August Releases

Here’s my monthly post of releases I’m looking forward to! Once again, August will be full of greatness =) Ordered by release date!

Descriptions from goodreads.com

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

Release date: August 1st, 2010

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron Fey, iron-bound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her. Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's alone in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

Death’s Excellent Vacation Anthology

Release date: August 3rd, 2010

The editors of Wolfsbane and Mistletoe and Many Bloody Returns deliver a new collection-including a never-before-published Sookie Stackhouse story.

New York Times bestselling authors Charlaine Harris, Katie MacAlister, Jeaniene Frost-plus Lilith Saintcrow, Jeff Abbott, and more-send postcards from the edge of the paranormal world to fans who devoured Wolfsbane and Mistletoe and Many Bloody Returns.
With an all-new Sookie Stackhouse story and twelve other original tales, editors Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner bring together a stellar collection of tour guides who offer vacations that are frightening, funny, and touching for the fanged, the furry, the demonic, and the grotesque. Learn why it really can be an endless summer-for immortals.

Total Eclipse by Rachel Caine

Release date: August 3rd, 2010

UNNATURAL DISASTER

Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin has defeated her longtime enemy and saved the world—again. But at what cost? Standing at the ground zero for the last attack, Joanne, the Djinn David, and the Earth herself have been poisoned by a substance that is destroying the magic that keeps the world alive.

Joanne and David have already lost their powers, but that's just the beginning. The poison that has seeped into the planet is destablizing the entire balance of power, bestowing magic on those who have never had it and taking it at critical moments from those who need it. It's just a matter of time before the delicate balance of nature explodes into chaos, destroying mankind—and every living thing on Earth—with it.

Almost to die for by Tate Hallaway

Release date: August 3rd, 2010

On her sixteenth birthday, Anastasija Parker's present winds up being the shock of a lifetime. When her mom referred to her absentee dad as a deadbeat it was actually half true -- he's a vampire. And a king, no less. A king who wants his daughter to assume her rightful position at his side. But, thanks to Ana's mother, the blood of a witch also runs through her veins....
Too bad vampires and witches are mortal enemies.
With her parents gearing up for an all out brawl over her destiny, Ana's about ready to scream. But things get even crazier when a male witch and a brooding bad boy vampire start vying for her affection. Then the barely leashed tension between the vampires and the witches starts to boil over, and Ana has to figure out once and for all if she wants to become heir to her dad's throne. And deciding your eternal destiny is a pretty big deal for a girl who just wants to get through high school.

Kiss me Deadly Anthology

Release date: August 3rd, 2010

If you can possibly thirst for more mysterious metaphysical accounts of love, Trisha Telep has organized some of the greatest and most thrilling tales of paranormal paramours since The Eternal Kiss. She presents the acclaimed literary talent of thirteen unique authors, creating a collection of stories that will undoubtedly capture the imagination of every soul who dares to read them. Werewolves, ghosts, zombies, vampires, and fallen angels drive the plot of these riveting romances.

Kiss Me Deadly includes the exceptional writings of several authors, including:

• Sarah Rees Brennan (faeries)
• Becca Fitzpatrick (angels)
• Caitlin Kittredge (witches)
• Diana Peterfreund (unicorns)
• Michelle Rowen (demons)
• Carrie Ryan (zombies)
• Maggie Stiefvater (werewolves)
• Rachel Vincent (banshees)
• Daniel Waters (zombies)
• Michelle Zink (gothic ghosts)

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

Release date: August 31st, 2010

Nothing much happens in the sleepy town of Venus Cove. But everything changes when three angels are sent from heaven to protect the town against the gathering forces of darkness: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. They work hard to conceal their true identity and, most of all, their wings. But the mission is threatened when the youngest angel, Bethany, is sent to high school and falls in love with the handsome school captain, Xavier Woods. Will she defy the laws of Heaven by loving him? Things come to a head when the angels realize they are not the only supernatural power in Venus Cove. There′s a new kid in town and he′s charming, seductive and deadly. Worst of all, he′s after Beth.

The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Release date: August 31st, 2010

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Release date: August 31st, 2010

Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.
Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.
As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares.
His life depends on it.

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Release date: August 31st, 2010

Sixteen-year-old Evie's job is bagging and tagging paranormals. Possessing the strange ability to see through their glamours, she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency. But when someone--or something--starts taking out the vamps, werewolves, and other odd beasties she's worked hard to help become productive members of society, she's got to figure it out before they all disappear and the world becomes utterly normal.
Normal is so overrated.

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Posted by Tynga at 00:34

 Alexandra Adornetto, Cassandra Clare, Julie Kagawa, Kelly Creagh, Kiersten White, Rachel Caine, Tate Hallaway  12 People left their mark

Chat & Giveaway with Tate Hallaway

 

 

I’ve had the great honor to meet and chat with Tate Hallaway, author of Almost to Die for (Release August 3rd, 2010). Here’s to result of our discussion about her upcoming release =)

(light italic text is Tate and Maroon text is myself )

 

 

 

Hello Tate!
Thank you so much for stopping by Tynga's Review, I am really excited to have you on board =)
Would you mind starting with an introduction of Almost to Die for?

Mind?  Well, sort of.  I have to tell you that I'm a Minnesotan. We're naturally reserved, so it can be difficult to do this sort of self-promotion.  I'm not really wired for it.

So, here's how my publisher describes the book:

Twilight meets The Princess Diaries in the new series from the author of Honeymoon of the Dead.

On her sixteenth birthday, Anastasija Parker learns that her so-called deadbeat dad is actually a vampire king. And he wants Ana to assume her rightful position at his side, in spite of the fact that she has witch's blood running through her veins-from her mother's side.

Too bad witches and vampires are mortal enemies. And now Ana's parents are at each other's throats over her future. It's up to Ana to make a choice, but deciding your eternal destiny is a pretty big deal for a girl who just wants to get through high school.

I'm really curious about witch vs vampires aspect, would you tell us more?

  As I'm sure you've noticed, it's really hard to find something NEW to say about vampires.  I wanted to give mine a completely different origin story than most, though I will admit to extrapolating on ideas and themes that excited me elsewhere.

For instance, my vampires are demons... sort of.  Unlike the Buffy-verse, my vampires existed before Hell, that is to say, before Christianity.  In fact, I imply that the First Witch (who is responsible for bringing over the first vampire from "beyond the veil") was a Stone age Goddess worshipper.

Vampires and Witches are at war in my world because the vampires, very recently (like within the last fifty or so years), broke the spell that had kept them enthralled.  Witches had been using them like djinn, or more bluntly, as slaves.

In the now of the story, vampires are experiencing some growing pains. They can't return to

beyond the veil, so they're stuck trying to figure out how to survive here on their own, without the aid of their former masters.  There's a schism within the vampire community, since some actually would prefer to return to service -- it being the only life they've known for, perhaps, thousands of years (depending on the vampire, of course.)  Meanwhile some of the witches have decided to live and let live now that the vampires have won their freedom, but there's a faction of others who miss all the benefits of having supernatural servants.

At lot of this is very subtly in the background of the first book, to be fair, but I've been developing it more for the subsequent novels. The first book is really about our main character Ana finding out who she is and whether she wants to side with the vampires or the Witches... or if she needs to make a choice at all.

Oh wow that really sounds great, I can't wait to see where Ana fits in! I noticed that she has eyes of two different colors on the cover, does it have anything to do with her half-vampire/ half-witch genetic?

It does.  Of course that doesn't quite explain David Bowie, does it...?  :-)

HAHA Of course not, unless he is hiding more than we think?

Well, he WAS a goblin king... and an alien.

What kind of magic can we expect?

All sorts.  In my Garnet Lacey stories I stuck pretty closely to what real Wiccan magic is like, with some Hollywood special effects.  In this series, I decided to let myself have full-on fantasy powers for my Witches.  One of Ana's friends who is also a "true witch" can do the sort of "Bewitched" nose twitch to make things happen. The vampires also have their own magic although it's much more subtle and naturalistic, and it takes a long time for Ana to get in touch with it.  If I say much more, however, I'm in danger of spoilery.

We will avoid spoilers *winks* I hate when someone steals the punch lol

The complete title of the book is Almost to Die For: A Vampire Princess of St. Paul Novel, is the action happening in your hometown, St-Paul Minnesota ?

It is.  I'm really excited to feature the town I live in, too.  I think urban fantasy benefits if you can add local flavor into the stories, you know?  I love my minor league town, and there's a lot of strange here that I think fits well with vampire mythology.  Saint Paul, you may know from Garrison Keillor's many monologues on the subject, rolls up its streets after dark.  Downtown Saint Paul is pretty much a dead zone after five.  My explanation?  Because THAT'S when the vampires come up. 

Does it mean we don't see you in the streets after five? *winks*

Oh, I'll never tell!
Honestly, I'm so not the goth, vampire type myself.  I'm very much a lark, which is the opposite of a night owl.  I'm to bed early, and at my best when most people are complaining they need more caffeine. 

Well that's good, I'm not into caffeine myself either.
The book description lead me to think there might be a love triangle in the book, can you tell us some more without being spoilery :)

There is a love triangle in ALMOST.  I'm having a lot of fun with it, too.  Normally, I sort of know which guy my gal is going to ultimately perfer, but not this time.  They both have pluses and minuses in a way that makes it really hard for her (and me!) to choose!  Luckily, she doesn't have to for a while.  :-)

She doesn't have to choose for a while, umm, how many books are planned in the series?

Right now, only three.  The first is coming out in August, and I'm currently hard at work on the next one.  Fingers crossed, if it does well, the series will continue after that.

Awesome!
I find myself wondering, how do you choose your characters name?

I have a baby book (several actually) by my bedside. Plus, I find the phone books, the paper kind, are actually quite helpful if you're looking for a particular kind of surname.  I go by instinct.  I put two names together and say them over and over to see if I like how they sound, if I can imagine a mother shouting out that full name in anger, etc.
Names I think are magical.  There's a reason you need to know a demon's (or fairy's) true name to bind them.  So, I try to pick carefully, though I think naming is one of my favorite parts of writing.

Do you character's name have ulterior meaning?

Not consciously.  I suppose, as names all have meanings, you could imagine one.  Garnet is a stone, but Lace-y implies something soft and transparent.  Perhaps Garnet, unconciously, lives up to her name:  she seems soft on the outside, but inside she's hard and cold as stone.  However, I didn't do that on purpose.  I just liked the sound of the names together.  But, you know, writers will take advantage of all that stuff.  If it gets someone thinking about that analogy, it totally works for Garnet's personality.  Especially since she's carrying a hard, cold dark Goddess on the inside.
:-)

Goddess on the inside hen? Can't wait to learn more about that!
Before I let you go, do you think you could share a tiny little teasing excerpt with us?

Well, anyone who wants to can read an excerpt from Honeymoon of the Dead on my website: www.tatehallaway.com .  I don't have one up yet for Almost to Die For, but I will shortly  (I'm actually having some technical difficulties with my FTP program, so I haven't been able to update my websites for a while.  I do hope to have that corrected in a day or so, though.)

Is there anything else you would like to add?

The only thing I'll add is a thank you.  This has been terrific fun!

Thank you very much Tate for this chat, it’s been real great!

------------------------------

Tate has been very generous and is offering FIVE copies of her new book,

Almost to Die for…

Open INTERNATIONALY (Thank you Tate!)

Books will be shipped when Tate receives her author copies

to enter just FILL THE FORM

Ends July 4th, 2010.

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Posted by Tynga at 00:01

 giveaway, Paranormal Summer Fest, Tate Hallaway, Witch  18 People left their mark