Nathan Barker's Blog, page 8

[former] Borders employees lend some humor to the store closings

Buzzfeed has collected a 'best of' bitter Borders signs.  Little more than a week ago, some of the photos started making the rounds of the social networks, beginning with the now-classic (in internet terms) "No Public Restrooms - Try Amazon.com"

Books on cereal boxes

The Telegraph reports that UK publisher Puffin has teamed up with supermarket chain Asda and the estate of Roald Dahl to place excerpts from Dah's books on cereal boxes as part of an initiative to get children more interested in reading.  Puffin Managing Director Francesca Dow said "The great thing about a cereal box, is that it potentially is reaching millions of households that just don't read any literature outside of school."

"There could be an enormous number of children discovering Roald Dahl for the first time, bleary eyed over the breakfast table."

Amazon releases Kindle version with ads on-screen

Amazon is offering a new Kindle price-point and "feature" - The Kindle With Special Offers.  The new Kindle ereader comes with a new price point - $114.00 ($25.00 off regular price) as well as on-screen advertising.

Designed to be unintrusive to the reading experience, the ads take the form of screensavers and banner ads at the bottom of the home screen.

At initial release time (May 3rd, 2011), the special offers bundled with the device include the ability to get a $20 Amazon gift card for $10, special pricing for Audible.com audio books, $1 albums at the Amazon mp3 store, and discounts at the Amazon Denim shop.

Amazon is seemingly beta testing this idea, bundling a Kindle app with the device called AdMash which seeks user input in determining the kinds of ads users want to see as well as the type.

04/12/11 - New Releases in Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal & more..

The big news in genre releases this week is, of course, from Stephanie Meyer - a name guaranteed to make news.

This time it's with a non-fiction title - The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide - This must-have hardcover edition--the only official guide--is the definitive encyclopedic reference to the Twilight Saga and provides readers with everything they need to further explore the unforgettable world Stephenie Meyer created in Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, and The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner.

This comprehensive handbook–essential for every Twilight Saga fan–is full-color throughout with nearly 100 gorgeous illustrations and photographs and with exclusive new material, character profiles, genealogical charts, maps, extensive cross-references, and much more.

Enclave by Ann Aguirre - New York City has been decimated by war and plague, and most of civilization has migrated to underground enclaves, where life expectancy is no more than the early 20's. When Deuce turns 15, she takes on her role as a Huntress, and is paired with Fade, a teenage Hunter who lived Topside as a young boy. When she and Fade discover that the neighboring enclave has been decimated by the tunnel monsters—or Freaks—who seem to be growing more organized, the elders refuse to listen to warnings. And when Deuce and Fade are exiled from the enclave, the girl born in darkness must survive in daylight, in the ruins of a city whose population has dwindled to a few dangerous gangs. As the two are guided by Fade's long-ago memories, they face dangers, and feelings, unlike any they've ever known. [I received an ARC of this title last week and read it over the weekend.  mini-review: 4 out of 5 stars.  While the primary plot seems a bit derivative, Ms. Aguirre brings a fresh style to post-apocalyptic SF with an entertaining read set in a dim future. ]
The Line by Teri Hall - When Rachel and her mother move to Mrs. Moore's house—the one with the greenhouse, right next to the Line—Rachel starts questioning things. There are so many rumors of horrible things that lie beyond the Line—in a place called Away—but no one dares to talk about it. And it's no use asking questions— especially of Mrs. Moore, who has always lived by the Line, or of her mother, who is just happy to have a place to stay, especially since Rachel's father died in the war. But then Rachel comes across a recorded message—one that could only have come from Away. And the voice on the recorder is asking for help. As things start to unravel, the question becomes, how far is Rachel willing to go to cross the Line and do the right thing?

Undead Drive-Thru by Rebecca Besser - When Kyndra, Colleen, and Jose apply for jobs at a diner that has seen better days and is undergoing renovations, they have no idea what they're in for. Aunt-B and John have a horrible secret, and when it's unleashed on the unsuspecting employees of the diner, things get . . . complicated. Bloodthirsty and dangerous, a zombie awaits the opportunity to feast on them all. Who will be served first? Can any of them make it out of the Undead Drive-Thru alive?

After the Golden Age by Carrie Vaughn - Can an accountant defeat a supervillain? Celia West, only daughter of the heroic leaders of the superpowered Olympiad, has spent the past few years estranged from her parents and their high-powered lifestyle. She's had enough of masks and heroics, and wants only to live her own quiet life out from under the shadow of West Plaza and her rich and famous parents.

Then she is called into her boss' office and told that as the city's top forensic accountant, Celia is the best chance the prosecution has to catch notorious supervillain the Destructor for tax fraud. In the course of the trial, Celia's troubled past comes to light and family secrets are revealed as the rift between Celia and her parents grows deeper. Cut off from friends and family, Celia must come to terms with the fact that she might just be Commerce City's only hope.

This all-new and moving story of love, family, and sacrifice is an homage to Golden Age comics that no fan will want to miss.

[image error] The MenD'lee by Zann Corrie Kennedy - With a few bitter words, Melenta Cha'atre is viciously thrust into the world all alone. Her dream of leaving Lekton to live on the Terran world, Luna, and to attend the Institute seems utterly lost. As long as she could remember, she'd wished to study law and learn how to reform the Law of Tradition, their corrupt system of government. Under the Law, fathers make all decisions for their families. Abuse of power, cruelty, and injustice abounds because world leaders resist change, and fathers feel invincible. Her world is in dire need and Melenta will find a way to change it—she must! If her plan fails, legend says that a champion called The MenD'lee will one day be chosen from her people to lead Lekton to a new era of prosperity and enlightenment. Melenta longs to be that champion. But a tenacious and understanding stranger might ease past her walls of pain and heal her. But will The MenD'lee cooperate and grow up in time to save her world?

The Unremembered by Peter Orullian - The gods, makers of worlds, seek to create balance—between matter and energy; and between mortals who strive toward the transcendent, and the natural perils they must tame or overcome. But one of the gods fashions a world filled with hellish creatures far too powerful to allow balance; he is condemned to live for eternity with his most hateful creations in that world's distant Bourne, restrained by a magical veil kept vital by the power of song.

Millennia pass, awareness of the hidden danger fades to legend, and both song and veil weaken. And the most remote cities are laid waste by fell, nightmarish troops escaped from the Bourne. Some people dismiss the attacks as mere rumor. Instead of standing against the real threat, they persecute those with the knowledge, magic and power to fight these abominations, denying the inevitability of war and annihilation. And the evil from the Bourne swells….

Battle in the Dawn: The Complete Hok The Mighty by Manly Wade Wellman - In the 1930s, a very unusual tale appeared in the influential Amazing Stories magazine. Unlike the usual yarns of robots and interstellar travel, this "Battle in the Dawn" featured the brutal exploits of Hok, the first hero of humanity, in his struggles against the savage Neanderthals.

Written by rising pulpster Manly Wade Wellman (Who Fears the Devil?), who would later achieve fame for his American folktales of Silver John and beat out William Faulkner for a prestigious writing award, the story and its brave hero struck a chord with Amazing's readers, and several additional adventures followed, taking Hok through the prehistory of mankind to battle unrelenting cavemen, explore the lost city of Atlantis, discover new technology, and chart a new destiny for humanity.

Now, for the first time ever, Planet Stories presents a complete authorized collection of all of Wellman's rare Hok the Mighty tales, packed with unfinished story fragments, all-new illustrations, and a brand-new introduction by Wellman's longtime friend, fantasy author David Drake.

The White Luck Warrior by R. Scott Bakker - Widely praised by reviewers and a growing body of fans, R. Scott Bakker has already established his reputation as one of the few unique new talents in the fantasy genre. Now he returns with the long-awaited The White Luck Warrior--the second book in the Aspect-Emperor series.

As Anasûrimbor Kellhus and his Great Ordeal march ever farther into the wastes of the Ancient North, Esmenet finds herself at war with not only the Gods, but her own family as well. Achamian, meanwhile, leads his own ragtag expedition to the legendary ruins of Sauglish, and to a truth he can scarcely survive, let alone comprehend. Into this tumult walks the White-Luck Warrior, assassin and messiah both.

The White Luck Warrior is a story filled with heartstopping action, devious treachery, grand passion, and meticulous detail. It is both a classic quest tale and a high fantasy war story.

Hybrids by Whitley Strieber - For years, people have feared that sexual material removed from victims of alien abductions might lead to the creation of something that modern science considers impossible: hybrids of the alien and the human.

They would think like aliens, but appear human, and be able to do something that full-blooded aliens can't--walk the earth freely.

In Hybrids, Whitley Strieber unleashes his unparalleled skills as a thriller writer and his unique knowledge of the abduction phenomenon to explore, what might happen if hybrids invaded the earth--not from the stars, but from exactly where the aliens told him they would emerge, when one of them said, "We will come from within you."

The Tomes of the Dead: Viking Dead by Toby Venables - 976 AD – Northern Europe. BjÓlf and the viking crew of the ship Hrafn flee up an unknown river after a bitter battle, only to find themselves in a bleak land of pestilence. The dead don't lie down, but become what the villagers call draugr – the undead – returning to feed on the flesh of their kin. Terrible stories are told of a dark castle in a hidden fjord, and of black ships that come raiding with invincible draugr berserkers. And no sooner has BjÓlf resolved to leave, than the black ships appear... Now stranded, his men cursed by the contagion of walking death, BjÓlf has one choice: fight his way through a forest teeming with zombies, invade the castle and find the secret of the horrific condition – or submit to an eternity of shambling, soulless undeath!

The Adventures of Huckleberry Fiin and Zombie Jim by Mark Twain and W. Bill Czolgosz - Free at last! Free at last! This ain't your grandfather's Huckleberry Finn. It's nineteenth century America and a mutant strain of tuberculosis is bringing its victims back from the dead. Sometimes they come back docile, and other times vicious. The vicious ones are sent back to Hell, but the docile ones are put to work as servants and laborers. With so many zombies on the market, the slave trade is nonexistant. The black man is at liberty, and human bondage is no more. Young Huckleberry Finn has grown up in a world that shuns the N-word, with its scornful eye set on a new class of shambling, putrid sub-humans: The Baggers. When his abusive father comes back into his life, Huck flees down the river with Bagger Jim, seeking a life of perfect freedom. When the pox mutates once again, causing even the tamest of baggers to become bloodthirsty monsters, the boy Finn is forced to question his relationship with his dearest, deadest friend. In this revised take on history and classic literature, the modern age is ending before it ever begins. Huckleberry Finn will inherit a world of horror and death, and he knows the mighty Mississippi might be the only way out...

All the Lives He Led by Frederik Pohl - Two thousand years after Pompeii's destruction, a thriller of upheaval—volcanic and political—as only SF Grandmaster Frederik Pohl can write it!

With a keen eye for the humanity in any situation, science fiction icon Frederik Pohl has crafted a compelling new novel of a not-too-distant future we can only hope is merely science fiction.

When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D. it gave so little warning that Pompeiians were caught unawares, and many bodies were preserved in volcanic ash. Two thousand years later, in 2079, Pompeii is a popular theme park eagerly anticipating Il Giubeleo, the Jubilee celebration of the great anniversary. But Vesuvius is still capable of erupting, and even more threatening are terrorists who want to use the occasion to draw attention to their cause by creating a huge disaster. As the fateful day draws near, people from all over the world—workers, tourists, terrorists—caught in the shadow of the volcano will grapple with upheaval both natural and political.

Starcraft II: Devil's Due by Christie Golden - The year is 2494. Almost five years ago, Jim Raynor and Tychus Findlay were members of the Heaven's Devils, an elite Confederate marine unit praised for its nerves of steeland combat expertise. After making a stand against their corrupt commanding officer, the two men were forced to go AWOL or risk being unjustly prosecuted and resocialized.

Now, Raynor and Findlay are outlaws hounded by an unyielding interstellar marshal. Life, however, has never beenbetter. Each day is another chance to pilfer more credits from the Confederacy's deep coffers. Each night holds the promise of spending their hard-earned profits in bars, brothels, and gambling halls. But a man can only run so far before the law—and his past—catch up with him. . . .

Devils' Due recounts an unforgettable period of Jim Raynor's life as he descends into the Koprulu sector's criminal underworld alongside the street-savvy Findlay. Here, far from his humble upbringing on the fringe world of Shiloh, Raynor will face some of the most trying challenges of his life. The decisions he makes will alter his destiny forever and put his father's oft-spoken wisdom, "A man is what he chooses to be," to the ultimate test.

He Walked Among Us by Norman Spinrad - HE WALKED AMONG US has been called "the first meta science fiction novel," a novel about our collective mediated dreamtime and its creators, about the interplay of what we call "science" and what we call "fantasy" and what we call "entertainment," of the realities of show biz, New Age mysticism and science fiction writers, publishers, and fans.

Shadow Chaser by Alexey Pehov - Saddened because they have left one of their number in a grave in the wilderness, Harold and his companions continue their journey to the dreaded underground palace of Hrad Spein. There, knowing that armies of warriors and wizards before them have failed, they must fight legions of untold, mysterious powers before they can complete their quest for the magic horn that will save their beloved land from The Nameless One. But before they can even reach their goal, they must overcome all manner of obstacles, fight many battles…and evade the frightful enemies on their trail.
Shadow Chaser is a novel of intricate plots, surprising twists and finely drawn characters that will not leave you when you put the book down. Shadow Chaser is truly something different in the world of fantasy, something special; it is something truly Russian, a fantasy that is gripping and haunting, fascinating and imaginative.

The Key by Marianne Curley - The battle to protect the future is coming to an end as the evil Order of Chaos launches their final attack on the Named. To defeat the Order, the Named must locate the Key to a treasury of weapons hidden somewhere in the ancient city of Atlantis. The race is on to capture the Key before a horde of undead soldiers find it. And as the Named work against time, one of their own is plotting against them.
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As always, new fiction is at least 10% off publisher's list price and shipping is free on domestic orders over $25.00. Support this blog and independent booksellers by shopping at Kayleighbug Books.

Ian Fleming edges out Agatha Christie for top-earning British crime-writer spot

Both Fleming and Christie hit the 100 million pounds mark in overall earnings with Fleming edging out the grand dame of mysteries in the end.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/apr/10/top-earning-crime-writers-uk

Ken Sanders discovers Nuremberg Chronicles in Sandy, UT

Appraiser Ken Sanders held an antique Road Show event at a small museum in Sandy, UT to raise funds for the museum.  Like most of these events, he anticipated having to disappoint most people who felt their musty tome was a lost treasure... but in one case, he was astounded to find that a gentleman had brought him an extraordinarily rare copy of The Nuremberg Chronicles, printed in 1494.

http://www.fox13now.com/news/local/kstu-nuremberg-chronicles-appraisal-event-turns-up-extraordinary-piece-of-history-20110409,0,2228535.story

04/05/11 - New Releases in Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal & more..

The big news in new genre releases this week is on the YA side of things with new titles from Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, Rachel Caine, Jeri Smith-Ready, and the much-anticipated Teeth anthology.

Red Glove by Holly Black - Curses and cons. Magic and the mob. In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth—he's the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything—or anyone—into something else.

That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she's human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila's been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion worker mom. And if Lila's love is as phony as Cassel's made-up memories, then he can't believe anything she says or does.

When Cassel's oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue—crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too—they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can't trust anyone—least of all, himself?

Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose.

City of Fallen Angels by Casssandra Clare - Who will be tempted by darkness? Who will fall in love, and who will find their relationship torn apart? And who will betray everything they ever believed in?

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge.

In the heart-pounding fourth installment of the Mortal Instruments series, the stakes are higher than ever.

Ghost Town by Rachel Caine - While developing a new system to maintain the town's defenses, genius student Claire Danvers discovers a way to use the vampires' powers to keep outsiders from spreading news of Morganville's "unique" situation.

But when people in town start forgetting who they are-including the vampires-Claire has to figure out how to pull the plug on her experiment before she forgets how to save herself...and Morganville.

Teeth edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling -  Twenty of today's favorite writers explore the intersections between the living, dead, and undead. Their vampire tales range from romantic to chilling to gleeful—and touch on nearly every emotion in between.

Neil Gaiman's vampire-poet in "Bloody Sunrise" is brooding, remorseful, and lonely. Melissa Marr's vampires make a high-stakes game of possession and seduction in "Transition." And in "Why Light?" Tanith Lee's lovelorn vampires yearn most of all for the one thing they cannot have—daylight. Drawn from folk traditions around the world, popular culture, and original interpretations, the vampires in this collection are enticingly diverse.

But reader beware: The one thing they have in common is their desire for blood.


Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready - Love ties them together. Death can't tear them apart.

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding—and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart...and clues to the secret of the Shift.

Sword Of The Gods (Forgotten Realms: Abyssal Plague Book II) by Bruce R. Cordell - Demascus awakens surrounded by corpses, at a shrine littered with traces of demonic rituals, with no memory of his past. But the Firestorm Cabal remembers him—and the demon who leads them seems to have a personal vendetta against him. Dodging knives, uncovering clues left by his past life, and dueling demons, Demascus must figure out who he is, what battles he is fighting, and who is hunting him before one of them catches up with him.

The Shining City by Fiona Patton - With the three children of prophecy-the seers Spar and Graize, and the warrior Brax-now grown, and the young God Hisar ready to stake his claim to a place in the pantheon of Anavatan, a time of chaos and change is fast approaching. For only if sworn enemies Spar and Graize can come together as Hisar's priests will the God stand any chance of surviving the coming battles with both the hungry spirits seeking to devour him, and the war with the mortal invasion fleet, which is even now sailing for Anavatan.

Magic on the Hunt by Devon Monk - In the secret lockup of the Authority, the council that decides what can and can't be done with magic, an undead magic user has possessed one of the prisoners. He wants his freedom-and then some. Now Allie Beckstrom and her lover, Zayvion, are the first line of defense against the chaos he's about to unleash on the city of Portland...

Among Thieves: A Tale of the Kin by Douglas Hulick - Drothe has been a member of the Kin for years, rubbing elbows with thieves and murderers in the employ of a crime lord while smuggling relics on the side. But when an ancient book falls into his hands, Drothe finds himself in possession of a relic capable of bringing down emperors-a relic everyone in the underworld would kill to obtain.

The Dragon's Path by Daniel Abraham - Marcus' hero days are behind him. He knows too well that even the smallest war still means somebody's death. When his men are impressed into a doomed army, staying out of a battle he wants no part of requires some unorthodox steps.

Cithrin is an orphan, ward of a banking house. Her job is to smuggle a nation's wealth across a war zone, hiding the gold from both sides. She knows the secret life of commerce like a second language, but the strategies of trade will not defend her from swords.

Geder, sole scion of a noble house, has more interest in philosophy than in swordplay. A poor excuse for a soldier, he is a pawn in these games. No one can predict what he will become.

Falling pebbles can start a landslide. A spat between the Free Cities and the Severed Throne is spiraling out of control. A new player rises from the depths of history, fanning the flames that will sweep the entire region onto The Dragon's Path-the path to war.

WWW:Wonder by Robert J. Sawyer - Webmind-the vast consciousness that spontaneously emerged from the infrastructure of the World Wide Web-has proven its worth to humanity by aiding in everything from curing cancer to easing international tensions. But the brass at the Pentagon see Webmind as a threat that needs to be eliminated.

Caitlin Decter-the once-blind sixteen-year-old math genius who discovered, and bonded with, Webmind-wants desperately to protect her friend. And if she doesn't act, everything-Webmind included-may come crashing down.

Element Zero by James Knapp - Technologically reanimated corpses are frontline soldiers engaged in a neverending war. Agent Nico Wachalowski uncovered a conspiracy that allowed Samuel Fawkes, the scientist who created them, to control them beyond the grave. And now Fawkes has infected untold thousands with new technology, creating an undetectable army that will obey his every command-a living army that just might represent the future of humanity...

Alien in the Family by Gini Koch - Super-Being Exterminator Kitty Katt and the Alpha Centaurian she loves, Jeff Martini, should be finalizing their wedding plans. But that was before she discovers Jeff is in line to become Emperor back on his home world. Kitty knows she is everything a royal family wouldn't approve of, and is bracing herself for the worst. As it turns out, the royal family is just the beginning. Especially when extraterrestrial Amazonian terrorists are determined to start and end Kitty and Jeff's nuptial festivities with a bang.

Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan - Xylara is the Daughter of the Warrior King, Xyron. With her father dead and her incompetent half-brother on the throne, the kingdom is in danger of falling to the warring Firelanders.
Before she was old enough for a marriage-of-alliance, Xylara was trained as a healer. She can't usurp her brother or negotiate a peace—but she can heal the brave ones injured in battle.

But not only her countrymen are wounded, and Xylara's conscience won't let Firelander warriors die when she can do something to save them. She learns their language and their customs and tries to make them as comfortable as possible, despite their prisoner-of-war status.

She never expects that these deeds, done in good faith, would lead to the handsome and mysterious Firelander Warlord demanding her in exchange for a cease-fire. Xylara knows must trade the life she has always known for the well-being of her people, and so she becomes... The Warprize


Navarro's Promise by Lora Leigh - The breed guaranteed Micah no harm would come to her, but they never allowed for her sensual fascination with Navarro, or his unstoppable need to claim her as his mate, in both body and soul.

Crimes by Moonlight edited by Charlaine Harris - An all-new mystery anthology edited and featuring a new story by #1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris Nighttime is the perfect time for the perfect crime. #1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris edits and contributes an all-new story-set in her Sookie Stackhouse universe-to this anthology from the Mystery Writers of America. Other authors include: Steve Brewer, Dana Cameron, Max Allan Collins and Mickey Spillane, Barbara D'Amato, Brendan DuBois, Terrie Farley Moran, Jack Fredrickson, Parnell Hall, Carolyn Hart, S. W. Hubbard, Toni L. P. Kelner, Lou Kemp, William Kent Kreuger, Harley Jane Kozak, Margaret Mahon, Martin Meyers, Jeffrey Somers, Elaine Viets, Mike Wiecek.

Dark Enchantment by Anya Bast - Seduced in a dream by a handsome, rugged man, Charlotte Bennett decides to let pleasure and desire lead the way-only to discover her "safe night of passion has dangerous repercussions.

Waking the Witch by Kelley Armstrong - At twenty-one, Savannah Levine-orphaned daughter of a notorious dark witch and an equally notorious cutthroat sorcerer-considers herself a full-fledged member of the otherworld. The once rebellious teen has grown into a six-foot-tall, motorcycle-riding jaw-dropper, with an impressive knowledge of and ability to perform spells. The only problem is, she's having a hard time convincing her adoptive parents, Paige and Lucas, to take her seriously as an adult. She's working as the research assistant at the detective agency they founded, and when they take off on a romantic vacation alone, leaving her in charge, Savannah finds herself itching for a case to call her own. (She's also itching for Adam, her longtime friend and colleague, to see her as more than just a little girl, but that's another matter.)

Suddenly, Savannah gets the chance she's been waiting for: Recruited by another supernatural detective, she travels to Columbus, Washington, a small, dying town. Two troubled young women have been found in an abandoned warehouse, murdered. Now a third woman's dead, and on closer inspection small details point to darker forces at play. Savannah feels certain she can handle the case, but with signs of supernatural activity appearing at every turn, things quickly become more serious- and far more dangerous-than she realizes.

A Magic of Dawn by S. L. Farrell - Kraljica Allesandra sits on the Sun Throne of a much-diminished Holdings empire, while her son Jan rules the rival Coalition of Firenzcia. The schism between them threatens to tear apart the realm when they need solidarity the most. Facing powerful threats, from the rising influence of the Numetodo sect to the fundamentalist preacher Nico Morel-as well as the army of Tehuantin from across the sea- Allesandra and Jan must each find a pathway to survival for themselves and their people.

Shady Lady by Ann Aguirre - Whenever Corine Solomon touches an object, she immediately knows its history. But the future concerns her more when former ally Kel Ferguson wlaks through her door with a warning for her: the Montoya cartel is coming for her-but they don't just pack guns. They use warlocks, shamans and voodoo priests. And Corine has become enemy number one...

Thief Eyes by Janni Lee Simner - After her mother mysteriously disappears, sixteen-year-old Haley convinces her father to take her to Iceland, where her mother was last seen. There, amidst the ancient fissures and crevices of that volcanic island, Haley meets gorgeous Ari, a boy with a dangerous side who appoints himself her protector.

When Haley picks up a silver coin that entangles her in a spell cast by her ancestor Hallgerd, she discovers that Hallgerd's spell and her mother's disappearance are connected to a chain of events that could unleash terrifying powers and consume the world. Haley must find a way to contain the growing fires of the spell—and her growing attraction to Ari.

Janni Lee Simner brings the fierce romance and violent passions of Iceland's medieval sagas into this twenty-first-century novel, with spellbinding results.

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As always, new fiction is at least 10% off publisher's list price and shipping is free on domestic orders over $25.00.  Support this blog and independent booksellers by shopping at Kayleighbug Books.

Winner Announced: The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg

Congratulations to Ellen Shaw who won our drawing this week for an ARC of The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg!

Stay tuned for details on our next drawing.  Follow our blog, "like" us on facebook or follow us on Twitter to be automatically entered to win!

Amanda Hocking gets $2 million for new series

Retail giant Amazon.com lost out big time in the auction for Amanda Hocking's new series.  Veteran publisher St. Martin's Press won the auction for her series with a bid of $2 million plus royalties.

Amazon's bid was higher but reports indicate that Hocking and her agent were unhappy with the terms and potential difficulties.  Amazon wanted Kindle exclusivity and brought in Houghton Mifflin on the bid to handle the print edition - in an effort to place the book in retail chain stores and indies.

Insiders were concerned that Barnes & Noble could still banish the book from their stores, ramping up their game of hardball with competitor Amazon.com.

The bid by Amazon marks a disturbing new entry into the publishing game.  They've offered before on self-published titles, bringing them into pro-editions with their Amazon Encore line but this is the first time they've participated in a rights auction against the major publishing houses.

Like Wal-Mart or Apple have done in the music industry, a move like this from Amazon could spell trouble for the book industry - Amazon may win.. but the customer will lose.

Currently, almost all titles, and certainly major bestsellers are available to retailers equally, on essentially the same terms as everyone else gets.  Yes, companies like B&N or Amazon get better discounts from the publishers and distributors based on their sales volume but the difference is not massively significant in terms of the bottom line.  Amazon and others give massive discounts to the customers on new bestsellers but they do so by taking a loss on the sale.

Amazon's entry into the publishing side of the equation (in a major role) could result in new, potential bestsellers, being available "exclusively at Amazon.com" for ebooks - throwing an ugly wrench into the traditional retail models for publishers and booksellers.

Harry Potter to go digital

Harry Potter and the electronic book set to net JK Rowling £100m - Scotsman.com News