New Releases Aug. 22-28 & Reader's Choice Contest

I’d thought this was going to be a huge release week—but it’s next week that’s a monster (and the week after that—holy cow!). We have another reasonable week of new releases, with a couple of highly anticipated titles in YA (Jackson Pearce’s second Sisters Red outing) and paranormal romance (not one, but two by Gena Showalter, and a new series start for Rachel Vincent). What do YOU want to read? As always, a Reader’s Choice giveaway—and it’s international. Get to reading!

Blood Bound, by Rachel Vincent

(Aug. 23, Mira)

Most can’t touch the power. But Liv Warren is special—a paranormal tracker who follows the scent of blood. When a friend’s daughter goes missing, Liv has no choice but to find the girl. But that means trusting Cam Caballero, the former lover forbidden to her. Bound by oath and lost in desire for a man she cannot have, Liv is racing to save the child from a dark criminal underworld where secrets, lies, trauma and danger lurk around every corner...every touch...every kiss. And more blood will be spilled before it's over. First in a new series. UF

Bloodlines, by Richelle Mead (Aug. 23, Razorbill)

Bloodlines is the first book in the spinoff series of the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. It follows the story of narrator Sydney Sage, the alchemist who helped Rose in Blood Promise, Spirit Bound and Last Sacrifice. Jill Dragomir, Eddie Castille, Sydney, and Adrian Ivashkov are confirmed characters, and the main setting is a California high school. YA

Body of Sin, by Eve Silver

(Aug. 23, HQN)

Once the favorite son of the Lord of the Underworld, Lokan Krayl held enviable privileges and powers. Powers that led to a devastating betrayal—murder. Resurrected by his immortal brothers, Lokan is still trapped in purgatory. In order to find the truth about his death and who killed him, he must escape his prison. And there’s only one way out: through the 12 gates of his eternal enemy, Osiris. Bryn Carr, the woman who duped him once before, is his beautiful yet unwanted guide. Lokan must place his fate--and that of the mortal and immortal worlds in the hands of the one woman he can never trust. Fourth in the Otherkin series. PNR

Dark Taste of Rapture, by Gena Showalter

(Aug. 23, Pocket Star)

Hector Dean is shaved, tattooed and totally ripped—and he has a deadly secret. He is a walking weapon, capable of killing with a single brush of his fingertips. Little wonder he’s determined to remain on his own. But Noelle Tremain is a temptation like no other. She is beautiful and rich, with a party girl smile that hides a shocking vulnerability, and from the beginning his sizzling attraction to her is undeniable. When a wealthy businessman is murdered in New Chicago’s seediest district, the two are partnered, and there’s no escaping what they both want. Sixth in the Alien Huntress series. PNR

Lord of the Vampires, by Gena Showalter

(Aug. 23, Harlequin)

Nicolai the Vampire was renowned for his virility, but in a twist of fate “The Dark Seducer” has become a sex slave in the kingdom of Delfina—stripped of his precious timepiece and his memory. All that remains is a primal need for freedom, revenge—and the only woman who could help him. In her dreams, a wanton vampire calls to Jane Parker, drawing her to his dark sexuality and his magical realm. But for a human, all is not a fairy tale in Delfina. First in the Royal House of Shadows series.  PNR

Where Demons Fear to Tread, by Stephanie Chong

(Aug. 23, Mira)

Fledging guardian angel and yoga teacher Serena St. Clair dares enter Devil's Paradise nightclub on a mission—to retrieve the wayward Hollywood "It Boy" she's assigned to protect. But she's ambushed by the club's owner, arch demon Julian Ascher. The most powerful demonic entity in Los Angeles, Julian is handsome as sin, a master of temptation who loves nothing more than corrupting pleasure–seeking humans. He won't release the lost soul Serena is supposed to guard. Unless she accepts his dangerous wager…After the disastrous way his human life ended, Julian vowed that no woman would get the better of him again. Yet this sexy–sweet angel, smelling of fresh ocean air and happiness, triggers centuries–old feelings. Now, their high–stakes game of seduction, where angels fall from grace and where demons fear to tread, will lead them either to an eternity in hell.or a deliciously hot heaven. PNR

The Measure of the Magic, by Terry Brooks

(Aug. 23, Del Rey)

For 500 years, the survivors of the Great Wars lived peacefully in a valley sanctuary shielded by powerful magic from the blighted and dangerous outside world. But the enchanted barriers have crumbled, the borders have been breached by predators, and the threat of annihilation looms large once more. Sider Ament, bearer of the last black staff and its profound power, devoted his life to protecting the valley and its inhabitants—and, in his final moments, gave stewardship of the black staff to the young tracker Panterra Qu. Now the newly anointed Knight of the Word must take up the battle against evil wherever it threatens. Concluding volume of the series set in the prehistory of Shannara. F

Nocturne, by Christine Johnson

(Aug. 23, Simon Pulse)

Claire couldn’t be happier that her life has finally settled down. She’s been fully initiated into her family’s pack of female werewolves, her best friend Emily is back in town, and she’s finally allowed to be with Matthew, the human love of her life. But when a new girl arrives, everything starts to unravel. Not only is the intruder getting close to Claire’s best friend and boyfriend, but she may also know more about Claire than she’s letting on. Second in the Claire de Lune series. YA

Possess, by Gretchen McNeil

(Aug. 23, Balzer + Bray)

Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her mom, by the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons, and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from. Terrified, Bridget confides in a local priest who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her new power, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. YA

The Power of Six, by Pittacus Lore

(Aug. 23, HarperCollins)

Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us—if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We’re hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we’ll be equipped to fight. They caught Number One in Malaysia. Number Two in England. And Number Three in Kenya. They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio—and failed. I am Number Seven. Second in the Lorien Legacies series. SF

Sweetly, by Jackson Pearce

(Aug. 23, Little, Brown)

As a child, Gretchen's twin sister was taken by a witch in the woods. Ever since, Gretchen and her brother, Ansel, have felt the long branches of the witch’s forest threatening to make them disappear, too. Years later, when their stepmother casts Gretchen and Ansel out, they find themselves in sleepy Live Oak, S.C. They’re invited to stay with Sophia Kelly, a beautiful candy maker who molds sugary magic: coveted treats that create confidence, bravery, and passion. Gretchen and Ansel gradually forget their haunted past—until Gretchen meets handsome local outcast Samuel. He tells her the witch isn't gone—it’s lurking in the forest, preying on girls every year after Live Oak’s infamous chocolate festival, and looking to make Gretchen its next victim. Second in the Sisters Red series.  YA

See anything you want? So…International Reader’s Choice―you tell me. Just a note: if you like a title but it isn’t the first in a series, you can always request the first in that series instead. (That’s for Reader’s Choice contests only unless otherwise noted.) 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!