Shapeshifters and more

Bear Meets Girl
Shelly Laurenston
Kensington Brava, $14.00
ISBN: 9780758265203

NYPD Detective Lou “Crush” Crushek the polar bear shifter wakes up after eating too many shots of Jell-O pieces made with alcohol only to find a she-tiger in the bed with him. Smith Wolf Pack (New York) Marcella “Bare-Knuckles” Malone is a hockey player known for her belligerent style. Whereas he turns red, she smirks.

Cella blackmails a mortified Crush to pretend to be her boyfriend so her family leaves her alone. He investigates a serial killer who is murdering the punks he planned to get locked away. She investigates the predator hunting her species. They team up in a bare knuckles relationship as the pride of New York, the bear and the tiger fall in love.

The latest amusing kick tail Smith Wolf Pack and Friends romantic urban fantasy (see Big Bad Beast) is an engaging police procedural starring two opposites in demeanor falling in love; though at first both would rather be dead. The storyline makes the shifter species seem genuine but also has too many subplots detracting from the main bare knuckles crush plot. Still fans will enjoy a visit to the world of the Laurenston mythos. Harriet Klausner

The Shape Of Desire
Sharon Shinn
Ace, $25.95
ISBN: 9781937007171

For over a decade Maria Devane has loved Dante Romano and believes with all her heart that he loves her too. She accepts that he holds back his feelings out of fear that he would lose control of the beast and harm his Maria; especially when he has no control over his monthly change into the beast. Dante also fears the animal is taking over his soul as he spends longer time as a beast and wanders wider areas.

Although Maria knows she sees her mate through rose colored glasses, she believes he would harm no one. However, she becomes fearful that the animal has won when brutal assaults by a feral beast begin occurring in nearby parks. She needs to report him to the law, but her heart has been shattered as if claws ripped it into strips.

This is a great urban romantic fantasy as love seems not enough for this couple struggling with an increasingly dysfunctional relationship which also makes shapeshifting seem genuine. The protagonists are magnificent as each goes through their customized version of grief as if they buried what they have had for the last fifteen years. The mystery of the attacks engages the reader further as Maria knows all the evidence points to Dante, which leaves her in hell as Sharon Shinn provides another super paranormal thriller. Harriet Klausner

Timeless
Gail Carriger
Orbit, $7.99
ISBN: 9780316127189

In London, the parents, friends, clan and servants of Prudence suffer from the wrath of the terrible two’s. Making matters more difficult for others the toddler can “borrow” the supernatural powers of people by touching them until her soulless mom releases the stolen skills. That is why her parents, Alpha of the Woolsey werewolf clan Lord Conall and Lady Alexia, use mostly drones as servants as well as their friend vampire Lord Akeldama, who actually adopted the baby to help. Still the doting mama and papa relish their domestic lunacy.

The Queen of the Alexandria Hive orders Alexia to come to her city. Knowing you never refuse a royal summons, Alexia, Conall, Prudence and actress Ivy Tunstell head to Egypt by steamer. However, in Egypt the God-Breaker Plague has erupted. The mysteries of the summons and the plague pale compared to how the world’s worst actress Ivy is an overnight sensation as the most popular actress in the British Empire.

The Parasol Protectorate Victorian fantasy ends with a great globetrotting fast-paced thriller. Once again, Gail Carriger combines humor with tense action while tying up the major threads from the previous entries in the series (see Soulless, Changeless, Blameless and Heartless). The females are superb while Conall looks foolish as he remains doubting Thomas (after all that has occurred including three years of marital bliss, you would think he would trust his wife). Still Alexia and her troupe provide a strong final curtain performance. Harriet Klausner

Caine's Law
Matthew Stover
Del Rey, $16.00
ISBN: 9780345455895

Professional Simon Faller begs Badlands Facility Director Administrator Gayle Keller to not make him do the mission as he is very afraid. Faller has seen first-hand what prisoner Chairman Hori “Caine” Michaelson can do to his enemies. Keller is scared even knowing that Caine is held in check by the Studio, but tells Faller their roles is to get Caine to try to kill them than those outside the facility. The two frightened men visit Caine in his cell. They inform him that the Board rejected his proposal on access to the Overwold in exchange for amnesty. Instead they counter with a fried brain wiring or accepting the oily elixir that insures total loyalty. With no real option especially after seeing what happened to a dedicated follower of his, he takes the chemical.

However, everyone underestimates the ruthless Caine; as he understands acting is to build off the sh*t that motivates you. His allies enable Caine to escape to the Overwold’ which he once saved from genocide by the ruling elite of Earth. Caine begins a time and space odyssey that will either bring him what he lost or eradicate the universe.

The latest Caine speculative fiction thriller is a gory yet intelligent and entertaining tale. The storyline is convoluted as time proves liquid (as Matthew Stover notes) with this entry in the Act of Atonement saga coming before, during and after the events of the previous novel Caine Black Knife; to further complicate matters, incidents that were real at one time vanish as if they never happened. Readers will appreciate this exciting complex thriller while wondering if the universe ended would anyone notice. Harriet Klausner

Ray Bradbury is Gone

News just in confirms that Ray Bradbury has died.One of the brilliant, understated writers that helped mold my childhood and gave me a different look at Mars and the world around me. He is also the one who convinced me never to get a tattoo after reading THE ILLUSTRATED MAN. Thanks for all the memories!

Press Release

Follow-up to much anticipated debut Blood and Feathers announced

Solaris is delighted to announce that it has acquired the follow-up to the much anticipated debut novel from Lou Morgan, Blood and Feathers, which is to be released in August of this year.

The sequel, Rebellion, is due to be released in August 2013.

Rebellion will continue in Morgan’s fresh post-Milton world of gun-toting angels, demonic plots, and a heroine whose life is torn apart in the battle between heaven and hell!

The angelic war has spread, and violence erupts across the globe as the Fallen's influence grows.

As an army of the Fallen walk the Earth, the Archangel Michael is determined to destroy Lucifer once and for all - whatever the cost... and Alice and the angels will be called on to sacrifice more than they ever imagined possible.

The Fallen will rise. Trust will be betrayed. And all hell will break loose...

Blood and Feathers is already garnering attention and praise from across the industry, with Sarah Pinborough describing it as “dark, enticing and so sharp the pages could cut you, Blood and Feathers is a must-read for any fan of the genre", while Philip K Dick award-winner Michael Marshall Smith said it was "a hell of a ride, but heaven to read: eerie, compelling and very funny”.

“When you discover a debut author of such strength and range, as I did with Lou, it’s always a great privilege to bring them to the wider world,” said Jonathan Oliver, editor-in-chief of Solaris. “Blood and Feathers is a brilliantly original novel, that is both affecting and witty. Rebellion promises to raise the bar even higher.”

Steampunk, Fantasy and More

The Seduction of Phaeton Black
Jillian Stone
Kensington Brava, $14.00
ISBN: 9780758268969

In 1889, Scotland Yard uses Phaeton Black to investigate those cases that defy logic as he is the best at solving the impossible. Known for his sex skills even in the brothel where he resides, Black uses opium and absinthe when the call of the paranormal overwhelms his brain.

A serial killer is stalking London. The predator drinks the blood of his or her victims leaving behind fang marks. Black thinks these murders are tied to the Ripper killings; but that the beast is an Egyptian goddess vampire. While investigating he meets America Jones several times. The daughter of a powerful Cajun witch, America is in London searching for the pirates who stole her sea merchant father’s ships. They team up on both cases as they need each other if they are to survive the supernatural and the natural monsters.

The first Black-Jones late Victorian romantic investigative fantasy is a lighthearted fun thriller that combines a tongue in cheek steampunk venue with an exciting paranormal whodunit. With a nod to Sherlock Homes: "When you have eliminated the impossible , whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth", the Devil and Muss Jones make a wonderful pairing as they battle pirates, mummies, Ripper and the vampire, but their biggest adversary is the Scotland Yard brass. Harriet Klausner

CrystalFire
Kate Douglas
Zebra, $6.99
ISBN: 9781420110029

Lemurian Taron enjoys being an academic, but since the philosopher is partnered with the sentient sword CrystalFire, he must learn to act like a warrior too. He understands he must help the humans near Mount Shasta and his people deal with the demon invasion though CrystalFire feels his scholarly Lemurian is unsuited for combat against the Demon King, who plans his return from the abyss to breach the barriers between dimensions.

In combat with the Demon King, Taron is taken aback by a stunning side effect. Willow the sprite of the mists becomes a beautiful normal sized female though inside her is also Bumper the dog. Meanwhile the Demon King shows his adaptability when he possesses Ed Marks’ body while Eddy and her sentient sword DarkFire are trapped in the Void; a place her lover Dax the former demon knows firsthand and guiltily knows his calling her led to the demon King sending her there. While Dax works on rescuing his beloved human, Taron and Willow begin falling in love as they team up to prevent the Demon King’s diabolical scheme from happening.

The latest DemonSlayer romantic fantasy (see Starfire, Demonfire and Hellfire) is a super thriller that contains two strong prime subplots with each flowing nicely and converging to the delight of Kate Douglas’ fans. Fast-paced and filled with action yet a strong romance, CrystalFire is an entertaining twisting tale. Harriet Klausner

The Slayer
Theresa Meyers
Zebra, $6.99
ISBN: 9781420121254

In 1883, although he was trained from childhood like his siblings (Remington – to follow and Colt – see The Hunter) Winchester Jackson prefers being the sheriff of Bodie, California than fighting vampires and demons. His Vampiric Imperial Majesty sends Lady Alexandra Porter to persuade Winn to work with her in retrieving a part of the Book of Legend that his sire hid decades ago.

Though he has doubts as his mantra has been the only good vampire is a dead vampire who cannot rise from the grave, Winn agrees to join Alexa on her mountainous quest in Transylvania to save her people. With steam gadgets created by brilliant inventor Marley Turlock to assist them on their journey, the pair confronts many adversaries demonic, vampiric; gizmos and mortal, but the most challenging is love.

The second Book of the Legends Chronicles is a terrific steampunk historical romance starring a western sheriff and a vampire battling a variety of paranormal and normal foes. Fast-paced from the moment Winn thinks he is rescuing a damsel in distress and never slows down as the twisting exciting storyline will prove a fan favorite with the only subtraction being the wait for Rem’s entry.
Harriet Klausner

The Job
Cramer Louis Jackson
Outskirts Press, $8.95
WWW.OutskirtsPress.com
ISBN: 9781432784584

Joe’s search for employment has turned into a frustrating full time job as he checks want ads, sends out résumés and shows up for announced vacancies; only to return to his walk up dumpy small apartment unemployed with his self-esteem dropping. After his latest humiliation, he opens the mail, which adds to his debasement with overdue bills.

However, the last letter is from a firm he never heard of, who offers him an interview. Instructions were sent to him by e-mail as this company provides no address or phone number. He goes on line, thankful he did not hock his computer, to obtain directions. Joe arrives for the interview and learns that if he takes the job, Joe Jamieson will no longer exist as he will have a new identity and compensation is one million annual. He agrees to become Zann General Morgan briefs him that his position and new identity ties back to 1947 Roswell and soon finds another perk when he rescues the other selectee Layone from some nasty folks who have other plans for the pair.

There is plenty of action in this thought provoking science fiction romantic novella. The story line starts with a depressed everyman struggling to pay his bills and keep a dilapidated ceiling over his head before the plot moves into an exciting thriller with its Life Energy connection to Roswell. Encouraging people to take a radically fresh look at their options reminds me of my husband’s re-engineering teaching and mentoring position in which he destroyed a zillion paper cups claiming they were not half full or half empty if you slice off the top the cup is filled. The Job is a quick engaging thriller. Harriet Klausner

Four from Harriet

Songs of the Earth
Elspeth Cooper
Tor, $24.99
ISBN: 9780765331656

Gair has been a dedicated holy knight who has devoted his life to the revelatory service of the Lady and the Church. However, his loyalty proves insufficient as he breaks the prime law of the Holy City when he hears the music of magic. Declared rightfully as a witch he expects to burn at the stake. Tormented by his taint though keeping his head up and looking at his accusers, Gair knows even if he wanted to escape, which he does not as he must die, the Church Knights led by the Witchfinder would hunt him down like an animal.

However, he is taken aback when Preceptor Ansel changes his death sentence to permanent exile from the parish. Leaving the Holy City to starve to death, a mysterious stranger Alderan of the Guardians of the Veil, who watched the court proceedings, escorts the shocked young man away. However, a dying Goran sends his Knights and a Witchfinder after them, but they escape as they begin their journey to a place where the lad can learn to control his magical skills as he learns that the Guardians of the Veil patrol the barrier that separates this realm from a hell; while being mentored by Aysha the shapeshifter.

This is an entertaining fantasy with several subplots, but mostly the trek, the school (especially the older woman younger man romance) and the search for answers by Ansel and Goran. The fast-paced but somewhat straightforward storyline will remind fans of E. Rose Sabin's "School For Sorcery" saga though the protagonist of Songs of the Earth is older. Readers will enjoy the opening Cooper mythos as a breach in the gate of hell gives a trainee a baptism of fire. Harriet Klausner

The Thirteenth Sacrifice
Debbie Viguie
Signet, $7.99
ISBN: 9780451236364

Boston PD Detectives Samantha Ryan and her partner Ed Hofferman arrive at the scene of coed Camille’s homicide in an off campus apartment. On the forehead of the victim is a bloody pentagram, but there is no blood anywhere else on the deceased or in the room. They interview the roommate Katie who claims to be a solitary practicing witch, but Samantha realizes she offers nothing not even emotion; while the victim’s new boyfriend Brad cries. George the coroner informs Samantha that the pentagram was drawn in nail polish several hours after the death.

The two cops head to St. Vincent’s Cathedral where Sister Mary Ellen has a waxed pentagram on her forehead. Next Katie’s former boyfriend Kyle is found dead by his roommates. Samantha believes Kyle’s death is a red herring by a clever killer who wants the cops looking at Katie as the killer. His girlfriend Tina arrives hysterical; which leads to Samantha hugging her. Soon afterward, Samantha loses her cross while subsequently more murders follow; she increasingly believes the vicious witches that she descends from have returned to Salem using sacrifices to embellish their power.

The first Witch Hunt urban fantasy police procedural is a terrific thriller due to a strong protagonist who converted from witchcraft practitioner to Christian believer. The whodunit is clever as Samantha has to return to her roots going undercover to ferret out the serial killer as she believes the motive is power. Readers will appreciate Detective Ryan affirming “You Can’t Go Home Again” (Thomas Wolfe) as she returns to a community she fled several years ago. Harriet Klausner

Alien Diplomacy
Gini Koch
DAW, $7.99
ISBN: 9780756407162

Newlyweds Jeff and Kitty Martini resign their positions as Centaurion Division exterminators-commanders to raise their infant Jamie. The family moves to Washington DC as head diplomats at the recently formed Centaurion Embassy.

However, they find the American capital as dangerous as some of their extermination missions were. A bomb blows up the limo that the Martini pair were supposed to be in. Additionally, Kitty learns of a major assassination plot planned at the upcoming Presidential Ball. Though POTUS is the most obvious target, Kitty has doubts though she remains clueless who else or why, but believes aliens are involved. Jeff, Kitty and their crew hunt for a killer and for a killer dress.

The latest Kitty Katt Alien satirical science fiction thriller (see Alien Proliferation, Touched by an Alien, Alien Tango and Alien in the Family) is a superb jocular entry that is filled with twists, spins and humor. Fast-paced, readers will believe the two species are real (as are other not quite as benign ETs); while the Jamie effect continues to nuke the lifestyle of the parents. With a sort of Mork in Men In Black lampooning, readers will enjoy this amusing action-packed tale in which nothing in alien (as observed by the rest of the country and the Centaurions) DC is sacred. Harriet Klausner

Magic Without Mercy
Devon Monk
Roc, $7.99
ISBN: 9780451464484

In Portland, Hound Allie Beckstrom always was proud that she and her team rigidly adhered to the strict rules of the overseeing of magic Authority even when risking their lives and souls in support of the practitioners (see Magic at the Gate and Magic at the Hunt). However, to prevent a magical plague from spreading and end a serial killer’s reign of terror, Allie Beckstrom shot the new Authority Chief Bartholomew Wray (see Magic On The Line). Her dead dad keeps reminding her inside her head that she had no choice, but filled with Shame, Allie, her lover Zayvion Jones, and other friends have been declared outlaws for violating the rules even if their cause was just as the end never justifies the mean.

As Allie struggles with the Shame of the killing, she and her team elude the Authority and the cops while seeking a means to cleanse the poisoned magic and finally end the plague; the answer seems to rest with a lunatic. At the same, they must cope with the Veiled murdering people.

This is a great entry in a superior urban fantasy series, as conscientious Allie knows logically she did the right thing with Wray, but emotionally feels Shame as she broke the Authority rules, which run deep in her brain. Fast-paced and loaded with action, fans will relish this direct sequel (need to have read at least Magic On The Line) as guilt wracked Allie and her cohorts struggle with doing the right thing as hostilities turn heated with the doomsday clock striking the midnight hour.
Harriet Klausner

Book View Cafe Grand Opening

(May 29, 2012) Book View Café (BVC), the professional author-run epublisher, is celebrating the launch of its new, completely-redesigned online bookstore with a Grand Opening promotion from June 1 to June 7. Readers will enjoy multiple chances to win a book of their choice, along with promotional discounts on BVC anthologies and selected titles. Readers can enter the giveaway both at the bookstore Grand Opening page (http://www.bookviewcafe.com/bookstore/grand-opening-celebration) and on the participating author web sites listed there.

The new bookstore makes it easier than ever before for readers to find, sample, and buy ebooks from a stellar line-up of authors. BVC's members include Hugo and Nebula award winners (Ursula Le Guin, Vonda N. McIntyre, and Linda Nagata), NY Times bestsellers and notable book authors (Patricia Rice, Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff, Lois Gresh, and Sarah Zettel), and Philip K. Dick award winner C.L. Anderson. BVC offers a growing number of genres in its catalogue, including science fiction, fantasy, romance, and mystery and has a substantial number of YA titles. The cooperative publishes not only books from its members' substantial backlist, but original titles as well.

"The software available to ebook vendors has improved tremendously since we launched Book View Café in 2008," says Linda Nagata, the Nebula and Locus award-winning author who spearheaded the redesign of the bookstore. "The new bookstore makes it much easier to browse and sample the books and short fiction available from BVC, and checkout has been vastly simplified." The new store also features an extensive coupon functionality.

"This gives members a lot more flexibility in pricing and promoting their books, which is important in the ebook market," Nagata notes.

To enter the giveaway, readers need only visit the Grand Opening page and leave a comment stating which book they'd like to win and why (omnibus editions are not included). Readers can also visit specified BVC author websites (e.g., blogs, Live Journal, Facebook) to enter, giving them multiple chances to win. In addition, BVC members will promote their own books via Twitter, Facebook, and other social media using the new store's coupon capabilities. During the promotion, most BVC anthologies are on sale at half price including the brand new Beyond Grimm: Tales Newly Twisted, which features new looks at classic fairy tales from the world's traditions. Other anthologies on sale span science fiction, fantasy, steampunk, and writing advice.

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Book View Café can be found online at www.bookviewcafe.com. BVC is a cooperative publishing effort of authors representing all genres, from science fiction to romance to historical to mainstream. Members share the tasks of editing, copy editing, formatting, and other publishing functions. BVC offers both reprints and new books, currently in e-form, with print options on the horizon.

For more information about the new bookstore, please contact Dave Trowbridge at dave@davetrowbridge.com.

Press Release

Al Ewing takes a Philip K Dick look at LA in new SF title for Solaris

One of the freshest and most innovative writers in genre is to pen his first novel for Solaris.

The Fictional Man by Al Ewing, best known for his work on Judge Dredd for 2000 AD and Abaddon Books’ Pax Britannia series, will be published in May 2013.

A talent of terrific energy and wit, Ewing is one of the most distinctive writers working today. The Fictional Man channels the spirit of Philip K Dick but mixed with Ewing’s own brand of SF weird. In his first novel for the imprint, he proves himself to be a master of the genre.

“Al Ewing is one of those writers who never fails to surprise me, both in the quality of his prose and the depth of his imagination,” said Jonathan Oliver, editor-in-chief of Solaris. “Having worked with Al extensively on the Abaddon range of books, it’s a real thrill to bring him to Solaris and let him loose on a creation entirely of his own making. This promises to be a hugely exciting and unusual SF novel.”

Niles Golan is writing a remake of a camp-classic spy movie. The studio has plans for a franchise, so rather than hiring an actor, the protagonist will be 'translated' into a cloned human body.

It's common practice - Niles' therapist is a Fictional. So is his best friend. So (maybe) is the woman in the bar he can't stop staring at. Fictionals are a part of daily life now, especially in LA.

In fact, it's getting hard to tell who's a Fictional and who's not...

Ewing’s books for Abaddon Books’ Pax Britannia and The Afterblight Chronicles series revealed a writer whose complexity is not limited by genre, but who throws his readers into a story with wild abandon. Already breaking new ground in seminal comic book 2000 AD, Ewing’s SF visions are set to be revelatory.

“A poet of pulp.” - The Steampunk Scholar on El Sombra

“One of the best superhero pastiches I’ve ever read.” - Pornokitsch on Gods of Manhattan