New Releases June 5-9 and Reader's Choice Contest

It's a big week for new releases, so I’m going to shorten the descriptions a bit this time around. Take a deep breath (a really, really big deep breath) and dig in! Here are the June 5-9 releases in spec fiction―science fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and YA paranormal. See what strikes your fancy…and win your choice of all the new releases. Details at the end. As always, open internationally!

Blood Red Road, by Moira Young

Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a wasteland ravaged by sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. When a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on a quest to get him back. First in the Dustlands series.

Chicks Kick Butt, anthology edited by Rachel Caine

and Kerrie L. Hughes

Chicks are awesome, and never more so than when they are kicking some serious vampire/werewolf/demon/monster butt. This anthology features strong, independent heroines capable of slaying their own dragons (or demons, as the case may be). Features L.A. Banks, Rachel Vincent, Karen Chance, Lilith Saintcrow, Cheyenne McCray, Susan Krinard, Jeanne Stein, Jenna Black, Elizabeth Vaughan, Carole Nelson Douglas, P.N. Elrod and Nancy Holder.

Dragon Castle, by Joseph Bruchac

Prince Rashko is frustrated with his family. The kingdom and castle seem to be in the hands of fools. So when the evil Baron Temny parks his army outside the castle walls, it is up to the young prince to save the day. Rashko will have to embrace his ancestry, harness a dragon, and use his sword-fighting skills to stop the baron and save the kingdom. YA

Everdark, by Elle Jasper

When Savannah tattoo artists Riley Poe is ambushed by an undead enemy, she inherits some of the traits of her attackers, and a telepathic link with a rampaging vampire. Now, she's experiencing murder after murder through the victims’ eyes. And her new powers will not be enough to stop the slaughter. Second in the Dark Ink Chronicles series.

Everlasting, by Allyson Noel

Everlasting is the sixth and final installment of the epic Immortals love story that has enchanted readers across the world. Ever and Damen have spent centuries facing down bitter rivals, jealous friends and their own worst fears, all in the hope of being together forever. Now in Everlasting, their destiny is finally within reach. Will they be united, or torn apart forever?

Fairy Bad Day, by Amanda Ashby

My life seriously couldn’t get any worse. First, my designation of dragon slayer is stolen from me by Curtis Green. I am assigned to slay fairies. But the thing that tops my list of stuff to ruin my day? That would be the giant killer fairy I have to hunt. There is someone who can help me. Unfortunately, it’s Curtis.

Flying Blind, by Deborah Cooke

Zoë's the one female dragon shapeshifter of her kind, but she’s at the bottom of the class when it comes to being Pyr and her powers are AWOL, so she's sent to a Pyr boot camp. Zoë quickly realizes that she has to master her powers yesterday, because the Pyr are in danger and boot camp is a trap.

For Heaven’s Eyes Only, by Simon R. Green

After the murder of the Drood Matriarch, the family finds itself vulnerable to evil. This time, it's a Satanic Conspiracy that could throw humanity directly into the clutches of the Biggest of the Bads. Fifth in the Eddie Drood/Secret Histories series.

Forgotten, by Cat Patrick

Each night when 16 year-old London Lane goes to sleep, her world disappears. In the morning, all that's left is a note telling her about a day she can't remember. But when London starts experiencing disturbing visions she can't make sense of, she realizes it's time to learn a little more about the past she keeps forgetting, before it destroys her future.

Forgotten Sea, by Virginia Kantra

Fallen angel Lara Rho is desperate to prove herself a seeker by rescuing the restless sailor Justin Miller. He's no angel, but she is irresistibly drawn to him, and is soon drawn into an adventure of danger and discovery. Fifth in the Children of the Sea series.

Frostbound, by Sharon Ashwood

As a snowstorm locks down the city, someone beheads the wrong girl. Vampire-on-the-lam Talia Rostova thinks it was meant to be her. And now she's the prime suspect in her own botched murder and the prisoner of her smoking-hot-neighbor: a hellhound. Fourth in the Dark Forgotten series.

Hereafter, by Tara Hudson

Can there truly be love after death? Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead, trapped in a nightmarish existence until she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning. Amelia and Joshua grow closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive.

Hex, by Allen Steele (June 7, Ace)

The danui, a reclusive arachnid species considered the galaxy's finest engineers, have avoided contact with the Coyote Federation. Until, that is, the danui initiate trade negotiations, offering only information: the coordinates for an unoccupied world suitable for human life. But when the Federation's recon mission goes terribly wrong, the humans realize how little they know about their new partners. Sixth in the Coyote series. SF

Hexed, by Ilona Andrews, Yasmine Galenorn, Allyson James, Jeanne C. Stein

Four new novellas from urban fantasy’s favorite authors. Includes “Ice Shards” by Yasmine Galenorn, “Double Hexed” by Allyson James, “Blood Debt,” by Jeanne C. Stein, and “Magic Dream,” by Ilona Andrews.

Hexes and Hemlines, by Juliet Blackwell

Lily gets called away from her vintage clothing store to give police a witch's take on how the leader of a rationalist society could be murdered, surrounded by superstitions he discredited. Evidence points to dark witchcraft. Lily's determined to use magic of her own to find the murderer before everyone's luck runs out.

Hit List, by Laurell K. Hamilton

Word has leaked to Anita Blake that hit men are headed for St. Louis, and that she, Jean-Claude and Richard are the targets. Twentieth title in the Anita Blake series.

Hot and Steamy: Tales of Steampunk Romance, anthology edited by Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenberg

From the co-editor of Steampunk'd comes an all-new collection of adventure and romance amid Victorian steampunk settings. Sparks fly in these original stories of a steam-driven airship searching for a lost city, a crazy inventor in a powered wheelchair with a plot to take over the world, and a love story set in an alternate history version of America.

Hunt the Moon, by Karen Chance

Cassandra Palmer recently defeated a god, which you'd think would buy a girl a little time off. But it doesn't work that way when your new job description is Pythia, the world's chief clairvoyant. Cassie is busier than ever, trying to learn about her power, preparing for her upcoming coronation, and figuring out her relationship with the enigmatic sexy master vampire, Mircea. Fifth in the Cassie Palmer series.

Hunter’s Fall, by Shiloh Walker

Nessa lost her memory following a near-death experience. Dominic is a Hunter dealing with his own problems with memory and sanity. When the two are put together to battle the forces of darkness (while trying to restore what they've lost) their all-consuming passion becomes an even greater unknown. Thirteenth in the Hunters series.

The King’s Witch, by Cecelia Holland

During the Third Crusade, deaths from fever and starvation are common, but King Richard the Lion-Hearted has a secret ally against these impassable enemies—a mysterious healer by the name of Edythe. Richard first assumes that Edythe is a spy. But when her medical knowledge saves his life, she becomes an indispensable member of his camp, even as his loyal soldiers call her a witch.

Nightfall, by Ellen Connor

Growing up with an unstable father who preached about the end of the world, Jenna never thought his predictions would come true. Or that he would have a plan to save her, one that includes a strong, stoic man who kidnaps and takes her to a remote cabin in the Pacific Northwest. To fight for their future, Jenna and the ex-Marine named Mason must learn to trust the passion that will see them through the bitter winter and the violence of a new Dark Age. First in a new Dark Age Dawning series.

The Pack, by Jason Starr

The Pack is different. At its vortex is Simon Burns, a young man thrust by joblessness into a role that he clearly dreads: stay-at-home dad. As family tensions rise, Simon is drawn deeper into a circle of other playground dads. The companionship that first provides him with much needed comfort takes a dangerous leap into the unknown. Before long, the discomforted dad realizes that he himself is changing in most disturbing ways.

Possession, by Elana Johnson

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn. And since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself. But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them by brainwashing Zenn.

The Quicksilver Faire, by Gillian Summers

Keelie Heartwood believes her mission in Canada is to resolve a conflict between the elves and the fae. But at the dazzling Fairy High Court, she learns otherwise. An imbalance in magic has created a rift that can destroy the world. Keelie's mixed blood (elf, human and fae) makes her powerful, but this 16-year-old L.A. girl can't fix things alone. Second in the Scions of Shadow series.

Robopocalypse, by Daniel H. Wilson

They are in your house. They are in your car. They are in the skies. Now they’re coming for you. Taking on the persona of a shy human boy, a childlike but massively powerful artificial intelligence known as Archos comes online and assumes control over the global network of machines that regulate everything from transportation to utilities, defense and communication. When the Robot War ignites, humankind will be both decimated and, possibly for the first time in history, united.

Shadowborn, by Alison Sinclair

Magic dies with the mage, or so the Darkborn believe. That's why Lady Telmaine Hearne has been condemned to death for sorcery. She's escaped but is now bound with her mageborn allies for the Borders and war. Meanwhile, her husband, Balthasar, has learned of his family connection to the Shadowborn and is fighting for survival and sanity as magic turns him against everything he holds dear. Third in the Darkborn trilogy.

Shadow Walker, by Allyson James

Stormwalker Janet Begay returns home only to have the ground collapse beneath her. Literally. After tumbling two hundred feet underground, Janet is rescued by her dragon boyfriend, Mick. But something dark touches Mick while in the sinkhole, and Janet might lose him forever unless she recruits the most unlikely of allies to stop the growing shadow. Third in the Stormwalker series.

Sirenz, by Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman

Bickering frenemies Meg and Shar are doing some serious damage at a midnight sample sale when they find themselves arguing over a pair of shoes, with fatal consequences. One innocent bystander later, the girls are suddenly at the mercy of Hades, the god of the underworld. To make them atone for what they’ve done, Hades forces the teens to become special-assignment Sirens, luring to the Underworld any individual whose unholy contract is up.

Storm Kissed, by Jessica Andersen

When sexy Nightkeeper Dez goes rogue, the bounty hunter enlisted to catch him is Reese, his former lover. The sexual energy between them is hotter than ever, but the life-and-death stakes attached to the chase may pull them apart for good. Sixth in the Final Prophecy series.

Thistle Down, by Irene Radford

Dusty Carrick lived in the small town of Skene Falls, Ore., her entire life. And, like many of the local children, she played with "imaginary" Pixie friends in Ten Acre Woods. But the Pixies are not imaginary, and Ten Acre Woods is their home. Now, the woods are in danger, and if it falls, the Pixies too will die. Only Thistle Down, exiled from her tribe and trapped inside a mortal woman's body, can save her people.

Unnatural Issue, by Mercedes Lackey

Richard Whitestone is an Elemental Earth Master. Blaming himself for the death of his beloved wife in childbirth, he has sworn never to set eyes on his daughter, Suzanne. But when he finally sees her, a dark plan takes shape in his twisted mind: To use his daughter's body to bring back the spirit of his long-dead wife. Seventh in the Elemental Masters series.

Vampire in Atlantis, by Alyssa Day

The most unexpected of all allies to Poseidon's warriors has proven to be the fiercest: Daniel, a vampire and Night Guild mage. But even the strongest alliance can be destroyed when a vampire's oath crosses paths with a maiden's quest, and an 11,000-year-old desire is reborn. Seventh in the Warriors of Poseidon series.

See anything you want? I’m wanting Chicks Kick Butt enough to kick some butt! So…Reader’s choice―you tell me A) if you've read any of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series and B) If so, are you still reading them? I am still buying them but have to admit I'm about three books behind now. As always, four entries possible and please include your e-mail: +1 for comment, +1 for blog follow, +1 for Twitter follow @Suzanne_Johnson, and +1 for a Tweet or RT about the contest. Now….go!