Escapist Newsletter (Vol 6 Issue 8)

SSwendson-Much Ado About Magic

News from LE

KMeyer-Arcadia BurnsSpeaking of contests, today starts the second half of the RT Poster Reading Challenges. Here’s a link to the first challenge if you haven’t had a chance to stop by yet. I should mention that the RT posters will not be the only thing the two winners will get. I also have two signed Vampire Academy posters by Richelle Mead (it’s the timeline she was handing out on tour) as well as a poster signed by Sherrilyn Kenyon and JR Ward. So each winner will end up with 3 fabulous posters to display.

I am also currently working on putting together a fabulous event for September. I said one was coming and I’m not going to disappoint. I’m still working on confirming a few more authors, so once the schedule is set, I’ll be announcing both the event and the fabulous contests that will be going on at the same time.

Speaking of contests, check out the latest ones going on. I have a few more than normal…

Cover Extravaganza

CRobson-Sealed With A CurseDuring July, 109 different covers were revealed. I’m only going to show off a few that I haven’t seen get as much time on the blogs, but you can find all of them, in their original sizes, on facebook where I’ve added them to the July album for your viewing pleasure. There were a ton of great sources: Wicked Scribes, All Things Urban Fantasy, Michelle’s Book Blog, Escape Between the Pages, Dark Faerie Tales and Tez Says.

New Releases

August 1st:
Blood & Moonlight an anthology featuring Amanda Ashley; Cach, Lisa; Barbara Monajem
Extreme Zombies an anthology featuring Nancy Collins
Blade Song by JC Daniels
Magic Gone Wild by Judi Fennell
The Heretic Land by Tim Lebbon
The Far West by Patricia Wrede

August 2nd: Losing Lila by Sarah Alderson

August 6th: The Druid Stone by Heidi Belleau and Violetta Vane

August 7th:
X-Wing: Mercy Kill by Aaron Allston (Star Wars)
Cherished an anthology featuring Lauren Dane and Maya Banks
Black Gold by Vivian Arend (Takhini Wolves #2)
Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake
Hearts of Darkness by Kira Brady (Deadglass #1)
Mina Wentworth and the Invisible City by Meljean Brook (Iron Seas #1.5)
Forget Me Not by Shannon Butcher
Two Weeks’ Notice by Rachel Caine (Revivalist #2)
Desire After Dark by Jo Carlisle (Lords of Pleasure)
Rift by Andrea Cremer (Nightshade prequel)
Heaven and Hellsbane by Paige Cuccaro
Dying For You by MaryJanice Davidson
Rivals and Retribution by Shannon Delany (13 to Life #3)
Wilder: The Chosen Ones by Christina Dodd
Precinct 13 by Tate Hallaway
Immortal Defender by Lisa Hendrix (Immortal Brotherhood #4)
Libromancer by Jim C Hines (Magic Ex Libris #1)
Kept by Seduction by Jaymie Holland
The Saint by Melanie Jackson
Redneck Romeo by Lorelei James (Rough Riders #15)
Time Untime by Sherrilyn Kenyon (Dark-Hunter #22)
Love on the Run by Katharine Kerr (Nola O’Grady #4)
Master of Darkness by Angela Knight (Mageverse)
King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
Flesh Gothic by Edward Lee
Stygian’s Honor by Lora Leigh (Breeds #26)
Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas
Red Moon Rising by Peter Moore
The Unholy by Joy Nash (The Watchers #2)
Biting Cold by Chloe Neill (Chicagoland Vampires #6)
Heart Secret by Robin Owens (Celta’s Heartmates)
Sweetly by Jackson Pearce
Anastasia Forever by Joy Preble (Dreaming Anastasia #2)
Darkness Awakening by Devyn Quinn (Vampire Armageddon #2)
Lover’s Instinct by Katie Reus (Moon Shifter novella)
Seawitch by Kat Richardson (Greywalker)
Cipher by Moira Rogers (Southern Arcana #2)
Auracle by Gina Rosati
Blood Bath & Beyond by Michelle Rowen (Sarah Dearly Mysteries #1)
The Iron Wyrm Affair by Lilith Saintcrow (Bannon and Clare)
In the House of the Wicked by Thomas Sniegoski (Remy Chandler)
A Wolf at the Door by KA Stewart (Jesse James Dawson)
Blood and Silver by James Tuck (Deacon Chalk #2)
Hell on Wheels by Julie Ann Walker (Black Knights Inc #1)
Locked in Silence by Shiloh Walker (Grimm Circle)
Fragile by Shiloh Walker
Heart of Gold by JR Ward
Originally Human by Eileen Wilks
Blood Fever by Veronica Wolff (The Watchers #3)
Eternal Beast by Laura Wright (Mark of the Vampire #3)

August 8th: Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear (Aether Chronicles #1)

August 14th:
Onyx by Jennifer Armentrout
Touched by Cyn Balog
The Traitor Queen by Trudi Canavan
Inbetween by Tara Fuller (Kissed by Death)
False Memory by Dan Krokos
Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan (Kane Chronicles #2)
The Unnaturalists by Tiffany Trent

August 15th: Much Ado About Magic by Shann Swendson (Katie Chandler #5)

August 16th:
Earth Girl by Janet Edwards
The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long

August 20th: The Guardian of Bastet by Jacqueline Battisti

August 21st:
The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abe
Wards of Faerie by Terry Brooks (Dark Legacy of Shannara)
Widow’s Web by Jennifer Estep (Elemental Assassin)
Wake by Amanda Hocking
The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore (Lorian Legacies #3)
Such Wicked Intent by Kenneth Oppel
Split at the Seams Yolanda Sfetsos

August 22nd: Portrait of Lisane de Patagnia by Rachel Swirsky

August 24th:
A Guile of Dragons by James Enge (A Tournament of Shadows #1)
Reaper by KD McEntire

August 28th:
Endgame by Ann Aguirre (Sirantha Jax #6)
Fate of the Jedi: Conviction by Aaron Allston (Star Wars)
Death Warmed Over by Kevin Anderson (Dan Shamble, Zombie PI)
Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron an anthology featuring Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, Diana Peterfreund, Margo Lanagan, Peter S. Beagle, and Garth Nix
Foretold: 14 Tales of Prophesy and Prediction an anthology featuring Carrie Ryan, Laini Taylor, Jen Lancaster, Meg Cabot, Richelle Mead, Michael Grant
Born to Bite an anthology featuring Hannah Howell, Erica Ridley, Diana Cosby
Howl for it an anthology featuring Shelly Laurenston; Cynthia Eden
Wrayth by Philippa Ballantine
The Demoness of Waking Dreams by Stephanie Chong (Company of Angels #2)
Seven Wonders by Adam Christopher
Sanctuary by Rowena Cory Daniells (Outcast Chronicles #3)
How To Lose a Demon in 10 Days by Saranna DeWylde (10 Days #1)
Immortally Yours by Angie Fox
The Shattered Vine by Laura Anne Gilman (Vineart War #3)
Chosen by Sable Grace (Dark Breed #3)
Night’s Awakening by Donna Grant
The Blood Keeper by Tessa Gratton (Blood Journals #2)
Ghost of a Dream by Simon R Green
Erasing Time by CJ Hill
Vanquished by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie (Crusade #3)
Fear The Darkness by Alexandra Ivy (Guardians of Eternity #9)
Taken by Benedict Jacka
The Ugly Duchess by Eloisa James
Devil Said Bang by Richard Kadrey (Sandman Slim)
The Iron Legends by Julie Kagawa (Iron Fey)
Spark by Brigid Kemmerer (Elemental #3)
Soul Trade by Caitlin Kittredge
Embers & Echoes by Karsten Knight
Every Day by David Levithan
Starling by Lesley Livingston (Starling #1)
The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna
Windhaven by George RR Martin
The Mermaid’s Knight by Jill Myles
Inside Bet by Katie Porter (Vegas Top Guns #2)
UnWholly by Neal Shusterman
Haunted by Jeanne Stein (Anna Strong)
A Dangerous Liaison with Detective Lewis by Jillian Stone
Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron by Jonathan Strahan
Darkest Desire by Tawny Taylor
Isolation by Dan Wells

August 30th:
Dangerous Boy by Mandy Hubbard
Let the Old Dreams Die by John Ajvide Lindqvist
Lucid by Adrienne Stoltz and Ron Bass

Here are a few other places with their own September releases: Tez Says, Wicked Little Pixie, All Things Urban Fantasy,

New Release Dates:
JHines-Legend of JigI’ve finally gotten the New Releases page updated. A printable version of the New Releases page was requested on facebook awhile back and that is now available. For a listing of all the novels that were added, click here and here. Here’s a few more (with quite a few more coming this weekend):

2012: A Matter of Time by Lisa Basso (#1)
2012: A Slither of Hope by Lisa Basso (#2)
2012: Beefcake and Cupcakes by Judi Fennell

10/02/12: London Eye by Tim Lebbon (Toxic City #1)

11/30/12: A Fantasy Medley an anthology featuring Tanya Huff, Seanan McGuire, Amanda Downum, Jasper Kent

12/04/12: The Weird Girls by Cecy Robson
12/26/12: Great North Road by Peter Hamilton

2013: Tales from Deadtown by Nancy Holzner

01/30/13: Dead of Winter by Lee Collins

03/08/13: Senshi by Cole Gibsen

04/09/13: The Haven by Carol Lynch Williams

05/07/13: Enthralled an anthology featuring Meljean Brook, Lora Leigh, Alyssa Day, Lucy Monroe

06/01/13: Midnight’s Kiss by Donna Grant (Dark Warriors #5)

07/23/13: Prince of Love by Donna Grant (Royal Chronicles #4)

08/01/13: Walking in the Midst of Fire by Thomas Sniegoski (Remy Chandler #5)

09/01/13: The Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire (October Daye #7)

Book News

NHolzner-Tales from DeadtownRichelle Mead gives us the catalog description for the third Bloodlines novels, The Indigo Spell. For those who haven’t read The Golden Lily yet, this might be a little spoilerish, but dudes…I so can’t wait for it to come out next February.

 In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch–a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood–or else she might be next.

There are a ton of books in the Outlander world and Diana Gabaldon has posted a chronolcogical order of of the series.  If you’ve ever wondered how to read the Outlander, Lord John and various novellas, this would be it. And in case you missed it, the Outlander series has been optioned for a television series. More news on it can be found herehere and here.

Rachel Vincent has moved her blog, so if you’re a follower and haven’t updated your subscription yet, I would do so. She says she’ll be deleting her old one soon.

Nancy Holzner has begun a kickstarter to help cover the costs for self-pubbing a collection of short stories featuring characters from her Deadworld series. The cover was down by the series artist, Robin Ludwig, and will include the story of what happened during the plague that turned two thousand Bostonians into zombies.

Lauren Dane showed off the new cover for the third Delicious novel, Lush, as well as the blurb, which will feature Mary and Damien.

Mary Whaley has her hands full running a successful catering company and overseeing her supper club. She’s got everything she ever wanted—or so she thought. When she meets ridiculously hot and very dirty rock star Damien Hurley at her friend’s engagement party, the attraction she feels is overpowering—and she isn’t about to deny herself.

Damien is used to a hard and fast life. He and two of his brothers started a band when they were all in high school—then they hit the big time and stayed there. He’s also a legendary madman on the stage and in the bedroom. But when he meets Mary, something clicks, and the bad boy starts thinking he may have finally found something good.

What begins as a series of fleeting trysts soon get much more complicated. Damien can’t figure out why Mary doesn’t want more from him. And before long it’s Damien who wants more of Mary. But it turns out Mary is no stranger to the celebrity news and he’s got a very big job ahead of him—proving that he’s worth more than a one-night stand…

There’s been a title change for Sylvia Day’s second Crossfire novel.  Instead of Deeper in You, we’ll have Reflected in You this October.

Fabulous news for Cassie Palmer/Dory Basarab fans….Karen Chance announced that she’s sold two more Cassie novels and another Dory book on her FB page. I’m so excited! This means more Cassie! Plus, the next Dory novel, Fury’s Kiss, comes out in October and now we’ll get to look forward to at least one more.

In her recent newsletter, Nalini Singh announced that she will be releasing a new novella collection for the Psy-Changeling series.  Wild Invitation will be released March 5, 2013 and will include Beat of Temptation (Nate & Tamsyn), Stroke of Enticement (Zach & Annie) as well as two new novellas.  Here’s what Nalini had to say about the two new stories:

The first novella will feature drum roll please…Cooper and Grace! This was a fun and intriguing novella to write, as Cooper is a Lieutenant, while Grace is one of the most submissive wolves in SnowDancer. As such, their dynamic is unlike any other.

I’m currently working on the second novella, and it’s going to be something a little different. Set in the time between Kiss of Snow and Tangle of Need, it’ll give us an intimate insight into Lara and Walker’s mating, as well as featuring the immediate aftermath of the events in Kiss of Snow.

New Excerpts or Reading for Free

CEden-Bleed for MeParanormal Romance has a couple of excerpts from the anthology, Vacation with a Vampire. Here’s an excerpt for Vivi and the Vampire by Kendra Leigh Castle and Stay by Michele Hauf.

Cynthia Eden is taking on the Greek Gods and Vampires with her new novella, Bleed For Me, which is currently available for $.99 at Amazon.

Orbit has an excerpt from Lilith Saintcrows upcoming steampunk novel, The Iron Wyrm Affair, which releases today.

Gollancz has an excerpt from Bethany Griffin’s The Masque of the Red Death, which is currently available.

Gollancz is giving us a sneak peak into Elspeth Cooper’s February 2013 novel, Trinity Rising, by posting the first five chapters all week.  Here are Chapters One, Two and Three.

Shiloh Walker has posted excerpts one and two from her upcoming mass market release, Fragile, which is available; a long excerpt from Blade Song, which is now available.

Lauren Dane has posted snippets one and two from her Cherished contribution, Sway, which releases this month. That’s not the only excerpt Dane has posted either. She’s been busy this month with them, so let’s get them listed: excerpt from Never Enough, currently available; excerpt from Inside Out, currently available; excerpt from Coming Undone, currently available; excerpts one and two of Laid Bare, currently available; an excerpt from Laid Open, available October 2nd.

Jeri Smith-Ready has posted a peak at Zach and Aura’s prom night.  You can read more about Zach and Aura in Shine.

Stephanie Rowe has posted a snippet from her new release, Forever in Darkness.

Cynthia Eden has released all four of her Bound novellas – Bound By Blood, Bound In Darkness, Bound In Sin, and Bound By The Night – in one bundle for only $2.99. To entice you, she has posted a small snippet of Bound By The Night, the last novella in the series.

Sylvia Day is giving us a peek at her second Crossfire novel, Reflected in You, which comes out in October.

Suvudu has Chapter One of Terry Brooks’ upcoming novel, Wards of Faerie, which comes out August 21st.

To celebrate the release of her new novel, Tin Swift, Devon Monk has been publishing her a serial, Hang Fire, via some fabulous blogs.

HANG FIRE is a steampunk short story set in late 1800?s America. It takes place between the Age of Steam book #1, Dead Iron and book #2 Tin Swift. The story is broken into 20 “chapters” and posted, one chapter at a time, on 20 awesome blogs.

All 20 chapters have been posted, so if you’ve been wanting to read them in order, here’s your chance: OneTwoThreeFourFiveSixSevenEightNineTenElevenTwelveThirteenFourteenFifteenSixteenSeventeenEighteenNineteen and Twenty.

Chloe Neill has posted the first chapter to Biting Cold, which releases in August.

Jocelynn Drake has a couple of stories currently available for $.99 at both Amazon and Barnes & Nobel: Bound to MeThe Dead, the Damned, and the Forgotten and Nightwalker. Plus you can get Drake’s newest story, The Asylum Interviews: Bronx, for $1.99 at both locations.

Vicki Pettersson’s The Scent of Shadows is currently $.99 on Amazon.

Shiloh Walker has posted a snippet from one of JC Daniel’s new novels, Broken Blade, which will be released some time next year.

Lauren Dane has an excerpt up from her Phantom Corps novel, Mesmerized, which is available at all retailers now. Dane also has a snippet from Sway, from the anthology Cherished being released August 7th.

Jeaniene Frost has a couple of novellas for only $1.99 at Amazon and Barnes & Nobel: Happily Never AfterReckoning and Devil to Pay.

Simon and Schuster has posted the first chapter to Vince Flynn’s new thriller, Kill Shot, which was released earlier this year.

Cynthia Eden’s Bound by Bound is currently available for free on Amazon. This may be a limited time offer as it’s still going for $.99 at Barnes & Noble, so I would get it while you can.

JC Daniels (aka Shiloh Walker) has posted a new snippet from her new urban fantasy novel, Blade Song, which will be released August 1st.

Lauren Dane has posted a snippet from her recently released Beneath the Skin, which is from her de la Vega Cats series. Dane has also posted a snippet from her Cherished contribution, Sway, which comes out in August.

Chloe Neill has posted a snippet from her next Chicagoland Vampires novel, Biting Cold, which hit shelves on August 7th.

Julianne Stone has posted a snippet from her next League novella, To Hell and Back, which will be released in October.

Vampire Book Club has an exclusive excerptof Donna Grant’s new novel, Dark Craving, which releases July 31st.

Dark Faerie Tales has an exclusive excerpt of Molly Harper’s The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires, which releases on July 31st.

Featured Book: Much Ado About Magic by Shanna Swendson (Katie Chandler #5)

SSwendson-Much Ado About MagicTo Do: Manage Magical Mayhem, Save the Company, Save the World

Katie Chandler is back in New York and at Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc. – and just in time. The city’s in the grip of a magical crime wave from spells that wizarding whiz Owen Palmer thinks look awfully familiar, and the rogue firm Spellworks is raising its profile in the magical world by selling protective amulets. It’s Katie’s job as the new director of marketing for MSI to fight this battle of public perception while Owen and the other wizards try to uncover what’s really going on.

What Katie doesn’t realize is that her idea to stage a showcase for MSI’s magical achievements is playing right into a devious plot more than three decades in the making. Now Katie has to do damage control that has nothing to do with marketing. To save the magical world, she’ll have to prove who the real enemy is, and doing that will require digging deeper into Owen’s mysterious past than he wants anyone to go. If she fails, she not only stands to lose a magical war, but she could also lose the man she loves.

This Month’s Reviews

PBornikova-This Case is Gonna Kill MeThe Asylum Interviews: Bronx by Jocelynn Drake
Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost
When Blood Calls by J. K. Beck
Masked by Moonlight by Nancy Gideon
The Pledge by Kimberly Derting
Chasing Magic by Stacia Kane
Naked in Death by J.D. Robb
Embrace the Darkness by Alexandra Ivy
Touch by Jus Accardo
Demons Like It Hot by Sidney Ayers
Endure by Carrie Jones
Reign Fall by Michelle Rowen
For The Love of Mollie by KT Grant
Gentlemen Prefer Nerds by Joan Kilby
Divinely Ruined by Diane Alberts
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Flawless by Carrie Lofty
Hold Me If You Can by Stephanie Rowe
Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson
Night Is Mine by M. L. Buchman
Darkness Becomes Her by Jaime Rush
Glitch by Heather Anastasiu

From the Reader

HBelleau-Druid StoneBreaking Dawn: Part 2 will be out in a couple of months and Blastr is showcasing the 11 pictures that were just recently released.  The vamps definitely look creepy, but what is up with all the hair changes? Rosalie is now a red head? As is Carlisle? I’m wondering if there is a reason for this or I just missed that part of the book.

Hobbit fans rejoice!  According to io9, Peter Jackson has officially confirmed that the upcoming Hobbit movie will actually be the first of a new trilogy. We won’t be getting just one or two epic films from Middle Earth, but three!

Authors After Dark will be kicking off in New Orleans next week (and I so wanted to be there), but I am planning on making it to Savannah for the AAD 2013. I know I’ll be at that one (I have family in the area) and I was super stoked to see that Stella has put up the blogger application for 2013. If you’re a blogger and planning to blow into Savannah, head over, fill out the application and try for one of the few spots of being an officially recognized blogger at Authors After Dark.  Also, if you’re in New Orleans, the signing on Saturday will be open to the public. This would be a great time to go meet your fave authors.

Since this isn’t technically author news, I’m throwing it here.  Jennifer Armintrout has begun recapping 50 Shades Darker and she’s been through the first five chapters already – One, Two, Three, Four and Five. And if you missed her recap of 50 Shades of Grey, you can read them all here.

Stumbling Over Chaos has a new edition of Misadventures in Stock Photography and it seems like this one includes a new guy, Duster-Wearing Sinister Guy, with cameos from a few favorites.

Off the Fang is back at Bitten by Books and this week Jackie is going off on the whole spectacle of authors vs bloggers and negative reviews.

It’s that time of the year when all the fun of vacations are occuring and there are two events that kicked off on the first.  Tynga’s Reviews has her Paranormal Summer Camp with 31 different authors visiting and all giving away some fabulous August releases.  Dark Faerie Tales and All Things Urban Fantasy have joined together for Deadly Destinations featuring 62 authors from this summers releases as well as a quite a few contests.

Parajunkee’s View has another fabulous Blogging 101 and this time she’s concentrating on the coveted ARCs and Greedy Bloggers.  She’s reminding us that ARCs are not a prize, but a marketing tool used by publishers to help build enthusiasm for new releases.  While I love getting arcs, I’m not upset when I don’t get one. ARCs bring with them a responsibility and I think a few have forgotten about that.

Have you heard about Z World Detroit? It’s a Zombie Themepark that could happen in Detroit if enough money is raised via indiegogo. Sadly, I don’t know if it’s going to happen.  They only have 4 days left to raise the $145k needed to do it and they are only raised $9,339. I don’t think they are close. *frowns*

Author Appearances

KGriffin-Stray SoulsFor the full listing of this month’s interviews, click here.

Contests

GoodReads is giving away 10 copies of Linda Grimes’ upcoming debut, In a Fix – ends August 10th.

Dark Faerie Tales is giving away a copy of Andrea Cremer’s Rift – ends August 10th.

About Jackie 3282 Articles
I am a 30-something SAHM with two adorable boys and a supportive husband who is very tolerant of my reading addiction. I love to read and easily go through about a dozen books a month – well I did before I had kids. Now, not so much. After my first son was born, I began to take my hobby of reviewing a little more serious and started Literary Escapism to help with my sanity. I love to discuss the fabulous novels I’ve read and meeting all the wonderful people in the book blogging community has been amazing.

1 Comment

Comments are closed.