You'll find more than magic in these newer 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):
More Than Magic by Donna June Cooper (Samhain Publishing). Books of the Kindling, Book 1. DEA agent Nick McKennitt is sure magic exists—a dangerous drug called Smoky Mountain Magic that's wreaking havoc on the streets of Atlanta. He's also sure that locating and eliminating the source could mean his death. When he arrives undercover on Woodruff Mountain, the beautiful owner's anxious attempts to scare him off tell him something's afoot, and it's not her secret patch of a rare, ancient species of ginseng. As her dream of seeking medicinal plants in the Amazon fades into the distance, Grace Woodruff struggles to come to terms with an inherited magical gift she didn't want, and searches desperately for the meaning behind her late grandfather's final, cryptic message. The last thing she needs underfoot is a handsome, enigmatic writer recovering from a recent illness. Until an accidental touch unleashes a stunning mystical force and Grace senses the wrath of a malicious blight at the heart of the mountain. Now she must choose between her need to hide her gift from the world…and her desire to save Nick's life.
Belle Fury by Lola Dodge (Samhain Publishing). Manhattan Ten, Book 3. Belle Fabian has worked her toes to the bone to become an internationally renowned ballerina. When the curtains rise on her career-making performance of Giselle, she brings down the house—literally. Mid-dance, she manifests a superpower that nearly destroys the Metropolitan Opera House, wiping out a line of chorus girls and sending the audience dashing for the exits. As she flees the theater, she assumes the worst. Her hard-won career is over. The Manhattan Ten's leader is playing hooky with his new lady, so it falls to Red Ruin to round up the super-powered danseur. It's just one small, bird-boned woman hiding in a convenience store. How hard could it be? Their first encounter generates sparks that border nuclear and their chemistry sends Belle's powers into overdrive, but their perfect storm of passion is marred by her suspicion that Ruin is holding back. That secret that could turn the sweet burn of Ruin's lightning into a permanent scar on her heart.
Sentinels: Lynx Destiny by Doranna Durgin (Harlequin Presents). Forced to return to her family cabin deep in the Sacramento Mountains, Regan Adler is determined to keep her visit brief. Voices that drove her mother crazy are now threatening to do the same to her and she can't ignore them. Then she meets Kai Faulkes a lone shape-shifter who takes the form of a lynx. When Regan's soft and sultry voice reaches him, he is thrown into a whole new world of passion and desire.
Night's Promise: The Children of the Night by Amanda Ashley (Zebra). First in a new series. New York Times bestselling author Amanda Ashley, one of the originators of the vampire romance, introduces the next generation of Children of the Night with Derek Blackwood, the son of the infamous Mara, in a tale the will satisfy her large and loyal following.
Hunter by Jacquelyn Frank w/a JAX (Zebra). With the same deeply tormented characters and erotic fantasies that fill the pages of Sylvia Day's and E.L. James's blockbusters, HUNTER will satisfy Jacquelyn Frank's loyal fans while attracting a new readership eager for further tales of impressionable young women and handsome, powerful millionaires. Jacquelyn Frank, writing as JAX, delivers all the emotional intensity that has made her a New York Times bestselling author in her most accessible novel to date.
Haunt Me by Heather Long (Entangled). Recently divorced author MacKenzie Dillon has lost her writing mojo. When she inherits her great aunt's haunted house in Virginia, she is determined to make a new start. The creepy old house provides inspiration but at what cost? Successful architect and paranormal skeptic Justin Kent returns to Penny Hollow to fulfill his father's dying wish of revitalizing their small town. To do that, he needs the allegedly haunted estate at Summerfield. Mac, the new owner, may be gorgeous and spunky, but she refuses to sell. These two have a dangerous history that spans the ages, but will they discover the truth in time to save their lives?
The Concubine by Raine Weaver (Ellora's Cave Blush). After centuries of warfare, the two continents of the planet Rhenn have declared a truce. Despite his reluctance to play diplomat in the land of his enemies, everything has gone smoothly for Lord Drey…until he meets the concubine assigned to fill his visit with pleasure. Beautiful, sensual and determined to please him in every way, she is what every man dreams of having, but she refuses him the one thing he desires above all. Warming the bed of the handsome dignitary is an honor Aryenne is happy to take on. But despite all her skill and efforts, the great warrior seems to want the one thing she can't offer, that most forbidden prize—her heart. Because surrender in this very intimate war could mean his ruin, her death and the end of the peace that could save their world.
Arrow to the Soul by Lea Griffith (Taliesin Publishing). Arrow walks with death. It is bitter and black, and covers every step she takes. Trained from the crib to be nothing more than a death-bringer she knows she was born without a soul. The darkness is where she's comfortable and she carries the weight of her duty notched on bow—ready to fly straight and true in to her enemy's hearts. Adam knows his calling. Protect and serve. As a member of Trident Corporation he has found the perfect place to meet his obligations. Then he sees a woman with eyes of amber and he is taken under by her darkness. He touches her heart and knows he has no choice—share his light with a killer or lose his soul to her.
Completed by Becca Jameson (Taliesin Publishing). The Wolf Gatherings Book #3. Joshua Rice is a St. Louis doctor searching for his missing sister. At age 20, she left The Gathering with her mate and never returned. Joshua is suspicious about her well-being and seeks a lawyer to help him in the dreaded event he should find her not living. His suspicions are high. Samantha Albertson is a St. Louis attorney who hasn't attended The Gathering for years. She isn't interested in being claimed yet, so she steers clear of the mating game. When her brother sends a friend to her for legal help, she finds herself face to face with Joshua. The two shifters immediately know they have stepped in deeper than expected. When Joshua leaves town to pursue a lead on his sister, Samantha heads to court. The surprises just keep coming. The defense attorney, Nathan Craig, is also her mate.
In Heaven's Shadow by S.A. Bolich (Taliesin Publishing). Lilith Stark knows from experience that dead doesn't necessarily mean gone. Gettysburg took Joab's life, but her husband struck a bargain with Heaven to come home instead. She's not about to turn away whatever the Yankees have left to her of their all-too-brief marriage. But when she inadvertently lets slip to the neighbors that not only Joab has come home, but one of the neighbor boys as well, she ignites a town already rubbed raw by the endless sorrows of civil war. Lilith, hoping to salvage the situation, only puts her foot in it deeper when she offers the good people of Browns Corners, Virginia, the benefits of her strange and perhaps saintly father's magic elixir.
Love and War by Suzy Knight (Taliesin Publishing). Love and War is a sweet romantic fantasy focusing on the lives of two princesses in the fictional kingdom of Estoria. Amelia and Sophia Montford are twins and neither are eligible to inherit the crown unless they marry. While Sophia is anxious to meet the husband their father has chosen for her, Amelia would rather become a King in her own right than become someone else's Queen and has no real interest in marrying anyone. However when their betrothals are announced the sisters are shocked to discover that it is Amelia that will be marrying the second-born prince of a neighboring country and inheriting the throne, while Sophia is to be married to a mere Duke's son.
Cupid's Arrow by Jianne Carlo (Taliesin Publishing). Eli's got the world by the short and curlies. Top salesperson for the hippest graphic technology company on the planet, starlets pursue him, directors court him, the rich and powerful befriend him. Then his boss hires the animation talent of the century, a pint-sized nymph, and he's flabbergasted by his reaction to her. Stephanie falls in crush with Eli the day they meet. He's everything she's not, popular, charismatic, and sexier than any Hollywood hunk. Years of sickness and chemo leaves her uncomfortable with her peers and buff guys like Eli, and when he flirts with every woman except her, jealousy and insecurity make her angry and hostile. They go toe to toe on every project, and both say things they regret, until finally they hook up with disastrous results. Convinced he 'nailed' her because of a dare, Stephanie refuses to have any contact with him afterward, but she still yearns for him.
Mob Rule by Linda Kay Silva (Sapphire Books). Dallas Barkley never realized the zombies walking the planet and destroying their country would be the least of her worries. Not in her darkest nightmares, not in the farthest reaches of her mind could she have imagined that the flesh eating, mindless man eaters would actually be the least of her concerns. Fighting off the zombies in an effort to reclaim her home, Dallas and company discover a different kind of nightmare...a different sort of Hell. Who become the victims when society is run by Mob Rule? Dallas and Roper are about to find out.
STEAMPUNK
Hand of Miriam by Eva Gordon (Eva Gordon). A Bayla and the Golem Novel. On an archaeological expedition, Bayla Gideon, is widowed by a supernatural force and branded with the Hand of Miriam or Knowing Eye. Threatened by evil, she awakens the golem; a mythical man of clay, who protected the Jewish community over three centuries ago. The golem, Gesher, is surprised. Freedom –by a beautiful, enchanting woman. His desire is to return to the celestial spheres and regain his status as an avenging angel. Yet, Bayla challenges his mind, body and soul. Would he risk his return to the heavens for her? Besides, dealing with the otherkind, mad inventors and an unrelenting matchmaking aunt, Bayla is equally determined to resist her steamy attraction to the striking fallen angel. Thrust into a malevolent war, which includes facing Jack the Ripper, they must resist the magnetic pull toward each other, while protecting the world from encroaching evil.
The following newer releases were compiled for HEA by Deborah O'Neill Cordes, author of the time-twisting sci-fi romantic epic Dragon Dawn. Her website is www.deborahoneillcordes.com.
Ashes & Alchemy (The Gaslight Chronicles) by Cindy Spencer Pape (Carina Press). London, 1860. Police inspector Sebastian Brown served Queen and country in India before returning to England to investigate supernatural crimes. If his wifeless, childless life feels empty sometimes, that's not too great a price to pay in the name of duty. Minerva Shaw is desperately seeking a doctor when she mistakenly lands on Sebastian's doorstep. Her daughter Ivy has fallen gravely ill with a mysterious illness responsible for taking the lives of many of Ivy's classmates. Seb sniffs a case, and taking in Minnie and Ivy seems the only way to protect them while he solves it. But as mother and daughter work their way into his heart and Seb uses every magical and technological resource he can muster to uncover the source of the plague, it's he who will need protecting—from emotions he'd thought buried long ago.
TIME TRAVEL/SCI-FI/FANTASY
The following new releases were compiled for HEA by Patricia C. Lee, author of Destiny's Present. Her website is www.patriciaclee.com.
Mystic Memories by Gillian Doyle. Private investigator Cara Edwards uses her sixth sense to search for a lost boy after he disappears while on an overnight school trip aboard a refurbished nineteenth century merchant brig. But when her psychic connection to the child draws her back to 1833 California, she must find a way to bring them both back to the future. Captain Blake Masters never once looked back on his dark childhood memories. When Cara enters his life and opens the door to his forgotten past, can he trust her psychic insight to lead him on an uncharted course toward a destiny of love and compassion?
Deuce (The Vortex Series) by Janine Caldwell. Cassie and Trent must figure out why she's jumping time and if she will be sent on further missions to the past, all while keeping it hidden from Cassie's family and friends. However, all this secrecy causes Cassie's parents to suspect Trent is a bad influence on their daughter. Meanwhile, Trent and his sister, Lorelai, will never be safe from the greedy world and its hunger for Trent's power. A new force threatens to destroy Trent's anonymity unless he can stop this new opposition first. But every choice has its consequence, and Trent faces the most difficult choice of his life.
Unfinished Business by J. Blair. A Glimpse into the Past Trilogy. When Lexie Cavanaugh picked up the phone and met Jacob Stein everything changed everything. She hadn't seen him in over 6 years, and had worked hard to get him out of her system. Unhappy, she consults a hypnotherapist and discovers three amazing past life connections. After delving into her past, she performs an ancient ritual designed to her life force power. Join Lexie as she discovers an old book that helps tap into her Akashic Records, which contain all past, present, and future possibilities through the vibrations of compassion and joy.
Pax Imperia (The Redemption Trilogy) by Mike Smith. In a horrific, pre-emptive strike at the very heart of the Imperium, the Senate is completely wiped out. In the aftermath of the attack Jon is forced down a path he has long resisted. Ever since the day he first set eyes upon Sofia, Jon has been destined to stand as the last Emperor of the Imperium. To save his family, he will gladly lay siege to the heavens themselves, commanding not only the living, but also the dead, and they all want revenge against those who have taken everything from them. Even if the Imperium must burn first.
aHunter4Saken (aHunter4Hire) by Cynthia Clement. Kimi rescues Niail, an elite alien warrior stranded on earth with no memory of his mission. The markings on his arm have her believing he is from another planet. Vowing to guard them when a drug lord threatens her family, Niail, Kimi and her family elude the men chasing them, and she realizes that the bond they share is deeper than anything she has ever experienced. Dare she believe that she is destined to be his mate?
Reclamation (Book 3 The Ravening Series) by Erica Stevens. Forced into situation they never imagined possible, in order to survive being hunted by alien enemies, Bethany and Cade must make a choice, continue to hide or make a stand. But all choices have consequences and those consequences lead to roads they never thought they'd travel. Roads that may very well divide them in the end. Sacrifices will be made, not everyone will survive, and through it all there is one question driving them all, who will prevail... mankind or the aliens?
The Therian Abductions by Ashley McMath. Three women, one story. In a world she doesn't understand, Beatrice tries to stay alive and not become an alien science experiment, regardless if a big, red alien who pisses her off and sets her blood on fire. Unable to fit in on Earth, socially awkward Ellie struggles with the strange attraction she feels for her abductor, the red, disciplined Commander Sekian. Accidentally rescued by wayward brother Xark, Beatrice's friend Emma tries to understand him as she decides to return to Earth a broken woman or stay beside and equally broken Therian.
Maggie's Story (Intergalactic Matchmaking Services) by Ava Louise. Women Wanted: Must have a sense of adventure and be open to new experiences. Must also be willing to relocate. Please contact...Intergalactic Matchmaking Services. Maggie Cline decides to investigate her romantic possibilities after she becomes a target when she identifies the shooter in a local murder. Can she find a soul mate away from everything she knows and has worked hard for here on Earth? What about her loyal companion? Will she have to give up her cat, Mamzell, for a chance at love?
A Soldier in Love by A. Petrov. Michelle is tough, Earth Army tough. She has given up her life as a schoolteacher to fight for her planet which is being invaded by frightening creatures. The Earth Army sends her to a planet reminiscent of Hell. Somewhere along the way, she meets a scarred Baat warrior with a secret. Will his secret be too much for her to bear? Why does he make her question where it is in the universe she belongs? How long can she keep fighting for?
Discovering Magnolia: The Men of Callico III by Kathy A. Saxe. Marine Biologist Violet Petters substitutes for her little sister's high school science class. When her sister's trouble comes after her, a mysterious stranger protects her, but inadvertently puts her in the path of a momentous storm. Rescued from certain death by aliens, she learns the troublesome class clown is her mystery savior and a seven-hundred-fifty year old alien. Voices whisper to her they are fated to be together, she is to save thousands of lives, and together they will find and rescue the lost ship Magnolia. But who in their right mind listens to voices inside their head?
Abyss (The Prometheus Project) by Claire Delacroix and Deborah Cooke. An elite corps of fallen angels called the Watchful Host remains in the earthly realm to help humanity rebuild. But someone is hunting them. Once the angel Turiel, Tupperman remains to aid the Watchful Host. Framed for the deaths of soldiers, Tupperman knows he'll be sacrificed next and it's time for his final quest. A stone leads him to finding Kara, a woman who enchants him completely and to a dark force and known cheat. Can he save Kara and complete his quest, or will taking Lucifer's wager cost him the woman who has claimed his heart?
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.
Star Pirate's Justice by S.E. Gilchrist (Harlequin Enterprises Australia). Carly has one focus in her life: to return home to her terminally ill younger sister. When she learns that a Darkon traitor possesses gateway maps to Earth, she uses all her skills to track him down. But capturing the charming star pirate turns out to be trickier than she anticipated. Volkar is determined to prove his innocence to those who drove him to a life lived on the Outer Rim, and he will overcome anyone who gets in his way. But his surprisingly sweet captor has some skills that will come in handy, so he strikes a deal: the maps for her help. Neither expect their partnership to turn into more, but as dark secrets are revealed, their lives become forfeit — and the relationship blossoming between them nothing but a starburst of happiness in the deep shadow of the sky.
The Genesis Project by Tigris Eden (Kats Kreative Ideas). Biologically engineered in a lab, Genesis Blackmore has always been different. Her father has told her it's due to her enhancements, the Federated Council sees her as a genetic mutation; and her fellow peers see her as the shiny new toy. Gen has had better days. Everyone on New Earth has milky white skin, platinum blonde hair, and electric blue eyes. It's the norm. Genesis' glossy, black hair, ice blue eyes ringed by gold, would have almost made her socially acceptable- if it wasn't for her golden skin and blue, gold veins. In a sea of milky white she alone is the dark anomaly. All Pars get their life's nourishment through blood plasma. All Pars find their match through the tasting. Gen can do neither, forbidden by her father to do so. She can neither taste, nor be tasted. Something that's never bothered her until now.
Lines of Departure by Marko Kloos (North). Vicious interstellar conflict with an indestructible alien species. Bloody civil war over the last habitable zones of the cosmos. Political unrest, militaristic police forces, dire threats to the solar system. Humanity is on the ropes, and after years of fighting a two-front war with losing odds, so is Commonwealth Defense Corps officer Andrew Grayson. He dreams of dropping out of the service one day, alongside his pilot girlfriend, but as warfare consumes entire planets and conditions on Earth deteriorate, he wonders if there will be anywhere left for them to go.
Queen of Stars by Dave Duncan (North). Master swordsman Rigel not only defeated the horrific monsters of the Starlands, but also thwarted Prince Vildiar's dark designs to conquer the elven realms. Rigel refuses to return to Earth, consumed as he is by love for the newly crowned Queen Talitha. Vildiar has hatched multiple conspiracies to usurp the throne, and a vision has revealed that if Rigel and Talitha ever consummate their love, it will only hasten Rigel's inevitable demise. Rigel never hesitates to defend the land and people he has taken on as his own. As traitors plot Talitha's downfall, Rigel rescues one of Vildiar's own half-breed offspring from Earth and offers her a new life in the Starlands. But will she embrace this gift without guile, or is she preparing to plunge a dagger into Rigel's back?
Witch Hunt by SM Reine (Red Iris Books). There are scratches on Cèsar Hawke's arms, a discharged Glock on his coffee table, and a dead woman in his bathtub. Yeah, maybe he brought the waitress home for some fun—he was too drunk to remember it—but he knows for a fact that he didn't kill her. He's an agent with the Office of Preternatural Affairs. He doesn't hurt people. He saves them. The cops disagree. Now Cèsar is running. Isobel Stonecrow speaks with the dead. She brings closure to the bereaved and heals broken hearts. But when she talks to the wrong spirit, the OPA puts a bounty on her head. Tracking down Isobel is the last case assigned to Cèsar before he bolts. If he finds her, he can prove that he didn't kill that waitress. He can clear his name, get his job back, and bring justice to all those wronged families. She's just one witch. He's bagged a dozen witches before. How hard can one more be?
The Silver Crescent by Debby Grahl (The Writer's Coffee Shop Publishing House). Betrayal, murder, and a fortune stolen a century ago from a Colorado silver mine send Elise Baxter to Cedar Bend on a quest to solve a family mystery—and to recover a treasure. Following clues from her great-great-grandmother's diaries, Elise seeks out Max Holt and his restored Victorian inn. An intense attraction between Max and Elise leads him to believe she may be the girl of his dreams. But when he discovers her true interest in him and his inn, memories of a past betrayal threaten to end their passionate relationship.
Rajmund by D.B. Reynolds (BelleBooks). New York City vampire Rajmund Gregor is the undisputed master of The Big Apple. He bows to no one but his Sire, the Vampire Lord Krystof, who has ruled the Northeast for hundreds of years. But when Krystof summons Rajmund to his headquarters in Buffalo, Raj finds his master slowly descending into madness and his territory crumbling around him. Raj is the only one of Krystof's children strong enough to seize power, but he'll have to save his master before he can destroy him. Sarah Stratton is living a lie. Her past holds a secret she shares with no one—not even her good friend Cynthia Leighton, the West Coast vampire lord's mate. It's a secret that could destroy her carefully constructed life as a professor at a Buffalo university. It's also a secret that could save the lives of the missing women. To save them, however, she must enter Buffalo's vampire community and put herself into the care of Rajmund Gregor. But can she trust Raj, the dangerously seductive vampire who wants to lay claim to far more than her secrets?
The Park Family: Lauren by Lisanne Valente (Troubador Publishing). At age 4, Lauren Chisholm declared she had the 'most gorgeoustist, sparkly, friend in all the worlds, whose voice sounds like singing'. Her parents thought about taking her to a psychiatrist, in the hopes that Lauren would forget all about her 'favouritemost friend'. But they knew who she was talking about... and what she was talking about: an angel. Their only course of action was to tell Lauren that some things were pretend and most definitely… not real. They knew it was wrong, but they were unsure of how else to help her. Lauren was an earthbound human, and to fantasize about a world she would not be allowed to enter was just not acceptable to them. Now, pandemonium is about to erupt. Up in The Heavens, Ambriel, the angel of communications, is worried. He has discovered an anomaly in his Book of Mistdreamers; the Chisholm family had managed to slip through without registering years ago and are now in great danger.
YA 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.
The Queen's Choice by Cayla Kluver (Harlequin TEEN). When 16-year-old Anya learns that her aunt, Queen of the Faerie Kingdom of Chrior, will soon die, her grief is equaled only by her despair for the future of the kingdom. Her young cousin, Illumina, is unfit to rule, and Anya is determined not to take up the queen's mantle herself. Convinced that the only solution is to find Prince Zabriel, who long ago disappeared into the human realm of Warckum, and persuade him to take up his rightful crown, Anya journeys into the Warckum Territory to bring him home. But her journey is doomed to be more harrowing than she ever could have imagined….
If you're an author who has an upcoming new romance, you can send information about the book (subgenre, title, author, publisher, release date, 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.