What's Up for the Debut Author Challenge Authors? - Part 10

This is the tenth in a series of updates about formerly featured Debut Author Challenge authors and their 2015 works published since the last update and any upcoming works for 2016. The year in parentheses after the author's name is the year she/he was featured in the Debut Author Challenge.

Part 1 here.

Part 2 here.

Part 3 here.

Part 4 here.

Part 5 here.

Part 6 here.

Part 7 here.

Part 8 here.

Part 9 here.

Linda Grimes (2012)

Pre-Fix
A Ciel Halligan Short Story
Tor Books, March 31, 2015
e-Book, 32 pages

Meet Ciel Halligan, aura adaptor extraordinaire, in this charming introduction to Linda Grimes' "sparkling series" (Publishers Weekly).

A genetic quirk means Ciel can take on the appearance of anyone she meets by projecting their aura. This startling ability presents endless possibilities, and she's one of a rare few who has it...so you'd think it'd be easier finding a day job that lets her put it to use. Actress? Model? Ethically dubious and possibly criminal activities, like her best friend Billy? Ciel's long-time crush and fellow aura adaptor, Mark, has found his calling as a CIA agent-a life of intrigue, danger, and the perfect utilization of their rather unique skill set. It seems like the obvious choice to Ciel: She could do good and spend time with her crush. What could be better?

"Seamlessly blending humor and action...This deliciously sexy and fun-filled romp simply is a must-read."-RT Book Reviews, 4 ½ stars, Top Pick! on In a Fix

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Books-A-Million : Google Play : iBooks : Kobo

The Big Fix
Ciel Halligan 3
Tor Books, May 12, 2015
Hardcover and eBook, 320 pages

Linda Grimes's sexy and hilarious urban fantasy series that began with In a Fix and Quick Fix continues in The Big Fix.

Aura adaptor extraordinaire Ciel Halligan, who uses her chameleon-like abilities to fix her clients' problems—as them—is filling in on set for action superstar Jackson Gunn, whose snake phobia is standing in the way of his completing his latest mega-millions Hollywood blockbuster. There's only one thing Jack fears more than snakes, and that's the possibility of his fans finding out he screams at the sight of one. Going from hero to laughing stock isn't part of his career plan.

Seems like a simple enough job to Ciel, who doesn't particularly like snakes, but figures she can tolerate an afternoon with them, for the right price—which Jack is offering, and then some. What she doesn't count on is finding out that while she was busy wrangling snakes for him, his wife was busy getting killed. When Ciel goes to break the sad news to the star, she finds out Jack was AWOL from her client hideaway at the time of the murder.

Ciel begins to suspect Jack's phobia was phony, and that he only hired her to provide him with an alibi—but if she goes to the police, she'll have to explain how she knows he wasn't really on set. Up against a wall, Ciel calls on her best-friend-turned-love-interest Billy, and her not-so-ex-crush Mark, to help her set up the sting of a lifetime.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Google Play : iBooks : Kobo

All Fixed Up
Ciel Halligan 4
Tor Books, May 24, 2016
Hardcover and eBook, 336 pages

Ciel Halligan, aura adaptor extraordinaire, has a lot of experience filling in for her clients--as them. A rare genetic quirk gives her the ability to absorb human energy and project it back out in a flawless imitation. She's hard at work, posing as a well-known and celebrated astronaut, about to make a stunning announcement on behalf of the space program...when the photographer documenting the job sees right through her aura. Worse, it soon becomes apparent that he not only knows Ciel’s not who she's supposed to be, but means her harm.

When Ciel's elderly Aunt Helen—also an aura adaptor—is murdered in Central Park, and the same photographer shows up at the funeral, Ciel starts to feel even more exposed. Then more adaptors are killed in the same way, and she becomes terrified her friends and family are being systematically exterminated ... and it's starting to look like she's the ultimate target. She turns to Billy Doyle, her best-friend-turned-boyfriend, for help, but when an unexpected crisis causes him to take off without a word, she's left to rely on her not-so-former crush, CIA agent Mark Fielding.

Staying alive, keeping control of her romantic life, and unraveling the mystery of why adaptors are being pursued becomes a harder balancing act than ever in this new Ciel Halligan adventure from Linda Grimes.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Google Play : iBooks : Kobo

Rhiannon Held (2012)

Back a Winner
A Silver Universe Story
July 6, 2015
eBook, 12 pages

Pierce must soon give his alpha an answer whether he will accept a position of Seattle pack beta, but he can’t bring himself to decide. At the track, memories haunt him, throwing his fear into sharp relief.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Kobo : Smashwords

Temper
A Silver Universe Story
July 6, 2015
eBook, 21 pages

Hoping for a relaxing vacation to roam and get over a bad break-up, Tom instead finds something incredibly dangerous for all werewolves: a cemetery with Were secrets engraved on the stones for any human to see. When a couple of young werewolves from the Billings pack interfere with his plans to take care of the problem, it gets hard for him to keep his anger in check.

Amazon :  Barnes and Noble : iBooks : Kobo : Smashwords

Lady Ceremony
A Silver Universe Story
Aug 5, 2015
eBook, 16 pages

School’s out for the summer, and Ginnie’s determined to visit her friends in the Boston pack, even if she has to defy her father and sneak out to do it. After all, it was her father the alphas exiled to the wilds of northern Quebec, not her. But she never counted on her first shift into wolf coming so soon, leaving her aching and frightened on a bus, surrounded by humans who can’t be allowed to see her other form.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : iBooks : Kobo : Smashwords

Wolfsbane
Silver 4
Rhianon Held, August 22, 2015
Trade Paperback and eBook, 336 pages

When an envoy arrives from the secretive Russian werewolf pack, Roanoke alphas Silver and Andrew Dare are instantly suspicious. Tatiana claims she has been sent to locate an heirloom, lost by immigrants centuries ago, but she and the alphas both suspect that Russia fears the strength of the newly-united, continent-spanning Roanoke pack.

What Tatiana doesn't realize is that her pack is willing to sacrifice even their own trained spy for their goals. The drugged wine they’ve given her is too strong, and instead of rendering Silver and Andrew biddable, it nearly kills her and traps the alphas in dreams that could destroy them. The alphas must fight to wake and Tatiana must fight to help them—because with the furious Roanoke pack howling for her blood, her life could depend on it.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

iBooks : Kobo : Smashwords

Chris Holm (2012)

The Killing Kind
Mulholland Books, September 15, 2015
Hardcover and eBook, 320 pages
Trade Paperback to be published September 1, 2016

A hitman who only kills other hitmen winds up a target himself.

Michael Hendricks kills people for money. That aside, he's not so bad a guy.

Once a covert operative for a false-flag unit of the US military, Hendricks was presumed dead after a mission in Afghanistan went sideways. He left behind his old life--and beloved fiancée--and set out on a path of redemption...or perhaps one of willful self-destruction.

Now Hendricks makes his living as a hitman entrepreneur of sorts--he only hits other hitmen. For ten times the price on your head, he'll make sure whoever's coming to kill you winds up in the ground instead. Not a bad way for a guy with his skill-set to make a living--but a great way to make himself a target.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Google Play : iBooks : Kobo

Alex Hughes (2012)

How to Drive Yourself Crazy as a Writer
July 2015
eBook, 68 pages

Lately I’ve been noticing a distressing excess of sanity in the creative and writing worlds. Why, new writers have even begun to challenge the Great Assertion that one must be poor and miserable to be any good! This Assertion, as you know, is the bedrock to creating meaningful Art.

Fear not. You are not at the mercy of the forces of Sanity and Productivity. For those distressed by the relentless forward drive of Efficiency, this book will provide a refreshing antidote.

Before you know it, through my simple and practical Assertions, you too will adopt the maddening and complex process that is True Writing, and embrace creative insanity as comfortably as a bat in a belfry!

How to Drive Yourself Crazy as a Writer is the satirical how-to writing book you never knew you needed, chock-full of practical advice and easy steps to fill your creative life with trauma, missteps and angst.

Take another look at the life of a writer, and immerse yourself in the hysterical chaos of the life of a miserable, starving-in-a-garret author… or, perhaps, laugh your way to the other side of writer’s block.

Amazon

Fluid
A Mindspace Investigations Novella
Book 4.5
October 27, 2015
Paperback and eBook

Good Cop, Bad Cop

A prominent journalist has been found dead, a journalist investigating police corruption. I'm supposed to be working in my new P. I. firm, but the money's not enough so I'm back consulting for the police as a telepath. Turns out this case is a doozy--the journalist was an addict, even worse than I was before I cleaned up my act. But he saved some kids from a sweatshop years ago, and then there's this corruption thing he's been looking into, which makes all the cops sweat.

The police's Powers That Be would really, really like for the journalist's death be an accident--the physical evidence even points in that direction. In Mindspace, however, it's clearly murder. With increasing pressure on myself and Detective Freeman to drop this case, I'll have to fight my way through to find the killer. And worse? If it's one of the cops who did the killing, I don't know if they'll get justice, or I'll get paid.

Fluid and Temper are companion novellas, taking place at the same time.  Fluid follows Adam’s activities; Temper follows Cherabino’s.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

iBooks : Kobo

The Three Words Project
Stories Inspired by Readers
November 2015
Trade Paperback and eBook, 62 pages

Banana. Elephantine. Kendama. -- What kind of worlds can be created from just three words?

In the summer of 2014, I asked the readers of my email newsletter to send me just three words, which I would use to inspire flash fiction pieces I'd write on the spot. The project ended up a lot more popular than I expected, with dozens of word sets coming in both that summer and the following winter. The words ranged from fedora to susurrus, from explosion to widdershins, and I was inspired to write flash fiction stories just as diverse in content.

From a time traveler stuck on hold while being chased by a dinosaur, to family inheritance dispute, a magician's quarrel to a private investigator on New Mars, not to mention a haunted bone garden and a Viking coming of age story, these stories run the gamut of time and space in bite-sized pieces. Each comes labeled with the three words that inspired it, both as a tribute to the original reader and as a fun glimpse into the mind of a writer at play.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

iBooks : Kobo

Temper
A Mindspace Investigations Novella
Book 4.7
Alexandra Hughes LLC, December 2015
Trade Paperback and eBook, 100 pages

Introducing Temper, the first Mindspace Investigations novella from ex-Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino's point of view...

Some Clients Test You More Than Others

Getting fired from the DeKalb County P.D. was hard, and starting up a private investigation firm has turned out to be even harder. The bills aren't getting paid, and it doesn't help that my partner the telepath keeps getting called away to work for the police department that dropped me like a bad habit. It makes me sad. And angry. A whole lot angry. But when a big-time steel mill mogul comes to Mindspace Investigations PI for help finding his blackmailer, I jump at the chance to get justice for someone again.

Unfortunately, there's a lot more to this case than meets the eye. Shady union dealings. Ties to the mob. Questionable motives. Lies and half-truths. But we need the money, and I can't afford to be picky about jobs right now. No matter how much I dislike the client.

My sensei used to tell me that picking a fight was a bad idea for anyone, but a particularly bad idea for me. But sometimes you don't get to pick your battles. I just hope this is a fight I can win without crossing too many lines.

Fluid and Temper are companion novellas, taking place at the same time.  Fluid follows Adam’s activities; Temper follows Cherabino’s.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : iBooks : Kobo

Benedict Jacka (2012)

Burned
Alex Verus 7
Ace, April 5, 2016
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 336 pages

Mage Alex Verus is back in the seventh in the “gorgeously realized”* urban fantasy series from the national bestselling author of Veiled.

I’m used to people wanting me dead. But, this time, I’m not the only one on the hit list—and time is running out…

Diviner Alex Verus finally made one too many enemies on the Council of Mages, and now one of them is angry enough to have him executed. Fighting for his life is nothing new, but this kill order also calls for the death of Alex’s dependents—and there’s no way that he’ll let Luna, Anne, and Vari take the heat.

With only a week before he’s history, Alex will have to figure out how to disassociate himself from his friends, scrounge up allies on the Council, and hopefully keep his head attached to his body.

But saving himself is going to bring him into direct opposition with his former master and the Dark mages surrounding him. And, this time, escaping with his life might mean losing his soul…

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Google Play : iBooks : Kobo

Anne E. Johnson (2012)

Things from Other Worlds
October 8, 2015
Trade Paperback and eBook, 82 pages

"Enchanting!" -Ellie Ann, New York Times bestseller

Many strange things wait inside these pages. There's a fuzzy ball of kindness, camped out on a grumpy man's porch. A chewed piece of gum with a mind of its own. A smart Alec who actually stands in line twice when they're handing out brains. A girl who isn't afraid when all the plants in her neighborhood come to life.

This collection of science fiction and fantasy stories for kids by award-winning author Anne E. Johnson is perfect for ages 8-12, or anyone with a child's heart.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound
 iBooks : Kobo

The Clay War
November 8, 2015
eBook, 16 pages

One minute, Shelly is on her fire escape in Detroit. The next, she's in a strange world with two rival battalions of fairies flying toward her. Good thing she has some city-smarts to get her out of this alarming situation.

This short fantasy story by award-winning children's author Anne E. Johnson is intended for ages 8-12.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : iBooks : Kobo

2016 Young Explorer's Adventure Guide     Multiple Authors including Anne E. Johnson
Dreaming Robot Press, November 2015
Trade Paperback and eBook, 402 pages

The Universe keeps getting bigger! The adventure continues in this second collection of science fiction short stories for middle grade readers. From a future that could be right around the corner, to cultures that stretch what it means to be human, the common thread of our stories are the girls and boys who take action, solve problems, and become the leaders of tomorrow. Welcome Young Explorers!
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound
iBooks : Kobo

The Orpheus Factor
December 15, 2015
ebook, 59 pages

Maybe the aliens are already here.
These six works of short science fiction by award-winning author Anne E. Johnson range from Earth-bound cyberpunk to a space-opera retelling of an ancient Greek myth. All-in-all, the collection will leave you ... unsettled.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : iBooks : Kobo

Interview with Alex Hughes, author of the Mindspace Investigations - March 31, 2014

Please welcome Alex Hughes to The Qwillery. Alex's most recent novel is Marked which will be published on April 1st. In addition Rabbit Trick, which includes a Mindspace Investigations story, was published on March 4, 2014.

TQ:  Welcome back to The Qwillery. The first two novels in the Mindspace Investigations Series, Clean and Sharp, were published in 2012 and 2013 respectively and Marked will be out tomorrow. How was your writing process changed since your first novel was published?

Alex:  Thank you so much for having me on the blog. It's good to be back :)

My writing process is still developing, and every novel feels different as I'm working out not only plots and character arcs but also the best ways to work with my muse in a way that makes us both happy. Marked had to be written in about four and a half months, about half the time it took to write Sharp, so the process and the stress was accelerated. As I'm writing Book #4 right now, it's a different experience still, much slower and incremental, with layers building as I go. I'm still adjusting my process with every book, and it may take awhile to get it right. By nature, I'm a pantser (I write by the seat of my pants) but this is a very inefficient and illogical process. I'm trying to add more structure and planning to this to make the process easier, but if I overshoot, I can hobble my muse. So I'm still learning and trying new things.



TQ:  The Mindspace Investigations series is set in an alternate future Atlanta. Why did you set the series in Atlanta?

Alex:  I live in Atlanta. Specifically, I lived in Decatur in college, where the Mindspace series was set. They were constantly telling me in creative writing class to write what you know, so when I came up with the core idea for the series, it was set there, mostly to prove I could do it.



TQ:  You've written two e-shorts set in the Mind Space Investigations universe: Payoff in 2013 and Rabbit Trick earlier in March, which includes some extra stories. Can you tell us about Rabbit Trick?

Alex:  Thanks for asking! "Rabbit Trick" was a story I wrote about eighteen months ago, right before I finished the draft of Sharp. Without going into spoilers, one of the characters in Sharp has a history with Adam and Cherabino that I wanted to explore. "Rabbit Trick" is the first time they come into contact with this character's handiwork. Since the story is set before the events of Clean, Adam deliberately doesn't have a name, and his and Cherabino's relationship is still pretty rocky. They're called in to consult on the murder of a fellow police officer, which Cherabino takes hard. When they show up, though, Adam discovers there was a kid at the crime scene... a kid no one can find.

I had a blast writing "Rabbit Trick" and the two other stories in other worlds, and I wanted to share that with the readers. Since you guys seemed to like Payoff so well, an e-short seemed the right format.



TQ:   After Sharp (book 2) was published I asked you which character surprised you the most in the series to that point. Is Paulson still the character who has surprised you the most?

Alex:  At this point, I think it's Kara. Her loyalties and motivations shift with the tides, so that I'm never quite sure at any given moment which side of the fence she'll land on. That makes her fun (and frustrating) to write.



TQ:  The novels have been described as "dark noir" and "SF mysteries and/or thrillers." Would you agree? What is noir?

Alex:  Noir, the way I understand it, comes from the look and feel of old forties films in the black-and-white Film Noir style. There's dramatic lighting, strong contrasts between shadows and lights, and also elevated dialogue and stakes. The heroes are always a little gritty, and the situations always a little more dramatic than normal, and there's usually some kind of hardboiled crime story. I love this genre, though I wasn't intending to write in it; it's apparently where my ideas naturally go. I was definitely trying for a cop-show feeling, and a speculative element pulling from real science concepts. What I ended up with works, but it's hard to categorize.



TQ:   What's next?

Alex:  I'll have more Mindspace stories as we go, but I'm also working on additional ideas for other worlds. One of which is actually set in the 1940s, speaking of noir. And I'm working on a collaborative project about a hotel ghost with critique partner Kerry Schafer this year as well. To make sure you stay up to date with all the latest news (and get periodic free short stories from me), sign up for my email newsletter at http://www.ahugheswriter.com/email-signup.



TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Alex:  Thank you so much for having me here! I had a great time.

Mindspace Investigations

Marked
Mindspace Investigations 3
Roc, April 1, 2014
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 352 pages

FORESEE NO EVIL.

Freelancing for the Atlanta PD isn’t exactly a secure career; my job’s been on the line almost as much as my life. But it’s a paycheck, and it keeps me from falling back into the drug habit. Plus, things are looking up with my sometimes-partner, Cherabino, even if she is still simmering over the telepathic Link I created by accident.

When my ex, Kara, shows up begging for my help, I find myself heading to the last place I ever expected to set foot in again—Guild headquarters—to investigate the death of her uncle. Joining that group was a bad idea the first time. Going back when I’m unwanted is downright dangerous.

Luckily, the Guild needs me more than they’re willing to admit. Kara’s uncle was acting strange before he died—crazy strange. In fact, his madness seems to be slowly spreading through the Guild. And when an army of powerful telepaths loses their marbles, suddenly it’s a game of life or death.…

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Sharp
Mindspace Investigations 2
Roc, April 2, 2013
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 352 pages

HISTORY HAS A WAY OF REPEATING ITSELF, EVEN FOR TELEPATHS.…

As a Level Eight telepath, I am the best police interrogator in the department. But I’m not a cop—I never will be—and my only friend on the force, Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino, is avoiding me because of a telepathic link I created by accident.

And I might not even be an interrogator for much longer. Our boss says unless I pull out a miracle, I’ll be gone before Christmas. I need this job, damn it. It’s the only thing keeping me sane.

Parts for illegal Tech—the same parts used to bring the world to its knees in the Tech Wars sixty years ago—are being hijacked all over the city. Plus Cherbino's longtime nemesis, a cop killer, has resurfaced with a vengeance. If I can stay alive long enough, I just might be able to prove my worth, once and for all...

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Payoff
A Mindspace Investigations Novella
Roc, March 5, 2014
eNovella, 112 pages

Being a telepath, I should have seen the hell I was getting myself into…

I used to be one of the most powerful telepaths in the guild. That was before my drug addiction and before they kicked me out. But I'm not a bad guy. Now I help the Atlanta PD solve murders. And even though there are only a few people I call friends, I'd do most anything to keep their trust.

So when a judge asks me to help investigate a missing college kid, I'm down for it. No questions asked. No problem. But in this dark world, things are never easy and a favor is never just a favor. Turns out, politicians don’t like being murder suspects. And it's bad to anger someone with more power than you. I thought I had nothing to lose... I was wrong.

Includes a preview of Alex Hughes’s Sharp

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : iTunes : Kobo

Clean
Mindspace Investigations 1
Roc, September 4, 2012
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 352 pages

A RUTHLESS KILLER—
OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND

I used to work for the Telepath’s Guild before they kicked me out for a drug habit that wasn’t entirely my fault. Now I work for the cops, helping Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino put killers behind bars.

My ability to get inside the twisted minds of suspects makes me the best interrogator in the department. But the normals keep me on a short leash. When the Tech Wars ripped the world apart, the Guild stepped up to save it. But they had to get scary to do it—real scary.

Now the cops don’t trust the telepaths, the Guild doesn’t trust me, a serial killer is stalking the city— and I’m aching for a fix. But I need to solve this case. Fast. I’ve just had a vision of the future: I’m the next to die.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Rabbit Trick
Mindspace Investigations .5
Alex Hughes, March 4, 2014
eBook

New short story in the Mindspace Investigations universe (with two bonus short stories in other worlds from author Alex Hughes).

Open Mind

When the cops call me in the middle of the night, I know it’s bad. One of their own is dead, strangled in her car by a professional killer, and it’s up to me, telepath consultant extraordinaire, to pull the rabbit out of my hat and solve the case. Only this time I’m not so sure I can.

Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino is breathing down my neck. The dead cop’s partner is too. And now, the worst—there was a five-year-old kid in the car, a kid no one can find.

Note from the author: “Rabbit Trick” takes place before the events of Clean, so the hero intentionally remains nameless.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : iTunes

About Alex

Alex Hughes, the author of the award-winning Mindspace Investigations series from Roc, has lived in the Atlanta area since the age of eight. She is a graduate of the prestigious Odyssey Writing Workshop, and a Semi-Finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novels 2011. Her short fiction has been published in several markets including EveryDay Fiction, Thunder on the Battlefield and White Cat Magazine. She is an avid cook and foodie, a trivia buff, and a science geek, and loves to talk about neuroscience, the Food Network, and writing craft—but not necessarily at the same time! You can visit her at Twitter at @ahugheswriter or on the web at http://www.ahugheswriter.com. Or, join her email newsletter for free short stories at http://www.ahugheswriter.com/email-signup.

Facebook  ~  Twitter @ahugheswriter

The View From Monday - March 31, 2014

Happy last Monday in March! This is a very full release week including a tremendous number of books out on April 1st. No fooling!

There are 2 debuts:

Irenicon (The Wave Trilogy 1) by Aidan Harte;

and

Deadroads by Robin Riopelle.


And from formerly featured Debut Author Challenge Authors:

Cursed by Alexa Egan;

The Bird Eater by Ania Ahlborn;

Immortal Hunter (Execution Underground 2) by Kait Ballenger;

Covenant (Books of Raziel 2) by Sabrina Benulis;

Turned (Belladonna Agency 1) by Virna DePaul;

The Ophelia Prophecy by Sharon Lynn Fisher;

Marked (Mindspace Investigations 3) by Alex Hughes;

Drowning in Fire (Elementals 3) by Hanna Martine;

Tomorrow, the Killing (Low Town 2) Daniel Polansky;

and  

Silence for the Dead by Simone St. James.



March 30, 2014

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Wanderer's Tale (ri)	David Bilsborough	F - Annals of Lindormyn 1

March 31, 2014

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Small Doses of the Future: A Collection of Medical Science Fiction Stories	Brad Aiken	SF - Collection
Death's Daughter (e)	Kathleen Collins	PNR - Realm Walker 2
Minding the Stars: The Early Jack Vance Volume 4	Terry Dowling (ed) Jonathan Strahan (ed)	SF/F - Collection
Cursed (e)	Alexa Egan	PNR - The Complete Imnada Brotherhood Novellas
Dangerous Angel (e)	Stacy Gail	PNR - Earth Angels 4
At Star's End (e)	Anna Hackett	SFR
The Compleat Crow	Brian Lumley	F - Titus Crow Stories

April 1, 2014

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Goblin Emperor	Katherine Addison	F
The Bird Eater	Ania Ahlborn	H
Circle of Desire	Keri Arthur	FR - Damask Circle 3
Wild Wolf	Jennifer Ashley	PNR - Shifters Unbound 6
Immortal Hunter (e)	Kait Ballenger	PNR - The Execution Underground 2
Lexicon (h2tp)	Max Barry	SF
Dark Eden	Chris Beckett	SF
Hecate's Own	Dana Marie Bell	PNR - Heart's Desire 2
Covenant	Sabrina Benulis	F/Go - Books of Raziel 2
What the Doctor Ordered	Michael Blumlein	H - Collection
The Days of the Deer	Liliana Bodoc	F - Saga of the Borderlands 1
A Killing Notion	Melissa Bourbon	PCM - Magical Dressmaking Mystery 3
Riveted (tp2mm)	Meljean Brook	SPR - Iron Seas 3
The Devil's Eye (e)	Dawn Brown	GoR - Shivers 10
Blameless (ri)	Gail Carriger	SP - Parasol Protectorate 3
Changeless (ri)	Gail Carriger	SP - Parasol Protectorate 2
Soulless (ri)	Gail Carriger	SP - Parasol Protectorate 1
Upon a Sea of Stars	A. Bertam Chandler	SF - John Grimes Saga 5
Peacemaker	C. J. Cherryh	SF - Foreigner 15
Savage Panet	Stephen Coonts	SF - Saucer 3
Quicksilver Soul	Christine D'Abo	PHR - Shadow Guild 2
The Ugly Woman of Castello di Putti: A Tor.Com Original	A.M. Dellamonica	F
Turned	Virna DePaul	PNR - Belladonna Agency 1
The Ophelia Prophecy	Sharon Lynn Fisher	SFR
Shards of Time	Lynn Flewelling	F - Nightrunner 7
Magical Misfire (e)	Kimberly Frost	PNR - A Southern Witch Novella
Severed	Gary Fry	H
Vampire's Hunger	Cynthia Garner	SFR - Awakening 1
The Revolutions	Felix Gilman	SF/R
Legacy of Darkness (e)	Jane Godman	GoR - Shivers 9
The Awakening (ri)	Heather Graham (Shannon Drake)	PNR - Alliance Vampires 5
Darkening Around Me (e)	Barbara J. Hancock	GoR - Shivers 1
Games Creatures Play	Charlaine Harris (ed) Toni L.P. Kelner (ed)	UF - Anthology
Empty Space: A Haunting (h2tp)	M. John Harrison	SF/H
Dream a Little Dream (e)	Megan Hart	PNR
Irenicon (D US)	Aidan Harte	F - Wave Trilogy 1
The Crimson Shield	Nathan Hawke	F - Gallow 1
Marked	Alex Hughes	SF - Mindspace Investigations 3
Ghost of a Gamble	Sue Ann Jaffarian	PCM - Ghost of Granny Apples 4
Tempting the Demon	Elle James	PNR
Enchanting the Beast	Kathryne Kennedy	PHR - Relics of Merlin 4
Wicked Games	Angela Knight	PNR - Collection
Appalachian Overthrow (h2mm)	E.E. Knight	SF - Vampire Earth 10
Baltic Gambit	E.E. Knight	SF - Vampire Earth 11
The Frangipani Hotel	Violet Kupersmith	Gh - Collection
When He Was Bad (ri)	Shelly Laurenston Cynthia Eden	PNR - Stories
The Fearful Gates	Ross Lawhead	F - An Ancient Earth 3
Into the Void: Star Wars	Tim Lebbon	SF - Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi
The Forever Knight (h2mm)	John Marco	F - Bronze Knight 1
Reign of Ash	Gail Z. Martin	F - Ascendant Kingdom 2
Drowning in Fire	Hanna Martine	PNR - Elementals 3
Step Back in Time	Ali McNamara	TTR
Like a Dead Man Walking	William F. Nolan Jason V. Brock (ed)	SF/H - Collection
Ghost Seer	Robin D. Owens	PNR - Ghost Seer 1
Tomorrow, the Killing	Daniel Polansky	DF - Low Town 2
Stoker's Manuscript (h2tp)	Royce Prouty	H
Prince's Fire	Amy Raby	FR - Hearts and Thrones 3
Fall	Rod Rees	SF/Dys -  Demi-Monde Saga 4
Evil Never Dies	Mick Ridgewell	H
Deadroads: A Novel of Supernatural Suspense (D)	Robin Riopelle	Su/Sus
Keith Roberts SF Gateway Omnibus	Keith Roberts	SF - SF Gateway Omnibus
Shattered Moon	Moira Rogers	PNR - Bloodhounds
Black Rose (e)	Jenna Ryan	GoR - Shivers 3
Silence for the Dead	Simone St. James	Go
Bob Shaw SF Gateway Omnibus	Bob Shaw	SF - SF Gateway Omnibus
Conversations with William Gibson	Patrick A. Smith (ed)	SF - Literary Conversations
Running Free	Jorrie Spencer	PNR - Northern Shifters 5
Angel City (h2mm)	Jon Steele	Su/P - Angelus Trilogy 2
The Homecoming (h2tp)	Carsten Stroud	Su/H - Niceville 2
From Civil War to World War	Peter G. Tsouras	AH - Britannia's Fist Trilogy1
The Seventh Child	Erik Valeur	Go
Circle of Blood	Debbie Viguie	F/P - Witch Hunt 3
The Way of All Flesh	Tim Waggoner	H
Mark of the Bear	NJ Walters	PNR - Hades' Carnival 2
The King	J.R. Ward	PNR - Black Dagger Brotherhood 12
Gothic Science Fiction: 1980-2010	Sara Wasson (ed) Emily Alder (ed)	LC/Go/SF

April 2, 2014

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Devil in America: A Tor.Com Original	Kai Ashante Wilson	F

D - Debut
e - eBook
h2mm - Hardcover to Mass Market Paperback
h2tp - Hardcover to Trade Paperback
ri - Reissue or Reprint

AH - Alternate History
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopia
F - Fantasy
FR - Fantasy Romance
Gh - Ghosts
Go - Gothic
GoR - Gothic Romance
H - Horror
LC - Literary Criticism
P - Paranormal
PCM - Paranormal Cozy Mystery
PHR - Paranormal Historical Romance
PNR - Paranormal Romance
SF - Science Fiction
SFR - Science Fiction Romance
SP - Steampunk
SPR - Steampunk Romance
Su - Supernatural
Sus - Suspense
TTR - Time Travel Romance
UF - Urban Fantasy

What's Up for the Debut Author Challenge Authors in 2014? - Part 4

This is the fourth in a series of updates about formerly featured Debut Author Challenge (DAC) authors and their upcoming books for 2014. This update covers some of the 2012 Debut Author Challenge authors. Look for Part 5, covering more 2012 DAC authors, on The Qwillery later this week.

Part 1 is here - 2011 DAC Authors.

Part 2 is here - 2011 DAC Authors.
Part 3 is here - 2012 DAC Authors.

Sharon Lynn Fisher

The Ophelia Prophecy
Tor Books, April 1, 2014
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 320 pages

Our world is no longer our own. We engineered a race of superior fighters - the Manti, mutant humans with insect-like abilities. Twenty-five years ago they all but destroyed us. In Sanctuary, some of us survive. Eking out our existence. Clinging to the past.

Some of us intend to do more than survive.

Asha and Pax - strangers and enemies - find themselves stranded together on the border of the last human city, neither with a memory of how they got there.

Asha is an archivist working to preserve humanity’s most valuable resource - information - viewed as the only means of resurrecting their society

Pax is Manti, his Scarab ship a menacing presence in the skies over Sanctuary, keeping the last dregs of humanity in check.

Neither of them is really what they seem, and what humanity believes about the Manti is a lie.

With their hearts and fates on a collision course, they must unlock each other's secrets and forge a bond of trust before a rekindled conflict pushes their two races into repeating the mistakes of the past.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Rhiannon Held

Reflected
Silver 3
Tor Books, February 18, 2014
Trade Paperback and eBook, 336 pages

Rhiannon Held continues the secret lives of the werewolf packs that live and hunt alongside human society in Reflected, the third book of the series that began with her debut novel, Silver. Silver and her mate Andrew Dare are pack leaders of the entire North American werewolf population, and that makes the more traditional packs in Europe very nervous indeed. It’s getting hard to hide from human surveillance.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Alex Hughes

Marked
Mindspace Investigation 3
Roc, April 1, 2014
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 352 pages

FORESEE NO EVIL.

Freelancing for the Atlanta PD isn’t exactly a secure career; my job’s been on the line almost as much as my life. But it’s a paycheck, and it keeps me from falling back into the drug habit. Plus, things are looking up with my sometimes-partner, Cherabino, even if she is still simmering over the telepathic Link I created by accident.

When my ex, Kara, shows up begging for my help, I find myself heading to the last place I ever expected to set foot in again—Guild headquarters—to investigate the death of her uncle. Joining that group was a bad idea the first time. Going back when I’m unwanted is downright dangerous.

Luckily, the Guild needs me more than they’re willing to admit. Kara’s uncle was acting strange before he died—crazy strange. In fact, his madness seems to be slowly spreading through the Guild. And when an army of powerful telepaths loses their marbles, suddenly it’s a game of life or death.…

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Max Gladstone

Two Serpents Rise
Craft Sequence 2
Tor Books, April 29, 2014
Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages
Previously released in Hardcover and eBook, October 29, 2013

In Two Serpents Rise by Max Gladstone, shadow demons plague the city reservoir, and Red King Consolidated has sent in Caleb Altemoc—casual gambler and professional risk manager—to cleanse the water for the sixteen million people of Dresediel Lex. At the scene of the crime, Caleb finds an alluring and clever cliff runner, Crazy Mal, who easily outpaces him.

But Caleb has more than the demon infestation, Mal, or job security to worry about when he discovers that his father—the last priest of the old gods and leader of the True Quechal terrorists—has broken into his home and is wanted in connection to the attacks on the water supply.

From the beginning, Caleb and Mal are bound by lust, Craft, and chance, as both play a dangerous game where gods and people are pawns. They sleep on water, they dance in fire...and all the while the Twin Serpents slumbering beneath the earth are stirring, and they are hungry.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Full Fathom Five
Craft Sequence 3
Tor, July 15, 2014
Hardcover and eBook

The author shared this draft cover here.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Hanna Martine

Drowning in Fire
Elementals 3
Berkley, April 1, 2014
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 352 pages

Hidden in the Hawaiian islands, there is magic pure enough to heal a broken heart…

In his last audience with the Senatus, Griffin hoped to establish a connection between his water-wielding race and the other elementals. Instead, he found himself drawn into a forbidden affair with the Chimeran general Keko. When it ended in a storm of fire and ice, Griffin was banned from the Senatus and Keko was stripped of her status.

Just as Griffin is given a second chance to prove himself worthy of a Senatus seat, he gets a call from Keko. Despite how it ended between them, she wants to hear his voice one last time before embarking on a suicide mission to save her people and redeem her name.

Despite her good intentions, members of the Senatus want her stopped—and Griffin volunteers to go after her. As he tracks his former lover through the untamed Hawaiian wilderness, she leads him straight to the source of all fire magic. But will the intense power they discover draw them back together or destroy them both?

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

E.S. Moore

Blood from a Silver Cross
Kat Redding 4
eKensington, February 6, 2014
eBook

Trust is a dangerous business.

Some people still call Kat Redding by her hunter name: Lady Death. But she’s not eager to see more violence brought to her doorstep. The neverending tide of hungry supes and vicious humans doesn’t change the math—sooner or later Kat’s one-vamp battle against the nightmares that infest Columbus is going to leave her dead. And she has innocent people—well, a werewolf and a demon-summoner—depending on her now.

But when a rogue werewolf who’s opted out of the bloodbath is found crucified and mutilated with toxic silver, Kat knows she’ll be tangling again with the dangerous Pureblood murderers of the cult of the Left Hand. She already has an undead countess blackmailing her into taking out the city’s garbage and a demon playing with her head. Add to that her serious suspicions about changes at the house of her uneasy ally Jonathan Alucard, werewolf denmaster, and Kat might have finally gotten in danger so deep, not even Lady Death can survive…

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : eKensington : iTunes : Kobo

Souls of the Damned
Kat Redding
eKensington, June 19, 2014
eBook

Innocence is relative, and evil is damned hard to kill. . .

Kat Redding would love to take a break from the gruesome, dangerous work of hunting down rogue vampires and werewolves, battling for innocent lives. But there's no peace for Lady Death. Until Kat's young charge, Sienna, appears on her doorstep, escaped from the shadow-paradise of Delai. Sienna is weak, confused, desperate--human in the utmost. If Kat is going to have any hope of breaking the hold of Delai, she'll have to infiltrate the walls around the false sanctuary. And the only way she can do that is to trade in her battle-hardened, bloodthirsty vampire's body--for Sienna's human form.

With no weapons but her wits, Kat has to trust a demon, defeat an angel, and wrestle with her own rebel soul--because with all the fear and death she's conquered, no one has ever offered her another day under a warm yellow sun. . .

eKensington

Interview with Alex Hughes, author of the Mindspace Investigations, and Giveaway - April 30, 2013

Please welcome Alex Hughes to The Qwillery as part of the Sharp Blog Tour. Sharp (Mindspace Investigations 2) was published on April 2, 2013.

TQ:  Welcome back to The Qwillery!

Alex:  Thank you! I’m thrilled to be here. I was so happy to be involved in the Debut Author Challenge last year, and incredibly touched by the response. You guys will always have a very special place in my heart because of that.

TQ:  Thank you. It was wonderful having you in the Challenge!



TQ:  Please tell us something about Sharp (Mindspace Investigations 2) that is not in the book description.

Alex:  The smart beat cop in Clean who spotted one of the key clues to solve the case is back, and he’s been promoted to junior detective working under Cherabino. Michael is smart, cheerful, and well-adjusted, everything Adam is not, and Adam is insanely jealous.



TQ:   Which character has surprised you the most in the series so far?

Alex:  Paulsen, actually. She started out as a pretty one-dimensional character, but over time she’s really developed into someone I’d like to spend time with. She’s interesting and strong in a way unique to her.



TQ:   What do you wish you'd known when the 1st book came out that you know now?

Alex:  Checking the Amazon ranking numbers every hour is a bad idea. Much better to be writing on the next book :)



TQ:  Are there any other genres in which you would like to write in addition to Science Fiction?

Alex:  I love good stories of every kind, and I love suspense. Mystery of course is a possibility, and a futuristic romance-adventure or a space opera. I’ve written short stories in crime fiction and literary stuff both in and out of science fiction / fantasy. I might also be interested in doing straight urban fantasy. The world is big and there’s a lot of room in it to explore great stories. I love great stories--of any kind, to be honest. :)



TQ:  Your bio says that you are "an avid cook and foodie." If you could invite 3 people fictional or not to dinner who would they be and what would you serve?

Alex:  I would serve my famous Eggplant Parmesan with homemade crusty bread and a spinach salad with balsamic vinaigrette and apples. As to who I would invite, that’s a tough one, and the answer will probably change depending on the day you ask me. Today I’ll say Q from Star Trek: TNG, Anne McCaffrey, and the biblical Saint Paul, preferably near the end of his life when he’s in jail. I have no idea what we’d talk about -- I might have to invite each separately.



TQ:  What's next?

Alex:  Books Three and Four in the Mindspace Investigations series are currently scheduled to come out in 2014. I’m also playing with some ideas in other worlds with other characters, so stay tuned.



TQ:   Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Alex:  Thank you again for having me here!



Guilt - an excerpt from Sharp, Mindspace Investigations 2

You okay? came Cherabino’s thought again, frustrated. Tap, tap, her mind against mine, tap, tap, as if she could somehow feel my distress and reacted with impatience instead of care. Tap, tap, along the long yellow line back to the real world.

I followed that line, hand over hand, inch by painful blind inch, laboriously surfacing, one overwhelming moment at a time. She kept tapping. She kept pushing. It was the only thing that got me all the way there.

I woke to the clear view of the floor and my knees, twelve inches from the bloodstain, my nose overcome with bad smells. I hadn’t thrown up. I could say that much. And—mind shaking, aching, shivering in reaction pain, I realized I was back to mind-deaf. My head rang with pain, pain—but no emotion. I was deaf and blind again.

“You okay?” Cherabino asked.

I shook my head—and immediately thought better of it; the movement made the world spin.

My eyes caught the victim’s foot, her bare foot on the tile, and I saw a small tattoo, a circle of wavy lines, neurons, encircling a stylized S and Q. I sat down hard, on the tile. I knew that tattoo.

I knew that tattoo, and in combination with it the female mind, or who she’d once been. Her name hadn’t been Hamilton when I’d known her, but she hadn’t been married. Emily, her name had been. Even through the overwhelming pain in my head, I couldn’t let go of the thought. Emily had been one of my best advanced students, years ago. Before it all fell apart. Before her mind twisted into a knot—into something not an Abled mind anymore. Before I’d done the unthinkable.

“Are you okay?” Cherabino repeated.

I fought the guilt and the disorientation of seeing Emily again, seeing her dead. I fought the exposure sickness, the injury. I sat on them, hard, and built a barrier between us with bleeding fingers. Cherabino couldn’t know. She knew too many of my failures as it was.

One small knee shuffle at a time, I moved back, away from Emily. It wasn’t her fault she smelled of urine, dried blood, and darker things, but it wasn’t mine either.

“Well, did the husband do it?” Freeman asked.

“Are you okay?” Cherabino repeated.

I pulled myself to my feet and fished out my sunglasses over my now-light-sensitive eyes. “Unless the husband’s an ex-SEAL or something,” I said in a rasp, “somebody else did it. And now, unless there’s some kind of emergency, I’ll be in the car.”

Uncaring of reactions, I stumbled out of the devil house, away from the seat of every failure I’d ever had, down the stupid steep stairs, and climbed into the backseat of the cop car. I needed to be horizontal. Now.

Mindspace Investigations

Sharp
Mindspace Investigations 2
Roc, April 2, 2013
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 352 pages

HISTORY HAS A WAY OF REPEATING ITSELF, EVEN FOR TELEPATHS.…

As a Level Eight telepath, I am the best police interrogator in the department. But I’m not a cop—I never will be—and my only friend on the force, Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino, is avoiding me because of a telepathic link I created by accident.

And I might not even be an interrogator for much longer. Our boss says unless I pull out a miracle, I’ll be gone before Christmas. I need this job, damn it. It’s the only thing keeping me sane.

Parts for illegal Tech—the same parts used to bring the world to its knees in the Tech Wars sixty years ago—are being hijacked all over the city. Plus Cherbino's longtime nemesis, a cop killer, has resurfaced with a vengeance. If I can stay alive long enough, I just might be able to prove my worth, once and for all...

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Payoff
A Mindspace Investigations Novella
Roc, March 5, 2013
eBook

Being a telepath, I should have seen the hell I was getting myself into…

I used to be one of the most powerful telepaths in the guild. That was before my drug addiction and before they kicked me out. But I'm not a bad guy. Now I help the Atlanta PD solve murders. And even though there are only a few people I call friends, I'd do most anything to keep their trust.

So when a judge asks me to help investigate a missing college kid, I'm down for it. No questions asked. No problem. But in this dark world, things are never easy and a favor is never just a favor. Turns out, politicians don’t like being murder suspects. And it's bad to anger someone with more power than you. I thought I had nothing to lose... I was wrong.

Includes a preview of Alex Hughes’s Sharp

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Books-A-Million : iTunes : Kobo

Clean

Mindspace Investigations 1
Roc, September 4, 2012
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 352 pages

A RUTHLESS KILLER—
OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND

I used to work for the Telepath’s Guild before they kicked me out for a drug habit that wasn’t entirely my fault. Now I work for the cops, helping Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino put killers behind bars.

My ability to get inside the twisted minds of suspects makes me the best interrogator in the department. But the normals keep me on a short leash. When the Tech Wars ripped the world apart, the Guild stepped up to save it. But they had to get scary to do it—real scary.

Now the cops don’t trust the telepaths, the Guild doesn’t trust me, a serial killer is stalking the city—and I’m aching for a fix. But I need to solve this case. Fast. I’ve just had a vision of the future: I’m the next to die.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

About Alex

Alex has written since early childhood, and loves great stories in any form including scifi, fantasy, and mystery. Over the years, she has lived in many neighborhoods of the sprawling metro Atlanta area, including Decatur, the neighborhood on which Clean is centered. Her work is dark, complex, action-filled and a little funny. Her Mindspace Investigations series has been called "A fun blend of Chinatown and Blade Runner" by James Knapp, and Publisher's Weekly called her "a writer to watch."

When not writing you can find Alex in the kitchen cooking gourmet Italian food, watching hours of police procedural dramas, and humming to delightfully obscure music.

Learn more about Alex and her work at www.ahugheswriter.com.

Website  ~  Blog  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Goodreads

The Giveaway

What:  One commenter will win a copy of Clean (Mindspace Investigations 1) from Alex. US ONLY

How:   Log into and follow the directions in the Rafflecopter below.

Who and When: The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a US mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59 PM US Eastern Time on May 10, 2013. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

*Giveaway rules and duration are subject to change.*

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