Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy some new paranormals
Here are some newer paranormals, steampunk, urban fantasy, compiled for you and HEA by romance authors (info provided by authors, publishers and/or their websites):
Seal of Awakening by Traci Douglass (SpinTale Publishing). Seven Seals Series, book three. Embrace the geek, save the world… Socially awkward geneticist Quinn Strickland has willingly forgone the pleasures in life to reach her career objectives. The Scion's alpha-geek Wyck is offered the opportunity of his immortal lifetime as head of his own covert operation. Divine duty requires him to protect the apocalyptic Seal encrypted within Quinn's DNA. When personal feelings interfere with age-old vendettas, they're forced to decide between desire and retribution.
The following new releases were compiled for HEA by ST Bende, author of Elsker and Endre. Her website is stbende.blogspot.com.
Beautiful Monster 2 by Bella Forrest (Bella Forrest). Liam knows his plan is so preposterous that it will either be wildly successful... or fatal. But it's a risk he has no choice but to take - for his sake and for Amy's. If Amy thought her first year at Leopard Academy was a whirlwind, she'd better brace herself for a typhoon.
The Dragon King and I by Adrianne Brooks (Adrianne Brooks). Alexandria Greyson is cursed! How else can she explain why every man within sniffing distance comes running to her rescue? She's not even trying the least to look pretty but she attracts men like a magnet. When a man is killed while trying to bring her an umbrella, she realizes that her condition isn't going away on its own and she'll need to find a cure if she ever wants to live a normal life. So when her "Fairy Godmother" sends her on a quest to cure the curse that's been plaguing her, Alex is doubtful but willing. Together with her beastly Prince Charming, she starts gathering all 6 ingredients that make up the cure. Everything was going smoothly…Until the last ingredient involves the heart of the one person she has learned to love: A dragon's heart.
Feather's Blossom by Viola Grace (Devine Destinies). Tyhana has lived her life in a farming community; the only winged person she has ever seen is in the mirror. Her family has been a joy and feeling the love of her adopted clan has given her the confidence to become all she could. When she is watching a meteor shower and a star comes directly toward the valley where she lives, she finds a man inside the ship who needs her help. He has a dislocated wing. Seldrin was on his way to take a post as ambassador when he ran afoul of a meteor. It knocked him out of the sky and into the path of an angel. An angel who snaps his wing back in place like it was the most normal thing for her to do.
Immune: A Rylee Adamson Novel (Book 2) by Shannon Mayer (HiJinks Ink Publishing). "My name is Rylee, and I am a Tracker." When children go missing, and the Humans have no leads, I'm the one they call. I am their last hope in bringing home the lost ones. I salvage what they cannot. Underestimating demons is a bad idea, and it's a mistake that may cost not only my life, but the life of a missing child. If I can swallow my pride, and allow Agent O'Shea to help me find a way to deal with the demon, we might be able to save the child. With this salvage, it's a race against time, a test of trust, and a temptation that I'm doing my damndest to ignore. If only swallowing my pride was that easy.
Seduced: Rose's Story (Books 1-3) (The Seduced Saga) by Karpov Kinrade (Daring Books). Forbidden passions. Deadly secrets. A love that will stand against it all. Rose and Derek come from different worlds. Different families. Different destinies. But nothing can stop two souls meant to be together. Faced with supernatural threats beyond their control, and a power that could destroy everyone they care about, Rose and Derek hold onto their love. But is love enough when the greatest threat lives inside of you?
Soar (The Empire Chronicles #1) by Alyssa Rose Ivy (Alyssa Rose Ivy). Serving coffee is temporary, just like Casey's year off from school. She's going to come up with a plan to stay in New York City and go back to college, and that plan does not involve dating a paranormal creature—let alone two. Running the supernatural society of New York is not as fun as it sounds, especially when you still have to answer to your ex-girlfriend's fiancé. Toby doesn't mean to bring Casey into the chaos of his life, but he can't resist the girl who makes him smile when he thought no one else ever could. Jared's in New York checking out a security risk for his best friend, the king. He plans to return to New Orleans quickly, but not if it means losing his chance with the brunette who pretends she wants nothing to do with him. In over her head with a bunch of winged creatures who most definitely are not angels, Casey has to figure out who to trust with her life and maybe her heart.
SCI-FI/FANTASY
The following new releases were compiled for HEA by Louann Carroll, author of the Gemini Rising series, A Shadow of Time and the soon-to-be-released Shadowland. Her website is www.louanncarroll.com.
Twisted Fate by Jessica Coulter Smith (Changeling Press). Sentenced to life in a mental hospital, Lacey spends eight years planning her escape. Once she's on the run, she doesn't want to stop, but a bit of car trouble, and quite a bit of walking, lands her in the town of Moonspell. Get a job, get some cash and get out. That's what she plans, anyway. But you know what they say about the best-laid plans. Then she meets Draco Coldstorm. From the moment he lays eyes on her, the heart he'd thought long dead starts beating again. Not only has Draco the man noticed Lacey, his sleeping dragon is very aware of her, as well.
Horizon (The Soul Seekers #4) by Alyson Noel (St. Martin's Griffin). Daire Santos is the last of the Soul Seekers, and the only thing standing between the Richters and the destruction of everyone she loves. With her grandmother gone and Cade back in Enchantment, Daire must finally step into her destiny and lead the fight against the Richters. But what if that means sacrificing the person she loves most? Bound to the Richters by blood, Dace struggles against the darkness growing inside him that threatens to claim Daire too. Though Daire refuses to give up on him, the choice may not be hers. An epic battle is on the horizon and the end of the world looms near. With such insurmountable odds stacked against them, is their love really enough to conquer all?
The Severed Tower (Conquered Earth #2) by J. Barton Mitchell (St. Martin's Griffin). Holt, Mira, and Max have fled Midnight City with Zoey after watching her repel an entire Assembly army. Zoey's powers are unlocked, but who and what she is remains a mystery. All she knows is that she must reach the Severed Tower. The Strange Lands, a place where the laws of physics have completely broken down. The Assembly has pursued Zoey into the Strange Lands. The group hunting Holt are here, led by a dangerous and beautiful pirate named Ravan. So is Mira's first love, Benjamin Aubertine. There's the Strange Lands themselves. They have inexplicably begun to grow, spreading outwards, becoming more powerful. Somehow, it all seems tied to Zoey herself, and the closer she gets to the Tower, the weaker she becomes.
Dragon Joined by Rebecca Royce (Ellora's Cave). Dean Andrews watched in horror when sixteen-year-old Amanda Sugar was carried away by the dragons. He swore to destroy the beasts before anyone else could be taken. Six years later, he leads his people in a war against the dragons and finds someone he never expected to see again—Amanda, who has grown into a passionately desirable woman. Amanda has spent the last six years as a prisoner of the most monstrous dragon imaginable. When she lays eyes on Dean she can't believe he is there—she has dreamed of him since she was a teenager. Together they will discover a way to finally end the dragons' rule over humanity, or die trying.
Mistress of the Solstice by Anna Kashina (Dragonwell Publishing). As the head priestess of the ancient Solstice cult, Marya must sacrifice a virgin every year. She copes with this gruesome duty by assuming a mask of cold detachment, as her father—the evil tzar Kashchey—devours the maidens' souls to maintain his youth and power. It is his power alone that keeps Marya's kingdom safe from all enemies—or so she was raised to believe. When Ivan arrives on a quest to stop the virgin sacrifices, Marya throws all her magic against him. To maintain her life—and that of her father—she must destroy Ivan before he completes his quest. But can she find it in her heart to do so?
The Line, Witching Savannah by J.D. Horn (J.D. Horn). Mercy Taylor is all too familiar with the supernatural side of Savannah, being a member of the most powerful family of witches in the South. Despite being powerless herself, of course. Having grown up without magic of her own, in the shadow of her talented and charismatic twin sister, Mercy has always thought herself content. But when a series of mishaps—culminating in the death of the Taylor matriarch—leaves a vacuum in the mystical underpinnings of Savannah, she finds herself thrust into a mystery that could shake her family apart…and unleash a darkness the line of Taylor witches has been keeping at bay for generations.
The Duke of Uranium by John Barnes (Open Road Integrated Media). Jak Jinnaka's thirty-sixth-century teenage life has been nothing but fun—ignoring school, partying outrageously with his beautiful girlfriend, Sesh, and spending his uncle Sib's huge fortune. But while they are out for a wild night of postgraduation clubbing, Sesh is kidnapped by the dangerous, enigmatic Duke of Uranium. Bruised and battered, Jak wakes up to a whole new reality: sweet, superficial Sesh is actually Princess Shyf of Greenworld, daughter of the rulers of a powerful faraway spaceport; kind and slightly dotty old Uncle Sib is a legendary spymaster; and Jak's whole life has been preparation for the world of espionage. Now, his maiden mission is to rescue his girlfriend from one of the most powerful aristocrats in the solar system—or is it? The world Uncle Sib has plunged him into has wheels within every wheel and hidden forces in every shadow, and the only thing that is just what it seems is Jak himself: an amoral party animal looking out for number one!
City of Lost Dreams by Magnus Flyte (Penguin). Determined to find a cure for her gravely-ill friend Pollina, musicologist Sarah Weston heads to Vienna to track down what may be the last hope for the young prodigal pianist. Meanwhile, Nicolas Pertusato, a 400-year-old dwarf who previously saved Sarah's life, has ventured to London in search of an ancient alchemical cure for the girl. However, once there he discovers an old enemy is one step ahead of him. In Prague, the charming Prince Max becomes distracted from taking care of Pollina when he is confronted by the strange reappearance of a long dead saint, while being pursued by a seductive red-headed historian with dark motives of her own.
The following new releases were compiled for HEA by ST Bende, author of Elsker and Endre. Her website is stbende.blogspot.com.
Heroes of Falledge Book One: Black Hellebore by Nicole Zoltack (Desert Breeze Publishing). Once a year for the past decade, Nicholas Adams returns to Falledge and leaves a black hellebore on his girlfriend's grave. While fleeing Falledge, he spies a shady man sneaking into the laboratory. Nicholas chases after him and dies for his trouble. A witch brings him back to life, only Nicholas is not the same man. Turns out, magic combined with a black hellebore in his pocket changed him into a kind of a super man. Julianna Paige, his girlfriend's twin and deputy of Falledge, struggles to solve several murders. Nicholas, and his alter ego the Black Hellebore, helps her, even as she helps him move on and start to truly live again. Unfortunately, Nicholas wasn't the only one changed in the laboratory explosion, and now a super villain is bent on destroying Falledge, and killing the Black Hellebore. But falling in love might prove more dangerous than any super villain.
The following new releases were compiled for HEA by Patricia C. Lee, author of Destiny's Present. Her website is www.patriciaclee.com.
Love Beyond Time (Morna's Legacy Series) by Bethany Claire. Four hundred years ago, Clan Conall and their people were murdered in a surprise attack; their castle destroyed. Since then, archaeologists have searched for evidence of the demise. Brielle Montgomery accompanies her mother on a dig in Scotland. They discover a spell room below the castle ruins, and Bri is transported back in time and suddenly married to the castle's Laird. Now, she must work to change his people's fate and try to find her way home despite falling more in love with her new husband.
Highland Whispers by Jamie Boltman. Snow heads to Scotland to claim an inheritance but must stay on the lands of Lochlanna estate for six months. The castle comes complete with butler, gardener, and electricity – and a ghost. Haunting his castle for three hundred years, Laird MacFadyne has crossed time in search of the woman he loves. He still grieves over the previous owner. But when the new owner of the castle arrives, he takes one look at her and can't believe that she is the one he's come for. Can two souls, connected by dreams but centuries apart overcome obstacles to be together?
Love Beyond Reason (Book 2 of Morna's Legacy Series) by Bethany Claire. Arran Conall's beloved fell prey to ancient magic when he sent Blaire away to marry his brother. She now lives centuries ahead. Moving on with life, he marries another, but his love for Blaire haunts him. Magic brought Blaire MacChristy from the past. She tries to adjust to modern-day. When visitors from her past arrive asking her to return, Blaire takes a chance, but finds the man she loves has married another. Will fate bring them together once again and if it does, will they be able to stop the darkness that is coming for them both?
Sunshine by Natalie Wenner. A medical implant has changed the classic brain eating zombie swarming the world into Jacks full of rage and violence who can't feel human emotions. Emma rejected her implant and is one of the few sane people left on the Earth. She adopts Sunshine, whose mother died giving birth, determined to keep him safe. Their journey becomes complicated when she runs into Marcus, a handsome young man but has the personality of a prickly cactus, as they try to find a place in the world to call their own. Taken (Callisto Series, Book 2) by Erica Conroy. Peace negotiations are easy right? Not when you're learning a language composed of hisses, growls and other guttural sounds. And that's not even the tough part for recently divorced diplomat Viktor Jacobs. No, that would be matching wits with the fiercely intelligent daughter of the opposing side. Between dodging her claws, avoiding a myriad of cultural taboos, and not accidentally getting married or killed, he has to somehow make the Lyrissians see that joining the Alliance of Worlds is the best choice for all of their futures.
Awake My Soul (Corwint Central Agent Files) by C. E. Kilgore. Hark was bred to be a perfected example of Xen'dari genetic code, but knew he was different. Something within him remained slumbering, awaiting the spirit that would awaken his soul. Zasi was not certain what to make of the blue-eyed man found nearly dead in space. He wasn't typical of the Xen'dari that she loathed and feared. Something about him called to her spirit and asked her to see past what he was to help him discover who he could become.
Cyborg2150 by Charisma Knight. Joe Willis sacrifices his life to help rescue trapped humans and teleporting them to Sirtus. Dana Willis reluctantly sees him off and stays behind to aid in coding a program that will hopefully overthrow The Legion. Before his demise, Dana and Joe agreed to the mind transference that will re-animate him, but how well will she adapt to her "cyborg" husband when they are reunited a month after his death? In their quest to teleport to Sirtus, she also discovers another shocking secret her husband harbored when he was a flesh and blood man. Into the Fire (The Ending Series) by Lindsey Fairleigh. In the wake of destruction left behind by the Virus, Dani and Zoe's reunion is short-lived when Dani is taken. Zoe's only goal is to save her best friend from the final hold-out of civilization: the Colony. As Dani faces her most manipulative adversary yet, she loses sight of who she is and who she can trust.
YA/NA SCI-FI and TIME TRAVEL
The following new releases were compiled for HEA by Louann Carroll, author of the Gemini Rising series, A Shadow of Time and the soon-to-be-released Shadowland. Her website is www.louanncarroll.com.
The Seventh Pleiade by Andrew J. Peters (Bold Strokes Books). Atlantis is besieged by violent storms, tremors, and a barbarian army. For sixteen-year-old Aerander, it's a calamitous backdrop to his Panegyris, where boys are feted for their passage to manhood. Amid a secret web of romances among the celebrants, Aerander's cousin Dam goes missing with two boys. With the kingdom in crisis, no one suspects the High Priest Zazamoukh, though Aerander uncovers a conspiracy to barter boys for dark spiritual power.
The Fiery Heart, A Bloodlines Novel, by Richelle Mead (Penguin Books Australia). Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets – and human lives. In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life, and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived and there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path – or risk being sent to re-education.
The Curse Keepers by Denise Grover Swank (Denise Grover Swank). Ellie Lancaster has lived her whole life by the site of the mysterious Lost Colony of Roanoke, the Virginia settlement that vanished without a trace around 1590. Only the descendants of the two men who banished the spirits of an enemy tribe from the material realm know what really happened to the colony. Ellie is one of those descendants—a Curse Keeper. Her father took pains to teach her what he knew of the curse and the responsibilities of its guardians. He taught her that if the two Curse Keepers ever meet, the curse will be lifted, the gate will open, and the raging Native American spirits will be unleashed to seek their revenge. Despite her father's seriousness, Ellie has always taken the legend for a harmless fairy tale. Until she meets the darkly handsome, but downright infuriating, Collin Dailey and realizes everything she was told is true.
The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler (Razorbill). It's 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet. Emma just got her first computer and an America Online CD-ROM. Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on — and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future. Everybody wonders what their destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out.
Into the Fire, The Ending, #2, by Lindsey Fairleigh and Lindsey Pogue (L2 Books). In the wake of destruction left behind by the Virus, it took Dani and Zoe months to find each other. But their reunion was short-lived. Dani has been taken and though little distance separates them, they might as well be worlds apart. From the moment she hears Dani's scream, Zoe's only goal is to save her best friend. She and her companions scramble to come up with a rescue plan, but when a ghost from Jake's past reappears, lines are blurred, decisions become harder, and secrets are revealed. To keep heartache and fear from consuming her, Zoe must cling to her determination. She will see Dani again.
Silevethiel, The Vaelinel Trilogy, Book One, by Andi O'Connor (Purple Sun Press). The world of Vaelinel is failing—its fate bound to Irewen in ways no one fully understands. A mysterious elven prophecy may provide her with some answers, but continuously hunted and fighting for her life, Irewen quickly learns that unearthing the truth will be more difficult than she ever imagined. Can she accept Laegon's love and the friendship of the Wood Elves, or will she stand alone against the terrifying evil now threatening to destroy the entire world?
If you're an author who has an upcoming new romance, you can send information about the book (subgenre, title, author, publisher, 75ish-word blurb) to happyeverafterusat@gmail.com. Please include "new release paranormal" (or whatever subgenre it is) in the subject line. HEA will do its darnedest to get your listing into a new releases post as close to your publication date as possible. All romances and subgenres are accepted, including self- and indie-pubbed.