candy for life and a tour of Willie Wonka's top-secret chocolate factory was the prize for buying a candy bar containing a Golden Ticket. Here is the exciting, hilarious, and moral story of the five prizewinners. They were, alas, repulsive children, with the exception of Charlie Bucket, whose family was so poor he could only have one candy bar a year. Rich in humor, acutely observant, Dahl lets his imagination rip in fairyland."
--The New York Times.

"Who doesn't know Dahl's story of poverty-stricken little Charlie Bucket who finds one of Willie Wonka's golden tickets and, along with four other children, gets a tour of his amazing chocolate factory? Each of the other children demonstrates a common childhood failing, to extreme-gluttony, greediness, excessive gum-chewing, and TV addiction. As, one by one, they fall prey to the factory's enticements, soon only Charlie is left and he gets the ultimate prize. What's not to love in a story that circles around niceness and chocolate? Listeners will find themselves once again rooting for Charlie as Douglas Hodge performs the book with vim, vigor, tons of expression, and the occasional sound effect. This is a joyous leap into a childhood classic that both children and adults will enjoy."
--Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary

PETER JAMES
Peter James is an international bestselling thriller writer. He is a New York Times bestseller, as well as having 11 consecutive Sunday Times No 1s, and he is published in 37 languages. His DS Roy Grace crime novels have sold 18 million copies worldwide. Prior to becoming a full-time author, he was responsible for 25 movies. In 1994 Penguin published his novel, 'Host', on two floppy discs as the world’s first electronic novel. His novels have won numerous awards, most recently the coveted 2016 CWA Diamond Dagger for sustained excellence, and he was publicly voted by WH Smith - Britain's biggest book selling chain - The Best Crime Author Of All Time.

ABOUT LOVE YOU DEAD

An ugly duckling as a child, Jodie Bentley had two dreams in life - to be beautiful and rich. She's achieved the first, with a little help from a plastic surgeon, and now she's working hard on the second. Her philosophy on money is simple: you can either earn it or marry it. Marrying is easy, it's getting rid of the husband afterwards that's harder, that takes real skill. But hey, practice makes perfect . . .

Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is feeling the pressure from his superiors, his previous case is still giving him sleepless nights, there have been major developments with his missing wife Sandy, and an old adversary is back. But worse than all of this, he now believes a Black Widow is operating in his city. One with a venomous mind . . . and venomous skills. Soon Grace comes to the frightening realization that he may have underestimated just how dangerous this lady is.

Love You Dead is the gripping twelfth book in Peter James' Roy Grace series.

ABOUT PERFECT PEOPLE

All they wanted was a healthy child...What they got was the perfect nightmare. I Can Eradicate All Diseases...John and Naomi Klaesson are devastated after the death of their child from a rare genetic disorder. More than anything they want another, but the chances of their next child being born with the same defect are high. I Can Give You the Child You Have Always Wanted...Then they hear about Doctor Leo Dettore. He has methods that can spare them the heartache of ever losing another child to any disease, and so begins their journey. I Can Make Perfect People...They should have known something was wrong when they saw the list. Choose the eye colour, hair, great sporting ability. They can design their child. Now it's too late to turn back. Naomi is pregnant, and already something is wrong...

  • You can buy PERFECT PEOPLE on Amazon here.

 ABOUT DEAD MAN'S TIME

A vicious robbery at a secluded Brighton mansion leaves its elderly occupant dying. Millions worth of valuables have been stolen. But as Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, heading the enquiry, rapidly learns, there is one priceless item of sentimental value that her powerful family cherish above all else. And they are fully prepared to take the law into their own hands, and will do anything—absolutely anything—to get it back. Within days, Grace is racing against the clock, following a murderous trail that leads him from the shady antiques world of Brighton, across Europe, and all the way back to the New York waterfront gang struggles of 1922, chasing a killer driven by the force of one man's greed and another man's fury.

  • You can buy DEAD MAN’S TIME on Amazon here.

ABOUT DEAD SIMPLE

It was meant to be a harmless stag-night prank. A few hours later Michael Harrison has disappeared and his friends are dead. With only three days to the wedding, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace—a man haunted by the shadow of his own missing wife—is contacted by Michael's beautiful, distraught fiancée, Ashley Harper. Grace discovers that the one man who ought to know Michael Harrison's whereabouts is saying nothing. But then he has a lot more to gain than anyone realizes, For one man's disaster is another man's fortune.

  • You can buy DEAD SIMPLE on Amazon here.

 ABOUT WANT YOU DEAD

Single girl, 33, redhead and smouldering, love life that’s crashed and burned. Seeks new flame to rekindle her fire. Fun, friendship and—who knows—more maybe?

In Peter James' Want You Dead, thirty-year old Red Cameron meets handsome, charming and rich thirty-five year old Bryce Laurent through an online dating agency, and is instantly attracted to him. But as their love blossoms, the truth about his past begins to emerge, and with it his dark side. Everything he has told Red about himself turns out to be a tissue of lies, and her infatuation with him gradually turns to terror.

Within a year, and under police protection, she evicts him from her flat and her life. But far from being over, her nightmare is only just beginning. For Bryce is obsessed and besotted with her. He intends to destroy, by fire, everything and everyone she has ever known and loved—and then her, too. It's up to Detective Superintendent Roy Grace to stop him before it's too late…

  • You can buy WANT YOU DEAD on Amazon here.

ABOUT YOU ARE DEAD

You are Dead is the eleventh thrilling crime novel in Peter James' Roy Grace series. They were marked for death. The last words Jamie Ball hears from his fiancee, Logan Somerville, are in a terrified mobile phone call. She has just driven into the underground car park beneath the block of flats where they live in Brighton. Then she screams and the phone goes dead. The police are on the scene within minutes, but Logan has vanished, leaving behind her neatly parked car and mobile phone. That same afternoon, workmen digging up a park in another part of the city, unearth the remains of a woman in her early twenties, who has been dead for thirty years. At first, to Roy Grace and his team, these two events seem totally unconnected. But then another young woman in Brighton goes missing - and yet another body from the past surfaces. Meanwhile, an eminent London psychiatrist meets with a man who claims to know information about Logan. And Roy Grace has the chilling realization that this information holds the key to both the past and present crimes ...Does Brighton have its first serial killer in over eighty years?

"Fanatically well-researched. . . . This is no guts-and-gore potboiler, but a meticulous study of police work."
—New York Times Book Review

“May just be [Peter James'] best yet. . . . Truly masterful. . . . James is a master of background noises and images. . . . [which] lure the reader into the already compelling but often disturbing mesh of his narrative. . . . A book you really can't put down!”
—Huffington Post

  • You can buy YOU ARE DEAD on Amazon here.

ROBERT PAUL WESTON
ROBERT PAUL WESTON lives in London, England, in a crumbling old building, hidden behind shiny glass towers. He isn't sure if this is where the idea for DENKi-3000 Headquarters came from, but it's certainly possible. In 2008, he published his first novel-in-verse, Zorgamazoo, recipient of the California Young Reader’s Medal, the Silver Birch Award, the Children’s Choice Award, and an E.B. White Read Aloud Honor. His second novel was the hardboiled fairy tale, Dust City, which was nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Young Adult Mystery. In February 2013, he published Prince Puggly of Spud and the Kingdom of Spiff. Although he writes all of his books with a mechanical pencil, it's not electric and doesn't come with a telescopic lens.

 ABOUT THE CREATURE DEPARTMENT

 Elliot Von Doppler and his friend Leslie think nothing ever happens in Bickleburgh, except inside the gleaming headquarters of DENKi-3000—the world’s eighth-largest electronics factory.

Beneath the glass towers and glittering skywalks, there's a rambling old mansion from which all the company’s amazing inventions spring forth. And no one except Uncle Archie knows what’s behind the second-to-last door at the end of the hall.

Until Elliot and Leslie are invited to take a glimpse inside.

They find stooped, troll-like creatures with jutting jaws and broken teeth. Tiny winged things that sparkle as they fly. And huge, hulking, hairy nonhumans (with horns). It is unlike anything they’ve ever seen.

But when Chuck Brickweather threatens to shut down the DENKi-3000 factory if a new product isn’t presented soon, the creatures know they are in danger. And when Uncle Archie vanishes, it’s up to Elliot, Leslie, and every one of the unusual, er, “employees” to create an invention so astonishing it will save the Creature Department.

"A literal Creature feature, with plenty of cinematic and digital spinoff potential."
--Kirkus

"The Creature Department is sure to appeal to those middle graders who like a lot of silliness, a bit of rickum rockery, and a giggle of grossness..."
-- NY Journal of Books

"The creatures are a giggle-inducing example of an imagination run wild..."
--Associated Press

 

SNORRI KRISTJANSSON
SNORRI KRISTJANSSON is an Icelandic author currently living in the UK.  He enjoys long walks in the country, has a weakness for cake and thoroughly hates writing about himself in the third person.

SWORDS OF GOOD MEN--the first volume Snorri Kristjansson's Vhlhalla Saga--in is a raucous and gripping fantasy adventure set in Viking Norway, where plundering and pillaging are a way of life and creature comforts rarely exceed a mug of sour mead.

To weary Viking Ulfar Thormodsson, the town of Stenvik is the penultimate stop on what has been a long and perilous journey. It has been particularly challenging for Thormodsson, who has been charged with protecting the life of his high-born cousin. Having travelled the world for two years, all he wants is to go home--but Stenvik awaits.

After coming ashore, Thormodsson meets the beautiful and tragic Lilja, who immediately captures his heart. Stenvik is also home to solitary blacksmith Audun Arngrimsson, whose past hides many dark secrets. Soon, the conflict brewing between two factions of dangerous and determined men of the town threatens to sweep all of them, natives and visitors alike, into the jaws of war.

As the Vikings learn, King Olav is marching on Stenvik from the east, determined to bring the White Christ to the masses at the point of his sword - even as a host of bloodthirsty raiders led by a mysterious woman sails from the north. Thormodsson and his companions will soon learn that in this conflict between the Old Gods and the new, there are enemies everywhere - outside the walls of Stenvik as well as within.

SWORDS OF GOOD MEN features a memorable cast of original characters and is driven by non-stop action and a clever sense of humor. Kristjansson deftly and elegantly weaves Norse mythology and history with fantasy in a novel that offers not only a good dose of bloody Viking feuding, but intrigue and romance.

"Vikings, man. You can't take them anywhere without someone's throat getting slit. Pit a Viking army against a Viking village as Snorri Kristjansson does in his first novel, Swords of Good Men, and there's going to be some serious ass kicking going on. Swords is grisly fun."
?Tor.com

"I'm impressed!... Overall, Swords of Good Men is an excellent foray into historical Scandinavian fiction... and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in Vikings, ancient battles, or religious conflicts. I definitely will look forward to later installments in The Valhalla Saga to continue the story."
?Fanboy Comics

"[It] promises to be a powerful epic fantasy series.... Kristjansson takes the reader along at a breakneck speed, and it doesn't let up until the final very end. And the ending, though satisfying, leaves the door open for yet more mayhem. I gladly recommend this book."
?Historical Novel Society

"Swords of Good Men will be a book to watch if that's your genre of choice, as will the series."
?Novelnaut.com

"an almost unforgettable Viking saga set in a world that is more real, textured and layered than expected, peppered with characters that will make you laugh, and feel strongly. Swords of Good Men is a solid start to a dynamic series and proves that Kristjansson is a force in the genre to be reckoned with."
?Bookworm Blues

TANYA SELVARATNAM
Born in Sri Lanka and raised in Long Beach, CA, Tanya Selvaratnam is a writer, producer, actor, and activist based in New York City and Portland, Oregon. She is the author of THE BIG LIE: Motherhood, Feminism, and the Reality of the Biological Clock. Her writing has been in Vogue, Bust, Paper, xoJane, Huffington Post, Pop and Politics, the Toronto Review, Art Basel Magazine, the Journal of Law and Politics, on Women’s eNews and CNN. She has produced projects by Gabri Christa, Chiara Clemente, Catherine Gund, Mickalene Thomas, Carrie Mae Weems, and Jed Weintrob; and has appeared in shows by The Wooster Group and The Builders Association, among others. Tanya has been a fellow at Yaddo and Blue Mountain Center. As an activist, she has worked with the Ms. Foundation, NGO Forum on Women, Third Wave Fund, and World Health Organization. Currently, she serves on the advisory boards of The Wooster Group and The DO School and the board of Boom Arts. She received her B.A. and M.A. in Chinese language and history from Harvard University.

 ABOUT THE BIG LIE

Biology does not bend to feminist ideals and science does not work miracles. That is the message of this eye-opening discussion of the consequences of delayed motherhood. Part personal account, part manifesto, Selvaratnam recounts her emotional journey through multiple miscarriages after the age of 37. Her doctor told her she still "had time," but Selvaratnam found little reliable and often conflicting information about a mature woman's biological ability (or inability) to conceive.

Beyond her personal story, the author speaks to women in similar situations around the country, as well as fertility doctors, adoption counselors, reproductive health professionals, celebrities, feminists, journalists, and sociologists. Through in-depth reporting and her own experience, Selvaratnam urges more widespread education and open discussion about delayed motherhood in the hope that long-lasting solutions can take effect. The result is a book full of valuable information that will enable women to make smarter choices about their reproductive futures and to strike a more realistic balance between science, society and personal goals.

“A courageous, deeply personal, and unapologetically feminist exploration of delayed motherhood and infertility. This enlightening and empowering book should be required reading for every woman.”
—Hillary Jordan, author of Mudbound and When She Woke

“Forty may be the new thirty, and women are looking and feeling younger than their years—but try telling that to your ovaries! There is a disconnect between what women see in the mirror and what’s happening to their reproductive organs. Selvaratnam’s book will help women better understand their biological age and fertility health. It will also educate on the incredible advances being made in fertility treatment so that women are informed about their fertility options and choices. So pleased that Selvaratnam is furthering this dialogue.”
—Carole Kowalczyk, MD, board-certified reproductive endocrinologist; director Michigan Center for Fertility and Women’s Health

“As a fertility specialist, I am confident that this book will be a wake-up call for the many women who are (voluntarily or involuntarily) postponing reproduction. I applaud the desire of Selvaratnam to dispel myths and tell the truth about the ‘biological clock.’ We cannot ‘rewind’ it, but today we can stop it with egg freezing. This technology is powerful, revolutionary, and will change the lives of women in the twenty-first century.”
—Pasquale Patrizio, MD, MBE, professor, reproductive bioethicist, and director, Yale Fertility Center

“We all have to take responsibility for our choices, but what happens when we don’t know we are making a choice? What if we thought we were solving when but realized the question was whether or not? Selvaratnam bravely shares her heartbreaking, exhausting, and ultimately enlightening experience of being blindsided by fertility problems. Haunted by hindsight, she perseveres in her desire to have both a successful artistic life and a baby. Selvaratnam engages us without sentimentality or self-pity and, in the process, helps us all understand that there are ways to achieve our personal hopes and dreams when given honest information, guidance, and support.”
—Catherine Gund, documentary filmmaker and cofounder, Third Wave Foundation

KRISTEN RACE, PH.D
Kristen Race Ph.D. is a parent of two young children, as well as an expert in child, family and school psychology. Dr. Race is the author of MINDFUL PARENTING, and founder of Mindful Life™. All of her programs are rooted in the science of the brain with influences from the fields of mindfulness and positive psychology. Mindful Life programs are designed to improve brain function and brain development in adults and children.

Dr. Race has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, USA TODAY, CNN, and Real Simple Magazine. She is a regular blogger for The Huffington Post and Psychology Today. She is a TEDx and keynote speaker and has trained over 10,000 leaders in her methods worldwide.

Dr. Race received her Doctorate and Master’s degrees from the University of Denver, and her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado. She currently resides in Steamboat Springs, Colorado where she can be found mountain biking, hiking, playing soccer, and chasing her kids down the ski mountain!

 ABOUT MINDFUL PARENTING

A mindful approach to parenting that helps children (and their parents) feel happier, healthier, calmer, and less stressed in our frenetic era

Rooted in the science of the brain, and integrating cognitive neuroscience and child development, Mindful Parenting is a unique program that speaks directly to today's busy families who make up what Dr. Race calls "Generation Stress." Research has shown that mindfulness practices stimulate the prefrontal cortex of the brain. Regular stimulation of this part of the brain helps us feel happier, healthier, calmer, less anxious, less stressed, and makes it easier for us to concentrate and think clearly—the very behavior we are hoping our children will display.

  • Dr. Race provides:
    An explanation of the way the brain works and why parents and kids today are more stressed, anxious, and angry than ever before
  • Practical solutions to the problem: Things parents can do to change brain patterns and create a more relaxed and happier home
  • "Brain Coolers": Quick tips that can be used in the moment to help families relax, recharge, and create happiness (such as "The Three Breath Hug")

Mindful Parenting understands the realities of raising a family in our fast paced and often-frenetic world and provides hundreds of easy-to-implement solutions, both for parents and their children, to help them manage stress, create peace, and live happier lives.

“In our increasingly hectic world, many parents feel too busy, stressed and distracted to teach their kids how to live healthy lives. InMindful Parenting, Kristen Race will show you how to slow down, model mindfulness, and stay connected as a family. Rooted in science and filled with practical takeaways, this is a welcome and needed book for all parents.”
?Dr. Laura Markham, author of Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How To Stop Yelling and Start Connecting

“Is your family running from one activity to the next? Do you spend more time balancing conflicting schedules than bonding as a family? Mindful Parenting will help you and your family lead calmer, happier, and healthier lives. Rooted in science, Dr. Kristen Race offers lots of clever, fun techniques you can implement right away. The takeaways will help you and your children find the balance and calm you all need and deserve. This book is a must-read for all parents of our generation.”
?Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx

“A thoughtful, science-based plan that helps today's parents and their kids use mindfulness techniques . . . Busy parents will benefit from Race's balanced approach and bounty of family-friendly ways to decompress.”
?Publishers Weekly

ADAM STERNBERGH
Author of SHOVEL READY, a thriller about a garbageman-turned-hitman in near-future dystopian NYC, blighted by a dirty bomb in Times Square. Currently the culture editor for the New York Times Magazine. Formerly editor-at-large at New York Magazine and editor of the Approval Matrix. Unstoppable reader. Genre-mutt advocate. Lowbrow-despicable, except when highbrow-brilliant.

 ABOUT SHOVEL READY

 Spademan used to be a garbage man.  That was before the dirty bomb hit Times Square, before his wife was killed, and before the city became a blown-out shell of its former self.

Now he’s a hitman.

In a near-future New York City split between those who are wealthy enough to “tap in” to a sophisticated virtual reality, and those who are left to fend for themselves in the ravaged streets, Spademan chose the streets.  When his latest client hires him to kill the daughter of a powerful evangelist, he must navigate between these two worlds—the wasteland reality and the slick fantasy—to finish his job, clear his conscience, and make sure he’s not the one who winds up in the ground.

“Bogart-cool. . . . Razor-sharp. . . . The page-turning mood of Shovel Ready is addictive, by turns death-metal brutal and darkly hilarious.” —Entertainment Weekly

“[Sternbergh] skillfully blends elements of noir, sci-fi, and speculative fiction, and keeps the action and the dialogue energetic.”
—The New Yorker

“A searing debut. . . . Stark dialogue and high-volume grit, which Sternbergh enhances with sci-fi and dark humor. . . . [This] shady antihero may have a long life ahead.”
—USA Today

“[A] sardonic thriller that serves up lots of barbs. . . . Uniquely engaging. . . . A great read, and its world still manages to hold you in its dirty clutches until the violent, fascinating conclusion.”
—io9.com

“Energetic. . . . An enjoyable read.”
—The Boston Globe

“Boy, does this plot drive. It’s one of those books so gripping you read the whole thing in a single go. . . . Swift, [with] expertly timed twists and shocks, very hard to put down.”
—The Guardian (UK)

“A lean thriller. . . . Sternbergh knows his way around the style, matching the staccato rhythms of violence to those of language. . . . [If] you want to know if it’s as awesome as it sounds. It is.”
—Chicago Tribune

“Reads like Cormac McCarthy’s The Road set in New York. . . . [An] agreeably macho dystopia.”
—Newsweek

“Sternbergh’s prose is lean and sparse. . . . Shovel Ready is exciting. It starts fast and the author keeps his foot on the gas. The thrills feel earned.” —The Globe and Mail

“Darkly funny.”
—New York

“Memorably entertaining and garishly funny, Sternbergh’s debut novel is a winner.”
—Cleveland Plain-Dealer

“The best kind of hard boiled noir.”
—GQ

“Sternbergh comes busting out of the gate with this gritty noir.” —Flavorwire

“Gripping. . . . A sharp, thought-provoking thriller. . . . The strongest impact of the book is the constant feeling it gives that the ghosts of 9/11 still haunt New York.”
—National Post

“Stunning. . . . Mixing dystopian science fiction and urban noir with a Palahniuk swagger, this could well be the first novel everybody is talking about.” —Booklist (starred review)

 

SCOTT SIGLER
New York Times best-selling author Scott Sigler is the creator of fifteen novels, six novellas and dozens of short stories. His works are available from Crown Publishing and Del Rey Books.

In 2005, Scott built a large online following by releasing his audiobooks as serialized podcasts. A decade later, he still gives his stories away -- for free -- every Sunday at scottsigler.com. His loyal fans, who named themselves "Junkies," have downloaded over thirty-five million individual episodes. He has been covered in Time Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Chicago Tribune, io9, Wired, The Huffington Post, Business Week and Fangoria.

Scott is the co-founder of Empty Set Entertainment, which publishes his Galactic Football League YA series. He lives in San Diego, CA, with his wee little dog Reesie.

 ABOUT PANDEMIC

 To some, Doctor Margaret Montoya is a hero—a brilliant scientist who saved the human race from an alien intelligence determined to exterminate all of humanity. To others, she’s a monster—a mass murderer single-handedly responsible for the worst atrocity ever to take place on American soil.

All Margaret knows is that she’s broken. The blood of a million deaths is on her hands. Guilt and nightmares have turned her into a shut-in, too mired in self-hatred even to salvage her marriage, let alone be the warrior she once was.

But she is about to be called into action again. Because before the murderous intelligence was destroyed, it launched one last payload — a soda can–sized container filled with deadly microorganisms that make humans feed upon their own kind.

That harmless-looking container has languished a thousand feet below the surface of Lake Michigan, undisturbed and impotent . . . until now.

Part Cthulhu epic, part zombie apocalypse and part blockbuster alien-invasion tale, Pandemic completes the Infected trilogy and sets a new high-water mark in the world of horror fiction.

"With its razor-sharp prose and attention to detail, combined with skin-crawling body horror and apocalyptic threat, Pandemic reads like the love child of Michael Crichton and David Cronenberg. I haven't been this creeped out by a book in a long time."--James S.A. Corey,New York Times bestselling author of Leviathan Wakes

"This one's a killer. In Pandemic, our chance against the apocalypse hangs by a slender thread of hope. Sigler brings serious game with a book that rocks the action while delving deep into character. Highly recommended."--Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Extinction Machine

"Page-turning, spellinding, horrifying, and thrilling...a pulse-pounding alien disease outbreak-slash-invasion story."--Ramen Naam, author of Nexus

  

PETER STENSON
PETER STENSON received his MFA from Colorado State University in 2012. His stories and essays have been published in The Sun, The Bellevue Literary Review, The Greensboro Review, Confrontation, Post Road, Fugue, Harpur Palate, The Pinch, Blue Mesa Review, and elsewhere. He is also a recovering addict and has been sober for 10 years. He lives with his wife and daughter in Denver.

 ABOUT FIEND

When Chase first sees the little girl in umbrella socks disemboweling the Rottweiler, he's not too concerned. As a longtime meth addict, he’s no stranger to such horrifying, drug-fueled hallucinations.  

But as he and his fellow junkies soon discover, the little girl is no illusion. The end of the world really has arrived. And with Chase’s life already shattered by addiction, the apocalypse might actually be an opportunity—a last chance to hit restart, win back the love of his life, and become the person he once dreamed of being.

That is, if the darkness inside him doesn't destroy everything—again.

“Shockingly personal...Shaun of the Dead meets Trainspotting.”
—MTV.com

“Shambling, scabrous figures rotting from the inside out and driven by an insatiable hunger—there are more than a few similarities between meth heads and zombies. Stenson exploits all of them in Fiend.”
—Entertainment Weekly

“[Stands] apart from the pack of zombie lit...Stenson has a sharp ear for language and a gift for dark humor.”
—Denver Post

 

 

TAYLOR STEVENS
TAYLOR STEVENS is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Vanessa Michael Munroe series. Published in over twenty languages and optioned for film by James Cameron's production company, Lightstorm Entertainment, the books are international boots-on-the-ground thrillers featuring a mercenary information hunter in a non-testosterone mix of Jason Bourne and Jack Reacher.

Stevens came to writing fiction late. Born into an apocalyptic cult, separated from her family at age twelve and denied an education beyond sixth grade, she lived on three continents and in a dozen countries before she turned fourteen. In place of schooling, the majority of her adolescence was spent begging on city streets at the behest of cult leaders, or as a worker bee child, caring for the many younger commune children, washing laundry and cooking meals for hundreds at a time. In her twenties, Stevens broke free in order to follow hope and a vague idea of what possibilities lay beyond.

 ABOUT THE DOLL

Haunted by a life of violence and as proficient with languages as she is with knives, Vanessa Michael Munroe, chameleon and hunter, has built her life on a reputation for getting things done—dangerous and often not-quite-legal things. The ability to survive, fight, adapt, and blend has since taken her across the globe on behalf of corporations, heads of state, and the few private clients who can afford her unique brand of expertise, and these abilities have made her enemies.

 On a busy Dallas street, Munroe is kidnapped by an unseen opponent and thrust into an underground world where women and girls are merchandise and a shadowy figure known as The Doll Maker controls her every move. While trusted friends race to find her, everything pivots on one simple choice: Munroe must use her unique set of skills to deliver a high-profile young woman into the same nightmare that she once endured, or condemn to torture and certain death the one person she loves above all else.

 In this high-octane thriller Munroe will have to fight fast, smart, and furious to overcome a dangerous nemesis and deliver her trademark brand of justice.

“I read The Doll in one frenzied, caffeine-fueled sitting, then re-read it slowly and luxuriantly, just for the sheer pleasure of it. Out of everything I’ve read ever, if I had to pick a fictional character to have dinner with, Michael Munroe would certainly make my Top 5. . . Stevens excels at depicting pulse-pounding danger, and her prose and plotting are spectacular, especially given her cult background. She was denied all but a sixth-grade education, but her writing places her heads above most authors working in the thriller genre. Only Dan Brown and Lee Child come close; not even the lauded Larsson could turn a phrase or twist a plotline like Stevens can. Really, my only complaint is that I’d like her to please write faster.”
—Dallas Morning News

“Prolific linguist and exquisitely honed killer Munroe is no less effective here for still suffering from past trauma…Stevens’s third series outing is another brisk, adrenaline-fueled adventure with a trail of bodies and a damaged protagonist who may live to kill another day.”
—Library Journal

“Stevens’ third Munroe book is another international action-adventure with a Bourne-like avenging angel at the reins.”
—Booklist

“Lean and mean thriller featuring Vanessa Michael Munroe, an "informationist" with a scary dark streak… This book is strongly influenced by the existential bare-bones approach of Lee Child's Reacher books, and its brilliant but damaged heroine, the estranged daughter of missionaries, owes much to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. But Stevens stamps the novel with her own bleak, punishing, bullet-flying outlook… Out of that gloomy intensity comes edgy suspense. In Stevens' powerfully contained follow-up to The Innocent, there is no release for the tormented heroine, only license to live another day.”
—Kirkus

“Good and bad deeds alike have a high price, as dramatically shown in Stevens’s harrowing third Vanessa Michael Munroe novel…Munroe remains as compelling as ever: violent yet protective of innocence, imprisoned by not only her past but also the choices she has made in response to it, and painfully conscious of her closeness to sanity’s edge.”
—Publishers Weekly

“If you are a fan of Jack Reacher, Lisbeth Salander, or Nina Zero, you need to check out Vanessa Michael Munroe!”
—BookPage

“If you can stand the heat, Stevens’ third thriller is a sizzler.”
—Minneapolis Star Tribune

“If Lisbeth Salander…had special-ops training and a knack for languages, she'd be Vanessa Michael Munroe… [A] guilty-pleasure thrill ride.”
—Winnipeg Free Press

“This New York Times Bestselling author is back...with a truly spellbinding story. . . Readers have finally found a ‘Bond girl’ that is actually Bond, himself. Vanessa is a heroine that will face the worst facets of humanity and will fight to the finish to save a soul from following in her blood-soaked footsteps.”
—Suspense Magazine

“Now for some fun. If you are a thriller buff, and especially if you loved Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo you won’t want to miss Taylor Stevens newest novel The Doll….Her new novel takes readers on a cat-and-mouse trip through Central Europe as Vanessa tries to outrun a villain. And, let’s say, a villain you will never forget. Scary as hell!”
—Hudson Valley News

 

ROBERT ROTSTEIN
Robert Rotstein is an entertainment attorney with over thirty years experience in the industry. He’s represented all of the major motion picture studios and many well-known writers, producers, directors, and musicians. He lives with his family in Los Angeles, California, where he is at work on the next Parker Stern novel.

 ABOUT CORRUPT PRACTICES

A Los Angeles church, considered by some to be a powerful cult, charges Rich Baxter with embezzling millions. Rich reaches out to former colleague and star trial attorney Parker Stern to come to his defense. Parker despises the cult, but he hasn’t entered a courtroom since developing severe stage fright after his mentor, Harmon Cherry, committed suicide. Rich claims that Cherry did not kill himself—he was murdered by someone connected to the church. At first, Parker doesn’t believe it . . . until disturbing events force him to question what’s really happening.

As the case takes an unexpected turn, Parker surprises himself and agrees to take on the church. But to represent his client and uncover the truth he must overcome his own long-buried secrets.

“This is a terrific book. Just terrific. Robert Rotstein has come up with a fresh take on the legal thriller and he does a first-rate job. Parker Stern is a complex and well-developed protagonist and the story is beautifully structured for maximum intrigue and suspense.”
—SUE GRAFTON, #1 New York Times–bestselling author

“An intelligent, fast-paced, exciting thriller with an intricate plot that kept me on the edge of my seat. The ending had my heart pounding. I stayed up late, finished it in two sittings, and wished there had been more.”
—ROBERT DUGONI, New York Times–bestselling author of Murder One     

"A tautly constructed, fast-moving narrative with an appealing protagonist. . . . This promises to be a compelling series for legal-thriller fans. Get in at the start."
—BOOKLIST, starred review

“Be prepared to put everything down and read through the night. Rotstein is a master of lightning-fast plot shifts and startling characterizations. Sexy, riveting, and keenly crafted, Corrupt Practices is well worth the insomnia.”
—TERRI CHENEY, New York Times–bestselling author of Manic

"A steady stream of intriguing revelations delivered in a lively, precise style will keep readers turning the pages."
—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

 

ANTONIO GARRIDO
A native of Spain, a former educator, and an industrial engineer, Antonio Garrido has received acclaim for the darkly compelling storytelling and nuanced historical details that shape his novels. Each is a reflection of the author’s years of research into cultural, social, legal, and political aspects of ancient life. Garrido’s The Corpse Reader, a fictionalized account of the early life of Song Cí, the Chinese founding father of forensic science, received the Zaragoza International Prize (Premio Internacional de Novela Histórica Ciudad de Zaragoza) for best historical novel published in Spain. His work has been translated into eighteen languages, and The Scribe is his second publication in English. Garrido finds his inspiration when he writes in his studio at the Cullera bay, watching the deep blueness of the Mediterranean Sea.

ABOUT THE SCRIBE

The year is 799, and King Charlemagne awaits coronation as the Holy Roman emperor. But in the town of Würzburg, the young, willful Theresa dreams only of following in the footsteps of her scholarly father—a quiet man who taught her the forbidden pleasures of reading and writing. Though it was unthinkable for a medieval woman to pursue a career as a craftsperson, headstrong Theresa convinces the parchment-makers’ guild to test her. If she passes, it means access to her beloved manuscripts and nothing less than true independence. But as she treats the skins before an audience of jeering workmen, unimaginable tragedy strikes—tearing apart Theresa’s family and setting in motion a cascade of mysteries that Theresa must solve if she hopes to stay alive and save her family.

A fugitive in the wilderness, Theresa is forced to rely on her bravery, her uncommon education, and the compassion of strangers. When she encounters Alcuin of York, a wise and influential monk with close ties to Charlemagne, she believes her luck might have finally changed. But the biggest secret lies between Charlemagne and her father. Theresa moves ever closer to the truth, bent on reuniting with her beloved father, only to discover that her family’s troubles are inextricably entwined with nothing less than the fate of an empire.

ABOUT THE CORPSE READER

After his grandfather dies, avid scholar and budding forensic investigator Cí Song begrudgingly gives up his studies to help his family. But when another tragedy strikes, he’s forced to run and also deemed a fugitive. Dishonored, he has no choice but to accept work as a lowly gravedigger, a position that allows him to sharpen his corpse-reading skills. Soon, he can deduce whether a person killed himself—or was murdered.

His prowess earns him notoriety, and Cí receives orders to unearth the perpetrator of a horrific series of mutilations and deaths at the Imperial Court. Cí’s gruesome investigation quickly grows complicated thanks to old loyalties and the presence of an alluring, enigmatic woman. But he remains driven by his passion for truth—especially once the killings threaten to take down the Emperor himself.

Inspired by Song Cí, considered to be the founding father ofCSI-style forensic science, this harrowing novel set during the thirteenth-century Tsong Dynasty draws readers into a multilayered, ingenious plot as disturbing as it is fascinating.

The Corpse Reader received the Zaragoza International Prize for best historical novel published in Spain (Premio Internacional de Novela Histórica Ciudad de Zaragoza). Antonio’s previous novel, La Escriba, was published in 2008.

"An engrossing mystery...this Chinese version of Sherlock Holmes is a captivating figure and the period he lives in is one we know relatively little about. You'll come away with a much better understanding of Chinese history, plus having read a very entertaining suspense story."
- ILoveaMysteryNewsletter.Com, June 30, 2013

“A refreshing break from the urban-noir fetish that is so common in conventional thrillers and crime books. It’s a great novel to add to a summer reading list."
– Ars Technica.Com, June 29, 2013

“Antonio Garrido's The Corpse Reader deserves to be called epic. It also deserves a space on the list of great adventure novels right next to Jerzy Kosinki's The Painted Bird and Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”
– HorrorTalk.Com, June 28, 2013

“Garrido has created well-developed and three dimensional characters amongst the exotic backdrop of medieval China . . . I enjoyed THE CORPSE READER and would recommend it to fans of forensic science dramas.”
– Surrounded by Books blog, May 27, 2013

“A dynamic, thought-provoking historical suspense with a diverse plot and stunning characterization . . . I was engaged in the story from the first page and could not put it down.”
– FreshFiction.Com, May 27, 2013

“This historical thriller is drawing comparisons to The Hangman's Daughter for its absorbing details of another time and received the Zaragoza International Prize for best historical novel published in Spain in 2012.”
– Historical Boys, May 24, 2013

“This novel is exceptional in so many different ways... If you are into forensic sciences, this is a must read... History buffs...also a must-read! For those who enjoy a good forensic science suspense thriller, this will easily fulfill your interests. Highly Recommended!”
– Book Reader’s Heaven, May 22, 2013

“If you’d like to know more about what life in China was really like during the Song Dynasty, if you find forensics interesting...then you should check out The Corpse Reader.”
– GeekSmash.Com, May 21, 2013

  • Buy THE CORPSE READER on Amazon here.

 

J.T. GEISSINGER
J.T. Geissinger is an Amazon #1 bestselling author of smart, sexy romance. Writing in the contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance genres, her eleven published novels all include a high level of sensuality, intense emotional connections, and plot twists galore.

She is the recipient of the Prism Award for Best First Book, the Golden Quill Award for Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, and was a finalist for the prestigious RITA© Award from the Romance Writers of America. Her work has also finaled in the Booksellers’ Best, National Readers’ Choice, and Daphne du Maurier Awards.

She loves to interact with readers, so please join her private Facebook reader’s group, Geissinger’s Gang, to find out more information about works in progress, have access to exclusive excerpts and contests, and a chance to get advance reader copies of her new releases.

 ABOUT EDGE OF OBLIVION

A sensual, page-turning read that brings together two unlikely lovers in an explosive world of danger, beauty and supernatural forces.

There exists a world beyond our own. It is a world of ancient magic and well-guarded secrets, of strict laws and harsh punishments for those who betray them, inhabited by the Ikati, a race of gifted people with unimaginable powers. It is here where two people with dark pasts meet.

Morgan is beautiful, smart, sexy…and about to die. Convicted of treason against her shape-shifting kin, she is given one last chance at redemption; discover the hidden lair of the enemy intent on destroying every one of her kind, or forfeit her life.

Xander is ruthless, heartless, cold-blooded…and assigned to kill her if she fails in her task. Expecting to feel nothing but contempt for the traitor under his watch, the assassin accompanies Morgan on her search, but as the two race through the heart of Italy while the clock winds down to zero hour, he finds himself drawn into a dangerous web of desire as powerful as it is forbidden. Their passion will test everything they believe in, and endanger the future of the tribe itself.

Sensual, edgy, and action-packed, Edge of Oblivion is a must-read for lovers of dark paranormal romance in the vein of Laurell K. Hamilton and J.R Ward.

"Edge of Oblivion gave me everything I wanted...fans of Shadow's Edge will love [it] even more."
—All Things Urban Fantasy

"Edge of Oblivion, second in the Night Prowler series by J.T. Geissinger, starts off with intensity and never slows down … The paranormal romance genre is flooded with tales of shapeshifters, but Edge of Oblivion really stands alone because of the animalistic qualities of the characters, the social issues the novel and series address, as well as the high-quality writing from the author."
—Romance Readers Connection

"Again J.T. Geissinger manages to keep me up past my bedtime...A wonderful book. ...4.5 stars."
—Books, Cats, Movies & Coffee (Paranormal Book Lovers Blog)

ROBERT KIRKMAN AND JAY BONANSINGA
In addition to his work as a writer and executive producer on The Walking Dead, Robert Kirkman is also a successful creator of independent comics. Kirkman created and continues to write the long-running Image Comics title The Walking Dead, on which the show is based, and the comics have been gaining popularity throughout its run. He also writes the acclaimed and equally long-running super-hero comic Invincible, which he created with Cory Walker, and the all-ages comic Super Dinosaur, which he created with Jason Howard.

THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE says, “Jay Bonansinga has quickly and firmly established himself as one of the most imaginative writers of thrillers. His twisting narratives, with their in-your-face glimpses of violence, are set in an unstable, almost psychotic universe that makes the work of many of his contemporaries look rather tame.”

 ABOUT THE WALKING DEAD: THE ROAD TO WOODBURY

The first book explained how the Governor was created; this thrilling sequel to The New York Times bestseller further reveals his ruthless, inhuman conquest of Woodbury.

The zombie plague unleashes its horrors on the suburbs of Atlanta without warning, pitting the living against the dead. Caught in the mass exodus, Lilly Caul struggles to survive in a series of ragtag encampments and improvised shelters. But the Walkers are multiplying. Dogged by their feral hunger for flesh and crippled by fear, Lilly relies on the protection of good Samaritans by seeking refuge in a walled-in town once known as Woodbury, Georgia.

At first, Woodbury seems like a perfect sanctuary. Squatters barter services for food, people have roofs over their heads, and the barricade expands, growing stronger every day. Best of all, a mysterious self-proclaimed leader named Philip Blake keeps the citizens in line. But Lilly begins to suspect that all is not as it seems. . . . Blake, who has recently begun to call himself The Governor, has disturbing ideas about law and order.

Ultimately, Lilly and a band of rebels open up a Pandora's box of mayhem and destruction when they challenge The Governor's reign . . . and the road to Woodbury becomes the highway to hell in this riveting follow-up to Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga's New York Times bestselling The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor.

“An entertaining read.”
?ComicBookMovie.com

“The novel fleshes out . . . backstories and connects them, giving depth to people who remained largely mysteries in the comic books. For comic book readers, the novel is full of easter eggs and surprise connections, making it not only entertaining, but necessarily for filling in the gaps left by the comic books . . . ‘The Road to Woodbury' is an essential read for any fan of ‘The Walking Dead'.”
?Examiner.com

  • Buy THE WALKING DEAD: THE ROAD TO WOODBURY on Amazon here
  • Visit The Walking Dead site here
  • Follow Robert on Twitter
  • Visit Jay's site here
  • Follow Jay on Facebook and Twitter

DAVID A. GOODMAN
In addition to his books, David A. Goodman has been writing for television since 1988. His credits include The Golden Girls, Star Trek: Enterprise, Futurama (where he wrote the Nebula Award nominated Star Trek homage "Where No Fan Has Gone Before"), and Family Guy where he was head writer for six years. He lives in Los Angeles, CA with his family.

 ABOUT STAR TREK THE FEDERATION: THE FIRST 150 YEARS

Assembled as a Special Exhibit on Memory Alpha, Star Trek Federation: The First 150 Years celebrates the 150th anniversary of the founding of the United Federation of Planets.

This unprecedented illustrated volume chronicles the pivotal era leading up to Humankind's First Contact with Vulcan in 2063, the Romulan War in 2156, the creation of the Federation in 2161, and the first 150 years of the intergalactic democracy up until the year 2311. Meticulously researched, this account covers a multitude of alien species, decisive battles, and the technology that made the Age of Exploration possible. It includes field sketches, illustrations, and reproductions of historic pieces of art from across the Galaxy, along with over fifty excerpts from key Federation documents and correspondence, Starfleet records, and intergalactic intelligence.

Housed in a pedestal display complete with lights and an audio introduction by Admiral Hikaru Sulu, this edition also features five removable documents from the Federation Archives, including Zefram Cochrane's early sketch of the warp-drive engine, a handwritten letter from young Jim Kirk, and the first-known diagram of a Trill symbiont.

“A brilliant tie-in for Trek devotees.”
– San Fransico Book Review

"A bountiful, full-color coffee table book that reads like something that would exist in the Star Trek universe itself. Included in its high-quality pages are Starfleet records, biographies of Starfleet personnel (like that alien-loving James T. Kirk), and histories of the federation."
- Kirkus

"A must own for all serious Trek fans."
--Nerd Span

"Will keep Trekkies of all ages “engaged” for hours!"
- Barnes and Noble Book Blog

"A delight and should provide hours of happy browsing for Trek fans."
- Project Fandom

"This book is a must read for Star Trek and science fiction fans alike."
- Universe Today

"Star Trek: Federation: The First 150 Years is an important title and one that should be found inside the stocking of every Star Trek fan this Christmas. Highly recommended."
- CBS Action

"If you enjoy Star Trek the bottom line is you will find something to love in The First 150 Years."
- Giant Fire Breathing Robot

"If you know a Trek fan who likes to geek out over worldbuilding, this is the Star Trek book for them."
- io9 gift guide

"It’s the perfect gift for anyone who has ever wanted to know the “official” biography of James T. Kirk"
- Den of Geek 

 

ROSA MONTERO
Rosa Montero is an acclaimed novelist and an award-winning journalist for the Spanish newspaper El País. A native of Madrid and the daughter of a professional bullfighter, Montero published her first novel at age twenty-eight. She has won Spain's top book award, the Qué Leer Prize, twice--for "The Lunatic of the House" in 2003 and "Story of the Transparent King" in 2005. A prolific author of twenty-six books, her other titles include the short-story collection "Lovers and Enemies" and the novels "Beautiful and Dark," "My Beloved Boss," and "The Heart of the Tartar."

 ABOUT TEARS IN RAIN

Death is inevitable. Especially when you have an expiration date.

As a replicant, or “techno-human,” Detective Bruna Husky knows two things: humans bioengineered her to perform dangerous, undesirable tasks; and she has just ten years on the United States of Earth before her body automatically self-destructs. But with “anti-techno” rage on the rise and a rash of premature deaths striking her fellow replicants, she may have even less time than she originally thought.

Investigating the mysterious deaths, Bruna delves into the fractious, violent history shared by humans and replicants, and struggles to engage the society that fails to understand her—yet created her. The deeper she gets, the deadlier her work becomes as she uncovers a vast, terrifying conspiracy bent on changing the very course of the world. But even as the darkness of her reality closes in, Bruna clings fiercely to life.

“In Spain at the beginning of the twenty-second century, in a society in which humans and humanoid androids (also known as technohumans, or replicants) have an uneasy coexistence, replicants are starting to murder each other in fits of homicidal rage, before killing themselves—victims, it seems, of deliberately corrupted artificial memories. Private detective Bruna Husky, herself a combat-model replicant, nearly becomes a murder victim herself before being hired to find out who’s responsible for the mayhem. Despite its grungy, neo-noir feel; its use of the term replicant; and its title—a quote from Rutger Hauer’s famous dying monologue in Blade Runner—this is not a sequel to that classic movie, or even a tale set in the Blade Runner world. But it is connected thematically to the movie, and fans of Ridley Scott’s film (and the Philip K. Dick story on which it is based), should definitely enjoy this well-plotted, imaginative tale. The writing is a bit clunky at times—perhaps an artifact of the translation—but it will take a lot more than the occasional awkward turn of phrase to make readers put this book down once it gets rolling.”
--David Pitt

"Tears in Rain is that excellent science fiction blend of fascinating concepts with twisting plots and intense characters who refuse to remain static, even as the world tries to force them into a particular mold.”
--Examiner.com

"Rosa Montero's Tears in Rain captures and blends good Science Fiction with social commentary and a crime thriller on par with Tami Hoag or Tess Gerrittsen." 
--Lathe of Dreams.com

ANIA AHLBORN
Born in Ciechanow Poland, Ania has always been drawn to the darker, mysterious, and sometimes morbid sides of life. Her earliest childhood memory is of crawling through a hole in the chain link fence that separated her family home from the large wooded cemetery. She'd spend hours among the headstones, breaking up bouquets of silk flowers so that everyone had their equal share.
Ania's first novel, SEED, was self-published. It clawed its way up the Amazon charts to the number one horror spot, earning her a multi-book deal and a key to the kingdom of the macabre. Less than five years later, her work has been lauded by the likes of Publishers Weekly, New York Daily News, and the New York Times.
She hopes to one day be invited to dinner at Stephen King's place, where she will immediately be crushed beneath the weight of her imposter syndrome.

 ABOUT THE NEIGHBORS

Andrew Morrison sacrificed everything—his childhood, his education, and the girl of his dreams—to look after his alcoholic mother. But enough is enough, and now he’s determined to get out and live his life. That means trading the home he grew up in for a rented room in the house of an old childhood friend— both of which are in sorry shape.

The only thing worse than Drew’s squalid new digs and sullen new roommate is the envy he feels for the house next door: a picture-perfect suburban domicile straight out of Norman Rockwell, with a couple of happy householders to match. But the better acquainted he gets with his new neighbors—especially the sweet and sexy Harlow Ward—the more he suspects unspeakable darkness beyond the white picket fence.

At the intersection of Blue Velvet and Basic Instinct lies The Neighbors, an insidiously entertaining tale of psychological suspense and mounting terror by the boldest new master of the form, Ania Ahlborn.

“Discovering a new female, horror author is a rare find indeed, especially one who truly understand the subtlety of a good scare. …The Neighbors is a chilling look at what can potentially lie beneath the surface of classic Americana. Under the circumstance, calling Ania Ahlborn a “breath of fresh air” is probably about as appropriate as a fit of giggles at a funeral. So instead let’s just say she’s surprising and skin-crawly and as much fun as getting the snot scared out of you at your local haunted house.”
--Black Gate

"The Neighbors will have you guessing until the very end.  The characters are full of mystery and intrigue that keep you glued to the pages... I love mystery, suspense and thriller and this book delivered it all."
--Beautybrite

"...tailor-made for readers who get completely excited about the creepy-crawly ‘Stephen King-y’ world. And…just between us…if you’re still afraid of Nightmare on Elm Street after all these years, wait till you get a load of the evil on Magnolia Lane!"
--Suspense Magazine

 

PETER CLINES
Peter Clines grew up in the Stephen King fallout zone of Maine and--inspired by comic books, Star Wars, and Saturday morning cartoons--started writing at the age of eight with his first epic novel, LIZARD MEN FROM THE CENTER OF THE EARTH.

He made his first writing sale at age seventeen to a local newspaper, and at the age of nineteen he completed his quadruple-PhD studies in English literature, archaeology, quantum physics, and interpretive dance. In 2008, while surfing Hawaii's Keauwaula Beach, he thought up a viable way to maintain cold fusion that would also solve world hunger, but forgot all about it when he ran into actress Yvonne Strahvorski back on the beach and she offered to buy him a drink. He was the inspiration for both the epic poem "Beowulf" and the motion picture -Raiders of the Lost Ark-, and is single-handedly responsible for repelling the Martian Invasion of 1938 that occurred in Grovers Mills, New Jersey. Eleven sonnets he wrote to impress a girl in high school were all later found and attributed to Shakespeare. He is the author of numerous short stories, EX-HEROES, EX-PATRIOTS, --14--, THE EERIE ADVENTURES OF THE LYCANTHROPE ROBINSON CRUSOE, and an as-yet-undiscovered Dead Sea Scroll.

There is compelling evidence that he is, in fact, the Lindbergh baby.

ABOUT EX-HEROES:

Stealth. Gorgon. Regenerator. Cerberus. Zzzap. The Mighty Dragon. They were heroes, using their superhuman abilities to make Los Angeles a better place.

Then the plague of living death spread around the globe. Billions died, civilization fell, and the city of angels was left a desolate zombie wasteland.  

Now, a year later, the Mighty Dragon and his companions protect a last few thousand survivors in their film-studio-turned-fortress, the Mount. Scarred and traumatized by the horrors they’ve endured, the heroes fight the armies of ravenous ex-humans at their citadel’s gates, lead teams out to scavenge for supplies—and struggle to be the symbols of strength and hope the survivors so desperately need.

But the hungry ex-humans aren’t the only threats the heroes face. Former allies, their powers and psyches hideously twisted, lurk in the city’s ruins. And just a few miles away, another group is slowly amassing power . . . led by an enemy with the most terrifying ability of all.

“Bound to appeal to fans of zombies and superheroes alike… If ever a book had the potential for a Hollywood blockbuster, this is it.”
—SF Signal

“I was completely floored by this book’s ingenuity and charm...exemplifies the real meaning of a page-turner.”
—Fantasy Book Critic

“I loved this pop culture-infused tale of shamed superheroes struggling to survive a zombie apocalypse in the ruins of Hollywood. It's The Avengers meets The Walking Dead with a large order of epic served on the side.”
—Ernest Cline, New York Times bestselling author of Ready Player One

“Zombies? Check. Superheroes? Check. Awesome? Check. Ex-Heroes has it all. You’re in for a treat!”
—Mira Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Feed

“A novel that will take you on a wild and heart-warming ride...[A] creative zombie story, with in-depth characters, and filled with humor, action, and gruesome fight scenes…the final clash made my heart race in ways seldom accomplished by a book.”
—Wired.com

ABOUT EX-PATRIOTS

It's been two years since the plague of ex-humans decimated mankind. Two years since the superheroes St. George, Cerberus, Zzzap, and Stealth gathered Los Angeles’s survivors behind the walls of their fortress, the Mount.

Since then, the heroes have been fighting to give the Mount’s citizens hope, and something like a real life. But now supplies are growing scarce, the zombies are pressing in . . . and the heroes are wondering how much longer they can hold out.  

Then hope arrives in the form of a surviving US Army battalion--and not just any battalion. The men and women of the Army's Project Krypton survived the outbreak because they are super-soldiers, created before mankind's fall to be better, stronger, faster than normal humans--and their secure base in Arizona beckons as a much needed refuge for the beleaguered heroes and their charges.

But a dark secret lies at the heart of Project Krypton, and those behind it wield an awesome and terrifying power.

ABOUT THE FOLD:

The folks in Mike Erikson's small New England town would say he's just your average, everyday guy. And that's exactly how Mike likes it. Sure, the life he's chosen isn’t much of a challenge to someone with his unique gifts, but he’s content with his quiet and peaceful existence.  

That is, until an old friend presents him with an irresistible mystery, one that Mike is uniquely qualified to solve: far out in the California desert, a team of DARPA scientists has invented a device they affectionately call the Albuquerque Door. Using a cryptic computer equation and magnetic fields to “fold” dimensions, it shrinks distances so that a traveler can travel hundreds of feet with a single step.

The invention promises to make mankind’s dreams of teleportation a reality. And, the scientists insist, traveling through the Door is completely safe.

Yet evidence is mounting that this miraculous machine isn’t quite what it seems—and that its creators are harboring a dangerous secret.  

As his investigations draw him deeper into the puzzle, Mike begins to fear there’s only one answer that makes sense. And if he’s right, it may only be a matter of time before the project destroys…everything.  

A cunningly inventive mystery featuring a hero worthy of Sherlock Holmes and a terrifying final twist you’ll never see coming, The Fold is that rarest of things: a genuinely page-turning science-fiction thriller. Step inside its pages and learn why author Peter Clines has already won legions of loyal fans.

“A must-read for anyone who likes a good science-fiction thriller…an intelligent, exciting story with a brilliant protagonist and a mystery that genuinely surprised me."
--Andy Weir, New York Times bestselling author of The Martian

“A terrific SF mystery.”
—Fantasy Book Critic

“A fun, brilliant read. Technical enough to enthrall, fast-paced enough to stay engaging to the explosive end, The Fold has everything I want in an SF novel, and then a little bit extra.”
--Mira Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Feed

“Part techno thriller, part supernatural mystery, all awesome.”
—SF Signal  

"That rare thriller that always keeps just one step ahead of the reader...a crackling, electric read."
--Chuck Wendig, New York Times bestselling author of Aftermath

“An ingenious science mystery with a terrifying Lovecraftian twist.“
—Dread Central

“A science fiction thriller with a bit of Sherlock Holmes and a bit of H.P. Lovecraft thrown in…a book you’ll want to pass along to your friends when you’re done.”
—FantasyLiterature.com

“I was enthralled…a mix of scientific extrapolation, fast-paced plotting, surprising twists, clues for the savvy reader, and credible characters.”
—Sci Fi Bulletin

“Absolutely riveting…[features] weird science, great characters, snappy dialogue, a slowly developing mystery and edge of your seat action.”
—SF Crowsnest

"A mind-blowing science fiction mystery that kept me guessing right to the end…Clines’ writing is steeped in popular culture and unexpectedly funny, yet highly perceptive and infused with a subtle intelligence. If you haven’t read him, you’re in for a wonderful surprise."
--Joe McKinney, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Dead City  

  • You can buy THE FOLD on Amazon here.

 

NICHOLAS BRIGGS
NICHOLAS BRIGGS is a British actor and writer who has been working on Doctor Who since the 1980's. He is best known to Who fans as the voice of the Doctor's archenemy, the Daleks.

 ABOUT DOCTOR WHO: THE DALEK GENERATION

Sunlight 349 is one of countless Dalek Foundation worlds, planets created to house billions suffering from economic hardship. The Doctor arrives at Sunlight 349, suspicious of any world where the Daleks are apparently a force for good – and determined to find out the truth. The Doctor knows they have a far more sinister plan – but how can he convince those who have lived under the benevolence of the Daleks for a generation?

But convince them he must, and soon. For on another Foundation planet, archaeologists have unearthed the most dangerous technology in the universe...

TOMMY DONBAVAND 
TOMMY DONBAVAND is an author, actor, and playwright best known for his Scream Street novels for kids. He is also a huge fan of all things Doctor Who, plays blues harmonica, and makes a mean balloon poodle.

 ABOUT DOCTOR WHO: SHROUD OF SORROW

 It is the day after John F. Kennedy’s assassination – and the faces of the dead are everywhere. PC Reg Cranfield sees his late father in the mists along Totter’s Lane. Reporter Mae Callon sees her grandmother in a coffee stain on her desk. FBI Special Agent Warren Skeet finds his long-dead partner staring back at him from raindrops on a window pane.

Then the faces begin to talk, and scream... and push through into our world.

As the alien Shroud begins to feast on the grief of a world in mourning, can the Doctor dig deep enough into his own sorrow to save mankind?

 

 JUSTIN RICHARDS
JUSTIN RICHARDS has written numerous science-fiction and fantasy novels, including several previous Doctor Who tie-ins. He is creative consultant for BBC Books' range of Doctor Who fiction.

 ABOUT DOCTOR WHO: PLAGUE OF THE CYBERMEN

When the Doctor arrives in the 19th-century village of Klimtenburg, he discovers the residents suffering from some kind of plague – a ‘wasting disease’. The victims face a horrible death – but what’s worse, the dead seem to be leaving their graves. The Plague Warriors have returned…

The Doctor is confident he knows what’s really happening; he understands where the dead go, and he’s sure the Plague Warriors are just a myth. But as some of the Doctor’s oldest and most terrible enemies start to awaken he realises that maybe – just maybe – he’s misjudged the situation.

 

CLARK T. CARLTON
CLARK T. CARLTON is a journalist, screen and television writer and an award winning playwright and novelist. He was born in the South, grew up in the East, went to school in the North and lives with his family in the West.   As a child he spent hours observing ants and their wars and pondered their similarity to human societies. Clark is writing the sequel to PROPHETS OF THE GHOST ANTS and at work on a synth-pop opera set in ancient Babylon.

 ABOUT PROPHETS OF THE GHOST ANTS

 Both familiar and fantastic, Clark T. Carlton’s PROPHETS OF THE GHOST ANTS explores a world in which food, weapons, clothing, art—even religious beliefs—are derived from Humankind’s profound intertwining with the insect world.

In a savage landscape where humans have evolved to the size of insects, they cannot hope to dominate. Ceaselessly, humans are stalked by night wasps, lair spiders, and marauder fleas. And just as sinister, men are still men. Corrupt elites ruthlessly enforce a rigid caste system. Duplicitous clergymen and power-mongering royalty wage pointless wars for their own glory. Fantasies of a better life and a better world serve only to torment those who dare to dream.

One so tormented is a half-breed slave named Anand, a dung-collector who has known nothing but squalor and abuse. Anand wants to lead his people against a genocidal army who fight atop fearsome, translucent Ghost Ants. But to his horror, Anand learns this merciless enemy is led by someone from his own family: a religious zealot bent on the conversion of all non-believers . . . or their extermination.

“I had my proverbial socks knocked off … extraordinary scope of imagination … it’s a great novel … a classic … a tour-de-force of the imagination … a perfect example of very skillful storytelling, something the field could use more of. The novel never flags, every word counts … It’s got all the sense of wonder that’s missing in science fiction today. I simply could not put this book down.”
—Paul Cook, Galaxy’s Edge magazine

“BEST OF 2011. Innovative … intensely memorable … drama and intelligence … fascinating … a gripping read.”
—Perry Crowe, Kirkus Reviews

“I’m fascinated by the world building in Clark Carlton’s Prophets of the Ghost Ants.”
—Annalee Newitz, i09.com

“One of the most engrossing, original and powerful novels I have read in years. A monumental cross-genre book, an allegory like Animal Farm as well as a thrilling adventure into a whole new world. Exciting, visionary, a tour de force.”
—Lawrence Bender, Oscar winning producer of Inglorious Basterds, Pulp Fiction, Good Will Hunting, An Inconvenient Truth

“An engaging piece of fiction built upon an imaginative idea. Even though everything takes place on a very small scale, the scope of the conflict remains epic and the nature of the conflict remains quintessentially human. The book has so much packed into it – from an exploration of class divisions, to the religious hypocrisy of the ruling and priestly classes, to the causes of religiously driven wars, to a coming-of-age story for Anand – that any reader will almost certainly find multiple levels of material in it to interest them.”
—Aaron Pounds, Dreaming of Other Worlds

 

TIM ANDERSON
Tim Anderson, a tall, white, gay Southerner who didn't speak a lick of Japanese, decided to spontaneously move to Japan to escape a rut. What followed was the experience of a lifetime, which he has chronicled in 16 howlingly funny true stories of culture clash. in his debut book, TUNE IN TOKYO, which goes on-sale 11/29.

Tim Anderson is a graduate of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He has worked as a waiter, a data-entry clerk, a photocopier repairman, a freelance writer, a music editor, a middle-school teacher, and a depressed employee of the state of North Carolina. Currently, he plies his trade as an editor and lives in Brooklyn with his boyfriend, his cat, and his viola. He has lived abroad several times, including stints in Asia, Europe, and South America.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Elena Stokes, Wunderkind PR elena@wunderkind-pr.com, cell: 917.887.0784


Cara Selick, Wunderkind PR
cara@wunderkind-pr.com, cell: 201.755.6927

Lose yourself in the hilarious true story of one man's journey to find himself in Tokyo

"Hilarious, enlightening, and insightful memoir...Tim's observations are often laugh-out-loud funny and will leave readers with the desire to travel and to keep turning the pages, wondering, by the end, where Anderson will travel to next."
—Publishers Weekly

"A hilarious read reminiscent of David Sedaris and Augusten Burroughs"
—Logo channel's TripOut travel site

New York, NY: November 2011: AmazonEncore invites you to travel overseas with Tim Anderson's hilarious account of what ensued when he suffered a quarter-life crisis of global proportions.

In this humorous travel memoir, TUNE IN TOKYO: The Gaijin Diaries (on sale: November 29, 2011; AmazonEncore; Trade Paperback Original: $14.95; Digital: $7.99), Tim has penned 16 unforgettable stories about his time in Tokyo and the culture clash he encountered.

How Tune in Tokyo Came to Be:
Everyone wants to escape their boring, stagnant lives full of inertia and regret. But so few people actually have the bravery to run - run away from everything to seek out personal fulfillment on the other side of the world. Not many people would travel to a place where they don't understand anything...and won't be expected to. Tim Anderson is one of the few.

Shortly after moving to Tokyo to teach English, Tim started emailing his friends and family back home, telling them stories of his Japanese encounters: about his students' broken English, his quest to see a giant Buddha, learning (and forgetting) the correct way to write kanji, watching the Harajuku girls walk the streets like a nightly fashion show, the country's obsession with Hello Kitty, and every crazy night out on the town with some of the most random roommates.

When enough friends told Tim that his emails were hilarious and these stories would make a great book, he decided to, perhaps for the first time ever, take their advice. He began compiling his best Tokyo tales into a travel memoir...One that will keep audiences laughing long after they close the book.
Tim Anderson was pushing thirty and working a string of dead-end jobs when he made the spontaneous decision to pack his bags and move to Japan, "where my status as a U.S. passport holder and card-carrying 'American English' speaker was an asset rather than a liability." It was a gutsy move, especially for a tall, white, gay Southerner who didn't speak a lick of Japanese. But his life desperately needed a shot of adrenaline, and what better way to get one than to leave behind everything he had ever known to move halfway around the world?

Despite facing a steep cultural and linguistic learning curve, Tim jumped into his new life with gusto and, fortunately, minimal pride, as his search for a meaningful life in Tokyo involved more than a few humiliating moments. Such moments make for hilarious reading, though, as captured in these sixteen stories about his two-year tour as a "gaijin" (outsider) in Japan.

Whether playing drums on the fly in an otherwise all-Japanese noise band or attempting to keep his English classroom clean when it's invaded by an older female student with a dirty mind, Tim comes to realize that living a meaningful life is about expecting the unexpected...

Funny, observant, and delightfully irreverent, Tune in Tokyo is required reading for anyone fascinated by stories of those who have braved the world outside of the U.S...or anyone who has felt that his or her life could use a change, or even just a good laugh.

About Tim Anderson:
Tim Anderson is a graduate of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He has worked as a waiter, a data-entry clerk, a photocopier repairman, a freelance writer, a music editor, a middle-school teacher, and a depressed employee of the state of North Carolina. Currently, he plies his trade as an editor and lives in Brooklyn with his boyfriend, his cat, and his viola, which he plays in the band simpleshapes. He blogs at seetimblog.blogspot.com and contributes to www.thenervousbreakdown.com. He has lived abroad several times and hopes to one day retire in either Sweden or sunny Tatooine.

Tune in Tokyo: The Gaijin Diaries
by Tim Anderson
AmazonEncore, 288 pages
ISBN-10: 1612181317, ISBN-13: 978-1612181318
Trade Paperback Original: $14.95, Digital: $7.99
National on-sale date: November 29, 2011

For more information about TUNE IN TOKYO or Tim Anderson, please contact:
Elena Stokes, Wunderkind PR, elena@wunderkind-pr.com; 917.887.0784
Cara Selick, Wunderkind PR, cara@wunderkind-pr.com; 201.755.6927

 

D.M. ANNECHINO

D.M. Annechino spent two years researching serial killers before penning his gripping and memorable debut novel, They Never Die Quietly. In his new novel, RESUSCITATION (available now from Thomas & Mercer), Annechino wanted to explore the dark side of a successful cardiothoracic surgeon's desire to make medical history . . . even at the expense of those he should most want to help.

He was interested in what could drive a doctor to violate his Hippocratic oath to abstain from doing harm, and find perverse pleasure in doing so. The result is a fast-paced thriller that pits a cunning killer against a single-minded cop. A native of New York, Annechino now lives in San Diego with his wife, Jennifer.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Elena Stokes, Wunderkind PR elena@wunderkind-pr.com, cell: 917.887.0784


In his heart-stopping new thriller, RESUSCITATION, Daniel Annechino explores one doctor's quest for fame and recognition at the expense of his patients.

New York, NY: October 2011: What would drive a doctor to violate his Hippocratic oath to abstain from doing harm, and find perverse pleasure in doing so? It is a chilling question, one that author Daniel Annechino explores in heart-stopping detail in RESUSCITATION(A Thomas &Mercer original trade paperback,$14.95; digital $9.99; available now), a fast-paced thriller that pits a cunning killer against a single-minded cop.

In RESUSCITATION, Annechino, a former book editor who spent two years researching serial killers before penning his gripping and memorable debut novel, They Never Die Quietly, wanted to explore the dark side of a successful cardiothoracic surgeon's desire to make medical history . . . even at the expense of those he should most want to help. In his novel, he introduces us to Julian and explores such issues as:

  • The Aristotelian philosophy that "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few" as Julian's credo and principal motivator for him to commit murder-and whether or not there is ever justification to sacrifice the lives of a few to benefit a larger group of people.
  • Childhood trauma and molestation and the imprint these experiences can leave on survivors like Julian. Can negative childhood experiences make somebody a killer? Or is the urge to murder something innate?
  • Freud said that sex and aggression are the underlying drives for almost all human behavior. Annechino uses these dark desires to compare Julian's obsession to his professed goal of saving future lives and gaining recognition. Were these goals ever valid or real or was Julian's murderous rampage always fueled by the main motivators of sex and aggression?

About RESUSCITATION
Two years ago, after narrowly escaping the clutches of a psychotic serial killer who held her hostage with intentions of crucifying her, San Diego homicide detective Sami Rizzo hung up her badge. Tortured by nightmares of her near death experience, Sami tries to convince herself that social work will fulfill her need to help and protect victims. But when a second serial killer surfaces-a doctor who is using his victims as guinea pigs for horrific surgical experiments-Sami abandons her goal to be a social worker for a chance to get back on the force and find this monster.

With a little fast-talking, she convinces the police chief and the mayor to reinstate her to the homicide division and begins her hunt for the killer. But as the body count grows and every lead turns out to be a dead end, Sami begins to think that this villain has outsmarted her-until one of the victims survives her ordeal. Suddenly, their cat-and-mouse game takes a sickening turn, and now Sami is the hunted one!

Fans of James Patterson, Michael Connelly, and Harlan Coben will be riveted by this taut psychological thriller with its memorable heroine and a killer so chilling he will have you trembling at your next visit to the doctor's office.

About the author
Daniel Annechino wrote his first book, How to Buy the Most Car for the Least Money, in 1992 while working as a General Manager in the automobile business. But his passion had always been fiction, particularly thrillers. He wrote several novels early in his writing career, but it wasn't until he authored They Never Die Quietly that he fulfilled his goal as a novelist. A native of New York, Annechino now lives in San Diego with his wife, Jennifer.

Daniel Annechino is available for interview. Please contact Elena Stokes, Wunderkind PR, cell: 917-887-0784, email: elena@wunderkind-pr.com to book an interview with the author or to request a review copy of RESUSCITATION.

RESUSCITATION
Daniel Annechino
Available now
Mystery/Thriller
A Thomas & Mercer original trade paperback, $14.95
Also available digitally for $9.99
Page Count: 442
ISBN: 978-1612180717

 

KELLEY ARMSTRONG

Kelley Armstrong is a Canadian fantasy and crime fiction writer whose works are often part of a larger series. The release of THIRTEEN mid-2012 will mark the thirteenth and final novel in her urban fantasy Otherworld series. She has also written more than thirty short stories and novellas within that series.

Armstrong earned a degree in psychology from the University of Western Ontario. She went on to study computer programming at Fanshawe College in the hopes of having more time to devote to writing. She sold her debut novel BITTEN, the first novel in the Otherworld series, in 1999, and by 2002 she was writing full-time. Several of her novels, including THE AWAKENING, have made it on The New York Times best sellers list.

Armstrong started telling tales of the paranormal as a child. Teachers asking her to write about dolls or girls were apt to receive stories where the dolls were evil and the girls were undead. Today, her novels and shorter works often feature werewolves, ghosts and demons.

Born in Sudbury in 1968, Armstrong grew up in London, Ontario. She now lives in rural southwestern Ontario with her husband, children and gaggle of pets.

 ABOUT SPELLBOUND

Savannah Levine is all grown up. As a witch endowed with an array of spells, she is also a force to be reckoned with. As a paranormal investigator she is finally coming into her own. But her last case tore a family apart, and Savannah swore she'd give up her powers to fix the mess she helped create. Someone-or something-must have been listening.

Powerless and on the run from witch-hunting assassins, Savannah stumbles upon a gathering storm that threatens the very existence of the Otherworld. The danger is real, and Savannah must somehow join forces with old friends like Elena, Clay, Paige, Lucas, Jaime, and Hope to face their world's greatest threat-and one that just might come from within.

“Sexy, smart, and action-packed!"
—Richelle Mead, New York Times bestselling author of the VampireAcademy series

"A quick and fun read."
—The Miami Herald

 


HOLLY BLACK
Holly Black is the bestselling author of contemporary fantasy novels for teens and children.
Her first book, Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale, was published in 2002 by Simon & Schuster. Tithe was called "dark, edgy, beautifully written and compulsively readable" by Booklist, received starred reviews from Publisher's Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, and was included in the American Library Association's Best Books for Young Adults. Holly has since written two other books in the same universe, Valiant (2005), and the sequel to Tithe, Ironside (2007), which spent five weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Valiant was a finalist for the Mythopoeic Award for Young Readers and the recipient of the Andre Norton Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature.

Holly collaborated with her long-time friend, Caldecott award winning artist, Tony DiTerlizzi, to create the bestselling Spiderwick Chronicles. The first two books, The Field Guide and The Seeing Stone were released together in 2003 by Simon & Schuster, with the next three, Lucinda's Secret (2003), The Ironwood Tree (2004) and The Wrath of Mulgarath (2004), following in rapid succession. The Wrath of Mulgarath climbed to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. The five-book serial has been called "vintage Victorian fantasy" by the New York Post and Time Magazine reported that "the books wallow in their dusty Olde Worlde charm."

In 2010, White Cat, the first novel in her new Curse Workers series was released. The second book in the series, RED GLOVE, now available from Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster's Children's Division, delves even further into the mysterious world of curse magic.

Holly lives in Massachusetts with her husband, Theo, in a house with a secret library.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Elena Stokes, Wunderkind PR elena@wunderkind-pr.com, cell: 917.887.0784


From Holly Black, the bestselling author of The Spiderwick Chronicles, comes a new world of curses and cons

Holly Black, bestselling author of The Spiderwick Chronicles and The Modern Faerie Tales series, returns with RED GLOVE, a story about the dark and dangerous side of magic (National on-sale date: April 5, 2011; Margaret K. McElderry/Simon & Schuster; $17.99).

RED GLOVE is the second book in Black's The Curse Workers series, which bestselling author Cassandra Clair has called "dangerously, darkly gorgeous fantasy." In her new novel, Black follows the adventures of seventeen year old Cassel Sharpe as he attempts to navigate the twisted and illegal world he was born into: the curse workers. Only now he is armed with the new discovery of his rare powers as a transformation worker...as well as the burden of his old crush, cursed into loving him by his mother.

Although Cassel now knows the truth-that he is the most powerful curse worker around-life has gotten no easier for him. His oldest brother has been murdered by a mysterious woman in red gloves, and the Feds have recruited Cassel to help solve the case. Meanwhile, the mob knows of Cassel's immense powers and wants to enlist him...by any means possible. Not knowing who to trust, Cassel must try and solve the mystery of his brother's death while staying one step ahead of everyone else.

RED GLOVE is a dark and electrifying thriller for young adults about a world where special powers come with great responsibility, love can be created with a curse, and magic breeds dangerous mobsters.

Praise for THE CURSE WORKERS SERIES:
"A noir thriller."
—The New York Times Book Review on White Cat

"Smart and well-executed...This powerful, edgy dark fantasy won't disappoint Black's fans."
—Publishers Weekly on Red Glove

"Red Glove is an electrifying, byzantine high-stakes sequel that raises as many questions as it answers and will leave readers' hearts pounding with exhilaration and danger."
—The Compulsive Reader on Red Glove

"Red Glove left me speechless. Holly Black is a genius, and I cannot wait for Black Heart. Red Glove will capture your heart; it captured mine."
—Read & Riot on Red Glove

"Dangerously, darkly gorgeous fantasy."
—Cassandra Clare, author of The Mortal Instruments series, on White Cat

"Fans of the author will revel in the sophisticated and slightly-more-realistic-than-usual approach... fascinating and carefully developed characters, and lush setting descriptions."
—BCCB, starred review on White Cat

RED GLOVE by Holly Black, Margaret K. McElderry/Simon & Schuster, 336 pages, ISBN-10: 144240339X, ISBN-13: 978-1442403390, $17.99

 

 


ORSON SCOTT CARD/JAKE BLACK
THE AUTHORIZED ENDER COMPANION came out from Tor in November 2009 to the delight of many Ender fans who are now able to explore the first complete and in-depth encyclopedia of all the persons, places, things and events in Orson Scott Card's beloved Ender Universe. This long-awaited volume was written by Jake Black under the editorial supervision of Card himself, who was recently awarded the 2008 Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in Young Adult literature from the American Library Association.

Orson Scott Card is the bestselling author of Ender's Game and eight other novels in that universe. Jake Black has written for several popular franchises and characters including Smallville, Batman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Twilight, Star Trek, and many others. He is also the author of Marvel Comics' Ender-series comic books "Gold Bug," "Cheater," and "Recruiting Valentine." He lives in a quiet Utah town with his wife and son.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Elena Stokes, elena@wunderkind-pr.com

The Authorized Ender Companion By Orson Scott Card & Jake Black

The first official guide to Orson Scott Card's Ender universe!

A selection of Ender's Game honors include:

  • American Library Association "100 Best Books for Teens"
  • American Library Association "Best Books for Young Adults"
  • Modern Library's 100 Best Novels "Reader's List"
  • 2008 Reddit.com Top 15 All Time Science Fiction Titles Selection

Published in 1985 with over two million copies sold, Ender's Game has achieved iconic status with children, teens, and adults. The novel has won multiple awards, headlined "best of" lists and major one-city reads, and garnered back-to-back wins for the Hugo and the Nebula award with its follow-up, Speaker for the Dead.

For decades, fans have drawn courage from Ender's story and have immersed themselves in the other bestselling novels of the Ender universe including the acclaimed Ender's Quartet, the Ender's Shadow series-featuring another fan favorite character, Bean-and the Ender series' most recent additions, A War of Gifts, and Ender in Exile.

Now, for the first time, in THE AUTHORIZED ENDER COMPANION (A Tor hardcover; November 2009), fans will be able to explore the first complete and in-depth encyclopedia of all the persons, places, things and events in Orson Scott Card's beloved Ender Universe. This long-awaited volume was written by Jake Black under the editorial supervision of Card himself, who was recently awarded the 2008 Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in Young Adult literature from the American Library Association.

Highlights include the first full timeline of the Ender series, character biographies, colony histories, family trees, and ten black & white illustrations. The encyclopedia answers questions fans have had for decades: Where did Ender go when he left Earth, before he arrived at Lusitania? What did the battle room really look like and how did it work? What people discovered the descolada, and what is their story? What was the history of Gloriously Bright's world?
But one of the most incredible parts of this compilation is the section devoted to letters from readers. The letters range from young readers who saw themselves in the characters-especially in Ender-to adults on active military duty, who gained courage from the novel to continue specialized training in the army and to serve overseas. The letters express gratitude to Card and love for Ender's Game, a novel that many say changed their lives . . .

Who can say exactly why people love Ender's Game? The reasons may differ from one reader to another, but one fact remains: Ender's Game is one of the most beloved novels of all time, hitting bestseller lists every year as new generations pick up the novel for the first time. As Patty Campbell, a leading authority on Young Adult literature says, Ender's Game is one of the novels you just have to read to be "in." THE AUTHORIZED ENDER COMPANION will give readers unprecedented access!

 

"An affecting novel full of surprises"
—The New York Times Book Review on Ender's Game

 

"An intriguing combination of action, military and political strategy, elaborate war games and psychology."
—USA Today on the Ender novels

 

ORSON SCOTT CARD is the bestselling author of over sixty books. He continues to work with Ender's Game in other areas of pop culture such as comics (the current Ender's Game series from Marvel Comics), music, animation, as well as video game and film (both forthcoming).

JAKE BLACK has written for several popular franchises and characters including Smallville, Batman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Twilight, Star Trek, and many others. He is also the author of Marvel Comics' Ender-series comic books "Gold Bug," "Cheater," and "Recruiting Valentine."

THE AUTHORIZED ENDER COMPANION
By Orson Scott Card and Jake Black
A Tor hardcover, $27.99/ 432 pages
ISBN: 978-0-7653-2062-9
ON-SALE: NOW
http://us.macmillan.com/theauthorizedendercompanion

 


DOUGLAS CLEGG
Douglas Clegg is a New York Times bestselling author and winner of the Bram Stoker Award, the International Horror Guild Award, and the Shocker Award. He has been writing fiction since childhood, but only pursued publication of it beginning in his late twenties, when he published Goat Dance.

In 1999, Douglas Clegg launched the internet's (and world's) first publisher-sponsored e-serial novel, Naomi. A year later, Clegg's short novel Purity became the world's first piece of fiction to appear on a cell phone, nicknamed an M-Book at the time (for Mobile). Clegg's latest novel, NEVERLAND, released April 2010, is a haunting southern gothic tale of family secrets and childhood games gone awry.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Elena Stokes, Wunderkind PR
T: 917.887.0784; elena@wunderkind-pr.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ISIS by New York Times bestselling author DOUGLAS CLEGG

"Douglas Clegg's Isis is a haunting beauty of a tale as chilling and dark
as the shadows on an October night."
—Christine Feehan, New York Times bestselling author of Murder Game

"Clegg's stories can chill the spine so effectively that the reader
should keep paramedics on standby."
—Dean Koontz

There is something out there that scares you. It may not be overtly menacing and you may not even know it's there until you feel the little hairs on your neck rise. Douglas Clegg, winner of the Bram Stoker Award, the International Horror Guild Award, and the Shocker Award, is a master at knowing what scares us. He understands that sometimes quiet is scarier than loud, and unease and fear are more powerful than an all-out assault.

This fall, Vanguard Press will publish one of the darkest, most intriguing tales of 2009, Douglas Clegg's unforgettable novella, ISIS (A Vanguard Press hardcover; on-sale: September 29, 2009; $15.95). Already celebrated as one of the best horror writers of his generation, Douglas Clegg has also been hailed by renowned author Sherrilyn Kenyon as "a master of the genre."

Bookstores across the nation and key publishing websites are also excitedly marking the on-sale date on their calendars as pre-orders come in. Says Roger Cooper, Vice-President and Publisher at Vanguard Press, of his decision to acquire the novella: "I'm proud to have published authors such as Dean Koontz and Stephen King in the past. Not since then have I been so excited about a book as spellbinding and memorable as Douglas Clegg's ISIS."

Featuring stunning illustrations by Glenn Chadbourne, illustrator of Stephen King's Secretary of Dreams, ISIS is the tale of four children who move with their mother to an old family estate in England. Isis, the youngest, is very close to her brother, Harvey, and they while away their hours playing on the coastal bluffs, whispering about the family crypt and listening to the tales the groundskeeper Old Marsh tells of dead who walk among the living...coming to claim what is theirs.

But when a terrible accident leaves Isis clinging for her life from a high window, it is Harvey who pays the ultimate price, sacrificing himself to cushion Isis's fall. Isis feels the grief of Harvey's death like a searing pain at the center of her soul-and a deep rage is born.

Missing her brother too much to allow the tragedy of his death to be washed away by forgiveness, Isis becomes convinced that the world is backward, that the good are dead while the evil live-and that the only way to right that wrong is to try to bring Harvey back from the dead. But as she learned from Old Marsh, death has a price, and all who bargain with the dead must pay it...

Douglas Clegg is the New York Times bestselling author of The Priest of Blood, Afterlife, and The Hour Before Dark, among other novels. His short story collection, The Machinery of Night, won a Shocker Award; and his first collection, The Nightmare Chronicles, won both the Bram Stoker Award and the International Horror Guild Award. He lives with his husband, Raul, in New England, with a small menagerie of rescued animals.

ISIS :
By Douglas Clegg
A Vanguard Press hardcover, $14.95/128 pgs
ISBN: 978-1-59315-540-7
ON-SALE: September 29, 2009

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Elena Stokes, Wunderkind PR
T: 917.887.0784; elena@wunderkind-pr.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEVERLAND by New York Times bestselling author DOUGLAS CLEGG

"Neverland is a masterpiece of dark suspense that will forever haunt your dreams."
—Douglas Preston, New York Times bestselling author

"Clegg (The Vampyricon) crafts a haunting story redolent with the influence of Arthur Machen, H.P. Lovecraft, and other classic horror writers. His credible rendering of the internal lives of children and their imaginations give this flight of dark fancy a firm and frightening foothold in reality."
— Publishers Weekly

"Douglas Clegg . . . could have hung out with Robert R. McCammon, Bentley Little and Stephen King. These are guys who know America, and know how to literally scare up the best and worst aspects of the American character and slap them into a ripping yarn full of monsters, terror and enough action to keep the pages turning late into the night."
—Rick Kleffel, book commentator for NPR

Douglas Clegg, New York Times bestselling author and winner of the Bram Stoker Award, the International Horror Guild Award, and the Shocker Award, returns this April with NEVERLAND (A Vanguard Press trade paperback original; on-sale: April 13, 2010; $15.95), a southern gothic tale of family secrets and childhood games gone awry.

Advance buzz is already building around NEVERLAND, with authors such as Bentley Little comparing it to the beloved novel To Kill a Mockingbird "as a classic modern novel that illuminates the human condition through the eyes of a child," and New York Times bestselling author F. Paul Wilson hailing NEVERLAND as "a powerful and thrilling tale, Douglas Clegg's best novel yet."

Clegg, drawing on some of the events from his own life and a long-ago visit to an island much like Gull Island, brings us the story of a family vacation gone terribly wrong, a novel about the lies adults tell and the destruction they wreak on the innocents around them.

Says Clegg of writing NEVERLAND: "This novel, my favorite of anything I've written, is about absolute innocence embracing the wildness-and darkness-of the imagination. I was able to explore the destructive nature of family secrets, and how children sometimes create rituals of power as an escape from the world their parents have made."

But imaginative games are not always innocent . . . and when Beau travels to the Retreat, his grandmother's forbidding home on Gull Island off the Georgia coast line, resigned to a boring family vacation, he finds that his cousin, Sumter, has other plans.

Sumter has found a run-down shack hidden in the woods, a place "where you ain't supposed to go," a place forbidden to them that smells of socks, dead sea creatures-and dread; Sumter christens it Neverland.

Fascinated and terrified by Neverland but thrilled to have made a secret life for themselves in a shack full of old Playboys, smuggled beers, and forbidden words, Sumter and his cousins create a hallucinatory world of dark fantasy, a world ruled by a god of shadows, who Sumter calls "Lucy."

But the shack is the key to a terrible secret, and the world the children create away from their parents, bound to each other by blood oaths, is anything but innocent. As tensions build at the Retreat and the adults start on their gin and tonics earlier each day, Sumter's games begin to invoke a nightmarish presence that cannot be contained within the bounds of imagination any longer . . .

Featuring stunning interior illustrations by Glenn Chadbourne, illustrator of Stephen King's Secretary of Dreams, NEVERLAND brings to mind author greats such as Ray Bradbury, Thomas Tryon, Truman Capote, and Tennessee Williams as Clegg explores the darkness of man's soul while giving us surprising glimpses into the complexities of the human heart . . .

Douglas Clegg is the New York Times bestselling author of Isis, The Priest of Blood, Afterlife, and The Hour Before Dark, among other novels. His short story collection, The Machinery of Night, won a Shocker Award; and his first collection, The Nightmare Chronicles, won both the Bram Stoker Award and the International Horror Guild Award.

NEVERLAND
By Douglas Clegg
A Vanguard Press trade paperback original, $15.95/352 pgs
ISBN: 978-1-59315-541-4
ON-SALE: April 13, 2010

 


ERNEST CLINE

Congratulations, Ernie, on READY PLAYER ONE hitting The New York Times bestseller list!

Ernest Cline is the author of one of the best novels of the 2010s (according to Mark Frauenfelder of Boing Boing: http://boingboing.net/2011/05/03/interview-with-ernes.html) Ready Player One (out now in hardcover, out June 5th, 2012 in trade paperback). At once wildly original and dripping with irresistible '80s nostalgia, Ready Player One is a jaw-droppingly cinematic debut that is part thriller, part love story, and part high-stakes quest through a virtual world. With film rights snapped up by Warner Bros. in a heated auction and foreign rights already sold in 14 territories, this debut it already on everybody's radar.

Ernest Cline has worked as a short-order cook, fish gutter, plasma donor, elitist video store clerk, and tech support drone. His primary occupation, however, has always been geeking out, and he eventually threw aside those other promising career paths to express his love of pop culture fulltime as a spoken word artist and screenwriter. His 2009 film Fanboys, much to his surprise, became a cult phenomenon. These days Ernie lives in Austin, Texas with his wife, their daughter, and a large collection of classic video games.

READY PLAYER ONE BEST-OF LIST:

Alex Award Winner
Amazon, Best book for August 2011 and Best of the year 2011
Apple, Best book for August 2011
Apple, Best Books of 2011, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Audible.com, Best Audio Books of the Year: Customer Favorite Audiobook (#4), Best Fiction
Audiobook (#5)
BEA Shout 'n' Share pick
B&N Review Long List Featured Title
BN.com Bookclubs—"The best geek novel of all time"
Book People's Top Shelf Books to Look Out for
Boswell and Books, Seasonal top 25 (#20)
Brews and Books: December Recommendations
Chicago Sun-Times, Favorite Books of 2011
CNET Holiday ebook reading (#2)
Cnn.com- including in holiday gift guide
G4TV.com- Holiday gift guide
Goodreads Choice Awards: Nominated, Best Goodreads Author and Best Science Fiction readers choose winners

Entertainment Weekly, Best Books of 2011
Forces of Geek chose RP1 as one of the 30 Books of the Summer
Hudson, Best of the Year 2011 Fiction
Kansas City Star, Best of 2011
Kobo, Best of 2011
Indie Next pick, August 2011
Library Journal, Best of the Year 2011
Los Angeles Times (Hero Complex blog), Holiday Gift Guide
Medieval Bookworm: 7/31 in July wrap-up, calls RPO "Best of the Month"
Overdrive Digital Library Blog Sci-Fi Pick of the Month
Patch.com: Gifts of Imagination December Booklist
PhillyBurbs.com, Best Books of 2011
Publishers Weekly Pick of the Week
Quirk Books Top 10 New Geeky Books for Dad Pick
School Library Journal, Adult Books 4 Teens, Best of 2011, Fiction
USA Today, Pop Candy blog, Top 100 People of the Year (Ernie Cline)


Praise for READY PLAYER ONE:

""Nerdgasm." There can be no better one-word description of this ardent fantasy artifact about fantasy culture..."
—The New York Times

"Do yourself a favor and read Ernest Cline's much anticipated and weirdly visionary debut novel. This unabashedly geeky view of a 2044 dystopia provides an enchanting escape from today's economic crisis, dreary politicians and international turmoil...like the best science fiction, Cline's universe is both entertaining and foreboding...an engaging plot...this is Willy Wonka meetsThe Matrix...Cline is an ingenious conjurer talented at translating high concept into compelling storytelling... action-packed adventure. Its geeky characters are geeky cool. And its action is imaginative, always cinematic (you will be visualizing scenes in the upcoming movie as you read; Warner Bros. bought the film rights)...This novel undoubtedly qualifies Cline as the hottest geek on the planet right now. The good news for readers is it's no revenge of the nerds. You don't have to be a geek to get it."
—USA Today

"The first thing I thought when I finished Ernest Cline's "Ready Player One" was, "My God, it's the grown-up's 'Harry Potter.'" Now this is from a mega "HP" fan, so I mean business, here. The mystery and fantasy in this novel weaves itself in the most delightful way, and the details that make up Mr. Cline's world are simply astounding. "Ready Player One" has it all — nostalgia, trivia, adventure, romance, heart and, dare I say it, some very fascinating social commentary."
—Huffington Post

"Packed with '80s nostalgia, it is part intergalactic scavenger hunt, part romance and all heart, a love-letter to growing up geek... It's an addictive read"
—CNN

"Cline is that rare writer who can translate his own dorky enthusiasms into prose that's both hilarious and compassionate. It's more fun than a day at the arcade - you'll wish you could make it go on and on just by inserting more quarters."
—NPR


"I loved every sentence of this book, and was a little sad when I reached the end and re-entered reality."
—Boing Boing

 

A Virtual World. An Impossible Quest. An Extraordinary Debut.

GET READY.


At once wildly original and dripping with irresistible 80's nostalgia, READY PLAYER ONE (Trade Paperback out June 5th, 2012, Crown. Hardcover available now.) by Ernest Cline is a jaw-droppingly cinematic debut that is part thriller, part love story, and part high-stakes quest through a virtual world. With film rights snapped up by Warner Bros. in a heated auction and foreign rights already sold in 14 territories, this debut was on everyone's radar.

READY PLAYER ONE introduces Cline (a screenwriter best known for the 2009 cult film Fanboys) as a gifted and terrifically entertaining new talent. His novel features an expansive, meticulously imagined world that's simultaneously futuristic and charmingly retro-a universe where light-speed travelling DeLoreans battle it out with X-Wings and entire planets are inspired by classic video arcades-combined with a plot that incorporates pop-culture esoterica such as Cap-n Crunch commercials, John Hughes movies, and giant Japanese robots. Yet READY PLAYER ONE is more than the sum of its far-out references. Its exuberant virtual quest is set against life-and-death real world stakes-and at the book's heart lies a coming-of-age story about confronting reality.

READY PLAYER ONE opens in the year 2044. Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes a grim, poverty-stricken reality by spending his waking hours jacked into a sprawling online utopia known as the OASIS, where you can be anything you want to be, and where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets. And like most of humanity, he is obsessed by the ultimate lottery ticket: somewhere within this alternate reality lies hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune-and remarkable power-to whoever can unlock them.

For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that the riddles are based in the culture of the late-twentieth century. And then Wade unlocks the first puzzle. Suddenly the world is watching, and Wade finds himself embroiled in a desperate race to claim the ultimate prize, pitted against powerful opponents who are willing to commit very real murder to gain control of the OASIS. If he's going to survive, Wade may have to leave behind his perfect virtual existence, and face up to the real world he's been terrified of for so long.

Genre-busting, ambitious, and irresistibly charming, READY PLAYER ONE will speak directly to the geek inside every reader, to those who thrilled to Neal Stephenson's Metaverse in Snow Crash, drooled over Lev Grossman's reimagining of fantasy tropes in The Magicians, or happily lost themselves in the detailed worlds of Harry Potter or James Cameron's Avatar.

ABOUT ARMADA

Zack Lightman has spent his life dreaming. Dreaming that the real world could be a little more like the countless science-fiction books, movies, and videogames he’s spent his life consuming. Dreaming that one day, some fantastic, world-altering event will shatter the monotony of his humdrum existence and whisk him off on some grand space-faring adventure.

But hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little escapism, right? After all, Zack tells himself, he knows the difference between fantasy and reality. He knows that here in the real world, aimless teenage gamers with anger issues don’t get chosen to save the universe.

And then he sees the flying saucer.

Even stranger, the alien ship he’s staring at is straight out of the videogame he plays every night, a hugely popular online flight simulator called Armada—in which gamers just happen to be protecting the earth from alien invaders.  

No, Zack hasn’t lost his mind. As impossible as it seems, what he’s seeing is all too real. And his skills—as well as those of millions of gamers across the world—are going to be needed to save the earth from what’s about to befall it.

It’s Zack’s chance, at last, to play the hero. But even through the terror and exhilaration, he can’t help thinking back to all those science-fiction stories he grew up with, and wondering: Doesn’t something about this scenario seem a little…familiar?

At once gleefully embracing and brilliantly subverting science-fiction conventions as only Ernest Cline could, Armada is a rollicking, surprising thriller, a classic coming of age adventure, and an alien invasion tale like nothing you’ve ever read before—one whose every page is infused with the pop-culture savvy that has helped make Ready Player One a phenomenon.

“A thrilling coming-of-age story.”
—Entertainment Weekly

“Nerd-gasmic…another science fiction tale with a Comic-Con's worth of pop-culture shout-outs.”
--Rolling Stone

“An amazing novel [that] proves Cline has the ability to blend popular culture with exciting stories that appeal to everyone.”
—Associated Press

“Mixes Star Wars, The Last Starfighter, Independence Day and a really gnarly round of Space Invaders into a tasty sci-fi stew.”
—USA Today

“A fantastic second novel…fans of Ready Player One, it is time to rejoice.”
—Huffington Post

“A joyous, rollicking read…will garner Cline an even larger group of fans than the formidable crew he’s already assembled.”
—Boing Boing

“A great romp…Cline (ever the fanboy) is both reverent of and referential to the books and movies and games of his childhood.”
—Mother Jones

“Video games come to life in this witty, extraterrestrial thriller.”
—New York Post

“Built like a summer blockbuster…Cline recombines the DNA of Ender’s Game, Star Wars, The Last Starfighter, and old-school arcade games like Asteroids into something that’s both familiar and unpredictable. It’s a mutant homage to sci-fi tropes past.”
—Gawker

"Hugely entertaining…a paean to the videogames of a bygone era, and like Ready Player One it is a tremendous amount of fun for anyone who remembers that time and played those games."
–George R.R. Martin, New York Times bestselling author of Game of Thrones

"A novel so fun, you'll want to reboot it and read it again…the best novel this gamer geek has read in a long, long time."
—Hugh Howey, New York Times bestselling author of Wool

"Those conspiracies you imagined when you were fourteen turn out to be true in this masterful tale of Earth's desperate struggle against a powerful alien foe."
—Andy Weir, New York Times bestselling author of The Martian

"Armada proves Ernie Cline is the modern master of wish fulfillment literature - and of reminding us to be careful what we wish for."
—John Scalzi, New York Times bestselling author of Old Man’s War

“With another winning teen protagonist in Zach, Cline mines the nostalgia and geek spheres just as successfully as he did in his acclaimed debut, Ready Player One. The works that obviously influenced the story line, such as Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game and the films The Last Starfighter and Star Wars, feel like homages rather than borrowings- a rap artist sampling the best beats our there to create an irresistible jam.”
—Library Journal, starred review

“Cline once again brings crackling humor and fanboy knowledge to a zesty, crowd-pleasing, countdown-clock, save-the-planet tale featuring an unlikely hero, adrenaline-pumping action, gawky romance, and touching family moments.…Cline’s sly, mind-twisting premise and energetically depicted and electrifying high-tech battles make for smart, frenetic, and satisfying entertainment.”
—Booklist, starred review

  • You can buy ARMADA on Amazon here.

ALMA KATSU
Alma Katsu's debut, THE TAKER, has been compared to the early work of Anne Rice, Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian and Diana Gabaldon's Outlander for combining the historical, supernatural and fantasy in one story. The novel was named a Top Ten Debut Novel of 2011 by the American Library Association and rights have sold been in 16 languages. The Reckoning, the second book in the trilogy, was published in June 2012, and the third and final book, The Descent, came out in January 2014. THE TAKER TRILOGY is published by Gallery Books/Simon and Schuster and Arrow/Random House UK.

Ms. Katsu lives outside of Washington, DC with her husband, musician Bruce Katsu. In addition to her novels, Ms. Katsu has been a signature reviewer for Publishers Weekly and an occasional contributor to The Huffington Post. She is a graduate of the Master's writing program at the Johns Hopkins University and received her bachelor's degree from Brandeis University, where she studied with John Irving. She also attended the Squaw Valley Community of Writers.

Prior to publication of her first novel, Ms. Katsu had a long career as a senior intelligence analyst for several US agencies and is currently a senior analyst for a think tank.

ABOUT THE TAKER:

On the midnight shift at a hospital in rural St. Andrew, Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is expecting a quiet evening. Until a mysterious woman arrives in his ER, escorted by police—Lanore McIlvrae is a murder suspect—and Luke is inexplicably drawn to her. As Lanny tells him her story, an impassioned account of love and betrayal that transcends time and mortality, she changes his life forever. . . . At the turn of the nineteenth century, when St. Andrew was a Puritan settlement, Lanny was consumed as a child by her love for the son of the town’s founder, and she will do anything to be with him forever. But the price she pays is steep—an immortal bond that chains her to a terrible fate for eternity.

"A haunting tale of passion, obsession, and immortal longing. The Taker is unlike any other novel I have read: a gothic historical with a searing modern twist that will captivate your imagination and keep you reading long into the night."
—C.W. Gortner, author of THE TUDOR SECRET

“The Taker by Alma Katsu has literally left me speechless! [Katsu] mix[es] just the right amount of history, magic, and suspense…The only way to fully understand the magic of THE TAKER is to go and pick up a copy for yourself!”
—Browsing Bookshelves

ABOUT THE RECKONING:

In this rich, satisfying, and gorgeously written sequel to her acclaimed debut novel, THE TAKER, Alma Katsu pairs a mysteriously alluring young woman with an ER doctor from rural Maine on a harrowing, passion-fueled chase that transcends the boundaries of time.

With Dr. Luke Findley by her side, Lanore McIlvrae imprisoned her immortal enemy and has embarked on a new life; now all of London is clamoring to see the Victoria and Albert Museum mystery exhibit collections of lost nineteenth-century treasures, including the last precious gift given to her by Jonathan, the man who owns her heart for eternity. But the portal to her past opens once more, as Adair, the Taker, crashes into the twenty-first century to hunt down Lanny and exact revenge for her heartless betrayal the price she must pay for an endless love.

“Looking for a good read? Get ready to hear about a time-transcending page turner. Two years ago,having just finished The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice and The Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer, I was still hungry for more of the supernatural. My only hesitation was that I wanted something a little more plausible than blood-sucking vampires. As fate would have it, I stumbled upon The Taker by Alma Katsu. Dutifully, I checked reviews before purchasing the book. How I hadn’t heard of it prior to then is beyond me, as the book was insanely well-received and only growing in popularity. I took the novel home and was blown away by the captivating story of an impressionable young woman, the “Adonis” who she falls in love with and the “monster” who falls in love with her. Lanore, Jonathan and Adair had me spellbound like no other characters have. The Taker satiated my need for the supernatural, but was unique in it’s portrayal of everlasting love and unrelenting obsession, both of which know no boundaries for these characters. The second installment, The Reckoning, was equally fascinating—the never-ending love chase propelling the jump between several different time periods and beautiful locations all over the world. Finally, the end of this twisted tale will come to an end with Katsu’s final installment, The Descent.”
—Jennifer Castro, Cliche Magazine

  • Buy THE RECKONING on Amazon here.

 

JOHN VERDON
John Verdon's initial career was in the advertising industry in New York City, where he worked on the creative sides of several large agencies. After his retirement from advertising, he and his wife decided to leave the city and move to a rural area in the western foothills of theCatskill Mountains.

In his first pursuit after leaving the city he designed and built Shaker-style furniture—a career he pursued for the next ten years. He also became a fan of classic detective stories, in all their varieties from Conan Doyle to Ross Macdonald to Reginald Hill.

His wife, Naomi, inspired him to write his own mystery novel. Two years later he completed Think of a Number. Its subsequent success in the marketplace, as well as with critics, persuaded him to write a second novel, Shut Your Eyes Tight, featuring the same central characters. That was the beginning of a series of crime thrillers—also including LET THE DEVIL SLEEP and PETER PAN MUST DIE—featuring retired NYPD homicide detective, Dave Gurney. The books in the series have been translated into more than two dozen languages.

 ABOUT LET THE DEVIL SLEEP

The most decorated homicide detective in NYPD history, Dave Gurney is still trying to adjust to his life of quasi-retirement in upstate New York when a young woman who is producing a documentary on an infamous murder spree seeks his counsel.  Soon after, Gurney begins feeling threatened: a razor-sharp hunting arrow lands in his yard, and he narrowly escapes serious injury in a booby-trapped basement.  As things grow more bizarre, he finds himself reexamining the case of The Good Shepherd, which ten years before involved a series of roadside shootings and a rage-against-the-rich manifesto.  The killings ceased, and a cult of analysis grew up around the case with a consensus opinion that no one would dream of challenging—no one, that is, but Dave Gurney.  

Mocked even by some who’d been his allies in previous investigations, Gurney realizes that the killer is too clever to ever be found.  The only gambit that may make sense is also the most dangerous—to make himself a target and get the killer to come to him. 

“It’s always a pleasure to watch a keen mind absorbed in a difficult puzzle, which is how Dave Gurney distinguishes himself in John Verdon’s tricky whodunits.”
—New York Times

“A razor-sharp serial killer thriller…The third Dave Gurney whodunit is a breakneck, knockout ride...The tension is palpable on virtually every page of a story that perfectly balances the protagonist’s complex inner life with an elaborately constructed puzzle.”
—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

 


RICK DEMARINIS
Rick DeMarinis has published nine novels, six story collections, and a book on the art and craft of the short story. Magazine publications include The Atlantic Monthly, Esquire, GQ, Harper's, Paris Review, and others. He taught fiction San Diego State, Arizona State, the University of Montana, and the University of Texas at El Paso. He received two NEA fellowships, and a literature award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

SKY FULL OF SAND, by Rick DeMarinis

Aging bodybuilder Uriah Walkinghorse runs afoul of the corrupt El Paso elite and quickly finds himself pursued by narco traficantes, a suburban dominatrix, his ex-wife, tenants of his sleazy apartment building, and (worst of all) bankers. Behind this noir-inflected border tale of a good man in bad trouble, there's a touching meditation on the tenacity of life in the face of all odds.

 


CASTLE FREEMAN
Praise for ROUND MOUNTAIN:

"With a palpable sense of place and a gift for terse, comical dialogue, Freeman locates within the backwoods of Vermont all the richness and riotous variety of human behavior."
—Booklist Starred Review

Castle Freeman, Jr. is the author of four novels (including the acclaimed Go With Me), a collection of essays, a major history of 250 years in a Vermont township, two story collections, and several score uncollected stories, essays, and other work set in rural northern New England. His writings have been published in periodicals including many literary magazines, The Old Farmer's Almanac, Yankee Magazine, Vermont Life Magazine, and The Atlantic Monthly. He lives in Newfane, Vermont with his wife, Alice.

Castle is publishing ROUND MOUNTAIN (previously only available as an ebook) with Concord Free Press In the backwoods towns of ROUND MOUNTAIN, time circles like a winding road. Friends disappear and show up again, older if not wiser. Small incidents-a night of drinking, a robbery, a strange visitor from Canada-loom larger as the decades pass. And over time, the true colors of every man, woman, and child become known to all. Nothing escapes the clear eye of Castle Freeman, Jr., a meticulous master storyteller who knows his territory.Lean and razor-sharp, these dozen stories pack more in Round Mountain than a novel ten times as long. Featuring an introduction by writer Pinckney Benedict.


REBECCA GABLE
Based on the wildly popular board game of the same name designed by Klaus Teuber, Rebecca Gable's latest, THE SETTLERS OF CATAN is a fascinating, action-packed adventure full of surprises and intense character conflict.

The year is 850. In the seas of northern Europe, the small coastal village of Elasund falls prey to marauding neighbors. After their food stores are pillaged, women and children stolen, and livestock destroyed, the villagers are left to barely survive the harsh winter-and contemplate a drastic solution to their recurring hardships: leaving the only land they have ever known.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Elena Stokes, Wunderkind PR elena@wunderkind-pr.com, cell: 917.887.0784


Based on one of the bestselling board games of all time comes THE SETTLERS OF CATAN novel, a sweeping epic that follows the lives of settlers as they face the dangers of a new land

"Settlers' recipe for success is: a well-designed game, devoid of a geeky patina, incubated by early adoption into a nerd culture that has become increasingly mainstream."
—The Atlantic

"Like Monopoly in the Depression, Settlers of Catan is the board game of our time."
—The Washington Post

"[Klaus] sought out the services of not just any hack writer, but one of the better writers in German Historical fiction. Rebecca Gable didn't disappoint. Her characters are both heroic and realistically flawed...Her writing style is quick and action filled...The plot was engrossing, and I found myself forgetting to look for obvious tie-ins to the game."
—Wired.com Geek Dad on Settlers of Catan novel

New York, NY: November 2011: Based on the wildly popular board game of the same name designed by Klaus Teuber, Rebecca Gable's latest , THE SETTLERS OF CATAN (November 15, 2011; an Amazon Crossing original trade paperback; $14.95 print; $9.99 digital) is a fascinating, action-packed historical adventure novel full of surprises and intense character conflict.

The year is 850. In the seas of northern Europe, the small coastal village of Elasund falls prey to marauding neighbors. After their food stores are pillaged, women and children stolen, and livestock destroyed, the villagers are left to barely survive the harsh winter-and contemplate a drastic solution to their recurring hardships: leaving the only land they have ever known.

Foster brothers Candamir and Osmund lead their people on an epic quest to a mythic island home, but without knowledge of exactly where the island is, they must trust the gods to deliver them safely. Lost at sea and set adrift, an extraordinarily violent storm washes them ashore the island famed in pagan lore: Catan.

Time travel more than 1000 years back into a foreign world in THE SETTLERS OF CATAN, a sweeping epic full of intimacy and turmoil peopled with characters you will find easy to either love or hate... because they are so much like us.

About the author:
Rebecca Gable taught Anglo-Saxon language and literature and worked as translator of English and American novels by such authors as Elizabeth George, Neil Gaiman, and Kevin Baker before writing full-time. Her eight historical novels have been international bestsellers, translated into several languages, and in 2006 she was awarded the Sir Walter Scott Prize, Germany's most important award for historical fiction.

The Settlers of Catan, her novelization of the popular board game, is her English-language debut. Rebecca lives with her husband in Mönchengladbach in western Germany. Rebecca is available upon request for interviews about her book.

About THE SETTLERS OF CATAN game

Since its invention in 1995, The Settlers of Catan board game has become the most popular board game since Monopoly or Risk. The game is consistently among the top 10 board game bestsellers and most wished for games on Amazon.

  • Nearly 25 million copies of the game were sold worldwide and last year alone, the game's sales grew 35 percent.
  • The game has over 218,000 fans on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/settlersofcatan
  • Though Settlers of Catan is mainly played by families, it is also popular on college campuses and as a team-bonding activity at companies. In Silicon Valley, it has become a necessary social skill among entrepreneurs and venture capitalists; some executives call it "the new golf."
  • Five years ago, there were 100 entrants in the Settlers of Catan US Championship. This year, there are 10 to 15 times that number, spread across 32 qualifying events. Next year, that number is expected to double to 64 events.

The author-Rebecca Gable, and Guido Teuber-Managing Director of Catan Inc. are both available for interview.

Please contact Elena Stokes, Wunderkind PR, cell: 917-887-0784, email: elena@wunderkind-pr.com to book an interview with Rebecca or Guido or to request a review copy of THE SETTLERS OF CATAN.

THE SETTLERS OF CATAN by Rebecca Gable
On-Sale Date: 11/15/2011; Historical Fiction
An Amazon Crossing original trade paperback, $14.95
Also available digitally for $9.99; Page Count: 616 pages; ISBN: 978-1611090819

 

ANDREI GELASIMOV

Andrei Gelasimov studied foreign languages at the Yakutsk State University and directing at the Moscow Theater Institute. His story "A Tender Age," which he published on the Internet, won critical acclaim as Best Debut in Russia and went on to garner the Apollon-Grigorev, as well as the Booker Student prize, and was nominated for the Belkin prizes as well. His novel The Gods of the Steppe, forthcoming from AmazonCrossing, won the 2009 Russian National Bestseller literary award.

Masterfully translated from its original Russian by award-winning translator Marian Schwartz, THIRST (An AmazonCrossing tpb; 11/22/11) tells the story of 20-year-old Chechen war veteran, Kostya. Kostya's face has been maimed to the point that it looks like a piece of meat, his wounds inflicted just before he escaped from a flaming tank. Now, he spends weeks on end locked inside his apartment, his sole companion the vodka bottles spilling from the refrigerator and stacked in towers on his counters, the bathroom floor, and his clothes hamper. But soon Kostya's comfortable, if dysfunctional, cocoon is torn open for good when he receives a visit from his army buddies who are mobilized to find their missing comrade, Seryoga. This new adventure results in Kostya reconnecting with his own estranged family, where he is forced to come to terms with a loss that has shaped him perhaps even more profoundly than losing his features.

  • You can buy THIRST from Amazon here

 


JOHN GIVENS
John Givens was a Peace Corps Volunteer in South Korea, studied art and language in Kyoto, and worked in Tokyo as a writer and editor. Givens also worked as creative director for digital design studios in NYC and San Francisco. Givens has published three novels: Sons of the Pioneers, A Friend in the Police, and Living Alone. A short story collection, The Plum Rains, was published in Ireland last year. Givens' s

hort stories have appeared in Kyoto Journal, Mississippi Review, Necessary Fiction, Wag's Revue, Word Riot, Drunken Boat, Eclectica, Cerise Press, Asia Literary Review, and other journals. Givens' non-fiction includes Irish Walled Towns, as well as essays and book reviews. Givens lives out on the wet and windy Howth peninsula north of Dublin Bay and teaches fiction writing at the Irish Writers' Centre.

A FRIEND IN THE POLICE, by John Givens

A middle-aged American businessman arrives in an unnamed Southeast Asian country to retrieve his wayward son. George Bates finds himself confronted by a climate and culture more bizarre than he could have anticipated, and by the mysterious Detective Sergeant Xlong, whose own background is even more tangled than the American's-and whose fecund language reflects the lush ambiguity of the tropical rain forest. Bates is soon lost in a complex, hallucinatory world that resembles a rewrite of The Heart of Darkness by Franz Kafka.

A Friend in the Police is often spoken of by veteran authors as the book they wish they had written. Newly revised by the author, this Concord ePress ebook is the first widely available edition of an admired cult novel.

 

KRISTIN HANNAH
Kristin was born in September 1960 in Southern California and grew up at the beach, making sand castles and playing in the surf. When she was eight years old, her father drove her family to Western Washington where they called home.

After working in a trendy advertising agency, she decided to go to law school. "But you're going to be a writer" are the prophetic words she will never forget from her mother. She was in her third-and final-year of law school and her mom was in the hospital, facing the end of her long battle with cancer. Kristin was shocked to discover that her mother believed she would become a writer. For the next few months, the two collaborated on the worst, most clichéd historical romance ever written.

After her mom's death, she packed up all those bits and pieces of paper they'd collected and put them in a box in the back of her closet. She got married and continued practicing law.

Then she found out she was pregnant, but was on bed rest for five months. By the time she'd read every book in the house and started asking her husband for cereal boxes to read, she knew she was a goner. That's when her darling husband reminded her of the book she'd started with her mom. She pulled out the boxes of research material, dusted them off and began writing. By the time her son was born, she'd finished a first draft and found an obsession.

The rejections came, of course, but each one really just spurred Kristin to try harder, work more. In 1990, she got "the call," and in that moment, Kristin went from a young mother with a cooler-than-average hobby to a professional writer, and she has never looked back. In all the years between then and now, she has never lost her love of, or her enthusiasm for, telling stories. Kristin feels truly blessed to be a wife, a mother, and a writer.

Praise for HOME FRONT:

"HOME FRONT heart-wrenching portrayal of one veteran's trials points out how much training goes into preparing for war - and how little is done to teach returning soldiers how to be parents again."
—PEOPLE magazine

"Complex, captivating characters. A timely, dynamic plot. Gorgeous prose. Kristin Hannah's HOME FRONT is a deeply emotional must-read you won't soon forget."
—USA Today

"This new offering after a string of best-sellers is sure to garner a lot of attention, not only because of Hannah's track record with readers but also because of its heartrending and timely subject matter."
—Booklist

"Readers of HOME FRONT may not know what it's like to have a loved one in the military, but they can likely relate to the idea of a relationship in trouble and the challenges of juggling career with family."
—Associated Press

 

HALLGRIMUR HELGASON

Hallgrimur Helgason was born in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1959. He started out as an artist, showing his work in several galleries of both New York and Paris, where he lived in the late eighties and early nineties. He made his debut as a novelist in 1990 and gained international attention with his third novel, 101 Reykjavik ("Imagine if Henry Miller had written Tropic of Cancer on crack instead of wine."-Tim Sandlin), which was made into a film starring Victoria Abril.

In 2001 Helgason received the Icelandic Literary Prize for The Author of Iceland. He has twice been nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize, with 101 Reykjavik in 1999, and Stormland in 2007. A film based on the latter was released in early 2011. THE HITMAN'S GUIDE TO HOUSECLEANING (An AmazonCrossing tpb; 1/24/12) is his only novel written in English. It was published in Iceland in 2008, in the author's own translation, and became a bestseller in Germany in 2010. A father of three, Hallgrimur divides his time between Reykjavik and Hrísey Island.

Toxic is a hit man with 66 kills under his belt. Now on the run from the FBI, this clever "sinner" must pose as a renowned televangelist and convince the "saints" who host him that he is exactly like they are. And while by any standards Toxic is a much different breed than the pure white preachers who give him room and board it starts to appear that they are more similar than either side might want to admit. In THE HITMAN'S GUIDE TO HOUSECLEANING Helgason cunningly blurs the line between criminals and holy men, nationalism and personal identity, apathy and passion.

Praise for THE HITMAN'S GUIDE TO HOUSECLEANING:

"... THE HITMAN'S GUIDE TO HOUSECLEANING, <Helgason's> novel released by Amazon Crossing, is every bit as good as Josh Bazell's 2009 Beat the Reaper released by Reagan Arthur Books. Every bit as good ... Helgason's novel is damn good, so good that I want to tell other people about it."
—Bethanne Patrick of Book Riot

 

PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY

**look out for Patti's new smart phone app coming out April 15, 2012. The app will feature beautiful wildflowers you can purchase and send to loved ones along with special messages.

 

Praise for COMING UP FOR AIR:

"A beautiful, emotionally engrossing story about marriage and motherhood, loss and longing."
—Emily Giffin, New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed

"Lyrical and moving...Patti Henry's luminous storytelling shines through once again."
—Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of Deep Dish and The Fixer Upper

"An affecting Southern tale about second chances and banishing the ghosts of regret. Romantic storytelling at its simple best."
—Kirkus Starred Review

 

Patti Callahan Henry is hailed as a fresh new voice in southern fiction. She has been short-listed for the Townsend Prize for Fiction and has twice been nominated for the Southeastern Independent Booksellers Fiction Novel of the Year. She is a frequent speaker at luncheons, book clubs, and women's groups where she discusses the importance of storytelling.

 

The New York Journal of Books, called her latest novel COMING UP FOR AIR, now available from St. Martin's Press, "(a) heart wrenching novel (that) not only touches the innermost core of our emotions, but also addresses our evolution beyond that core to our own, custom-made life-the one we get after we have examined our pasts well enough to claim our present and our future as we see fit."

Wunderkind PR also had the pleasure of working with Patti on her recent novel from Vanguard, THE PERFECT LOVE SONG, a heartwarming holiday tale about second chances, about the hope for redemption-and about the choices one makes in life that may close one door, but open another. Callahan Henry is also the New York Times bestselling author of six novels: Losing the Moon, Where the River Runs, When Light Breaks, Between the Tides, The Art of Keeping Secrets, and Driftwood Summer.

ABOUT AND THEN I FOUND YOU

Kate Vaughan is no stranger to tough choices.

She's made them before. Now it's time to do it again.

Kate has a secret, something tucked away in her past. And she's getting on with her life. Her business is thriving. She has a strong relationship with her family, and a devoted boyfriend whom she wants to love with all her heart. If Kate had ever made a list, Rowan would fill the imagined boxes of a perfect mate. But she wants more than the perfect on paper relationship; she wants a real and imperfect love. That's why, when Kate discovers the small velvet box hidden in Rowan's drawer, she panics.

It always happens this way. Just when Kate thinks she can love, just when she believes she can conquer the fear, she's filled with dread. And she wants more than anything to make this feeling go away. But how?

When the mistakes have been made and the running is over, it's time to face the truth. Kate knows this. She understands that a woman can never undo what can never be undone. Yet, for the first time in her life she also knows that she won't fully love until she confronts those from her past. It's time to act.

Can she do it? Can she travel to the place where it all began, to the one who shares her secret? Can the lost ever become found?

And Then I Found You gives new life to the phrase "inspired by a true story." By travelling back to a painful time in her own family's history, author Patti Callahan Henry explores the limits of courage, and the price of a selfless act.

"AND THEN I FOUND YOU is as authentic as it is riveting and ultimately unforgettable. Your past will find you--and it can change your life. I think it's the most soulful book she's ever written."
--Dorothea Benton Frank, author of "Porch Lights

""In "And Then I Found You" Patti Callahan Henry explores the labyrinth of a woman's heart--mother, daughter, sister, friend, lover. Moving and beautifully written."
--Mary Alice Monroe, author of "Beach House Memories"

"Patti Callahan Henry has a singular gift----she can connect her characters so deeply to the natural world. She leads Katie Vaughn by moonlight, with a touch as light and deft as a white feather, unafraid to plunge her into the deepest sorrows so that she can emerge changed and beautiful. You can't help but root for Katie. AND THEN I FOUND YOU is Henry at her best, brimming with heart and compassionate wisdom."
--Joshilyn Jackson, "New York Times" bestselling author of "A Grown Up Kind of Pretty

""Patti Callahan Henry asks the big, equivocal questions about what it means to be a mother, a child, a family, and the answers she finds in AND THEN I FOUND YOU will surprise you, provoke you, and rearrange your heart."
--Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of "The Deep End of the Ocean" and "What We Saw at Night"

"A touching story"
--"Kirkus"

  • Buy AND THEN I FOUND YOU on Amazon here.

ABOUT THE PERFECT LOVE SONG

In The Perfect Love Song, Callahan Henry tells the story of Jimmy Sullivan, who has been living on the road with his brother, Jack, and their band The Unknown Souls. The road is Jimmy’s only home and music his only savior until he falls in love with a beautiful girl, Charlotte Carrington. Spending time with Charlotte inspires Jimmy to write a love song for her, which becomes an overnight sensation and is dubbed “The Perfect Love Song.”

As Jimmy finds himself caught up in the desire for fame and fortune, the genuine lyrics of the song are overshadowed by his career ambitions. He begins to lose touch with Charlotte and makes a decision to miss his brother’s wedding in Ireland for a chance to put on a show in New York City.

But on Christmas Eve Jimmy comes to a crossroads: Will he finally get the chance to perform on one of the biggest stages of his career?—or will he find his way back to his family, to Ireland…and to the love of his life, Charlotte?

"This is a heartwarming story of love, pain, and redemption. Irish proverbs supplement the beginning of several chapters, adding to a mystical touch in the writing. Each of the complex characters work together to create a cohesive whole, much like pieces to a puzzle. All this, added to the vivid descriptions of the Southern country where the brothers grew up as well as the lush Irish landscape really help place the reader right in the story."
--Nancy Carty Lepri, NY Journal of Books

"I fell in love with both Patti Callahan Henry and her work. The Perfect Love Song is a lyrical and heartwarming tale of love and forgiveness. Patti takes you to those places in the heart you didn't even know you wanted to go."
--Pat Conroy, New York Times bestselling author of The Prince of Tides and South of Broad

“Patti Callahan Henry's The Perfect Love Song is a wonderfully romantic and inspiring novel about love and redemption that sings with emotional truth. An essential read by a master storyteller.”
--Emily Giffin, New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed

“This heartwarming story of love and pain is written in narrative, as though the reader is outside looking in. Irish proverbs supplement the beginning of several chapters, adding to a mystical touch in the writing. Vivid descriptions of the Southern country where the brothers grew up as well as the lush Irish geography really help place the reader right in the story.”
--Library Journal, starred review

 


CHRISTOPHER HERZ
From selling his books on the streets of New York City, to having his first novel, The Last Block in Harlem, published and read across the globe, Christopher Herz has not taken the traditional literary route. His latest novel, PHARMACOLOGY, available now from AmazonEncore, captures the voice of the internet generation with style, heart, and soul with vibrant characters and razor-sharp dialogue.

Set in San Francisco in 1993, Pharmacology follows Sarah Striker as she is recruited by an advertising agency to be the face of a new drug for the young, hip, counterculture fringe. But Sarah begins to question the side effects of the products she's pushing, and publishes an underground 'zine to expose the secrets behind the pharmaceutical industry's aims...until she realizes that she herself is perilously close to becoming a victim of this new corporate world. A kinetic, hyper-stylized jolt of pure energy akin to Chuck Palahniuk's, Herz delivers a strong follow up to his debut novel.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Elena Stokes, Wunderkind PR elena@wunderkind-pr.com, cell: 917.887.0784

Cara Selick, Wunderkind PR cara@wunderkind-pr.com, cell: 201.755.6927

Pharmacology: Side effects may include an open mind

"Set in 1993 amid the dawning of email technology and America's pharmaceutical revolution, Herz's (The Last Block in Harlem, 2010) energetic novel examines the parallels between fringe culture and family devotion. ...Sarah's hip, frenetic narration evokes her friends' carefree, drug-fueled lifestyle...Herz's social observations are often keen and apt."
—Booklist

"Pharmacology is a story about loneliness and deception, about human interaction and human dependency, it is a book about love and about perceptions of reality. It is a book about searching - searching for your place in the world, searching for answers, searching for love, searching for life's meaning. ..Pharmacology is urban fiction with an edge, it paints a view of the city of San Francisco not usually seen by the tourist or even most of its dwellers. It walks us into a world of characters that do not fit the mold and are accepting of each other's limitations, and shows us the world through their eyes and their motivations. It does not demonize the sub-culture but rather humanizes it - these are multi-layered characters defined by the sum of their parts and not by a single characteristic or trait...Pharmacology is a must read... This is a book you will not want to miss, it is a book about a generation and a way of life. It is a surprising and enlightening book that will stay with you. And the ending will haunt you."
—Flair

New York, NY: November 10, 2011: A kinetic, hyper-stylized jolt of pure energy reminiscent of Chuck Palahniuk, Christopher Herz's new novel, PHARMACOLOGY (AmazonEncore, December 6, 2011; $14.95 print; $9.99 digital), is the perfect read for anyone who has ever struggled to find their place in a world where perception often outweighs reality.

In PHARMACOLOGY, Herz delves into the seedy underworld of the digital age. Through the eyes of Sarah Striker, we find out that there's more to advertising products from pharmaceutical companies than simply telling the truth about benefits and side effects...

But PHARMACOLOGY is about much more than pharmaceutical companies or even the digital age; it is also about human nature and how we move through our lives everyday reporting to jobs that often swallow up our lives."Whether you work in a sex dungeon, coffee shop, internet start up, or for a chimney sweep - It's all just a job," says Herz. "Get up, go to work, get paid. It's what that job does to the human inside of us that I want to explore."

Herz handsold copies of his first novel on the streets of Manhattan

When Christopher Herz wrote his first novel, The Lack Block in Harlem, he was working in advertising. But he quickly left that world behind him for something a little more out of the box: literally walking the streets of Manhattan selling copies of his book.

Every day, Herz would take ten copies of his novel, carry them down the steps of his fourth-story walkup, and take to the streets, promising not to return to his walkup until they had all been sold. He always kept to his promise.

Herz's grassroots concept of selling his book to one reader at a time caught the attention of Publishers Weekly, who wrote a piece on his unique bookselling story, and eventually piqued the interest of Amazon's new publishing imprint AmazonEncore. They recognized not only an author who had a great story about bookselling, but who could put pen to paper and create a great story for readers to enjoy. They gave Herz a home for his next book, PHARMACOLOGY, where he now can have his stories read by a much broader audience than just the people walking within a distance from his own front stoop.

1993. San Francisco. Arriving just before the switch to the digital age, Sarah Striker survives by working odd jobs and developing friendships with the incredibly varied characters she meets. These people and the events of her life become her inspiration for the 'zine she has always wanted to write called Luddite-each issue documenting a different adventure happening to her in the city. However, with Internet companies popping up everywhere, rockabilly boys and girls, hip hop kids, skaters, tattoo folks, and others who exist in the subculture of San Francisco are all turning in their independent ways and cashing in.

Sarah, the ultimate catch for these new companies, goes undercover inside an advertising agency that creates campaigns for pharmacy companies hoping to get a new generation of people hooked on their products. With the information she discovers, she gives her 'zine a boost in readers and gets the word out about what's happening. She's making good money-enough to send cash home to her father to help with his cancer treatments. Everything seems lined up perfectly until she begins to realize that the balance between her two worlds is a difficult one to keep and finds herself on the precipice of falling victim to the new corporate world she is trying so hard to resist...

Booklist on The Last Block in Harlem by Christopher Herz:
" Beautifully evocative of city neighborhoods and the complications of urban gentrification."

Pharmacology by Christopher Herz
AmazonEncore, 224 pages
ISBN-10: 1612181384, ISBN-13: 978-1612181387
Trade Paperback Original: $14.95, Digital: $9.99
National on-sale date: December 6, 2011
Check out Chris on www.Herzwords.com and follow him on twitter @herzwords

For more information about PHARMACOLOGY or to book an interview with Christopher Herz, please contact:
Elena Stokes, Wunderkind PR, elena@wunderkind-pr.com; 917.887.0784
Cara Selick, Wunderkind PR, cara@wunderkind-pr.com; 201.755.6927

 


BARRY HOFFMAN
Former teacher Barry Hoffman wrote The Shamra Chronicles series to provide a positive female role model for students everywhere. He has given away over 10,000 copies of the first book in the series, Curse of the Shamra, to schools and libraries in this spirit, allowing under-funded classrooms to share in the reading experience. The third book in the series, CHAOS UNLEASHED, released 5/10, finds the heroine, Dara, fighting the toughest enemy of all: Chaos.

In addition to writing The Shamra Chronicles, Barry has written many novels for adults, is well-known as the publisher and editor of Gauntlet magazine, and his Gauntlet Press produces editions of classic books the way their authors intended them. Although he has lived in Colorado since 2004, he still considers himself a New Yorker at heart.

Young Adult Author Barry Hoffman Continues to Donate Books to Schools Nationwide:
Books given away to date: 11,145!

New York, NY: Barry Hoffman believes that adolescent and teenage girls need to read books where there are positive role models with which they can identify. He has written all three Shamra Chronicles young adult novels-Curse of the Shamra, Shamra Divided, and Chaos Unleashed -with the hope that girls will latch onto Dara as an independent, increasingly mature young woman, rather than reading novels where the main female character is submissive and subject to the whims of the boy over which she obsesses.

"Dara is given little voice or respect by her own people, but when life is turned upside down, she steps up and ascends to a leadership role with courage, vision, and hope," Barry explains. "I think girls need role models like Dara." Barry feels that it is equally important for teen boys to have these examples of strong young females in their lives.

Moved by the students he taught for thirty years in the inner-city classrooms of Philadelphia, Barry wanted to give back to his students and find a way to bring stories of strong women into the classroom despite the cutbacks that made it hard to purchase new books for the classroom.

Inspired by President Obama's "United We Serve" campaign to give back to the community in 2009, Barry set out to donate 10,000 copies of his young adult novel Curse of the Shamra to schools and other educational institutions nationwide in an effort to advance literacy among the underprivileged.

So far, Barry has provided copies to thousands of young readers in classrooms (75% of them Title I schools), homeless shelters, Native American reservations, libraries, military families, Girl Scouts and other organizations with a Young Adult audience, emergency groups, and individual homes in low-income areas across the country; his contributions so far total over $160,000 in classroom resources . He has already surpassed his 10,000 giveaway goal, donating 11,145 copies of The Shamra Chronicles to date!

Hoffman views his contribution as a way to expand academic resources in a time when many schools nationwide are experiencing devastating cutbacks both in personnel and classroom resources, especially schools in low-income areas.

Barry also conducted an Author in Residence program in 2009 and 2010 at classrooms in Colorado. The students all received free copies of Curse of the Shamra, and Barry led weekly discussions about characters, plot developments, choices made and their consequences, along with discussing critical thinking and writing skills. The project culminated with student projects and essays.

Here's what educators and parents have to say about Barry's giveaway program:
"Thanks for your generous response! Here at Weeks Middle School (alas, like many schools) we are accustomed to doing a lot with very little in the way of materials. When one is offered a classroom set of FREE materials (which is VERY rare), one is hesitant to push one's luck. And having the kids KEEP the books??? ...what a radical and welcome concept!!! ...virtually unheard of in this profession!"
—Robert Klimowski, Weeks Middle School

"The package arrived today!! Brooke was thrilled!! She really loved that you signed the book! She said 'Wow I must be famous too!!' Again thank you so much! You have just made her so happy. Most kids go to Walmart and want toys — you take Brooke she wants books!"
—Denise, on behalf of her daughter, Brooke

"I wanted to read this book before I allowed any of my students to read it and I absolutely LOVED it!!The whole adventure was very captivating and the whole "girl power" was great! The whole plot kept me interested in what was going to happen next and I can't wait to read the next edition... I do appreciate your work and you have just acquired a new fan!!"
—Marci Heaton, Educator

"(We) loved Dara's story and courage. The embedded messages of empowerment and change really struck home for our small town. I believe many youth will be talking about your Shamra soon and that their small world will be a model for all who cling to the past without looking for the good the future has to offer."
—Vicki Bleak, Title 1 Educator, Camp Verde Schools

If you are a school or special group interested in being considered for the book giveaway, please email author Barry Hoffman at info@gauntletpress.com and provide the following information in your query:
•Name of Organization
•Address of Organization
•Website (if applicable)

  • Contact Person
  • Mailing address
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • A brief explanation of the purpose of your organization
  • A brief explanation why your organization should be eligible for the free books, and what you plan to do with the books you receive.

 


PAUL HOFFMAN
Paul Hoffman, author of The Wisdom of Crocodiles, which was made into a film starring Jude Law, introduced The Left Hand of God Trilogy in 2010. The second book in the trilogy, THE LAST FOUR THINGS, available now from Dutton, once again follows Thomas Cale, now charged with the ultimate task of destroying mankind in order to undo God's greatest mistake.

Paul Hoffman studied English at New College, Oxford before becoming a senior film censor at the British Board of Film Classification. He lives in the United Kingdom.

Contact Elena Stokes, elena@wunderkind-pr.com

For immediate release

What if the Wrath of God could be contained in one person destined to decimate the world? And what if this person was a mere boy of fifteen?

When Dutton preempted Paul Hoffman's The Left Hand of God in 2009, it sparked an auction frenzy-twenty international publishers purchased the trilogy overnight. A runaway UK bestseller, The Left Hand of God introduced readers to the dark spiritual world of the Redeemers. Sold off to this religious sect by his own parents, Thomas Cale knew no love or generosity, trained by the Lord Militant to kill efficiently and without remorse. Why he saved a girl from certain death at the hands of a deranged Redeemer is anyone's guess, but in doing so, he set a plot in motion which led him to love, betrayal and, ultimately, bitter disappointment.

In THE LAST FOUR THINGS (Dutton: August 4th), Thomas Cale will lead the Redeemers into an epic battle for nothing less than the fate of the human race. And though his broken heart foretells the bloody trail he will leave in pursuit of a personal peace he can never achieve, a glimmer of hope remains. When it comes time to decide the fate of the world, will Cale choose to express God's will on the edge of his sword? Or will Cale find it in his black heart to forgive his fellow man-and himself?

Much of this trilogy was inspired by the author's own life, which he quips is "like a realistic fairy tale or bad Hollywood film." Born in a house with no running water, Paul Hoffman grew up as the impoverished son of immigrants and saw his first violent death at the age of four.

Later, Hoffman was enrolled at a severe Catholic boarding school. What he learned could barely be considered an education-the school closing when he was sixteen, leaving him without academic qualifications of any kind-but it would later provide him with the foundation for the theology of The Sanctuary and the brutality of The Redeemers. With its distant beauties and arrogant young men, the exotic city of Memphis in the trilogy mirrors Hoffman's own experience at Oxford. He considers himself to be the worst qualified student ever to be awarded a place there.

About The Left Hand of God, the Onion wrote: "[the book] is tempered by a sly wit, complex characters, and a narrative engine that grinds all objections to dust." In THE LAST FOUR THINGS Hoffman builds on this unyielding momentum, deftly blending epic fantasy and science fiction with a gritty, unrelenting realism.

 

 

ALISON LITTLEWOOD

Alison Littlewood was raised in Penistone, South Yorkshire, and went on to attend the University of Northumbria at Newcastle (now Northumbria University). Originally she planned to study graphic design, but “missed the words too much” and switched to a joint English and History degree. She followed a career in marketing before developing her love of writing fiction.

A Cold Season, from Jo Fletcher Books, was Alison’s first novel. It was selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club, where it was described as “perfect reading for a dark winter’s night.” Her second novel, Path of Needles – a dark blend of fairy tales and crime fiction – has recently been shortlisted for a British Fantasy Award. Her third, The Unquiet House, is a ghost story set in the Yorkshire countryside and has been shortlisted for a Shirley Jackson Award. A sequel to A Cold Season, named A Cold Silence, has recently been published, along with a Zombie Apocalypse! world novel, Acapulcalypse Now.

Alison’s short stories have been picked for Best British Horror, The Best Horror of the Year and The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror anthologies, as well as The Best British Fantasy 2013 and The Mammoth Book of Best British Crime 10. Other publication credits include the anthologies Terror Tales of the Cotswolds, Where Are We Going? and the charity anthology Never Again. She won the 2014 Shirley Jackson Award for Short Fiction.

Alison now lives in a house of crooked walls and creaking doors in deepest Yorkshire, with her partner Fergus and Dalmatians called Dexter and Vesper.

 ABOUT COLD SEASON

After the battlefront death of her husband, a soldier, in the sands of the Middle East, a distraught Cass decides to move to the bucolic village of Darnshaw--a place she once knew and loved--with her teenaged son, with the hope that a change in scenery will be just the thing to help her family heal. But the locals aren't as friendly as she had hoped and the Internet connection isn't as reliable as her work requires. Ben begins to display an uncharacteristic hostility. A blizzard strikes Darnshaw, marooning it in a sea of snow, and Cass begins to despair. She finds a sympathetic ear in the person of her son's substitute teacher. But his attentions can't put to rest her growing anxiety about her son and her business. And soon, she finds herself pitted against dark forces she can barely comprehend. The cold season has begun.

"[Alison Littlewood's A Cold Season] was a career defining masterpiece that exuded chills and almost. . . hurt, in a frightening way. Hands down one of the year's greatest novels, it was the perfect debut and the ideal introduction to a welcoming worldwide audience... . [She] may have had the most impact on the genre this year."
?Matt Molgaard, Horror Novel Reviews

"A dark and disturbing tale from a bold new voice in horror writing"
?Mark Frauenfelder,BoingBoing

"A thick layer of snow hides the sins of a creepy rural village in Alison Littlewood's chilly debut novel . . .an itchy tension-cranker of parental paranoia."
?SFX

"Littlewood's fiction is set in a world where the possible and the improbable rub shoulders, and strange stuff creeps through the gaps in out of the way places. She is the real deal, a writer with a unique vision."
?TTA Press

"The novel builds a real sense of foreboding and dread, which creates a chilling reading experience for fans of demonic and religious horror."
?Library Journal

"This is a very spooky story. . . Disturbing."
?Daily Express

"What makes this novel such an astounding success, is it's as heart breaking as it is frightening, and it's guaranteed to leave an unrelenting knot in the belly.... gripping piece of fiction that draws the emotions of the genre fan taut, and completely tears at the fibers of those who also happen to be parents. . . When it comes to debut novels, Littlewood offers forth a masterpiece that stakes immediately claim as one of 2013's finest."
?Horror Novel Reviews

 

SYRIE JAMES
Syrie James loves paranormal romance and all things 19th century. She is also the bestselling author of four critically acclaimed novels: Nocturne, Dracula, My Love, The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen (Best First Novel 2008, Library Journal), and The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë ( 2011 Audie Romance Award; Great Group Read, Women's National Book Association.) The translation rights for Syrie's books have been sold in sixteen languages. Syrie is also a screenwriter, a member of the Writer's Guild of America, RWA, and a life member of the Jane Austen Society of North America.

Syrie's latest novel, FORBIDDEN, released January 24th, 2012, was co-written with her son, RYAN M. JAMES, and was the duo's first foray into YA Paranormal Romance. Aside from being Syrie's firstborn, Ryan M James has co-written two screenplays, directed an independent feature, and created the machinima webseries A Clone Apart. By day he works as an editor for the video game industry in Santa Monica, most recently on Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Game of the Year 2009) and Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. Under cover of night, he conjures stories for print, screen, and web as a member of the Writers Guild of America. He and his wife live in Los Angeles about a stone's throw away from Syrie.

Syrie & Ryan both welcome visitors to their websites, www.syriejames.com & www.ryanmjames.com, and invite you to follow them on whatever social media you prefer.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Elena Stokes, Wunderkind PR elena@wunderkind-pr.com, cell: 917.887.0784

Cara Selick, Wunderkind PR
cara@wunderkind-pr.com, cell: 201.755.6927

She should not exist. He should not love her.

"BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN. Romantic and filled with delicious tension. Forbidden enchants!"
-Sophie Jordan, author of Firelight

"Quite effective paranormal suspense and intense-but-quixotic high-school romance...
Genre addicts will enjoy it."
-Kirkus Reviews

Bestselling author Syrie James (well known as the author of Nocturne, The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte, and Dracula, My Love) has teamed up with her son, Ryan M. James to write a thrilling new YA paranormal romance novel: FORBIDDEN (on sale: February 2012; HarperTeen; $8.99).

Syrie James on writing with her son, Ryan:

"Ryan is extremely talented and imaginative, and had always been a voracious reader, but he'd never written a book before. However, in his work as an editor in the video game industry, he was a storyteller by profession. And for years, Ryan had been giving me such detailed, perceptive, and incredibly insightful notes on every book I'd ever written, that I had learned to never turn in a manuscript without first addressing his feedback.

When I came up with the initial idea for FORBIDDEN, and Ryan suggested we write it together, I was intrigued. We had enjoyed collaborating on two screenplays, but we'd been in different physical locations and the only way I was willing to co-write a book was if we actually sat together in the same room and wrote. I wondered: could we pull it off? If so, how and when?

Suddenly, the timing to write FORBIDDEN appeared as if by magic. I had turned in the manuscript of Dracula, My Love and had an opening in my schedule. Ryan's employer closed down operations, and he had the promise of a terrific new job that wouldn't start for six months, giving him a window to work with me. We decided to go for it!

Claire Brennan has spent her entire life wondering who her father is, and why her paranoid, "hippie" mom insists on moving every year or two. Who-or what-are they running from? Desperate to stay at the high school she loves, Claire hides the fact that she's started getting psychic visions that seem to predict the future-especially when the visions take a darker turn, warning Claire that her own life is in danger.

Alec MacKenzie is new at Emerson Academy, and on the outside he seems like a shy, slightly awkward guy with a charming Scottish accent. In reality, Alec is an angelic watcher, whose exhausting duties occasionally include eliminating the wayward descendants of his forefathers. He chose Emerson Academy as the ideal hiding place where he could escape and just be normal. What he hadn't planned on was falling deeply in love with Claire, who is a half angel, and whose very existence is forbidden.

When it becomes plain that Claire's life is on the line and her relationship with Alec is forbidden, they are faced with a terrible choice. .. How much will they risk to stay together?

More Praise for FORBIDDEN:

"Look out, Alyson Noel. Make Way, Becca Fitzpatrick. Heads up, Lauren Kate. There is a spectacular new Young Adult writing team on the horizon!...Full of intrigue, romance and humor...[and] very much about trust, discovery, and love...I was entertained by the inspired prose, witty dialogue, the humorous actions and reactions, and of course, the honest, pure character development...I assure you, I look forward to James and James next installment. This may be written for Young Adults, however, might I also suggest, for the young at heart"
—Austenprose

"Forbidden grabs you from the start and doesn't let go. The writing duo of James and James has created a great ensemble of likable characters."
—The Readiacs

"I love Syrie James, and I love YA. So when I found out she was co-writing a paranormal romance YA novel with her son, I was incredibly excited!...I really loved the story...The book will appeal to more than just YA readers...In short, it was a wonderful book."
—The Broke and the Bookish

"This book is great! It is amazingly written and sucks you right into Claire's world as it gets turned upside down...This is an addictive read. It isn't like the other angel paranormal books out there. This will make you want more more more."
—Beneath the Covers

FORBIDDEN
By Syrie James and Ryan M. James
HarperTeen; $8.99
9780062027894; Ages 13 up
February 2012

 


LINEA AND CINDA JOHNSON
Linea Johnson is a recent graduate from Seattle University, with a major in English and Creative Writing. Linea recently worked as an intern at the World Health Organization in the Mental Health department and is currently a Research Study Assistant at the University of Washington. She is a national speaker and writer, advocating for understanding and support for people with mental illness and the elimination of stigma.

Cinda Johnson, Ed.D., is a professor and director of the special education graduate program at Seattle University. She is also the principal investigator and director of the Center for Change in Transition Services. She is a national leader in the area of transition from high school to post-high school settings for young people with disabilities. She has written articles and book chapters in the area of secondary special education and transition services including youth with emotional and behavioral disorders and mental illnesses.

In PERFECT CHAOS: A Daughter's Journey to Survive Bipolar, a Mother's Struggle to Save Her (A St. Martins Press hc; 5/8/12) their dual memoir about their head-on battle with mental illness, Linea and Cinda Johnson break through the barriers and stigma of what it means to be bipolar, but more importantly, what it takes to survive it. As this mother, daughter and close-knit family take down wall upon wall and face their greatest fears over and over again, we witness the human struggle against a debilitating illness and the ultimate hope and love it takes to beat it.

Praise for PERFECT CHAOS:

"PERFECT CHAOS is an open-eyed, sometimes raw, always astoundingly honest account of a family's unanticipated battle with mental illness. Cinda and Linea's awe-inspiring resilience and the sheer courage of their emotional transparency moved me to my core and deepened my empathy for all those touched by mental illness, including beloved members of my own family. It is about the fierce, transformative love between a mother and daughter and how they both learn to share their truths."
—Glenn Close, Actress and Co-founder, Bring Change 2 Mind

"PERFECT CHAOS is the definition of mental illness. I read most of Cinda and Linea's words with tears in my eyes. Living with bipolar disorder myself I didn't find one untrue word, not one exaggeration in this exemplary book, only the truth. This brave and honest book will educate people who have little understanding of mental illness and allow those who live with mental illness a knowing that they are not alone. I have a feeling I'll be buying PERFECT CHAOS by the case to distribute to those who don't understand."
—Jessie Close, Co-founder, Bring Change 2 Mind

"A remarkable story about remarkable women. Linea and Cinda brilliantly light a path to hope, understanding, and acceptance as they smash through the stigma of brain illness. Be inspired by the strong voice they give to patients, relatives, care-givers, and especially to those unable or afraid to show their wants, needs, and hope for a better future."
—Patrick J. Kennedy, Former US Congressman and Co-Founder, One Mind for Research

"PERFECT CHAOS is as much a map as it is a memoir, a powerful resource for families and individuals navigating the confusing and painful world of bipolar and mental illness. The dual-narrative of mother and daughter allows for twice the insight and inspiration. From the giddiness of mania, to the crushing depression and yearning to end it all, Linea captures the experience of being bipolar with raw honesty and a fresh voice. Cinda's passages illuminate her life on the sidelines, alternately feeling determined and unshakable or heartbroken and helpless. Her refusal to give up on her daughter, and Linea's will to live, resulted in Perfect Chaos, a brave and realistic, yet life-affirming message of hope to families and individuals living with mental illness."
—Claire Fontaine and Mia Fontaine, authors of Come Back: A Mother and Daughter's Journey through Hell and Back

"PERFECT CHAOS is an important gift to those of us who love someone with a mental disorder. A daughter diagnosed with bipolar disorder and her determined mother take us on their often-painful journey to recovery, giving readers a penetrating look into what happens when mental illnesses strike. This inspirational book teaches us the importance of determination, resilience, love and HOPE. It is a testament to the human spirit that refuses to be defeated by a brain disorder — a must read."
—Pete Earley, author of CRAZY: A Father's Search Through America's Mental Health Madness, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize

 

 

ROBERT JORDAN/BRANDON SANDERSON

Robert Jordan began writing in 1977 and went on to write The Wheel of Time®, one of the most important and best selling series in the history of fantasy publishing with over 14 million copies sold in North America, and over 30 million copies worldwide.

Tor's beloved author, Robert Jordan, died on September 16, 2007, after a courageous battle with the rare blood disease amyloidosis, when the conclusion to the series was only partially written. Brandon Sanderson, the New York Times bestselling author of the acclaimed first novel Elantris, the Mistborn trilogy, the middle grade "Alcatraz" series and Warbreaker was chosen by Jordan's editor-his wife, Harriet McDougal-to complete the series based on the notes and materials left behind and to continue Jordan's legacy.

THE GATHERING STORM, the long awaited next novel in The Wheel of Time series, was published in October 2009 and was met with great critical acclaim and hit the #1 position on The New York Times bestseller list, temporarily dethroning Dan Brown. To join other WOT fans in conversation check out www.dragonmount.com or to learn more about Brandon, visitwww.brandonsanderson.com.

For immediate release:
Contact: Elena Stokes, Wunderkind PR; elena@wunderkind-pr.com; cell: 917.887.0784

Fans chosen to become Storm Leaders as #1 New York Times Bestselling Wheel of Time® fever sweeps the nation

New York, NY: Wednesday, October 14, 2009: Wunderkind PR today announced that a group of "Storm Leaders" has finally been selected to head up The Gathering Storm tour from a pool of over five hundred applicants.

The Storm Leaders program comes out of the strong fan community that has grown for almost two decades to meet and discuss-online and in person-the incredible novels of The Wheel of Time series, which has sold over 14 million copies in North America and over 30 million copies worldwide.

The Gathering Storm (A Tor hardcover; $29.99), the long awaited next novel in The Wheel of Time series, goes on-sale October 27th and marks a bittersweet moment for fans, who mourned the passing of beloved author, Robert Jordan, in 2007, when the conclusion to the series was only partially written. Now, Brandon Sanderson, the New York Times bestselling author of the Mistborn novels, who was chosen by Jordan's editor-his wife, Harriet McDougal-to complete the series based on the notes and materials left behind, continues Jordan's legacy and will tour the country to meet with fans.

The hand-selected groups of Storm Leaders are an essential part of this legacy and will head up community outreach in each tour city, interacting on Facebook and gathering fellow Wheel of Time fans for the events, distributing promotional materials, and photographing and blogging about the events afterwards. Storm Leaders will wear limited edition TGS Storm Leader TourTM t-shirts so that they stand out in the crowd-and they will get the chance to meet Brandon and Harriet.

In anticipation of the selection of the highly coveted Storm Leader positions last week, the message boards on the largest Wheel of Time fan site, Dragonmount, filled with posts from Storm Leader hopefuls like Heather J., who worried she might not get selected to help lead the signing in Baltimore and prepared for the worst: matching "Rejected Storm Leader" t-shirts for those who did not get the nod. Today, luckily, she knows her wish has come true; she has been selected a Storm Leader.

Jason Denzel, founder and webmaster of Dragonmount, weighed in on the extraordinary number of Storm Leader applications: "We had an outpouring of applications for the 'Storm Leader' volunteer positions-about five times the number of people we could actually use. It was great to see areas of the country that hadn't been part of the tour before come forward with the most Storm Leader applications. I really enjoy being part of this viral community outreach effort between Wheel of Time fans-and it is a testament to how enduring Jordan's legacy is, even though he is no longer with us."

Jennifer Liang, who chairs JordanCon and helped Jason choose the Storm Leaders, commented on the variety of applicants: "We had a wide range of ages and experience wanting to be involved, from teenagers who organize chess clubs for their high school, to moms who named their children after the characters, to executives who manage million dollar accounts. It's a startling array of people who are fans of this series and want to support Brandon's contribution. It's truly an honor being involved with so many of them."

About The Wheel of Time series:
The previous four books in the series were #1 New York Times bestsellers, and readers have been eagerly awaiting the conclusion to the epic story that first began in 1990. This year saw the launch of The Wheel of Time comic books with The Eye of the World from the Dabel Brothers; the comic book series will be collected and published as graphic novels by Tor Books. A New Spring graphic novel with bonus material is also scheduled to release next year. And Universal Pictures acquired the movie rights to The Wheel of Time in August 2008 and plans to adapt The Eye of the World as the first movie.

About The Gathering Storm:
The Gathering Storm is Book Twelve of The Wheel of Time and the first of three novels to make up the stunning conclusion to the beloved and international bestselling fantasy series that has already been translated into 28 different languages. The novels will bring to a close a journey begun almost twenty years ago and the release of The Gathering Storm is especially memorable because it honors the legacy of a great man and writer.

In The Gathering Storm Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, struggles to unite a fractured network of kingdoms and alliances in preparation for the Last Battle. As he attempts to halt the Seanchan encroachment northward-wishing he could form at least a temporary truce with the invaders-his allies watch in terror the shadow that seems to be growing within the heart of the Dragon Reborn himself.

Key links:
♦ The Gathering Storm: http://us.macmillan.com/thegatheringstorm
♦ Watch video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6apckMB0Ww
♦ Dragonmount: http://www.dragonmount.com/News/
♦ JordanCon: www.jordancon.com

The Gathering Storm
By Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson
A Tor Hardcover/ $29.99/784 pages
ISBN: 0-7653-0230-6
ON-SALE: October 27, 2009


GUY GAVRIEL KAY
Guy Gavriel Kay is a #1 international bestselling author of ten previous novels and an acclaimed collection of poetry, Beyond This Dark House. Kay made his literary debut assisting Christopher Tolkien in the editorial construction of J.R.R. Tolkien's unfinished The Silmarillion.

His work has been translated into over twenty languages and he has been nominated for and has won numerous literary awards including The World Fantasy Award and The Aurora Award. He is also the recipient of the International Goliardos Prize (presented in Mexico City) for his contributions to the literature of the fantastic. Guy Gavriel Kay lives in Toronto. His novel, UNDER HEAVEN, released May 2010, is a powerful and emotionally compelling novel inspired by the glory of Tang Dynasty China in the eighth century.

For Immediate Release:
Contact: Elena Stokes, Wunderkind PR
917-887-0784, elena@wunderkind-pr.com

UNDER HEAVEN, the latest novel from the #1 bestselling author Guy Gavriel Kay, has already received overwhelming praise.

"Kay is a genius. I've read him all of my life and am always inspired by his work. You will love UNDER HEAVEN."
Brandon Sanderson, #1 New York Times Bestselling author

"I loved, loved, loved UNDER HEAVEN. It had everything in it that made me such a fan of [Kay] in the first place. I thought [UNDER HEAVEN] was perfect."
—Nancy Pearl, National Public Radio "Morning Edition"

"Kay delivers an exquisitely detailed vision of a land much like Tang Dynasty China...the complex intrigues of poets, prostitutes, ministers and soldiers evolve into a fascinating, sometimes bloody, and entirely believable tale."
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

UNDER HEAVEN
A Novel by Guy Gavriel Kay

"[Read] anything by Guy Gavriel Kay.... Kay has written a number of standalone novels that take place in alternate worlds with a similar geography and history to our own, and they are all excellent. His strengths are strong characters and fantastic set pieces."
—The New Yorker

UNDER HEAVEN is inspired by the glory of 8th century, Tang Dynasty China. The Chinese empire was at a peak of economic and political power and was drawing influence from the Western world, much as it is today. Vividly drawn are the vast plains, mountain lakes and teeming cities; the political volatility and intrigue of the imperial court; and the unforgettable characters and storytelling we've come to expect from Guy Gavriel Kay.

UNDER HEAVEN is the story of Shen Tai, a man who has just spent two years in the required 'official' mourning for his military hero father. Tai has chosen to do this alone by a remote mountain lake, the site of savage warfare in the past, by taking up the task of laying to rest the bones of dead soldiers from both armies. At the beginning of the novel Tai is given an unbelievably extravagant gift from the 'enemy' court, in recognition of his courage and piety and the honor he has done the dead. The caveat is that he now must embark on the perilous journey back home, a target of potentially murderous jealousy and fear, as someone who may suddenly play a role in the balance of power at a subtle and dangerous court. The reader is introduced to a vibrant cast of characters who each in turn must deal with the repercussions of Tai's return in their own lives.

Guy Gavriel Kay's work has been described as "elegant, sweeping and colorful" (San Francisco Chronicle), "resonant and powerful" (Washington Post Book World), and "wonderfully imaginative" (Publishers Weekly). A #1 bestseller in Canada and an international award-winning author, Kay has often blurred the lines of genre. Like A.S. Byatt who conceives of fantasy as an alternative to-rather than an escape from-everyday life, Kay uses elements of the fantastic to examine themes of history. UNDER HEAVEN, is a grand-scale, emotionally compelling work that evokes a magnificent period through vividly realized characters.

UNDER HEAVEN: A NOVEL
By Guy Gavriel Kay
ROC Hardcover; May 2010; ISBN: 978-0451463302; 512 pp.
www.guygavrielkay.ca
www.brightweavings.com

PRAISE FOR GUY GAVRIEL KAY
"Those who seek lyrically beautiful fiction that is both deeply moving and psychologically complex should find Guy Gavriel Kay's work highly satisfying. His fantasy novels are hidden treasures that, in the guise of genre fiction, will appeal widely to readers who love well-wrought stories like the superlative historical novels of Dorothy Dunnett, the fusion of history and myth in the novels of Mary Renault, or those set in Tolkien's Middle Earth. Kay's work offers a unique fantasy world, one with the ambience and sense of place of a fine historical novel yet one that also mirrors the human complexity, loyalties and conflictsand human evilof our own. This unusual vein of history with a fantasy spin helps Kay to detach readers from their own cultural prejudices, and makes his story themes all the more universal. Kay's fiction is resonant and powerful, almost impossible to put down, satisfying the reader on multiple levels. Books like The Lions of Al-Rassan or Tigana are hard to pigeonhole as "fantasy" because they offer fast-paced adventure, psychological and even historical insight, and evocative and even poetic writing that carries a powerful universal appeal."
—Washington Post Book World

"Wonderfully imaginative...the pieces come together to weave a dazzling tapestry. Solid research, filtered through vibrant prose, serves to convey a sense of how people really lived and died."
—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

"Elegant, sweeping, and colorful...one of those books you wish would never end."
—San Francisco Chronicle

"Bold complex...generously populated, intelligently articulated."
—USA Today

"Guy Gavriel Kay has made a name for himself among readers who love historical fantasy (another term might be alternative histories), but even those who don't consider themselves fantasy readers should take a look at Kay's novels. The characters are all three-dimensional, and their choices and their fates will come to matter deeply to readers. For those who enjoy well-written, well-researched historical fiction, there are few who equal Kay's inspired recreations of the past."
—Nancy Pearl, National Public Radio "Morning Edition"

"As is usual for a Guy Gavriel Kay novel, the research is impeccable and historic details fascinating and seamlessly woven into the unfolding mystery. Best of all as far as I'm concerned is Kay's unselfconsciousness when it comes to writing about love and what people can be driven to do by and for it. He displays his characteristic ability in these situations to make what could be sentimental tripe moments of resplendent beauty. Combined with his matter-of-fact attitude towards the spirit world - it exists to be written about, doesn't it? - and obvious love of the subject matter, this makes Ysabel one of his best works yet."
—Blog Critics

Longer bio for critics:
GUY GAVRIEL KAY is the #1 internationally bestselling author of ten previous novels and an acclaimed collection of poetry, Beyond This Dark House.

Kay was born in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, and raised in Winnipeg. In the 1970's he was retained by the Estate of J.R.R. Tolkien to assist in the editorial construction of Tolkien's posthumously published The Silmarillion. He returned to Canada from Oxford to take a law degree at the University of Toronto and was called to the Bar in Ontario.

Kay became Principal Writer and Associate Producer for the CBC radio series, "The Scales of Justice", dramatizing major criminal trials in Canadian history. He also wrote several episodes when the series later moved to television. He has written social and political commentary for the National Post and the Globe and Mail and for The Guardian in England, and has spoken on a variety of topics at universities and conferences around the world.

In 1984, Kay's first novel, The Summer Tree, the first volume of The Fionavar Tapestry, was published to considerable acclaim in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, and then in a number of countries and languages. In 1990 Viking Canada's edition of his novel Tigana reached the national bestseller list, and his next book A Song for Arbonne debuted at #1 in Canada.

Translations now exceed twenty languages and Kay has toured and read on behalf of his publishers and at literary events in Canada, the United States, England, Poland, France, Russia, Croatia, Serbia, Mexico and Greece, among others, with his next international appearance being slated for June 2010 in Shanghai and Beijing. He has been nominated for and has won numerous literary awards including the World Fantasy Award and is the recipient of the International Goliardos Prize (presented in Mexico City) for his contributions to the literature of the fantastic. Guy Gavriel Kay's work has inspired artists and writers around the world to create original music, verse, and art. Kay lives in Toronto with his wife and sons.

 ABOUT RIVER OF STARS:

Ren Daiyan was still just a boy when he took the lives of seven men while guarding an imperial magistrate. That moment on a lonely road changed his life in entirely unexpected ways, sending him into the forests of Kitai among the outlaws. From there he emerges years later—and his life changes again, dramatically, as he circles toward the court and emperor, while war approaches Kitai from the north.

Lin Shan is the daughter of a scholar, his beloved only child. Educated by him in ways young women never are, gifted as a songwriter and calligrapher, she finds herself living a life suspended between two worlds. Her intelligence captivates an emperor—and alienates women at the court. But when her father’s life is endangered by the savage politics of the day, Shan must act in ways no woman ever has.

In an empire divided by bitter factions circling an exquisitely cultured emperor who loves his gardens and his art far more than the burdens of governing, dramatic events on the northern steppe alter the balance of power in the world, leading to events no one could have foretold, under the river of stars.

“Game of Thrones in China.”
—Salon.com

“From whatever angle you approach it, River of Stars is a major accomplishment, the work of a master novelist in full command of his subject. It deserves the largest possible audience.”
—Washington Post

"Kay has the uncanny ability to depict the grand sweep of historical events through the eyes of those living through them…What’s even more amazing is how through his careful rendering of character and environments we are drawn into this history…River of Stars is an exceptional piece of work."
—Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"With River of Stars, Kay transports readers to a dazzling court and the ravages of war, with language almost impossibly multilayered in its nuance and tone, offering a series of insights that exquisitely build on each other...one of Kay's richest creations to date."
—Huffington Post

"River of Stars is the sort of novel one disappears into, emerging shaken, if not outright changed. A novel of destiny, and the role of individuals within the march of history, it is touched with magic and graced with a keen humanity."
—Globe and Mail

  • Buy RIVER OF STARS on Amazon here.

ABOUT CHILDREN OF THE EARTH AND SKY

From the small coastal town of Senjan, notorious for its pirates, a young woman sets out to find vengeance for her lost family. That same spring, from the wealthy city-state of Seressa, famous for its canals and lagoon, come two very different people: a young artist traveling to the dangerous east to paint the grand khalif at his request—and possibly to do more—and a fiercely intelligent, angry woman, posing as a doctor’s wife, but sent by Seressa as a spy.

The trading ship that carries them is commanded by the accomplished younger son of a merchant family, ambivalent about the life he’s been born to live. And farther east a boy trains to become a soldier in the elite infantry of the khalif—to win glory in the war everyone knows is coming.

As these lives entwine, their fates—and those of many others—will hang in the balance, when the khalif sends out his massive army to take the great fortress that is the gateway to the western world…

“Guy Gavriel Kay has a wonderful talent. He tells stories in an invented world that is so rich in historical echoes that I found myself smiling with pleasure as I heard the echoes, while engrossed in the story. Warmly recommended.”
—Edward Rutherfurd, New York Times bestselling author of Paris: The Novel

“Kay triumphs at creating complex political landscapes and then populating them with characters who make the stakes important and the struggles real. Another magnificent ­history-that-never-was from a master.”
—Library Journal (starred review)

  • You can buy CHILDREN OF THE EARTH AND SKY on Amazon here


J.A. KONRATH
J.A. Konrath is the author of the Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels series that includes Whiskey Sour, Bloody Mary, Rusty Nail, Dirty Martini, Fuzzy Navel and Cherry Bomb. All six titles combine hair-raising scares and suspense with laugh out loud comedy. In a ground-breaking move, readers were able to read his novel, SHAKEN, on the Kindle several months before the book actually became available for the first time in print.

Konrath is an outspoken critic of traditional publishing models. To date, he has sold over 500,000 e-books, and has been featured in articles in Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, and Newsweek as an author who is making a living off of the Kindle.

Joe's been nominated for several awards, including the Anthony, Macavity, Gumshoe, Dagger, and Barry, and has won the Derringer, Bob Kellog, EQMM Reader's Choice, and two Lovie awards.

His blog, A Newbie's Guide to Publishing (jakonrath.blogspot.com), gets several million hits a year.

 

Joe is married, has three children and three dogs (Jack, Herb, and Harry) and currently lives in a suburb of Chicago.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Elena Stokes, Wunderkind PR elena@wunderkind-pr.com, cell: 917.887.0784

J.A. Konrath makes publishing history with SHAKEN, the latest in his fan favorite Jack Daniels series

New York, NY: Monday, January 24, 2011: J.A. Konrath will make publishing history when his new novel, SHAKEN, comes out in trade paperback this February.

Konrath surprised the publishing industry when he announced a new print deal for his seventh novel in the bestselling Jack Daniels series, SHAKEN, with Amazon.com's publishing imprint, AmazonEncore, right before the 2010 Book Expo America conference. Not only did this mark the first time that AmazonEncore was publishing a well known, commercially successful author with an established fanbase, but it is the first time a publisher has decided to "reverse release" a novel, releasing a digital edition of the book months prior to the print edition to drive buzz and print sales.

The Kindle edition of SHAKEN was released first on Oct. 26, 2010 for $2.99 and quickly rose to the top of the Amazon e-book bestseller lists, reaching #9 overall. The trade paperback edition will be released February 2011.

Konrath embraced this first of kind opportunity, experimenting with different creative strategies he had available to him by releasing the e-book first. He created the e-book as a bonus content edition which includes the full text of SHAKEN plus an alternate, chronologically linear version of the book which allows readers to choose their own reading experience.

Bestselling authors such as Tess Gerritsen are raving over SHAKEN: "J.A. Konrath achieves the stupendous feat of blending both a prequel and a sequel in this timeline-hopping thriller, expertly making the pieces click together like an intricate Swiss watch...The pace is frantic, the horrors truly horrifying, and the dialogue will have you laughing out loud even as you're gripping the pages in terror. Konrath is so good, he makes other novelists jealous—and count me as one of them. Five very enthusiastic stars out of five."

Fans will embrace the return of their plucky heroine, Lieutenant Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels, whom they have followed since her debut in Whiskey Sour. Jack has dealt with her fair share of criminals but she may have finally met her match in "Mr. K," the brutal serial killer who has eluded Jack not once, but twice, over the years. Mr. K is the essence of evil, credited with more than two hundred horrific homicides.

Now, on a hot August night, Jack finally gets the chance to face this killer-but she must do so hidden in a secret storage locker, primed to be his next victim. Bound and gagged, the clock ticking down till zero, Jack faces a death more excruciating than anyone's worst imaginings. She has seen Mr. K.'s other victims and she knows how terrible her end will be.

In flashback, Konrath takes us through Jack's life so we see how she ended up at this moment in her life. From her first exposure as a rookie to Mr. K's gruesome killing tactics, through her career-long pursuit of him, we watch Jack grow as a cop, as a woman, and as a friend to her two eccentric colleagues, Harry and Herb. She is a different woman now...but is she good enough to stop a madman?

Novelist J. A. Konrath's trademark blend of suspense and wry humor are on full display in this tense thriller, and fans will relish learning more of Jack's back story while they tear through a gripping tale that will keep them on the edge of their seats.

More Praise for J.A. Konrath and Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels:

"Spend some time with Jack and the people in her life; I can promise you won't regret it."
—Kay Hooper, author of Blood Ties

"Tougher than Kay Scarpetta, smarter than Stephanie Plum, Jacqueline Daniels rocks."
—Alex Kava, author of Damaged

"Excellent smart-mouth thrills... my advice: Take a long sip."
—Lee Child, author of 61 Hours

About AmazonEncore:
AmazonEncore is a publishing imprint of Amazon.com which uses information such as customer reviews on Amazon.com to identify exceptional, overlooked books and authors with more potential than their sales may indicate. Amazon then works with the authors to introduce or re-introduce their books to readers through marketing support and distribution into multiple channels and formats, such as the Amazon.com Books Store, Amazon Kindle Store, and national and independent bookstores via third-party wholesalers.

About the author:
J.A. Konrath is the author of the Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels series that includes Whiskey Sour, Bloody Mary, Rusty Nail, Dirty Martini, Fuzzy Navel , Cherry Bomb and now, SHAKEN. All seven titles combine hair-raising scares and suspense with laugh out loud comedy and are available to purchase in both print and Kindle format on Amazon.com. Konrath has also written under the names Jack Kilborn and Joe Kimball and has
also been nominated for several awards, including the Anthony, Macavity, Gumshoe, Dagger, and Barry, and has won the Derringer, Bob Kellog, EQMM Reader's Choice, and two Lovie awards.

J.A. Konrath is available for interview. Please contact Elena Stokes, Wunderkind PR, cell: 917-887-0784, email: elena@wunderkind-pr.com to book an interview with the author or to request a review copy of SHAKEN.

SHAKEN
Book 7 in the Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels Mysteries
J.A. Konrath
On-Sale Date: 02/22/2011
$ 14.95, Imprint: AmazonEncore
Trade Paperback, Page Count: 304
Mystery/Thriller, ISBN 10: 9781935597216

 


ROBERT KROESE
When Robert Kroese was appointed to be a deacon in his church, the juxtaposition between that role and his writings on MattressPolice.com, his humorous blog centered on absurdist wit, prompted him to create the character of Mercury-an acerbic, anti-establishment angel who is well-meaning but not particularly well-behaved.

This renegade angel was the title character in Rob's first novel, MERCURY FALLS in 2010. Now, Mercury returns to try and stop a crazed billionaire from destroying the universe in the sequel, MERCURY RISES, released October 18, 2011.

Kroese lives in Ripon, California, with his wife and two children. Oh, and it's pronounced "KROO-zee."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Elena Stokes, Wunderkind PR elena@wunderkind-pr.com, cell: 917.887.0784

Cara Selick, Wunderkind PR

cara@wunderkind-pr.com, cell: 201.755.6927

 

Laugh your way through the Apocalypse with MERCURY RISES

The most highly anticipated sequel to Mercury Falls ever published!

 

"Kroese's sharp-witted follow-up will certainly appeal to Mercury Falls fans. The cliff-hanger ending will have readers eagerly anticipating the next installment."
—Booklist on Mercury Rises

"Rarely do I get as excited about a book or an author as I have in recently reading Mercury Rises by Robert Kroese. My favorite type of book is the kind that is both hysterically funny and somehow still deals with big questions and big answers in a way that takes nothing from their importance. Kroese's sequel to his first book - Mercury Falls - is just that story. From the first chapter I was reminded of Lamb: the Gospel According to Biff (Christ's childhood pal) by Christopher Moore.

It is sarcastic, irreverent, and full of heart... Get. This. Book."
—Inciting a Riot on Mercury Rises

"Mercury is an engaging character and his many adventures are uproariously funny. The main character development is first rate. The supporting cast of assorted demons, archangels and others in their settings of cubicle hell and layers of heavenly bureaucracy along with ample helpings of history and biblical lore make for a thoroughly entertaining read."
—Monsters and Critics on Mercury Rises

New York, NY: Monday, October 3, 2011: Can the end of the world be funny? When sarcastic angel Mercury is involved, it sure can! Robert Kroese, author of Mercury Falls, delivers the next hit involving the quick-witted cherub: MERCURY RISES (on sale: October 18, 2011; AmazonEncore; Trade Paperback Original: $14.95, Digital: $9.99.)

In MERCURY RISES, Kroese, a church deacon and founder of mattresspolice.com, an online outlet for absurdist wit, explores some important questions about life and religion...all while adding a dash of humor that has critics comparing him to Douglas Adams and Mel Brooks.

Kroese introduces us to jaded religion reporter Christine Temetri and Mercury, a renegade angel, who have just thwarted two diabolical plots to destroy the world. But their work isn't finished yet: mysterious powers outranking even the Heavenly bureaucracy seem intent on keeping the Apocalypse on track.

Rob Kroese on creating the character of renegade angel Mercury:

"When I was selected to be a deacon in my church, I wanted to beg off, explaining that I was far too immature for such a responsibility, but I realized it wasn't really for me to say.

I felt out of place and over my head and I found myself wondering if angels ever felt this way. Do the angels always know their place and do their jobs unquestioningly, or do they sometimes think to themselves, 'What the hell am I even doing here?'

I started to write a story about an angel named Mercury who does have such thoughts. Mercury knows what his job is, but he wonders if maybe the guy handing out the assignments made a mistake, or whether the guy in charge really knows what's best. Or worse: whether maybe there is no guy in charge.

MERCURY RISES is a tongue-in cheek adventure story that asks some serious - if somewhat impertinent - questions, chief among them being 'Who's really in charge?'"

While the world is plagued by natural disasters and nations prepare for war, crazed billionaire Horace Finch plots to use a secret device hidden beneath the African desert to discover the deepest secrets of the Universe-even if he has to destroy the Universe to do it.

Meanwhile, unassuming FBI investigator Jacob Slater tries in vain to find a rational explanation for the mysterious destruction of downtown Anaheim-a quest that ultimately brings him to Kenya, where he meets Christine and Mercury. Together, the three must stop Finch from activating the device and tearing reality to pieces.

While Mercury and Christine once again try to thwart the Apocalypse before its time, Kroese imagines what a Heavenly Hierarchy might look like, explores a side of the story of Noah's ark never before seen (while finally explaining the reason for the absence of unicorns in the present day animal kingdom), and shows that it's okay to question your beliefs...because in the end, it's your belief in yourself that might just help save the day!

Uproarious and wildly entertaining, MERCURY RISES proves that the devil is in the details.

Booklist on Mercury Falls:

"The Apocalypse is nigh in this whimsical, riotous debut. Christine Temetri, a freelancer for a popular religious news magazine, is tired of endless assignments covering cults incorrectly prophesizing the End of Days. When she talks her boss into giving her a better assignment, she doesn't anticipate it will actually lead her back to a cult leader: the charismatic Galileo Mercury, who turns out not to be a cult leader at all, but a bona fide angel. .. Clever, inventive, and original, Kroese's hilarious romp has cult favorite written all over it."

Mercury Rises by Robert Kroese

AmazonEncore, 275 pages

ISBN-10: 1612180868, ISBN-13: 978-1612180861

Trade Paperback Original: $14.95, Digital: $9.99

National on-sale date: October 18, 2011

 


JOHN KUNTZ
John Kuntz is a founding company member of The Actors Shakespeare Project, where he has played key roles in Much Ado About Nothing, Timon of Athens, The Tempest, King John, Titus Andronicus, and many other productions. He is the author of fourteen plays, including Jasper Lake, which received both the Michael Kanin and Paula Vogel National Playwriting Awards, with productions at the Kennedy Center (Washington, DC) and the New York Fringe Festival. His solo show, The Salt Girl, received the 2010 Elliot Norton Award for Best New Play. He teaches at Suffolk University, Concord Academy, and The Boston Conservatory.

Filled with a crazed assortment of visitors, The Hotel Nepenthe is the site of a bloody murder, a fatal car crash, and plenty of liaisons-dirty and dangerous. Add in a mysterious hat box and a missing baby and you get an unholy mix of David Lynch, Dario Fo, and the E network. Behind it all is genius playwright John Kuntz, who shifts seamlessly between absurdity and deep emotional honesty, keeping audiences uncertain of whether they should be laughing or crying-or ideally doing both at the same time.

 

Originally staged by the Actors' Shakespeare Project in an abandoned storefront in Somerville, MA, The Hotel Nepenthe won the Elliot Norton Award for best new play and is slated for new productions in 2012. This ebook edition by the Concord ePress is the only available issue of Hotel Nepenthe, a rare play that's as entertaining to read as it is to see performed.

 


STEPHEN LEATHER
Stephen Leather is one of the UK's most successful thriller writers. He now is bringing his heart-palpitating thrillers to the USA, beginning with NIGHTFALL, out March 20th. Before becoming a novelist he was a journalist for more than ten years for newspapers such as The Times, The Daily Mail and the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. Before that, he was employed as a biochemist for ICI, shoveled limestone in a quarry, worked as a baker, a petrol pump attendant, a barman, and for the Inland Revenue.

Leather began writing full time in 1992 and his bestsellers have been translated into more than ten languages. He has also written for the television shows "London's Burning," "The Knock," and the BBC's "Murder in Mind" series and two of his books, The Stretch and The Bombmaker, were also filmed for TV. His ebooks have spent more than six months on the UK Kindle Top 100 and for several months he had four titles in the UK Kindle Top 10.

Nightfall by Stephen Leather
Nightingale: Book One

"You're going to hell, Jack Nightingale."
The last works spoken in Jack's final case as a police negotiator have been haunting him ever since leaving the job. He'd been a cop long enough to see people at their worst, to doubt the existence of God, heaven, hell, or souls. Now a struggling private detective, the chilling words return with a vengeance when Jack inherits a mansion with a priceless library and a terrifying warning.

Nightingale quickly learns his soul was sold at birth and a devil will come to claim it in three weeks on his thirty-third birthday. It's a hard pill to swallow-until people close to him start to die horrible deaths, leading to the inescapable conclusion that real evil may be at work. And if he doesn't find a way out, he'll be damned in hell for eternity.

Dripping with brooding intensity, unrelenting suspense, and surprising wit, UK thriller master Stephen Leather's first book in the Nightingale series is a riveting, heart-stopping mystery with extraordinary range and power.

Praise
"Authentic...tersely written...exciting stuff with plenty of heart-palpitating action gingered up by mystery and intrigue..."
—Daily Mail

"Leather is in the top rank of thriller writers."
—Jack Higgins, New York Times bestselling author

"...a good, old-fashioned page-turner."
—Reviewing the Evidence

"Taut, tense, teasing...and terrific! The first book of Stephen Leather's brilliant new thriller series is so dark that you won't want to put out the light...Devilishly good..."
—The Lancashire Evening Post

Explore the World of Jack Nightingale at:
http://www.jacknightingale.com/

Publisher: 47North
On-Sale: March 20, 2012
Price: $14.95
Paperback: 448 pages
ISBN-10: 1612182291
ISBN-13: 978-1612182292

ABOUT FALSE FRIENDS:

The most wanted man in the world is dead. Now those loyal to him seek revenge. When Navy SEALs track down and kill Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan, it's obvious there was a traitor on the inside. After the false friends are revealed to be two British students, Malik and Chaudhry - former Islamic fundamentalists recruited by MI5 - they become targets themselves. Dan 'Spider' Shepherd must teach the pair how to survive undercover with al-Qaeda closing in. But Spider is not used to playing the handler. And with the line between mentor and friend beginning to blur, and a terrorist plot putting thousands of lives at stake, can he protect everyone before it's too late?

'This is an aggressively topical novel but a genuinely thrilling one, too.'
?Daily Telegraph

'In brisk newsman's style he explores complex contemporary issues while keeping the action fast and bloody.'
?Economist

  • Buy FALSE FRIENDS on Amazon here

F.J. LENNON
F.J. Lennon is a novelist, screenwriter, and digital media producer, designer, and writer.

His love of all things paranormal spawned two novels: DEVIL'S GATE (Atria/Emily Bestler Books, 2012) and SOUL TRAPPER(Atria, 2011), the first two novels in a trilogy that follows the turbulent life of rogue ghost hunter, Kane Pryce. He is also the author of Every Mistake in the Book (HarperCollins/Regan Books, 2001), a light-hearted business memoir about Lennon's years in the video game industry as well as numerous screenplays and teleplays in various stages of development.

During his 25+ year career, Lennon has been actively employed in multiple industries including video games, interactive television, advertising, and toys. Since 1985, Lennon has been instrumental in the development of 50 interactive games, educational software titles, and entertainment properties for companies including Electronic Arts, Take 2 Interactive, Disney Interactive, Mattel, Sesame Street, DIRECTV, Paramount Digital Entertainment, Simon and Schuster Interactive, Marvel Comics, MicroProse Software, and the U.S. Federal Government.

Lennon is a 1986 magna cum laude graduate of Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, where he earned a degree in Communications and a minor in English Literature.

He is a native of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, but relocated to the West Coast in 1996. He now lives in Maryland with his wife and two daughters.

 ABOUT DEVIL'S GATE

 In this haunting follow-up to F.J. Lennon’s Soul Trapper, legendary ghost-hunter Kane Pryce confronts a dark world of supernatural activity and paranormal phenomena while sending spirits back to the afterlife—and must fight for his own life before he, too, becomes a lost soul. 

Some places are doomed to be haunted . . .

Twenty-eight-year-old Kane Pryce used to have one of the strangest jobs in the world—capturing and exorcising spirits from people’s lives. After the stress of the job finally got to him, he left ghost hunting and has been busy reinventing himself as the lead guitarist of a band on the brink of success. But it isn’t long before Kane is asked to investigate a case involving Pasadena’s infamous Suicide Bridge, and gets sucked back into the supernatural realm. A mysterious force is luring hopeless victims to their death off the bridge, and Kane must discover what power is keeping the lost souls trapped there.

As Kane uncovers the sinister, deadly secrets of the bridge, he spirals into the dangerous, shadowy world of the occult—the seedy underground world of the Hollywood music scene, tumultuous romances, and maddening journeys into the shattered minds of suicide victims. With the Soul Trap as his only defense, Kane must combat evil supernatural forces on a spiritual battlefield, a place between life and death, where the fate of his own soul hangs in the balance.

“A thought-provoking plot, Devil’s Gate is more than a battle between good vs. evil. It’s first class writing and the characters are unforgettable beyond the last page, as even the bridge and surrounding area practically become characters unto themselves. Lennon keeps the door wide open for the exceptional series and the in-depth duo to continue forward for the foreseeable future. I, for one, will be waiting.”
?Suspense Magazine

“This is a wild twist of supernatural and rock 'n' roll, with crazy cultists, doomed ghosts, ultimate evil and the crazy rise and fall of rock and roll bands. With a jarring pace like a speed metal song, this one will keep you racing along until the last, breathless page.”
?Parkersburg News and Sentinel

KIANA DAVENPORT
KIANA DAVENPORT is descended from a full-blooded Native Hawaiian mother, and a Caucasian father from Talladega, Alabama. Her father, Braxton Bragg Davenport, was a sailor in the U.S. Navy, stationed at Pearl Harbor, when he fell in love with her mother, Emma Kealoha Awaawa Kanoho Houghtailing. On her mother's side, Kiana traces her ancestry back to the first Polynesian settlers to the Hawaiian Islands who arrived almost two thousand years ago from Tahiti and the Tuamotu's. On her father's side, she traces her ancestry to John Davenport, the puritan clergyman who co-founded the American colony of New Haven, Connecticut in 1638.

A graduate of the University of Hawaii, Kiana has been a Bunting Fellow at Harvard University, a Visiting Writer at Wesleyan University, and a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts grant. Her short stories have won numerous O. Henry Awards, Pushcart Prizes, and the Best American Short Story Award, 2000. Her novels and short stories have been translated into twenty-one languages. She lives in Hawaii and New York City.

 ABOUT THE SPY LOVER

Thrust into the savagery of the Civil War, a Chinese immigrant serving in the Union Army, a nurse doubling as a spy for the North, and a one-armed Confederate cavalryman find their lives inextricably entwined.

Fleeing drought and famine in China, Johnny Tom arrives in America with dreams of becoming a citizen. Having survived vigilantes hunting “yellow dogs” and slave auction- blocks, Johnny is kidnapped from his Mississippi village by Confederate soldiers, taken from his wife and daughter, and forced to fight for the South. Eventually defecting to the Union side, he is promised American citizenship in exchange for his loyal services. But first Johnny must survive the butchery of battles and the cruelties inflicted on non-white soldiers.

Desperate to find Johnny, his daughter, Era, is enlisted as a spy. She agrees to work as a nurse at Confederate camps while scouting for the North. Amidst the unspeakable carnage of wounded soldiers, she finds solace in Warren Petticomb, a cavalryman who lost an arm at Shiloh. As devastation mounts in both armies, Era must choose where her loyalties lie—with her beloved father in the North, or with the man who passionately sustains her in the South.

A novel of extraordinary scope that will stand as a defining work on the Chinese immigrant experience, THE SPY LOVER is a paean to the transcendence of love and the resilience of the human spirit.

"In her blog post from April 11, 2012, Davenport asserts, “You have to write from the heart. You have to have one big, true thing you are dying to tell the world.” In her newest novel, that one big, true thing concerns the lives of men and women during the Civil War, real people who followed their own moral beliefs. The depth of the author’s affection for her characters shines through as they pick their way amid the horrors of war and the conflicting loyalties of social, political, and personal responsibility. Remiscent of Dara Horn’s All Other Night (2009) and Dave Eggers’ What Is the What(2006), Johnny Tom, a Chinese immigrant in Mississippi, is kidnapped and forced to fight for the Confederacy, then escapes to fight for the Union. His daughter, Era, a nurse, is a Northern spy saving Southern soldiers. Her unwitting lover, Warren Petticomb, wounded at Shiloh, holds Era’s heart. Giving resonance and impact to this story are the compelling characters who tap readers’ emotions; the stark realities of battle; and the heroic men and women on both sides who persevered despite horrific conditions. Davenport, author of House of Many Gods (2006), writes from the heart, and yours will be moved."
—Jen Baker, Booklist
 
"...A great story told with such beautiful prose I am hoping The Spy Lover will be picked up by Ang Lee or Steven Spielberg. Kiana Davenport is a brilliant writer. [Based] on her ancestors from the American South and global East, The Spy Lover takes the incredibly difficult...topics of race, gender, slavery and war and artfully weaves them into a specific story. Davenport is genius at capturing complex times, and complications of the heart. It's been a long time since I cried while reading a novel, and that happened several times while reading The Spy Lover...I couldn't wait to finish the story, but grieved when it ended. That's exactly how I felt when I finished reading Gone With The Wind so many years go. If you need a holiday escape...or want to spend time in a different world read... The Spy Lover!"
—Ellen Snortland, The Huffington Post

"A beautifully written tale...filled with the horrors of war...and the anguish of loss...as we follow the characters on their journeys to find peace and redemption. The prose is magnificent. You will come away fulfilled. If you read one Civil War novel this year, make this the one."
—Joseph A. Truglio, Civil War News

"Beautiful writing...a page turner one could not lay down. The novel emanates from Davenport's own family history, ancestors who fought in the War...as she tells the story of a woman and her lover, the conflict between love, conscience and determination...I have no hesitation in recommending 'The Spy Lover' to anyone who enjoys stories of the Civil War as well as of genuine conflicts, love and dedication...It will go into a special niche of historical fiction and ...likely become a classic like COLD MOUNTAIN. "
—Martha Boltz, The Washington Times

  "A powerful love story and serious historical tribute to the many under-recognized minority soldiers... Kiana Davenport is simply ingenious in the way she writes and tells her story based on two ancestors who fought on opposite sides of the War. A piercing, glorious and unsettling novel you are unlikely to ever forget. I recommend The Spy Lover as one of the best war stories I have ever encountered."
—Melanie Smith, Book Reporter

"...Memorable [in] her depiction of the lives of women during the [Civil] War, as well as those of mixed race...Like the best historical fiction the book's deep research is felt in every line and authenticates every character. The Spy Lover easily joins, and even surpasses COLD MOUNTAIN."
—Don Wallace, HONOLULU WEEKLY
 
"(In) The Spy Lover, (Davenport) pulls from her Alabama-born father’s family history to tell a gripping Civil War story about three complicated, suffering people—a nurse who’s spying for the Union behind enemy lines, a Chinese immigrant who escapes his conscription into the Confederacy to fight for the Union instead, and a wounded Confederate cavalryman. Davenport doesn’t buffer the brutality of war, presenting a stark portrayal of its horrors and the damage it can inflict on body and soul in her well-researched tale."
—Bookpage 

 

STEPHANIE CHONG
Stephanie worked as a lawyer at a top-tier Canadian firm and completed five university degrees before landing her dream job: romance novelist.  Her degrees include a J.D. and a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto, and a Master’s in Creative Writing from Oxford University.

When she’s not writing, Stephanie enjoys yoga, traveling and outdoor adventures.  She lives in Vancouver with her husband and their pug, Dexter.

 ABOUT THE DEMONESS OF WAKING DREAMS

Ex-cop Brandon Clarkson is an angel with an edge. His tough exterior is the perfect camouflage for his job—hunting down the most dangerous criminals on earth. A self-reliant and demanding lone wolf, Brandon is the perfect angel to track and capture demoness Luciana Rossetti.

Beneath the surface of Luciana's cool, green-eyed beauty lurks the heart of a malevolent killer. In the winding streets of Venice, she lures Brandon into her dark world of pleasure.

They are perfectly matched. Angel and demon. Man and woman. But only one can win the battle of wills, of strength and of desire.

"Chong delivers a wicked tale of a sexy guardian angel battling for a not-so-lost demon's soul."
—New York Times bestselling author Caridad Piñeiro

"Stephanie Chong knows the soul of romance, paranormal or otherwise. She's captured the elusive and powerful energy of the genre in a way few authors ever manage to do. Angel verses demon; redemption of the damned by the pure power of love--the heart of that story IS the heart of romance. In WHERE DEMONS FEAR TO TREAD, Ms. Chong taps into a delicious fantasy older than time, spinning it masterfully into a sexy, moving tale that feels fresh and new. I am sincerely her newest fan."
—NY Times Bestselling Author Maggie Shayne

  • Buy THE DEMONESS OF WAKING DREAMS on Amazon here
  • Learn more about Stephanie on her website
  • Follow Stephanie on Facebook and Twitter

 


MARJORIE M. LIU

Wunderkind began their relationship with Marjorie Liu in 2008 as their first client. Marjorie Liu is an attorney and New York Times bestselling author of over nineteen novels. Her comic book work includes X-23, Black Widow, Dark Wolverine, and Astonishing X-Men, for which she was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for outstanding media images of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. She currently teaches a course on comic book writing at MIT.

Recently, Liu introduced the latest novel in her Hunter Kiss series, THE MORTAL BONE (on-sale 12/27/11), about a woman covered in living demonic tattoos. When the bond Maxine Kiss shares with Zee and the boys — the demons tattooed on her skin — is deliberately severed, she is left vulnerable, unprotected...while her demons turn violent and unpredictable without her guiding influence.

WITHIN THE FLAMES, the most recent novel in Marjorie's Dirk & Steele series, is now available from Avon, an imprint of Harper Collins, and pairs pyrokinetic Eddie with dragon shape-shifter Lyssa. Like Eddie, fire is Lyssa's weapon, her destiny...and her curse. In the Dirk & Steele series, Marjorie gives readers a chance to discover what happens in a world where magic rubs elbows with science, where men and women with more-than-human powers secretly risk their lives to help others. It is a world where one right turn can deliver a little mystery that will change your life forever.

And in late 2012 a new paranormal romance series launches from Avon! The first book, A FURIOUS DARKNESS, is set in a dystopian world where captured werewolf gypsies battle to the death in the gladiatorial area; vampire historians are hunted and murdered for their knowledge of sacred histories; and where three siblings from our world find themselves trapped, and discover that they are the keys to freeing an empire from an oppressive human regime that terrorizes its people with the use of a vast zombie army.

Marjorie is also celebrated for her comic book writing and is a popular panelist at conventions and other comic book and literary events. Recent interviews with top media outlets such as USA Today.com, Wall Street Journal.com, i09, MTV, Newsarama, and Comic Book Resources are available upon request. Marjorie has co-written the bestselling Dark Wolverine series for Marvel, and wrote the beloved X-23 series for several years. She authored Black Widow: The Name of the Rose, NYX: No Way Home, and X-Men: Dark Mirror, and is the new ongoing writer for Astonishing X-Men. She has received critical praise for her writing in Masked, an anthology of superhero fiction, and was also featured in the hardcover anthology based on Jim Henson's The Storyteller television series, now available from Archaia.

Marjorie also gained national renown with the paranormal romance video game, Tiger Eye: Curse of the Riddle Box, which was based on her novel, Tiger Eye. The game was featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live, was a top ten bestseller at Big Fish Games, and is now available at select major retailers.

Marjorie is an attorney and divides her time between the American Midwest and Beijing, China. Recent international coverage of Marjorie's work includes features in the Beijing Global Times, China Daily, and Paris's Comic Box.

ABOUT LABYRINTH OF STARS:

After the Aetar nearly kill Maxine’s unborn child, and a betrayal within her own ranks leaves Maxine’s husband, Grant, poisoned and dying, Maxine is forced to attack a race of beings that possesses almost unlimited power. Doing so will require she make a deal with the devil—the devil that lives inside her—risking both her sanity and her soul as she slowly transforms into something more than human.

But even that might not be enough to save Grant, because the very thing that Maxine is becoming is destined to destroy the world.

“You'll want to read this series over and over.”
—Angela Knight, New York Times bestselling author

“Superlative.”
—The Miami Herald

“Readers who love urban fantasies like those of Charlaine Harris or Kim Harrison will relish Marjorie M. Liu.”
—Midwest Book Review

  • You can buy LABYRINTH OF STARS on Amazon here.

 ABOUT MONSTRESS

Astonishing X-men and Black Widow writer MARJORIE LIU returns to comics with artist SANA TAKEDA (X-23) for an all-new ONGOING SERIES! Steampunk meets Kaiju in this original fantasy epic for mature readers, as young Maika risks everything to control her psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, placing her in the center of a devastating war between human and otherworldly forces. The adventure begins in a spectacular TRIPLE-SIZED FIRST ISSUE, with SIXTY-SIX pages of story and no ads for this one-time price of $4.99!


MIKE LUPICA

Mike Lupica writes for sports fans of all ages and stripes. His column for New York Daily News is syndicated nationally, he can be seen weekly on ESPN's The Sports Reporters, and heard daily on ESPN Radio's "The Mike Lupica Show."

Lupica explores the life lessons learned through sports in THE UNDERDOGS (A Philomel Books/Penguin Group hc; 9/20/11) the importance of good sportsmanship, the strength of father/son bonds and the vast economic disparity present in team sports. His vibrant characters - over-zealous and busy parents, aged athletes with dashed dreams, and innocent children caught in between - come alive on the page to share a universal experience: sport doesn't only entertain, it inspires.

Praise for THE UNDERDOGS:
"Football fans will likely respond to the detailed and exciting game action once the season gets rolling and find inspiration in Will and his teammates' tenacity."
—Publishers Weekly

"The reader feels part of the game-running, blocking, passing and receiving-right along with the kids. Here, Mr. Lupica is on his home turf. Here, he shines ..."
—New York Journal of Books

ABOUT FANTASY LEAGUE

12-year-old Charlie is a fantasy football guru. He may be just a bench warmer for his school's football team, but when it comes to knowing and loving the game, he's first-string. He even becomes a celebrity when his podcast gets noticed by a sports radio host, who plays Charlie's fantasy picks for all of Los Angeles to hear. Soon Charlie befriends the elderly owner of the L.A. Bulldogs -- a fictional NFL team -- and convinces him to take a chance on an aging quarterback. After that, watch out . . . it's press conferences and national fame as Charlie becomes a media curiosity and source of conflict for the Bulldogs general manager, whose job Charlie seems to have taken. It's all a bit much for a kid just trying to stay on top of his grades and maintain his friendship with his verbal sparring partner, Anna.

Like the best Disney film in book form, like Moneyball for kids, Fantasy League is every football kid's dream scenario.

"This Moneyball story with kids is on the money."
-–Booklist, starred review

"Fantasy League . . . is the feel good book of the year."
-–VOYA

"This will be devoured by young football fans, who appreciate intricate game details and won’t mind a touch of heartwarming sentiment."
-–School Library Journal

  • You can buy FANTASY LEAGUE on Amazon here.


PERIHAN MAGDEN
Born in Istanbul, Perihan Magden has written novels, poetry, and a column in Turkey's national daily newspaper, Radikal. She is the author of two novels currently available in English, Messenger Boy Murders and 2 Girls, as well as Escape and The Companion. 2 Girls was made into film by director Kutlug Ataman and premiered at the 2005 London Film Festival. Her novels have been translated into eighteen languages, including German, French, Spanish, Italian, Greek, Portuguese, and Dutch. She is an honorary member of British PEN and winner of the Grand Award for Freedom of Speech by the Turkish Publishers Association.

Inspired by a newspaper clipping, ALI AND RAMAZAN (An Amazon Crossing tpb; 4/3/12) follows the story of two young boys who end up in the same Istanbul orphanage. The orphanage is run by Master, a sadistic and miserable man, who neglects all of the children, with the exception of Ramazan, his unfortunate favorite. Ramazan is the charismatic clown at the home who dreams of being rescued by his famous parents. He takes naïve, sweet, and quietly intelligent Ali under his wing to form a strong bond. Despite their fortuitous beginnings and appalling circumstances they find comfort and love within each other.

Orhan Pamuk, winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize for Literature says of the author: "[Perihan Magden has] demonic wit and formal elegance...a flair for the grotesque with a humane sensibility to evoke a world all her own."

  • You can pre-order ALI & RAMAZAN from Amazon here

 


KAT MARTIN
Currently living in Missoula, Montana, Kat is the bestselling author of over forty Historical and Contemporary Romance novels, including her latest from Vanguard, A SONG FOR MY MOTHER, released 4/5. Before she started writing in 1985, Kat was a real estate broker. During that time, she met her husband, Larry Jay Martin, also an author. Kat is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara, where she majored in Anthropology and History.

"I've always loved books. I was an avid reader, with any number of my own stories rolling around in my head. Writing them down seemed a logical step." "I love anything old," Kat says. "I love to travel and especially like to visit the places where my books are set. My husband and I often stay in out-of-the-way inns and houses built in times past. It's fun and it gives a wonderful sense of a by-gone era.:

Kat began with historical romance then started writing romantic suspense. For the latest news on all of her books, visit: www.katbooks.com.

 


KYLE MILLS

Kyle Mills is the New York Times bestselling author of eight books, including his award-winning The Second Horseman. Growing up in Oregon as a Bureau Kid, Kyle absorbed an enormous amount of information about the FBI, which he incorporates into his novels. He and his wife live in Wyoming and enjoy rock climbing.

 

Dr. Richard Draman is trying desperately to discover a cure for a disease that causes children to age at a wildly accelerated rate-a rare genetic condition that is killing his own daughter. When the husband of a colleague quietly gives him a copy of the classified work she was doing before her mysterious suicide, Draman finally sees a glimmer of hope. The conclusions are stunning, with the potential to not only turn the field of biology on its head, but reshape the world. Soon, though, he finds himself on the run, relentlessly pursued by a seemingly omnipotent group of men who will do whatever it takes to silence him. THE IMMORTALISTS (A Thomas & Mercer tpb; 12/6/11) invites readers to ask themselves the same terrifying question Draman must ask himself as the plot unfolds: What would you do to save the life of your child?

 

Praise for THE IMMORTALISTS:


"Kyle Mills has crafted a gripping page-turner that explores the edges of science and where it meets social mores and ethics. Readers will have a hard time putting THE IMMORTALISTS down until the very end."
—San Francisco Book Review

"Mills keeps the thrills coming while minimizing the medical terminology. He knows readers need just enough to become invested in the story. Great characters and vile villains mixed with a great premise - what else does a thriller need?"
—Associated Press

 


CARSON MORTON

Carson Morton was born in London, England and moved with his family to the United States as a young lad (11). He worked as a professional musician for many years, making an album for United Artists Records with his group Razmataz, and playing with the likes of John Sebastian, Billy Preston, and John Hall of the group Orleans (and now NY State Congressman). He began his writing career as a playwright, having a number of works published and produced both here and in Europe. Turning to screenwriting, he was represented by Writers & Artists Agency in L.A.

His first novel STEALING MONA LISA, available now from Minotaur Books, made both Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews Best of 2011 lists. Loosely based on the true story of the theft of the world's greatest painting in 1911, this historical mystery follows a conman as he tries to steal the Mona Lisa from the Louvre and then sell copies to six American Robber Barons.

Praise for STEALING MONA LISA:

"An intriguing and captivating story about a great scam with a twist in the world of con artists, art forgery and mystery."
—Frank W. Abagnale, New York Times bestselling author of Catch Me If You Can

"An evocative and engaging reworking of the famous Valfierno myth and the theft of the world's most famous painting. Morton writes beautifully and transports us to an Art Deco world of intriguing criminals."
—Noah Charney, author of The Art Thief and Stealing the Mystic Lamb

"In Morton's capable hands, (the story) has been crafted into an engaging and atmospheric novel. With richly drawn characters and careful pacing, STEALING MONA LISA is a work of art in its own right. An enthralling historical mystery in the flooded streets of Belle Époque Paris."
—Shelf Awareness

"Great characters, a captivating tale, and vivid descriptions of old Paris make this debut a pleasurable read. Morton's screenwriter/playwright background ensures sparkling dialog. Bring out the popcorn and settle in for excitement, thrills, and tension. Tremendous crossover appeal for historical fiction (think Susan Vreeland) and romance readers, too."
—Library Journal Starred Review

 

ALYSON NOËL
Alyson Noël is the #1 New York Times best selling, award-winning, author of eight stand-alone Young Adult novels in addition to the Immortals series, including the sixth and final book EVERLASTING, released 6/7. She also has penned the middle-grade Immortals spin-off series, including RADIANCE, released August 2010, and SHIMMER, released 3/15. In the next year she plans on releasing two more titles to her middle-grade series, including DREAMLAND, set to release 9/13. News of her highly anticipated new YA Series, SOUL SEEKERS, set to debut in Summer of 2012, was picked up by the Wall Street Journal: http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2010/07/26/immortals-author-alyson-noel-signs-7-figure-deal-for-new-series/

With over 5 million copies in print, her books have been published in 36 countries, have hit the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal, LA Times, NCIBA, and Walmart bestsellers lists, and won many awards such as: theNational Reader's Choice Award, NYLA Book of Winter Award, NYPL Stuff for the Teenage, TeenReads Best Books of 2007, Reviewer's Choice 2007 Top Ten, chosen for the CBS Early Show's "Give the Gift of Reading" segment, and selected for Seventeen Magazine's "Hot List" and Beach Book Club Pick.

 


AUDUR AVA OLAFSDOTTIR

Audur Ava Olafsdottir was born in Reykjavík, Iceland. She is a lecturer in the history of art at the University of Iceland, a director of the University of Iceland Art Collection, and has curated art exhibitions in Iceland and abroad. She is the author of three novels, a book of poetry, and a play. Olafsdottir is available upon request for interviews and is the first of ten Icelandic novelists to be published by AmazonCrossing in celebration of her country's role as the guest of honor at the 2011 Frankfurt Book Fair.

THE GREENHOUSE (An AmazonCrossing tpb; 10/11/11) translated by Brian Fitzgibbon, is the story of Lobbi, a rose gardening enthusiast, conceives "the child," as he refers to his infant daughter throughout the novel, on one isolated night. But no matter how detached Lobbi feels himself to be from the child and the mother, both relationships start budding into something he can't quite wrap his mind around — much like the roses in his garden. In this elegant novel, Lobbi discovers the varied roles and joys of being a man: fatherhood, cooking, and the love of nurturing a family, all the while retaining his identity as a son, a brother, a lover, and...a gardener.


Praise for THE GREENHOUSE:

"Novelist Audur Olafsdottir certainly makes the most of it, giving us pages of recipes, infant haberdashery and gardening, as if this makes up an entire world. Which in this sly and sweetly narrated novel, it does, it does."
—Alan Cheuse of All Things Considered

"This is a perfect jewel of a book — spare, lovely, and mesmerizing. Three thumps up!"
—Tulsa Book Review

  • You can buy THE GREENHOUSE from Amazon here

 


AIMEE PHAN

Aimee Phan grew up in Orange County, California, and now teaches in the MFA Writing Program and Writing and Literature Program at California College of the Arts. A 2010 National Endowment of the Arts Creative Writing Fellow, Aimee received her MFA from the Iowa Writer's Workshop, where she won a Maytag Fellowship. Her first book, We Should Never Meet, was named a Notable Book by the Kiryama Prize in fiction and a finalist for the 2005 Asian American Literary Awards. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, USA Today, and The Oregonian among others.

 

In her debut novel, a young woman journeys back to Vietnam to uncover family secrets. THE REEDUCATION OF CHERRY TRUONG (A St. Martins Press hc; 3/13/12) tells the sweeping stories of the Truong and Vos families, their escape from Vietnam during the war, the forces that separated them, and the ties that bind them over three continents. Aimee Phan's debut novel introduces readers to a fiercely defiant family who still yearn for reconciliation and redemption in each other's hearts.


Praise for THE REEDUCATION OF CHERRY TRUONG:

"THE REEDUCATION OF CHERRY TRUONG explores the intersection of history and human hearts. With tenderness and wisdom, this intricately woven tale presents a world both mysterious and familiar to readers. Aimee Phan is a keen observer and a beautiful writer."

—Yiyun Li, author of The Vagrants


"THE REEDUCATION OF CHERRY TRUONG is a powerful debut novel about reverse migration, the new American immigrant story. Cherry Truong's attempt to reconnect to her mother's family reaches around the world, from America to Vietnam to France, and reinvents what she knows of her family's history and her world. And with this novel, Aimee Phan reinvents what we know of ours at the same time."

—Alexander Chee, author of Edinburgh: A Novel


"Aimee Phan creates an extended family so full of history and drama that this novel moves along at an exhilarating speed. Her descriptions of each of the family members are sometimes so realistic you feel as though you know them personally."
-ELLE Magazine

 


JON PLASSE
Jon Plasse uses his camera as a means of emotional expression. The composition and textures of the image, the degree of visual detail, the subjects portrayed are all employed to achieve this objective. As a result, his photographs focus on remembering special times, places or experiences. Plasse is a lifetime Yankee fan, a photographer and attorney. His previous photography books include The Light Remains (2009) and Passing Moments (2008).

The black and white images in THE STADIUM (A State University of New York Press hc; 9/11) capture a piece of history and offer a unique and loving view of this great, former palace of baseball. The photographs, taken between 2005 and 2008, are accompanied by the voices from inside the ballpark including an American League veteran umpire, a Yankee Stadium usher who first visited the park in 1943, a food hawker who began selling ice cream when he was just 14 years old, and a fan from the Bronx who bought a seat for a dollar and enjoyed walking on the field after the game.
Praise for THE STADIUM:

"Rare are the sports photobooks that can personalize the deeply communal (some might say tribal) act of attending live sporting events, but this is certainly one."

—The New Yorker


"Belongs on your sports bookshelf."

—Harvey Frommer, author of Yankee Century and Beyond: A Celebration of the First Hundred Plus Years of Baseball's Greatest Team

 


JAMES RENNER
James Renner is an investigative reporter, film producer, and author. He is also a former writer for the alternative weekly newspaper Cleveland Scene and editor of the alternative newspaper, The Independent. He lives in Akron, Ohio.

Renner's first novel, THE MAN FROM PRIMROSE LANE, will be published by Sarah Crichton Books, an imprint of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, in March 2012, and is already getting great advance buzz. Jonathan Carroll calls The Man From Primrose Lane "a haunting, wickedly clever book. Part Dennis Lehane, part Murakami with a twist of HP Lovecraft mixed in gives it a taste like no other. Renner starts off his fiction career with a bang."

At Kent State, Renner founded Last Call Cleveland, a sketch comedy group, and in 2005 Renner directed a short film based on the Stephen King short story, "All That You Love Will be Carried Away." The film was an official selection at the 2005 Montreal World Film Festival. Renner also released the serialized online documentary "Catching Salinger" about J.D. Salinger and the influences behind The Catcher in the Rye in 2009.

Renner spends his spare time hunting serial killers and writing about his adventures. In October 2006, Renner published Amy: My Search for Her Killer about his two-year-long investigation into the 1989 unsolved abduction and murder of 10 year-old Amy Mihaljevic. The book was honored by the Lit as one of the best works of nonfiction in the last two years. Renner is also the author of The Serial Killer's Apprentice. His true-crime articles have been published in The Best American Crime Reporting and The Best Creative Nonfiction anthologies.

Once voted one of Cleveland's Most Interesting People by Cleveland Magazine, sometimes Renner pretends to smoke cigarettes because he wants to feel relaxed but is too afraid of the harmful effects to actually smoke.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Elena Stokes, Wunderkind PR elena@wunderkind-pr.com, cell: 917.887.0784

Cara Selick, Wunderkind PR
cara@wunderkind-pr.com, cell: 201.755.6927

Who Killed The Man from Primrose Lane?

"An ambitious, genre-bending debut novel from investigative reporter Renner...Punctuated by moments of desperate tenderness, this unusually demanding and grim tale provokes troubling reflections on guilt and innocence, good and evil, revenge and redemption."
-Publishers Weekly *starred review*

"Fully fleshed characters, and the sense of place is engaging and vividly rendered.
Renner's feints toward horror...add quirky interest, and with the turn of a page,
he leaps into a dystopian near-future..."
-Booklist

"It is a strange, strange book. I loved it."
-Dayton Daily News

"The Man from Primrose Lane is a well-told story filled with darkness, horror, humor and surprising tenderness. And that's just the first part. There is a moment in this novel when the story moves in a way so unexpected I actually had to put it down and catch my breath. Go ahead, see what I mean. I'll wait here for you."
—Charles Yu, author of How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe

"The Man from Primrose Lane is one of those novels that will leave you torn: you'll want to read it slowly, in order to savor every scene, but you'll feel compelled to rush through the pages to discover what happens next. With uncommon skill and intelligence, James Renner weaves an intricate story of murder, abduction, and obsessive love. An incredible achievement-beautifully written and dazzlingly plotted, full of well-drawn characters and unexpected twists."
—Harry Dolan, author of Bad Things Happen and Very Bad Men

"The Man from Primrose Lane is a haunting, wickedly clever book. Part Dennis Lehane and part Murakami, the twist of H. P. Lovecraft mixed in gives it a taste like no other. James Renner starts off his fiction career with a bang."
—Jonathan Carroll, author of The Ghost in Love


New York, NY: February 2012: THE MAN FROM PRIMROSE LANE by best-selling true crime novelist James Renner (on sale: March 6, 2012; FSG: Sarah Crichton Books; $26.00; 978-0374200954) is not what it appears to be.

Readers may mistake the novel, at first, as a hard-boiled murder mystery about a young widowed writer searching for the person who killed an old hermit.

Or they may enjoy the novel as a mind-bending science fiction tale that finally answers who the Loveland Frog really was and where he came from... and how scientist Victor Tesla's time-travel vehicle functions in an alternative-time line.

Many readers will also find the novel to be a strange and beautiful exploration of lost love.

But, by the end, readers will discover that THE MAN FROM PRIMROSE LANE is a layered series of mysteries within mysteries, beginning as early as the book's dedication. The reader will come to discover that what they are reading is a story told from the point of view of a character they only thought they knew...

About the novel: A mind-bending, genre-twisting debut
In West Akron, there lived a reclusive elderly man who always wore mittens, even in July. He had no friends and no family' all over town, he was known only as the Man from Primrose Lane. And on a summer day in 2008, someone murdered him.

Four years later, David Neff is a broken man. The bestselling author of a true-crime book about an Ohio serial killer, Neff went into exile after his wife's inexplicable suicide. That is, until an unexpected visit from an old friend introduces him to the strange mystery of "the man with a thousand mittens."

Soon Neff finds himself drawn back into a world he thought he had left behind forever. But the closer he gets to uncovering the true identity of the Man from Primrose Lane, the more he begins to understand the dangerous power of his own obsessions and how they may be connected to the deaths of both his beloved wife and the old hermit.

The Man from Primrose Lane is a spellbinding journey of redemption and a reflection on the roles of fate, destiny, and obsession when it comes to matters of the heart.

The Man From Primrose Lane by James Renner
Hardcover: 365 pages; Price: $26.00
Publisher: FSG: Sarah Crichton Books
On-sale: March 6, 2012
ISBN-10: 0374200955; ISBN-13: 978-0374200954

*Please contact Elena Stokes, Wunderkind PR, cell: 917.887.0784, email: elena@wunderkind-pr.com or Cara Selick, Wunderkind PR, cell: 201.755.6927, email: cara@wunderkind-pr.com to book an interview with the author or to request a copy of THE MAN FROM PRIMROSE LANE.

 ABOUT STORYSHIFT APP

StoryShift is a community-driven storytelling platform where you can read stories and comics and vote on what should happen next. It's not a usual flash game, is it even a game? but we dearly welcome your participation in this global storytelling experience, so start voting on our awesome stories and comics!

Every story goes through a cycle:

- The author makes a chapter ending with a choice for the community.

- There's a voting period of typically a week.

- Based on the majority decision by the community, the author works on the next chapter.

- The new chapter is released and again, ends with a choice for the community.

- The cycle goes on.

By being active in StoryShift, you will gain voting power and your votes will have more weight.

So join now and start choosing where you want the stories to go.


J.W. RINZLER
J.W. Rinzler is the executive editor at Lucasfilm Ltd. He is the author of The New York Times best seller THE MAKING OF STAR WARS, as well as the London Times best seller THE COMPLETE MAKING OF INDIANA JONES. This fall, he returned with another in depth look into the world of Star Wars with the incredibly collector's book STAR WARS: THE BLUEPRINTS.

In this huge, $500 tome filled with real blueprints for spaceships, set pieces, and more from all 6 Star Wars films, Rinzler reveals the incredibly story behind each blueprint, tracing the groundbreaking path from drawing to concept design to production models to film.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Elena Stokes, Wunderkind PR elena@wunderkind-pr.com, cell: 917.887.0784


From a galaxy far, far away, Lucasfilm and Epic Ink announce the release of the original Star WarsTM blueprints

New York, NY: October 2011: This fall, leading up to the holiday season, Epic Ink - a new publisher of high-end collectible, limited edition books - bursts onto the publishing scene with STAR WARS: THE BLUEPRINTS by J. W. Rinzler, a first-of-its-kind collection featuring more than 200 of the original production design blueprints created for all six films of the STAR WARS Saga.

STAR WARS blueprints have long been sought after, both by fans and within the narrative. Who can forget the fate of the Bothan spies who died while delivering the Death Star plans to the Rebel Alliance? Luckily for STAR WARS fans, getting hold of those plans now isn't quite as dangerous.

The blueprints, filed away until now in the Lucasfilm Archives, are being released for the first time, and will be showcased in a single, epic limited edition featuring more than 500 photographs and illustrations. Though there have been many art-of STAR WARS books, only a few blueprints - almost always too small to be read - have ever been published.

The Rebel Blockade Runner hallway, the hold of the Millennium Falcon, the Death Star, the Emperor's throne room, Jabba the Hutt's Palace, X-wings, TIE fighters, and the Tatooine homestead-all of these places and hundreds more had to be designed, built, painted and dressed, with technical drawings showing the way.

Featured blueprints include:

  • The Millennium Falcon
  • Droids, including R2-D2
  • The Y-wing and the X-wing starfighters
  • The Rebel Blockade Runner
  • The Cantina
  • The Death Star
  • The Ewok forest, the battle of Hoth and much more!


"The common thread running through all six of the films was technical drawing-and that will hopefully never change. Everything every fan has loved about the STAR WARS films, from sets to spacecraft to vehicles to props, down to even the tiniest of control buttons, has at some point been carefully and thoughtfully drawn. That's how important it is," says Gavin Bocquet, draftsman on Episode VI and the production designer for Episodes I-III.

Each image was selected by New York Times bestselling author J. W. Rinzler in collaboration with an expert panel of Academy Award®-winning visual effects artists: Dennis Muren, visual effects supervisor for the original STAR WARS trilogy; John Knoll, visual effects supervisor for Episodes I-III; and Lorne Peterson, model shop leader for all six films.

Rinzler delved deep into the archives, revealing the incredible story behind each print while linking them to images of concept design, production models, and film stills.

"The unsung heroes of the art departments are the draftsmen, who drew in collaboration with their art department heads, but who also added their own ideas," said Rinzler. "Their blueprints have an attribute that concept art lacks-a sense of the real. It's been an amazing adventure to bring these blueprints to light after all these years."

Presented in an oversize folio and housed in a cloth-lined clamshell case, each copy is hand-numbered and only a total of 5,000 English language collector's volumes will be printed. The first 125 will be signed by the three surviving Academy-Award® winners for Best Art Direction for the original STAR WARS film: Art Director Norman Reynolds, Art Director Les Dilley and Set Dresser Roger Christian.

This incredible collector's item also includes interviews with Norman Reynolds, the Academy Award®-winning production designer and art director for the original STAR WARS films, and with Gavin Bocquet, the production designer of Episodes I-III, as well as interviews with Roger Christian, Les Dilley, and supervising art director Peter Russell.

Also featured are new interviews with many of the original draftsmen, providing more original material about the STAR WARS films and detailing how many facets of the galaxy evolved from concept to blueprint to set to screen.

STAR WARS fans will enjoy the creativity, innovation and superb quality of this tome as they gain new insights into the very blueprints of the STAR WARS galaxy. And now, STAR WARS fans can also watch a short teaser trailer about STAR WARS: THE BLUEPRINTS on www.theblueprintsbook.com, where they may also pre-order their copy.

  • Oversize folio, 15" × 18", 336 pages, 35 pounds
  • Clothbound volume housed in cloth-lined clamshell case
  • More than 500 photographs and illustrations
  • Ten 45" x 18" gatefolds
  • Each copy individually numbered
  • The English-language edition of this epic collector's volume will be limited to 5,000 numbered copies
  • Certificate of authenticity
  • On-sale November 1, 2011
  • Price: $500.00
  • Foreign rights have already been sold to the United Kingdom, France, and Japan.

J.W. Rinzler is Lucasfilm's executive editor and author of the New York Times best-selling book The Making of Star Wars; The Complete Making of Indiana Jones; and the recent fan hit, The Sounds of Star Wars.

J.W. Rinzler is available for interview by special request. Please contact Elena Stokes, Partner, Wunderkind PR, cell: 917-887-0784, email: elena@wunderkind-pr.com to book an interview with the author or to request an excerpt of STAR WARS: THE BLUEPRINTS.

Epic Ink is a new company from becker&mayer!-preeminent producer of innovative illustrated books for publishers worldwide. They have extensive experience collaborating on book projects with a wide range of major entertainment companies, high-profile estates, and personalities from the world of rock and roll. Epic Ink is located in Bellevue, Washington, and, along with Chronicle Books and SPIN Media, is a member of The McEvoy Group. www.epicinkbooks.com

Lucasfilm, STAR WARSTM, and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

To purchase one of the limited editions of STAR WARS: THE BLUEPRINTS go to www.theblueprintsbook.com

Learn more about J.W. Rinzler at www.jwrinzler.com

Follow Rinzler on Twitter at @jwrinzler

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTI-2mAhPZo

Book and Case Image: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/21089479/Finished%20Projects/Star%20Wars-Blueprints/SW-Blueprints_book%26case.jpg

R2D2 Spread Image: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/21089479/Finished%20Projects/Star%20Wars-Blueprints/Story_behind_R2.jpg

 

CELIA RIVENBARK
Celia Rivenbark was born and raised in Duplin County, NC. She is the author of a syndicated humor column that included the famous essay "Driving While Shaving" as well as five books. She lives in Wilmington NC with her husband and young daughter.In YOU DON'T SWEAT MUCH FOR A FAT GIRL now available from St. Martin's Griffin, Celia Rivenbark cracks up while getting her downward facing dog on, pines for a world in which every mom gets to behave like Betty Draper and wonders why everybody's so excited about the Science Fair when there aren't even any rides. In it you'll find essays on such topics as: Menopause Spurs Thoughts of Death and Turkey, I Dreamed a Dream That My Lashes Were Long, Movie To-Do List: Cook Like Julia, Adopt Really Big Kid, and Charlie Bit Your Finger? Good!



JANE ROPER
Jane was born and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, and spent the first 15 summers of her life in Maine, where her parents worked at and ran various summer camp programs. She attended Williams College, where she got an irrelevant but interesting degree in Anthropology.

After college, via a rather circuitous path, she settled into a career as an advertising copywriter (much to her own surprise) and began writing fiction and essays before and after hours. From 2002-2004, she attended the Iowa Writers Workshop, where she received her MFA in fiction writing.

Since then, she has returned to advertising and continues to write fiction and nonfiction whenever she can. (This has become more challenging since the birth of her twin daughters in December, 2006.)

Her writing has appeared in such publications as Poets & Writers, Salon, Slate and The Rumpus. Her first novel, Eden Lake, was published by Last Light Studio in Spring 2011. Double Time, her memoir of parenting twins and dealing with clinical depression will be published by St. Martin's Press in Spring 2012. Her blog on the same topics is Baby Squared.

Her husband is singer/songwriter Alastair Moock, and they live with their girls just outside of Boston. When Jane is not working, writing, mothering, grocery shopping, cooking or checking email, she can be found trying to read and promptly falling asleep.

You can pre-order DOUBLE TIME at us.macmillan.com/DoubleTime

Learn more about Jane at http://janeroper.com/

Follow Jane on Twitter @janeroper, her GoodReads Author Page and her Babble.com blog Baby Squared

 

ROBERT POBI
Robert Pobi is an international bestselling novelist whose work has been published in more than fifteen countries.

Pobi spends the summer months at a cabin in the mountains and when the mercury falls he tends to drift toward the equator. He writes at a desk that once belonged to the enigmatic Italian banker, Roberto Calvi.

When he's not working, Pobi fishes for everything that swims – from great white sharks off Montauk to the monstrous pike of northern Finland. He collects early twentieth century American art, listens to a little too much Motorhead, and doesn't do Twitter. He also collects speeding tickets and really digs Rice Krispies treats. Some of his favorite authors are Peter Benchley, Jimmy Breslin, Michael Crichton, Richard Dawkins, Ernest Hemingway, Joe Hill, Greg Iles, Norman Mailer, Seth Morgan, David Morrell, Trevanian, and Andy Weir.

ABOUT BLOODMAN:

FBI contractor Jake Cole deciphers the language of murderers by reconstructing three-dimensional crime scene models in his head, a talent that has left his nerves frayed and his psyche fragile. Jake returns to Montauk, New York, for the first time in a quarter of a century when his father, a renowned painter, lights himself ablaze and crashes through a plate-glass window. Once home, Jake is pulled into a gruesome local homicide investigation that echoes his mother’s murder three decades earlier.

As he sifts through the detritus of his father’s madness, Jake discovers thousands of seemingly meaningless paintings stacked in the studio – a bizarre trail of dust-covered breadcrumbs the painter left as he tumbled down the rabbit hole of dementia. Breadcrumbs that Jake believes lead to the killer.

With the help of Sheriff Dan Hauser – a man scrambling to prepare the seaside community for the arrival of a catastrophic hurricane – Jake Cole sets out to find the seemingly unstoppable force of malevolence known as the Bloodman.

A unique and disquieting thriller that redefines the genre, Bloodman will leave you reeling long after its operatic finale.

"Jake Cole has to be one of the most compelling and tormented protagonists in recent crime fiction...The pacing is relentless, and Pobi’s updates on the growth of the hurricane are almost welcome interludes amid the pervasive creepiness and horror of the growing body count and Jake’s appalling past. Bloodman is a remarkable debut."
--Booklist

"Pobi’s novel is a relentless, driving masterpiece."
--Suspense Magazine

“Bloodman should come with a halogen nightlight. This Stephen King meets Michael Connelly thriller is scary, creepy, page turning, original, bloody.”
–The Mystery Site

ABOUT MANNHEIM REX:

After the sudden death of his wife, famous horror writer Gavin Corlie retreats from New York City to a secluded house on Lake Caldasac. But his new life in the country is far from idyllic; when a thirteen-year-old wheelchair-bound boy named Finn Horn nearly drowns in the lake, Gavin discovers a startling secret: people in this peaceful lakeside community keep vanishing. Is the corrupt, Benzedrine-fueled town sheriff to blame? Or is Finn’s account of a lake-dwelling monster more than a near-death hallucination? Racing against time and Mother Nature, Gavin and Finn embark on a quest to catch a nightmare that seems to have evolved with a single frightful purpose: to feed on human prey.

An homage to the blockbuster Jaws and the classic American novel Moby-Dick, Mannheim Rex is a deep dark thriller that switches seamlessly between heart-warming friendship and heart-stopping action.

"Pobi invokes American classics Jaws and Moby-Dick in this cinematic, old-school suspense tale worthy of King and Koontz...Pobi's full-bodied characters, keen sense of place, and ear for realistic dialogue make for an engaging read."
--Publishers Weekly

  • But MANNHEIM REX on Amazon here

 


DINA ROSE, PHD
Dina is the author of the popular blog, www.itsnotaboutnutrition.com, and is an expert food sociologist who recommends that parents shift their focus from nutrition to actively creating lifelong, healthy eating habits for their children. In her forthcoming book, It's NOT About Nutrition: The Art & Science of Teaching Kids to Eat Right, Rose teaches parents how to consciously shape their children's relationship to food and solve eating problems that arise at different developmental stages and how to use taste and texture to teach kids to eat a wide variety of foods. Dina's previous research in criminology has been featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times and on The Brian Lehrer Show (WNYC). In It's NOT About Nutrition: The Art & Science of Teaching Kids to Eat Right, Dina combines her professional expertise on socialization and her knowledge about nutrition, parenting and food psychology research, with the practical skills she has gained from talking to, interviewing, and coaching hundreds of parents.

 

BRIAN SANTOS
Brian Santos, is a nationally recognized painting expert, best-selling author, fourth generation decorative artist and licensed contractor. He is the author of best-selling how-to books, including his latest from John Wiley & Sons, PAINTING AND WALLPAPERING SECRETS. Santos uses "edutaining" demonstrations in his television appearances and how-tos for industry giants like Sherwin-Williams, Home Depot and Lowe's, and at home and garden shows throughout the world to create wall magic. Over a touring career of more than 25 years, Santos has developed a series of "Wizard Workshops" that educate and empower audiences with simple tips, tricks, and techniques to help them tackle projects around the house with confidence. He has given in excess of 5,000 Wall Magic workshops to more than one million do-it-yourselfers all over the world!

He has also shared his expertise on national TV, including "Good Morning America," "Today," and HGTV's "Smart Solutions," as well as on TLC and the Discovery Channel. Growing up and working in the San Francisco Bay area, Brian's past clients include former San Francisco 49ers' quarterback Joe Montana, actress Doris Day, and Star Wars creator George Lucas. To learn more about Brian's techniques visit www.thewizardworkshop.com.

 


LUCIUS SHEPARD
Lucius Shepard, one of America's most criminally underrated novelists, is the author of dozens of novels and short story collections spanning a broad range of genres, from fantasy to science fiction to literary fiction. He was born in Lynchburg, Virginia and raised in Daytona Beach, Florida. He briefly attended the University of North Carolina and thereafter worked as a rock musician for the better part of a decade. He has traveled extensively in Latin America and his fiction, much of it reflecting his experience in that region, has earned him numerous awards, including the Gran Prix de l'Imaginaire as well as Hugo and Nebula Awards. Currently he lives in Portland, Oregon

VIATOR, by Lucius Shepard Grounded on a remote section of the Alaskan coast, the freighter Viator exerts a powerful control over the group of four men hired to determine the ship's worth as salvage. As the group starts to come apart at the seams, their leader, Thomas Willander, is afflicted by a series of disturbing dreams. As the men move from eccentric to borderline, they become incapable of escaping Viator's eerie allure.This edition of Viator has been revised and enlarged significantly by Shepard, who says that writing Viator drove him to the brink of a mental and physical breakdown. This Concord ePress ebook is the only available edition of the new Viator.

 

SCOTT ALLAN MORRISON

Scott Allan Morrison was a journalist for almost twenty years, covering politics, business, and technology in Mexico, Canada, and the United States. Morrison arrived in Silicon Valley as a reporter for the Financial Times during the darkest days of the dot-com crash. He later wrote about the Web 2.0 boom for Dow Jones Newswires and the Wall Street Journal. Over the course of a decade, Morrison covered most of the world's top tech companies and chronicled many of Silicon Valley's greatest stories, including the rise of Internet insecurity and the explosion of social media. Before setting his sights on journalism, he spent four years teaching English and traveling in Southeast Asia. He speaks fluent Spanish and very rusty Mandarin. He lives in Northern California with his wife and his hockey sticks.

 ABOUT TERMS OF USE

 Circles is the most popular social network in the world: vast, ubiquitous, and constantly evolving. Days before expanding into China, Circles suffers a devastating cyberattack—and a key executive is brutally murdered.

As he fights to save the company he helped build, top engineer Sergio Mansour uncovers evidence of a massive conspiracy that turns the power of Circles against its users. But as Sergio investigates, someone is watching his every move—someone ruthless enough to brand him a criminal and set a vicious hit man on his trail.

Desperate to clear his name, Sergio turns to Malina Olson, a beautiful and headstrong doctor who has an agenda of her own. Now, he and Malina must survive long enough to expose the truth in a world without hiding places, where a single keystroke can shift the global balance of power.

An Amazon.com Best Books of the Month: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Pick

“Through its international conspiracy plots, Morrison’s fresh, immersive debut exposes the privacy dangers that lie in modern society’s commonplace relationship with social technology...This fast-paced technothriller will attract technophiles, Millennials, and fans of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series.”
—Library Journal

“Scott Allan Morrison speeds through the synapses. In Terms of Use, Sergio Mansour has built the world’s biggest social network, and when others take control of his creation, it becomes a monster that threatens the balance of international power. Sergio must not only clear his name but save the world. Morrison is the Dan Brown of technothrillers.”
—Stephen Templin, New York Times bestseller, SEAL Team Six and Trident’s First Gleaming

“Terms of Use is a crackerjack techno-thriller from an author who knows the landscape. With menace, an expert pace, and lots of twists, Scott Allan Morrison exposes how our social-media lives can be hacked and turned against us. Both terrifying and thrilling, Terms of Useis a necessary cautionary tale for our current age.”
—William Lashner, New York Times bestselling author of The Barkeep and Fatal Flaw

“Terms of Use is a fast-paced Internet thriller that raises serious questions about the role and influence of technology in our daily lives. Readers will continue to think about the issues raised long after finishing the book.”
—Jonathan Zittrain, co-founder of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University

“Terms of Use is dangerously suspenseful—you’ll have serious trouble putting it down.”
—Marty Cooper, “father” of the cell phone

 


NEAL STEPHENSON AND GREG BEAR
Neal Stephenson is a New York Times bestselling author and has received numerous awards including the Hugo and the Nebula for his works in speculative fiction. His more popular books include Snow Crash, The Diamond Age, Cryptonomicon, The Baroque Cycle, Anathem, and Reamde.

Greg Bear is the author of more than thirty books, spanning the thriller, science fiction, and fantasy genres, including Blood Music, Eon, The Forge of God, Darwin's Radio, City at the End of Time, and Hull Zero Three. His books have won numerous international prizes, have been translated into more than twenty-two languages, and have sold millions of copies worldwide.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Elena Stokes, Wunderkind PR
elena@wunderkind-pr.com, cell: 917.887.0784

47North Announces the May Publication of THE MONGOLIAD: BOOK ONE by Neal Stephenson and Greg Bear

New York, NY: March 2012: This May, from the minds of Neal Stephenson and Greg Bear comes The Mongoliad Trilogy, the first installment in the Foreworld Saga, a collaborative series unlike any other that will enthrall fans of fantasy, martial arts, and historical fiction.

The Foreworld medieval adventure saga was actually born out of swordfighting. Stephenson and the other authors are avid practitioners of Western martial arts and they are part of an enthusiastic study group in Seattle. io9.com reports that Stephenson realized that the descriptions of swordfighting in his novels would have been much better with contributions from people with fighting expertise. Thus the idea for a saga about the complex, bloody history of Western martial arts was born, featuring Neal Stephenson, Greg Bear, Mark Teppo, E.D. deBirmingham, Joseph Brassey, Erik Bear, and Cooper Moo.

The first novel to be released in the saga, THE MONGOLIAD: BOOK ONE (47North; May publication; On-sale: April 24, 2012; $14.95 trade paperback; $9.99 digital), is an epic-within-an-epic, taking place in 13th century. In it, a small band of warriors and mystics raise their swords to save Europe from a bloodthirsty Mongol invasion. Inspired by their leader (an elder of an order of warrior monks), they embark on a perilous journey and uncover the history of hidden knowledge and conflict among powerful secret societies that had been shaping world events for millennia.

But the saga unfolds on a truly grand scale for it comes to the modern world via a circuitous route. In the late 19th century, Sir Richard F. Burton, an expert on exotic languages and historical swordsmanship, is approached by a mysterious group of English martial arts aficionados about translating a collection of long-lost manuscripts. Burton dies before his work is finished, and his efforts were thought lost until recently rediscovered by a team of amateur archaeologists in the ruins of a mansion in Trieste, Italy. From this collection of arcana, the incredible tale of The Mongoliad was recreated.

More than just a story, The Mongoliad is an sweeping narrative firmly rooted in history, taking readers back to a time when Europeans thought that the Mongol Horde was about to destroy their world-and it was up to the exploits of one small band of mystics and warriors to turn the tide of history.

Full of high adventure, unforgettable characters, and unflinching battle scenes, The Mongoliad ignites a dangerous quest where willpower and blades are tested and the scope of world-building is redefined.

About the authors:

  • Neal Stephenson is a New York Times bestselling author and has received numerous awards including the Hugo and the Nebula for his works in speculative fiction. His more popular books include Snow Crash, The Diamond Age, Cryptonomicon, The Baroque Cycle, Anathem, and Reamde.
  • Greg Bear is the author of more than thirty books, spanning the thriller, science fiction, and fantasy genres, including Blood Music, Eon, The Forge of God, Darwin's Radio, City at the End of Time, and Hull Zero Three. His books have won numerous international prizes, have been translated into more than twenty-two languages, and have sold millions of copies worldwide.
  • E. D. deBirmingham studied comparative religion and theatre at Harvard University and believes they are pretty much the same thing. She has written historical fiction and screenplays under various pseudonyms, much to the dismay of her mother, who wishes hers was a household name. She lives in rural Massachusetts with her husband and the world's best dog.
  • Mark Teppo is the author of the Codex of Souls urban fantasy series as well as the hypertext dream narrative The Potemkin Mosaic.
  • Joseph Brassey lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and two cats. He teaches medieval fighting techniques to members of the armed forces. The Mongoliad is his first published fiction.
  • Erik Bear lives and writes in Seattle, Washington. He has written for a bestselling video game and is currently working on several comic book series.
  • Cooper Moo spent five minutes in Mongolia in 1986 before he had to get back on the train-he never expected to be channeling Mongolian warriors. In 2007 Cooper fought a Chinese long-sword instructor on a Hong Kong rooftop-he never thought the experience would help him write battle scenes. In addition to being a member of The Mongoliad writing team, Cooper has written articles for various magazines including Seattle Weekly. He lives in Issaquah, Washington, with his wife, three children, and numerous bladed weapons.

THE MONGOLIAD: BOOK ONE
47North
On-sale: April 24, 2012; May publication
ISBN-13: 978-1612182360, ISBN-10: 1612182364
$14.95 trade paperback; $9.99 digital; 450 pages

*Neal Stephenson, Greg Bear, Mark Teppo, E.D. deBirmingham, Joseph Brassey, Erik Bear, and Cooper Moo are available for interviews.

**Please contact Elena Stokes, Wunderkind PR, cell: 917-887-0784, email: elena@wunderkind-pr.com or Cara Selick, Wunderkind PR, cell: 201.755.6927, email: cara@wunderkind-pr.com to book an interview with one of the authors or to request an excerpt or a copy of THE MONGOLIAD.

ABOUT MONGOLIAD: BOOK TWO

In this, the riveting second installment in Stephenson and company’s epic tale, we witness the aftermath of the world-shattering Mongolian invasion of 1241 and the difficult paths undertaken by its most resilient survivors.

The Shield Brethren, an order of warrior monks, search for a way to overthrow the horde, even as the invaders take its members hostage. Forced to fight in the Mongols’ Circus of Swords, Haakon must prove his mettle or lose his life in the ring. His bravery may impress the enemy, but freedom remains a distant dream.

Father Rodrigo receives a prophecy from God and believes it’s his mission to deliver the message to Rome. Though a peaceful man, he resigns himself to take up arms in the name of his Lord. Joining his fight to save Christendom are the hunter Ferenc, orphan Ocyrhoe, healer Raphael, and alchemist Yasper, each searching for his place in history.

Deftly blending fact and fantasy, The Mongoliad: Book Two captures the indomitable will to survive against immense odds.

“Suggestions of revelations to come combine with expertly crafted fight sequences and immensely enjoyable characters to hold the reader’s interest.”
-Publishers Weekly

" I loved this book. The action was some of the best I’ve read in a while. Each fight is important to the story. The battles range from one-on-one to ten-on-sixty. Each one is the right kind of detailed and wonderfully inventive. The characters are well drawn and multi-faceted... The plot pulled me to the next page relentlessly. I was thrilled when it was time for a battle, and I was thrilled when it was time for character development. I spent the entire time excited to see what this book had in store next. I am now excited to see what the next book has in store. I cannot recommend this one enough. Five Lovable Mongol Hordes out of Five."
-Ben Rhodes, Fanboy Comics

"Fact and fiction are seamlessly blended to create a detailed vision of 13th Century Asia and Europe, and the fear of the overwhelming Mongol horde is palpable. The violence is detailed but not gratuitous, and the fact that likeable characters aren’t safe proves the authors are not afraid to make sacrifices in order to provide a wonderful story."
-Geek Planet Online

“[a] sprawling, character-rich, action-packed epic that’s part history, part alternate history, part fantasy, part martial-arts saga…Jumping from place to place and character to character, the book has a potentially huge audience, not just fans of the individual contributors and readers of Book One but also the much larger fan bases for martial-arts epics, alternate history, and historical fantasy.”
-Booklist

  • Buy THE MONGOLIAD: BOOK TWO on Amazon here

ABOUT MONGOLIAD: BOOK THREE

An untested group of Shield-Brethren initiates stand before the sprawling Mongol army in a bloody circus of sadistic violence, while a hardened company of their finest roam the desolate wasteland of the Mongol empire, wrapping their dead in blood-soaked soil and struggling to find the strength to fight even as they mourn. The warrior-monks, both in the East and the West, sharpen their swords for a final battle.

The Khan of Khans must be slain if Christendom is to survive.

A sweeping historical interpretation of the battle for Europe against the invading Mongols and their ruthless Khan, The Mongoliad: Book Three brings the epic adventures of the Shield-Brethren to a brutal and thrilling conclusion.

“The Mongoliad was inspired in part by the authors' interest in medieval combat techniques, and the meticulously choreographed fight scenes are among the story's greatest highlights. Another band of Shield Brethren, stationed at the Polish village of Hünern, are involved in a plot to overthrow the Mongol general there; the uprising they orchestrate with Japanese and Korean prisoners of war plays out like a dazzling action movie.”
-Shelf Awareness

"…the series is wonderfully crafted…If you're a fan of epic fiction, or historical fiction (which tends to be epic), you'll be doing yourself a disservice by not reading this series. It may soon be remembered as the Wheel of Time of historical fiction."
-Novelnaut

"The final book in the Mongoliad trilogy is incredible … I am a big fan of the sprawling epic, like Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings, so when my favorite novelist and six other authors got together to write an epic, I was sold…The action is exciting and feels more real than anything I have read before. The characters are all multi-layered and sympathetic, even when they are trying to kill each other. The pacing is perfect. This might be the easiest recommendation I make all year. Go and read The Mongoliad...Five Perfectly Executed Parries out of Five"
-Fanboy Comics

  • Buy THE MONGOLIAD: BOOK THREE on Amazon here.

JENNY LONG AND BOB DER

Jenny Long (author) is the mother of Conner, 9, and Cayden Long, 7, who have competed in triathlons together as Team Long Brothers since 2011. Connor saw it a way for him to connect with Cayden, who suffers from Spastic Cerebral Palsy and they have competed in more than 14 triathlons, including two IronKids Triathlons. In 2012, the brothers were awarded the National Consortium for Academics and Sports (NCAS) Hero Among Us Award.

Bob Der (writer), Managing Editor and Publisher of Sports Illustrated Kids and Publisher of Time For Kids, has been a writer and editor at Time Inc. for the past 20 years. A lifelong sports fan, Bob started his career as a reporting intern at Sports Illustrated Kids in the summer of 1990, joined the staff in 1993, and was named Managing Editor in 2006. He first met the Long family in 2012 when Conner and Cayden were recognized as SportsKids of the Year. This is his first book.

 ABOUT EXPECT A MIRACLE

Jenny Long's young life tipped into chaos at age 12 with the death of her mother. By 18, she was a high school dropout, pregnant, and married to a convicted felon. But with the birth of her son Conner, Jenny vowed to end the vicious cycle and make a better life for her new family.

Two years later, Jenny's second son, Cayden, was born with spastic cerebral palsy. Undaunted by the doctor's recommendation to place her disabled son in an assisted living facility, she made the courageous decision to raise him at home. Similarly unfazed by Cayden's disability, older brother Conner developed a loving relationship with Cayden, engaging and respecting him with a grace and determination that belied his young age. At age 7, Conner, determined to share his love of athletics with Cayden, entered the Nashville Kids Triathlon, pushing and pulling Cayden every step of the course. The two brothers crossed the finish line together, and their thrilling and emotional race captured the hearts of millions and earned both boys Sports Illustrated Kids's SportsKids of the Year award.

Expect a Miracle is the inspirational story of Jenny's life and how she raised two extraordinary boys against all odds - brothers whose love and determination affirmed Jenny's deeply held faith that everyone, no matter their challenges, can find their miracle.

"The Long family has left a lasting impression on me, and their story continues to be an inspiration for me in everything I do. They show us all what it means to persevere in the face of adversity."
?LeBron James, NBA All-Star

"Jenny paints a picture of determination and a family bond that makes for a compelling book that's hard to put down."
?Clay Aiken, Multi-Platinum Recording Artist and Activist

"INSPIRING! The Long family is truly a miracle. Brothers of all ages should read about the commitment that Conner and Cayden have for one another. They are a championship family."
?Mike (Coach K) Krzyzewski, Duke University Head Basketball Coach,

"This story brought tears to my eyes. It is more than a miracle. Every parent should read this book."
?Loretta Claiborne, Special Olympics Athlete and Special-Needs Advocate

  • You can buy EXPECT A MIRACLE on Amazon here.
  • Learn more about Jenny and Bob on their author page.

 


HOPE TARR
Hope Tarr is an award-winning author of more than a dozen historical and contemporary romance fiction novels. Hope is a past nominee for The Dorothy Parker Award of Excellence and Romantic Times BOOK Reviews Magazine's Most Unusual Historical Romance Award, and her sexy, sensual books are beloved by readers from Maine to Mumbai. To read Hope's Single Girl in the Big City blog, to enter her regular and special contests, or for a complete listing of her books, visit her web site at (hyperlink) www.hopetarr.co

KAREEM ABDUL JABBAR

Kareem Abdul-Jabbaris the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and a six-time NBA champion. He is also one of a handful of influential and respected black men in America who has a national platform as a regular contributing columnist for The Washington Post and Time Magazine, where he shares his thoughts on some of the most socially relevant and politically controversial topics facing our nation today. After 50 years as an athlete, activist, and New York Times bestselling author, he offers his perspectives on how we can work together to solve some of these issues as a nationally recognized speaker who regularly appears on the lecture circuit. His new political book, Writings on the Wall – Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and White will be released August 2016 by Time Books and offers his personal perspectives on political issues facing America today.

In 2012, Kareem was appointed to be the U.S. Cultural Ambassador by then Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Currently he serves as the chairman of his Skyhook Foundation whose mission is to “Give Kids a Shot That Can’t be Blocked”  by bringing educational opportunities to under-served communities through innovative outdoor environmental learning.  Kareem’s most recent projects include the HBO Sports documentary, Kareem: Minority of One, which debuted in early November 2015 as HBO’s most watched and highest rated sports documentary. His debut novel Mycroft Holmes—a mystery novel and the first of an action/mystery series based on Sherlock Holmes’s savvy older brother—was released in by Titan Publishing in September 2015. Following the success of his novel, the comic, Mycroft Holmes & the Apocalypse Handbook  will be released during Comi-Con in San Diego in July 2016.

 ABOUT WRITINGS ON THE WALL

Since retiring from professional basketball as the NBA's all-time leading scorer, six-time MVP, and Hall of Fame inductee, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has become a lauded observer of culture and society, a New York Times bestselling author, and a regular contributor to The Washington Post, TIME magazine and TIME.com.

He now brings that keen insight to the fore in Writings on the Wall: Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and White, his most incisive and important work of non-fiction in years. He uses his unique blend of erudition, street smarts and authentic experience in essays on the country's seemingly irreconcilable partisan divide - both racial and political, parenthood, and his own experiences as an athlete, African-American, and a Muslim. The book is not just a collection of expositions; he also offers keen assessments of and solutions to problems such as racism in sports while speaking candidly about his experiences on the court and off.

Timed for publication as the nation debates whom to send to the White House, the combination of plain talk on issues, life lessons, and personal stories places Writings on the Wallsquarely in the middle of the conversation, as many of Abdul-Jabbar's topics are at the top of the national agenda. Whether it is sparring with Donald Trump, within the pages of TIME magazine, or full-length features in the The New York Times Magazine, writers, critics, and readers have come to agree on what The Washington Post observed: Abdul-Jabbar "has become a vital, dynamic and unorthodox cultural voice."

"[Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's] concerns are deep, his arguments well-founded, and his solutions straightforward. The trick is to get people to listen, but Abdul-Jabbar provides a good jumping-off point. Heartfelt sentiments on how racism, gender equality, and other social and cultural issues in America can be changed for the betterment of all."
-- Kirkus Reviews

MATT DELANEY

Matthew B.J. Delaney published his first novel, Jinn, in 2003. Winner of the International Horror Guild Award, the novel was optioned for film by Touchstone Pictures, was featured as People magazine’s Page-Turner of the Week, and received a Publishers Weekly Starred Review.

Delaney received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Dartmouth College and a master’s in public administration from Harvard. Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, he left a career in finance and moved from Boston to New York City to join the New York City Police Department. He has been a member of the NYPD for twelve years and has been assigned to precincts throughout Manhattan and the Bronx as well as within police headquarters and the Intelligence Division. He is currently a decorated Special Operations Lieutenant serving in a Brooklyn violent crime suppression unit. He continues to write in his spare time.

 ABOUT BLACK RAIN

In a darkly warped near future, lucrative disease cures are brokered on Wall Street’s Genetic Stock Exchange. And the hottest consumer products are artificially synthesized humans that serve as everything from domestic slaves to combatants in savage gladiatorial games. For Jack Saxton, the young heir to genetic design powerhouse Genico Inc., these Synthates are just a fact of life…until the murder of a high-profile genetic scientist leads a pair of seasoned NYPD detectives to Genico’s door.

As a small band of Synthate rebels steps up its attack on the status quo, Jack encounters a pleasure-parlor girl who opens his eyes to their cause. When he dares to sympathize with the rebels, Jack is hunted down and arrested for the murder. Sentenced to die in the brutal games on Bloomberg Island, Jack will be forced to fight—for his life, for the future of all Synthates, and for a chance to uncover the mind-bending secret buried

  • You can buy BLACK RAIN on Amazon here
  • Learn more about Matt on his author page

KOSTYA KENNEDY

Kostya Kennedy has been an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering a wide range of subjects and overseeing Sports Illustrated Presents, all special issues for SI/SI.com. Along with covering baseball, he was the lead writer and editor of SI’s news section, Scorecard, and covered the NHL as SI/SI.com’s top columnist and editor. He has also been a staff writer at Newsday and written for The New York Times, FiveThirtyEight.com, The Huffington Post and The New Yorker. His television work includes appearing as a contributing analyst and commentator onMSNBC, as well as appearances on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Morning Joe, Imus in the Morning and repeat appearances onThe Charlie Rose Show. He does frequent radio work.

He earned an M.S. from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, from which he received a Pulitzer Fellowship. He has taught in the graduate  program at Columbia and he is currently a Visiting Professor at NYU’s Tisch Institute of Sports Management, Media and Business.

Along with his award-winning New York Times best seller, 56: Joe DiMaggio and the Last Magic Number in Sports, he is the author of the 2014 New York Times best seller Pete Rose: An American Dilemma. Both received the CASEY Award as Best Baseball Book of its respective year. He is a Book Editor at Time Inc. having edited Sports Illustrated’s best-selling The Hockey Book, Swimsuit: 50 Years of Beautifuland the forthcoming Super Bowl Gold: 50 Years of the Big Game.

Kennedy grew up on Long Island, where he lived in a house, which he wrote about for The New York Times in an article. He has written for Details, Attache, The Daily News and other places. Before Columbia, he graduated with honors as a philosophy major from Stony Brook University where he played exactly one game in the school’s rogue bloodsport, pit hockey. Kennedy also played bass guitar in the specialty rock cover band Rychyrd Prychyrd (the specialty: The band played songs by Kiss and Lynyrd Skynyrd). He  lives with his wife and children in New York. He is at work on his third book, to be published in 2016.

 ABOUT LASTING IMPACT

New York Times bestselling author Kostya Kennedy sets this captivating, character-rich story against the back-drop of one of the most pressing questions in sports: Should we let our sons play football? At the high end of America's most popular game is the glittering NFL, a fan-stoked money machine and also an opaque enterprise under scrutiny for the physical dangers imposed on its players. Then there's high school football, unrivaled for the crucial life lessons it imparts-discipline, leadership, cooperation, humility, perseverance-yet also a brain-rattling, bone-breaking game whose consequences are at best misunderstood, and, at the very worst, deadly. What is the parent of a young athlete to make of that?

The New Rochelle High School team in suburban New York is like many across the country: a source of civic pride, a manhood workshop for a revered coach and an emotional proving ground for boys of widely different backgrounds. In the fall of 2014, New Rochelle's season unfolded alongside watershed NFL head injury revelations and domestic abuse cases (remember Ray Rice?), as well as fatalities on nearby fields.

The dramatic story of that season, for players, parents and coaches, underscores fundamental questions. Are football's inherent risks so great that the sport may not survive as we know it? Or are those risks worth the rewards that the game continues to bestow, and that can stay with a young man for a lifetime?

"This riveting story about a high school football team is more than just the intriguing tale of a season. It's also the crucial examination of America's passion for our true national pastime, football."
?Christine Brennan, USA Today

"We've read about concussions and worse in the NFL and colleges, and now Kostya Kennedy examines the game at a high school rich in pride, tradition and battle scars. He paints a thoughtful, big-hearted picture of an old-school coach, players whose passion can overwhelm their judgment, second-guessing parents and yesterday's heroes, ranging from a violinist to a convict. 'Make your moment memorable,' one alum tells the team. It is Kennedy, however, who does the most with that advice."
?John Schulian, editor of Football: Great Writing About the National Sport

"Takes the energy of Friday Night Lights to a new stage and shows us what comes from playing the game at the center of a great moral debate."
?TourÉ

"In a time of football discovery, as we amass evidence for and against the dangerous, exhilarating game, Kennedy reports from the high school sidelines. He's a reliable witness for both sides, offering a clear, thoughtful reflection that will help parents and fans to arrive at a crucial verdict: Should I let my kid play?"
?Nicholas Dawidoff, author of Collison Low Crossers

"An echoing book about what football is about: hard-thought facts and heart. Kennedy has plenty of both. Reading him is essential for those who love the game."
?Terry McDonell, author of The Accidental Life

MARK EDWARDS

Mark Edwards writes psychological thrillers in which scary things happen to ordinary people and is inspired by writers such as Stephen King, Ira Levin, Ruth Rendell and Linwood Barclay.

His first solo novel, The Magpies (2013), reached the No.1 spot on Amazon UK and has sold 300,000 copies to date. This was followed by What You Wish For (2014),Because She Loves Me (2014; also a No.1 bestseller in the UK) and Follow You Home(2015).

He also co-writes with Louise Voss. Their novels are: Killing Cupid (2011); Catch Your Death (2011); All Fall Down (2012); Forward Slash and a series featuring Detective Inspector Patrick Lennon, starting with From the Cradle (2014) and The Blissfully Dead(2015). 

Mark grew up on the south coast of England and starting writing in his twenties while working in a number of dead-end jobs. He lived in Tokyo for a year before returning to the UK and starting a career in marketing. He now writes full-time and lives in the West Midlands, England, with his wife, their three children and a ginger cat, Billie, who was named after an actress from Doctor Who.

When he’s not writing or looking after children, Mark reads a lot, devours TV box sets and spends far too much time on Twitter and Facebook, where he loves chatting with readers. He also wishes he had more time to do the activity he loves most: karaoke.

 ABOUT THE DEVIL'S WORK

It was the job she had dreamed of since childhood. But on her very first day, when an unnerving encounter drags up memories Sophie Greenwood would rather forget, she wonders if she has made a mistake. A fatal mistake.

What is her ambitious young assistant really up to? And what exactly happened to Sophie’s predecessor? When her husband and daughter are pulled into the nightmare, Sophie is forced to confront the darkest secrets she has carried for years.

As her life begins to fall apart at work and at home, Sophie must race to uncover the truth about her new job…before it kills

‘The Devil’s Work is clever, contemporary, and chillingly plausible. Mark Edwards just gets better and better.’
—Clare Mackintosh, author of I Let You Go

‘A thrill-ride of a book, relishing the unexpected and unsettling the reader at every turn. It’s deliciously terrifying.’
—Elizabeth Haynes, author of Into the Darkest Corner

LISA SUGAR

Lisa Sugar is co-founder and editor-in-chief for POPSUGAR. An insatiable appetite for celebrities and the world of entertainment led Sugar to join with her husband Brian to create POPSUGAR as a hobby in 2006. Since then, as editor-in-chief, she has grown POPSUGAR into the go-to web destination for a primarily female audience across such areas as entertainment, celebrity, fashion, beauty, fitness, food, romance, parenting and more, known for its distinct voice as well as premium editorial and video made fresh daily. She oversees a staff of 60 editors who create content for the 18 lifestyle and entertainment sites that comprise the growing POPSUGAR network. Sugar previously served as a media planner at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners and at Young & Rubicam. She began her career at Showtime and Fox after graduating in 1998 as a double major in psychology and English from The George Washington University.

 ABOUT POWER YOUR HAPPY

Lisa Sugar has an amazing job. She spends her days creating content about pop culture, must-have handbags and makeup, healthy recipes, and Instagram-worthy sweets. She manages an enormously successful, growing company with employees who love what they do. And her life is just as great at home. She and her husband have three daughters and she’s the number one soccer mom who loves reading bedtime stories every night.  

How did she do it? By figuring out what her dream job was, taking risks, and believing in herself. And now she wants to motivate others to do the same. She wants to show them how to live colorful, interesting lives where every second counts.

She'll do so by sharing her personal and business story. Lisa knows that creating your dream job requires hard work, patience, and experience. She'll give advice, in big and small ways, about exactly how to do that, from starting a company to ditching a relationship that isn't working to becoming a fabulous boss. And with the great, accessible writing style that has made PopSugar such a hit, she'll make it fun!

"Sugar presents tactics for networking and crafting a resume or cover letter, and describes her experience creating and leading a successful team. Her commentary on “having it all” is astute... there is plenty of helpful guidance here for those just setting out on establishing themselves."
--Publishers Weekly


URSULA K. LE GUIN

Ursula Kroeber was born in 1929 in Berkeley, California, where she grew up. Her parents were the anthropologist Alfred Kroeber and the writer Theodora Kroeber, author of Ishi. She went to Radcliffe College and did graduate work at Columbia University. She married Charles A. Le Guin, a historian, in Paris in 1953; they have lived in Portland, Oregon, since 1958, and have three children and four grandchildren.

Ursula K. Le Guin writes both poetry and prose, and in various modes including realistic fiction, science fiction, fantasy, young children’s books, books for young adults, screenplays, essays, verbal texts for musicians, and voicetexts. She has published seven books of poetry, twenty-two novels, over a hundred short stories (collected in eleven volumes), four collections of essays, twelve books for children, and four volumes of translation. Few American writers have done work of such high quality in so many forms.

Most of Le Guin’s major titles have remained continuously in print, some for over forty years. Her best known fantasy works, the six Books of Earthsea, have sold millions of copies in America and England, and have been translated into sixteen languages. Her first major work of science fiction, The Left Hand of Darkness, is considered epoch-making in the field for its radical investigation of gender roles and its moral and literary complexity. Her novels The Dispossessed and Always Coming Homeredefine the scope and style of utopian fiction, while the realistic stories of a small Oregon beach town in Searoad show her permanent sympathy with the ordinary griefs of ordinary people. Among her books for children, the Catwings series has become a particular favorite. Her version of Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, a translation she worked on for forty years, has received high praise. Her poetry has drawn increasing critical interest;Finding My Elegy, published in 2012, contains poems selected from previous volumes and new work.

Three of Le Guin’s books have been finalists for the American Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize, and among the many honors her writing has received are a National Book Award, five Hugo Awards, five Nebula Awards, SFWA’s Grand Master, the Kafka Award, a Pushcart Prize, the Howard Vursell Award of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the L.A. Times Robert Kirsch Award, the PEN/Malamud Award, the Margaret A. Edwards Award, and in 2014 the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.

Le Guin has taken the risk of writing seriously and with rigorous artistic control in forms some consider sub-literary. Critical reception of her work has rewarded her courage with considerable generosity. Harold Bloom includes her among his list of classic American writers. Grace Paley, Carolyn Kizer, Gary Snyder, and John Updike have praised her work. Many critical and academic studies of Le Guin’s work have been written, including books by Elisabeth Cummins, James Bittner, B.J. Bucknall, J. De Bolt, B. Selinger, K.R. Wayne, D.R. White, an early bibliography by Elizabeth Cummins Cogell and a continuation of the bibliography by David S. Bratman.

Le Guin leads an intensely private life, with sporadic forays into political activism and steady participation in the literary community of her city. Having taught writing workshops from Vermont to Australia, she is now retired from teaching. She limits her public appearances mostly to the West Coast.

As of 2015, Le Guin’s most recent publications include The Unreal and the Real, 2012, and Steering the Craft: A 21st-Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story, 2015. Forthcoming in December 2015 is a new volume of poetry, Late in the Day. For the full list of the major publications see this website: About Ursula K. Le Guin – Bibliographical Information – List of Major Titles

 ABOUT THE UNREAL AND THE REAL AND THE FOUND AND THE LOST

A collection of short stories by the legendary and iconic Ursula K. Le Guin—selected by the author, and combined in one volume for the first time.

The Unreal and the Real is a collection of some of Ursula K. Le Guin’s best short stories. She has won multiple prizes and accolades from the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters to the Newbery Honor, the Nebula, Hugo, World Fantasy, and PEN/Malamud Awards. She has had her work collected over the years, but this is the first short story volume combining a full range of her work.

Every novella by Ursula K. Le Guin, an icon in American literature, collected for the first time—and introduced by the legendary author—in one breathtaking volume.

Ursula K. Le Guin has won multiple prizes and accolades from the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters to the Newbery Honor, the Nebula, Hugo, World Fantasy, and PEN/Malamud Awards. She has had her work collected over the years, but never as a complete retrospective of her longer works as represented in the wonderful The Found and the Lost.

This collection is a literary treasure chest that belongs in every home library.

  • You can buy THE UNREAL AND THE REAL from Amazon here and THE FOUND AND THE LOST here
  • Learn more about Ursula on her site

LAURIE HESS

Dr. Hess is board-certified by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in avian (bird) medicine and served as the President of the Association of Avian Veterinarians from 2009-2010. She is also an active member of the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians and the Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians.

After graduating summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Yale University, Dr. Hess received her veterinary medical degree from Tufts. She then completed a one-year internship and a two-year residency in avian and exotic pet medicine and surgery at the world-renowned Animal Medical Center in New York City.

 ABOUT UNLIKELY COMPANIONS

Whether it’s an umbrella cockatoo who’s not eating, a depressed chinchilla, a pregnant potbellied pig, or a ferret possibly needing surgery, exotic animal vet Laurie Hess is at the front lines with some remarkable pets–and their equally eccentric, dedicated, and sometimes demanding owners. Following a week in Dr. Hess’s life as she tries to uncover the source of an unknown ailment killing some of her most vulnerable patients, Unlikely Companions is an

All Creatures Great and Small with a mysterious twist that includes a special message about managing our most important relationships—those with our friends, coworkers, children, spouses, and ourselves.

“Dr. Hess takes everyday as it comes and treats whatever enters her office with compassion, and knowledge, and sometimes even humor.”
—Martha Stewart

 

BARBARA NICKLESS

Barbara Nickless worked as a technical writer, instructional designer, raptor rehabilitator, project manager, astronomy instructor, sword fighter and piano teacher before turning seriously to writing. Now an award-winning author, her short stories and essays have appeared in anthologies in the U.S. and UK.

A member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers, Barbara has spoken at numerous writing conferences and book events.

She lives with her family in Colorado. Blood on the Tracks is her first novel.

 ABOUT BLOOD ON THE TRACKS

A young woman is found brutally murdered, and the main suspect is the victim’s fiancé, a hideously scarred Iraq War vet known as the Burned Man. But railroad police Special Agent Sydney Rose Parnell, brought in by the Denver Major Crimes unit to help investigate, can't shake the feeling that larger forces are behind this apparent crime of passion.

In the depths of an icy winter, Parnell and her K9 partner, Clyde?both haunted by their time in Iraq?descend into the underground world of a savage gang of rail riders. There, they uncover a wide-reaching conspiracy and a series of shocking crimes. Crimes that threaten everything Parnell holds dear.

As the search for the truth puts her directly in the path of the killer, Parnell must struggle with a deadly question: Can she fight monsters without becoming one herself.

“A stunner of a thriller. From the first page to the last, Blood on the Tracks weaves a spell that only a natural storyteller can master. And a guarantee: you'll fall in love with one of the best characters to come along in modern thriller fiction, Sydney Rose Parnell.”
—Jeffery Deaver

  • You can buy BLOOD ON THE TRACKS on Amazon here
  • Learn more about Barbara on her site
  • Follow Barbara on Facebook and Twitter

 

MAX GLADSTONE

Max Gladstone is a two-time finalist for the John W Campbell Best New Writer Award, and a one-time finalist for the XYZZY Award. In July 2015 Tor Books will publish his next novel, LAST FIRST SNOW, a tale of zoning politics, human sacrifice, and parenthood.  LAST FIRST SNOW is the fourth Craft Sequence novel, preceded by THREE PARTS DEAD, TWO SERPENTS RISE, and FULL FATHOM FIVE.

Max studied Chan poetry and late Ming dynasty fantasy at Yale; he lived and taught for two years in rural Anhui province, and has traveled throughout Asia and Europe. He speaks Chinese, can embarrass himself reading Latin, and is a martial artist, fencer, and fiddler. He’s also worked as a researcher for the Berkman Center for Internet and Policy Law, a tour guide for the Swiss Embassy, a go-between for a suspicious Chinese auto magazine, a translator for visiting Chinese schoolteachers, a Chinese philosophy TA, a tech industry analyst, and an editor. He has wrecked a bicycle in Angkor Wat, sung at Carnegie Hall, and been thrown from a horse in Mongolia.

 ABOUT BOOK BURNERS

Detective Sally Brooks investigates an unusual robbery, and discovers that magic is real—and hungry!

NYPD Detective Sal Brooks is no rookie—but even the most hardened cop would think twice when they see their brother open a book and become…well…something entirely not their brother. When her attempts to solve the case cross paths with a mysterious team led by a priest, she starts to realize that the world is far more than what is seems, and, just maybe, magic is real—and hungry.

This episode is the first in a 16-part Serial, Bookburners, presented by Serial Box. From a team of writers, this collaborative effort unfolds an epic urban fantasy narrative across an entire season in weekly installments.

Follow along as Sal learns the life changing lesson: some books have teeth.

"Bookburners is sheer enormous fun! Energetic, intense, vivid prose. More soon please."
--Naomi Novik, author of Uprooted and the New York Times bestselling Temeraire series

"Bookburners is an exciting new take on urban fantasy. Love the premise, love the characters, love the unique (and sometimes wonderfully disturbing) spin on the dangers of magic!"
--Cassandra Rose Clarke, author of The Assassins Curse

"Bookburners has everything I want from episodic storytelling - strong writing, a rich premise, and memorable characters that will keep me coming back week after week."
--Mike Underwood, author of the Ree Reyes Geekomancy series

"Bookburners satisfies my craving for pulpy, demonic chaos with sharp writing, deliciously sinister magic, stellar black humor, and a kick-ass cast. The serialized story perfectly suits a sorcerer’s codex of baddies while the plucky Sal digs for deeper truths in her work with the Black Archives squad."
--Lindsay Smith, author of the Sekret Series

CHRISTOPHER MARI & JEREMY K. BROWN

Jeremy K. Brown has authored several biographies for young readers, including books on Stevie Wonder and Ursula K. Le Guin. He has also contributed articles to numerous magazines and newspapers, including special issues for TV Guide and the Discovery Channel, and recently edited a collector’s issue on Pink Floyd for Newsweek. Jeremy published his first novel, Calling Off Christmas, in 2011 and is currently at work on another novel. He lives in New York with his wife and sons.

Christopher Mari was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and was educated at Fordham University. He has edited books on a wide variety of topics, including three on space exploration. His writing has appeared in such magazines as America, Current Biography, Issues and Controversies, and US Catholic. His next novel, The Beachhead, will be published by 47North in 2017. He lives with his family in Queens, New York.

 ABOUT OCEAN OF STORMS

In the near future, political tensions between the United States and China are at an all-time high. Then a catastrophic explosion on the moon cleaves a vast gash in the lunar surface, and the massive electromagnetic pulse it unleashes obliterates Earth’s electrical infrastructure. To plumb the depths of the newly created lunar fissure and excavate the source of the power surge, the feuding nations are forced to cooperate on a high-risk mission to return mankind to the moon.

Now, a diverse, highly skilled ensemble of astronauts—and a pair of maverick archaeologists plucked from the Peruvian jungle—will brave conspiracy on Earth and disaster in space to make a shocking discovery.

Ocean of Storms is an epic adventure that spans space and time as its heroes race to fulfill an ancient mission that may change the course of humanity’s future.

SUSAN MCBRIDE

Susan McBride is the USA Today Bestselling author of Blue Blood and the Lefty Award-winning, Anthony Award-nominated Debutante Dropout Mysteries from HarperCollins/Avon, including The Good Girl's Guide to Murder, The Lone Star Lonely Hearts Club, Night Of The Living Deb, Too Pretty To Die, and Say Yes to the Death. Susan has a second bestselling series with HC/Avon that debuted in May 2014, the River Road Mysteries, that include To Helen Back, Mad as Helen, and Not a Chance in Helen. A fourth installment, Come Helen High Water, will be out in October 2016. A darker mystery featuring Texas police detective Jo Larsen, Walk Into Silence, will be out from Amazon's Thomas & Mercer imprint on September 6, 2016.

Susan's young adult thriller, Very Bad Things, came out in 2014 from Delacorte Press. Publishers Weekly raved: "McBride's fast-paced plot is fueled by jumps between multiple characters' perspectives, and her rendering of the venerable yet sinister school...is as absorbing as the tightly wound mystery." She has authored several YA non-mystery novels for Delacorte about debutantes in Houston: The Debs (2008) and Love, Lies, And Texas Dips (2009). Gloves Off, the third book, will be released in 2016.

Susan has also penned three women's fiction titles: The Truth About Love & Lightning, featured in Target's Emerging Authors program, a Midwest Connections Pick, and dubbed "a poignant page-turner" by Publishers Weekly; Little Black Dress, a book club favorite and Target Recommended Read that spent five weeks on the St. Louis bestsellers list; and The Cougar Club, a Target "Bookmarked Breakout Title" and a Midwest Connections Pick. Foreign editions of Susan's books have been published in France, Turkey, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Lithuania.

Susan has a short memoir available from HarperCollins: In the Pink: How I Met the Perfect (Younger) Man, Survived Breast Cancer, and Found True Happiness After 40, which tells her tale of becoming an "accidental Cougar" and marrying a younger man, her cancer diagnosis at age 42, and finding herself pregnant at 47. In 2012, Susan was named one of St. Louis's "Most Dynamic People of the Year" by the Ladue News and was given the "Survivor of the Year" Award by the St. Louis affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. As Susan likes to say, "Life is never boring."

 ABOUT WALK INTO SILENCE

When Patrick Dielman shows up at Detective Jo Larsen’s desk insisting that his wife, Jenny, is missing, Jo wonders if it’s a case of a bored housewife running away.

But as she digs deeper into Jenny’s life, Jo learns that Dielman keeps a stranglehold on the family finances, down to the last nickel, and that Jenny’s first marriage dissolved following the death of her young son. By all accounts—including her doctor’s—she never recovered from the loss. Between a controlling husband, a tragic past, and a callous ex-husband, Jo can’t be sure if she should suspect foul play or accept that the woman may have wanted to disappear.

For Jo, whose own demons are shadowing her every step, finding Jenny becomes more than the typical protect-and-serve.


KAMERON HURLEY

Kameron Hurley is an award-winning author and advertising copywriter. Hurley grew up in Washington State, and has lived in Fairbanks, Alaska; Durban, South Africa; and Chicago. She has a degree in historical studies from the University of Alaska and a Master's in History from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, specializing in the history of South African resistance movements.

Hurley is the author of the nonfiction collection The Geek Feminist Revolution, which contains her essay on the history of women in conflict "We Have Always Fought" , which was the first article to ever win a Hugo Award. It was also nominated for Best Non-Fiction work by the British Fantasy Society. Her nonfiction has appeared in numerous online venues, including The Atlantic, and she writes a regular column for Locus Magazine.

Her epic fantasy series, the Worldbreaker Saga, is comprised of the novels The Mirror Empire(2014), Empire Ascendant(2015), and The Broken Heavens (April 2017). Her first space opera, The Stars are Legion, will be published from Simon and Schuster's Saga imprint in January 2017.

Additionally, her first series, The God's War Trilogy, which includes the books God’s War, Infidel, and Rapture, is a science-noir series which earned her the Sydney J. Bounds Award for Best Newcomer and the Kitschy Award for Best Debut Novel.

She has won the Hugo Award twice, and been a finalist for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, Nebula Award, the Locus Award and the BSFA Award for Best Novel. Her work has also been included on the Tiptree Award Honor List and been nominated for the Gemmell Morningstar Award.

Hurley’s short fiction has appeared in magazines such as Popular Science Magazine, Lightspeed, Vice Magazine's Terraform, EscapePod, and Strange Horizons, as well as anthologies such as The Lowest Heaven, The Mammoth Book of SF Stories by Women,Year’s Best SF and Meeting Infinity. Her work has been translated into Romanian, Swedish, German, Hebrew, Chinese, Spanish and Russian. She is also a graduate of Clarion West.

In addition to her writing, Hurley has been a Stollee guest lecturer at Buena Vista University and taught copywriting at the School of Advertising Art. Hurley currently lives in Ohio, where she’s cultivating an urban homestead.

 ABOUT THE STARS ARE LEGION

Somewhere on the outer rim of the universe, a mass of decaying world-ships known as the Legion is traveling in the seams between the stars.Here in the darkness, a war for control of the Legion has been waged for generations, with no clear resolution.  

As worlds continue to die, a desperate plan is put into motion.

Zan wakes with no memory, prisoner of a people who say they are her family. She is told she is their salvation - the only person capable of boarding the Mokshi, a world-ship with the power to leave the Legion. But Zan's new family is not the only one desperate to gain control of the prized ship. Zan finds that she must choose sides in a genocidal campaign that will take her from the edges of the Legion's gravity well to the very belly of the world.

Zan will soon learn that she carries the seeds of the Legion's destruction - and its possible salvation. But can she and the band of cast-off followers she has gathered survive the horrors of the Legion and its people long enough to deliver it?

In the tradition of The Fall of Hyperion and Dune, The Stars are Legion is an epic and thrilling tale about tragic love, revenge, and war as imagined by one of the genre's most celebrated new writers.


RONALD H. BALSON

Ronald H. Balson is an attorney practicing with the firm of Stone, Pogrund and Korey in Chicago. The demands of his trial practice have taken him into courts across the United States and into international venues.

An adjunct professor of business law at the University of Chicago for twenty-five years, he now lectures on trial advocacy in federal trial bar courses.

Travels to Warsaw and southern Poland in connection with a complex telecommunications case inspired ONCE WE WERE BROTHERS, his first novel.

 ABOUT ONCE WE WERE BROTHERS

Elliot Rosenzweig, a respected civic leader and wealthy philanthropist, is attending a fundraiser when he is suddenly accosted and accused of being a former Nazi SS officer named Otto Piatek, the Butcher of Zamosc. Although the charges are denounced as preposterous, his accuser is convinced he is right and engages attorney Catherine Lockhart to bring Rosenzweig to justice. Solomon persuades attorney Catherine Lockhart to take his case, revealing that the true Piatek was abandoned as a child and raised by Solomon's own family only to betray them during the Nazi occupation. But has Solomon accused the right man?

Once We Were Brothers is Ronald H. Balson's compelling tale of two boys and a family who struggle to survive in war-torn Poland, and a young love that struggles to endure the unspeakable cruelty of the Holocaust. Two lives, two worlds, and sixty years converge in an explosive race to redemption that makes for a moving and powerful tale of love, survival, and ultimately the triumph of the human spirit.

"Balson does a number of things superbly: he crafts a highly readable plotline and makes great use of the Chicago backdrop...many will enjoy this gripping novel for its narrative drive and its emotional storytelling."
--"Booklist" Review

"The author describes the atrocities of wartime Poland and the beautiful, eternal romance between Ben Solomong and his life, Hannah. Balson's first novel is hard to put down."
--"The Jewish Book World"

"The phenomenal triumph of lawyer-author John Grisham's legal thrillers has spawned surprisingly few successful emulators; however, Chicago attorney Balson's first novel, while featuring a young lawyer heroine, Catherine Lockhart, who sees her bar admission as a license to further justice, is no simple imitation of Grisham's entertaining potboilers..., this novel is uplifting and moving, intelligently written and featuring historically accurate context and an unusual insight into human character and motivations. Highly recommended for all readers."
--Starred "Library Journal" Review

""A legal thriller...a reader knows he's writing from the inside." "
--Chicago Jewish Star

 

SHANTA NEWLIN

Roald Dahl would have turned 100 this September 13, 2016!

Celebrating 100 Years of Roald Dahl

2016 marks 100 years since the birth of Roald Dahl, the author of beloved stories such as Matilda, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and The BFG. Two of Roald Dahl’s most popular novels, James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, were written while Roald Dahl lived in the U.S. and were inspired by American culture—finding success here first before going on to become global bestsellers.

Roald Dahl 100 is the global, yearlong celebration of the creator behind the world’s most imaginative characters and stories. Highlights include the release of Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of The BFG on July 1st, a nationwide Roald Dahl trivia tour, screenings of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory nationwide throughout the summer, and Roald Dahl 100 activities at well-known eateries, zoos, and botanical gardens across the U.S. The celebrations will culminate in the biggest Roald Dahl birthday party of all time in bookstores, libraries, classrooms, and public places across the country the weekend of September 16th.

Today, Roald Dahl’s stories are available in 58 languages and, by a conservative estimate, he has sold more than 200 million books. Many of these stories have also been adapted for screen and stage, with combined box office proceeds exceeding $600 million for the 1971 film classic Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Tim Burton’s adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox, Matilda, directed byDanny DeVito, and the critically acclaimed film, James and the Giant Peach, produced by Tim Burton. 

Roald Dahl 100 Events:

MAY:

On May 24th, Penguin Young Readers will publish several new books in anticipation of the theatrical release of The BFG. These include The BFG movie tie-in edition featuring a cover with special film art, The BFG Mad Libs, The BFG’s Gloriumptous Journal featuring Quentin Blake art, and The Big Friendly Doodle Book.

JUNE & JULY:

Warner Bros. is bringing Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) to more than 600 theaters nationwide for two days only, on June 26th and June 29th.

STEVEN SPIELBERG’S THE BFG HITS THEATERS:July 1st brings the global release of the big screen adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The BFG, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Oscar winner Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, and Bill Hader.

SEPTEMBER:

THE OXFORD ROALD DAHL DICTIONARY published by Oxford University Press in September and is a fully functioning dictionary for children aged 8+

ROALD DAHL BIRTHDAY PARTIES: September is Roald Dahl Month and the weekend of September 16th will see schools, libraries, bookshops, and public places in the U.S. and across the world hosting exciting and fun-filled parties celebrating Roald Dahl’s 100th birthday. Party pack activities will be available for fans to download at Roalddahl.com/party

THE ROALD DAHL SPLENDIFEROUS SHOWDOWN:Story Pirates, in partnership with Penguin Young Readers and the Roald Dahl Literary Estate, will visit schools and libraries across the country with a fast-paced and interactive live trivia show inspired by the storytelling genius of Roald Dahl. Story Pirates is a nationally respected education and media organization founded in 2003 to celebrate the words and ideas of young people.

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER:

HAPPY DAHLIDAYS SWEEPSTAKES: In honor of Roald Dahl 100, Penguin Young Readers will launch a sweepstakes to give fans a chance to enter and win Roald Dahl books, tote bags, musical soundtracks, and more.

AVAILABLE NOW: ALL-NEW ROALD DAHL PAPERBACK COVERS:

The BFG by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake

Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake

Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake

Esio Trot by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake

Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake  

George’s Marvelous Medicine by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake

The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake

Going Solo by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake

The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake

Matilda by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake

The Twits by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake

The Witches by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake

COMING THIS SEPTEMBER 6TH: ALL-NEW ROALD DAHL HARDCOVER COVERS:

Matilda by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake

Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake  

 


DANIEL WALLACE
Daniel Wallace has authored many Star Wars books as well as comic book encyclopedias. This winter he introduced BOOK OF SITH: SECRETS FROM THE DARK SIDE (A 47North special holocron edition; 2/10/12), that tied in with the theatrical release of Star Wars: Episode 1-The Phantom Menace in 3D.
(add hyperlink to Star Wars: Episode 1, etc. http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Star-Wars-Phantom-Menace-3D-Re-Release-Trailer-High-Res-27861.html)

BOOK OF SITH is a collector's item, set within a special Holocron case. The book contains secrets of the Sith, with handwritten notes scribbled in the margins and special extras such as a Sith crystal, Sith talisman, scrap of burial shroud, diagram of Palpatine's master plan, and an Empire propaganda poster.

Wunderkind PR also worked with Dan on THE JEDI PATH: A MANUAL FOR STUDENTS OF THE FORCE, which first released in September 2010 as a collector's item featuring a fully illustrated book within a mechanical vault. THE JEDI PATH is now available again in book form (hyperlink to http://www.amazon.com/Jedi-Path-Star-Daniel-Wallace/dp/1452102279/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324228650&sr=1-2) THE JEDI PATH is an ancient training manual, passed down through generations of Jedi Masters, offering new insight to the history of the Jedi Order and the mastery of Jedi skills.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Elena Stokes, Wunderkind PR

elena@wunderkind-pr.com, cell: 917.887.0784

LucasfilmTM Announces the Discovery of BOOK OF SITH: Secrets from the Dark Side

New York, NY: January 2012: Tired of lurking in the shadows of the Jedi, waiting for a chance to seize control? At long last, the secrets of the dark side are being revealed. Whether you are a master or an apprentice, you can now fulfill your destiny with BOOK OF SITH: Secrets from the Dark Side (47North; On-sale: February 10, 2012; ISBN-13: 978-1612182612, ISBN-10: 1612182612, $99.00), a collection of Sith texts written throughout galactic history and gathered in one epic volume.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.... Fragments of five essential dark side texts were passed among numerous Sith and Jedi-Darth Sidious, Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Asajj Ventress, Mace Windu, Quinlan Vos, and others-who added their comments to the pages. Through the years, Darth Sidious pilfered and secreted away these texts, along with various objects created by his most powerful predecessors. Using this collected knowledge, the Emperor wrote his own manifesto, a sixth text, as well as a preface for the compilation. Each original text sheds light on the plots, exploits, and philosophy of the infamous Sith Order.

For years these texts and various accompanying artifacts remained concealed within a mysterious pyramid-like case. But now, with this recovered collection, all students of the Force can unleash the power and the madness of the dark side.

BOOK OF SITH: Secrets from the Dark Side is headed for new generations of STAR WARSTM fans in a deluxe special edition produced by becker&mayer! in collaboration with Lucasfilm, New York Times bestselling author Daniel Wallace, and celebrated STAR WARS® illustrators.

"BOOK OF SITH and THE JEDI PATH, which preceded it, are the first STAR WARS books that were conceived and developed as actual artifacts that originated in the STAR WARS galaxy," says Carol Roeder, director of publishing for Lucasfilm Ltd. "Now both sides, dark and light, have the chance to learn from the powerful Sith Lords and the Jedi Masters who came before them."

The 160-page book features a faux-leather cover with debossing and heat stamping. Five removable artifacts-including a scrap of a Sith burial shroud, a battle map from the Great Galactic War, a diagram of Palpatine's master plan, an Empire propaganda poster, and a note from Luke Skywalker-are tucked within the pages of the book.

The book's elegant design showcases original illustrations by acclaimed STAR WARS® artists, including Paul Allan Ballard, Jeff Carlisle, Chris Reiff, Chris Trevas, Russell Walks, Terryl Whitlatch, and the illustrators of Aristia/Hive Studios. The book and two accompanying mementoes-a Sith crystal and a Sith talisman-are enclosed in a mechanized blood-red and black Holocron case, which opens at the touch of a button with flashing lights and sounds.

"When we started this project, we really wanted to delve into the Sith side of the story," says Jim Becker, president and publisher of becker&mayer! "We tried to imagine what kind of history lay behind their pursuit of absolute power. And how the Sith would hide their secrets over time. The innovative package our team came up with in collaboration with Lucasfilm, including the incredible Holocron case, is inspired."

As each Sith Lord rose to power and then fell, the knowledge he gained vanished with him. Or so it seemed ... Delve into the dark with BOOK OF SITH: Secrets from the Dark Side.

STAR WARS® fans can find out more about BOOK OF SITH at http://www.amazon.com/bookofsith, where they may also pre-order the deluxe special edition., which will release in February to coincide with the theatrical release of Star Wars Episode 1/The Phantom Menace 3D.


BOOK OF SITH: SECRETS FROM THE DARK SIDE by various Sith Masters (and New York Times bestselling author Daniel Wallace), 47North; produced by becker&mayer! 160 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1612182615, ISBN-10: 1612182615. $99.99. Fully illustrated-color illustrations. National on-sale date: February 10, 2012. Available at http://www.amazon.com/bookofsith and at bookstores nationwide.

"In-world" authors:
The six texts are written by: Sorzus Syn, Darth Malgus, Darth Bane, Mother Talzin, Darth Plagueis, and Darth Sidious.

"Our-world" author:
Daniel Wallace is the New York Times bestselling author of The Jedi Path and Star Wars: The New Essential Guide to Characters as well as a dozen more books that explore the underpinnings of the Star Wars universe, including Star Wars: The Essential Atlas and The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia. He is a regular contributor to Star Wars Insider magazine and assembled the questions used in the Star Wars Trivial Pursuit game. In addition to making many contributions to the galaxy far, far away, he has written for universes including Indiana Jones, Smallville, Supernatural, DC Comics, and Marvel Comics.

Daniel Wallace is available for interviews. Please contact Elena Stokes, Wunderkind PR, cell: 917-887-0784, email: elena@wunderkind-pr.com to book an interview with the author or to request an excerpt of the deluxe special edition of BOOK OF SITH.

For more than 25 years, becker&mayer! LLC has created hundreds of innovative books that inform and entertain readers of all ages. BOOK OF SITH is one of several dynamic STAR WARS tie-ins created this year by the Bellevue, Washington-based book packagers becker&mayer! Visit www.beckermayer.com for more information.

Lucasfilm, STAR WARSTM, and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.