New Releases Oct. 15-22 and Reader's Choice Contest

Ready for new releases? It’s Monday! We have about twenty new titles this week in all our favorite genres—urban fantasy, paranormal romance, fantasy, science fiction, and all the realms of YA. Next week will be brutal, but for now, scroll down the list and see what book you’d like to win—comment for a chance to win your choice, jump through some hoops for extra entries. As always, Reader’s Choice is an international giveaway, and if the book you want is in a series you aren’t up to date on, you can request any book in the series. Now...go!

A Midwinter Fantasy, by Leanna Renee Hieber,

L.J. McDonald, and Helen Scott Taylor, (Oct. 15, Dorchester)

Three stories to heat up the winter season. In Hieber’s Strangely Beautiful world, a lonely headmistress and a gallant vicar reap the season's blessings. In a story from L.J. McDonald’s Sylph world, powerful creatures called battle sylphs vie for dominance, while fulfilling every wish of their queens. But what woman shall rule the mighty Mace? And in Helen Scott Taylor’s land of The Magic Knot, in the ice palace of Valhalla, Sonja's life depends upon unraveling the mystery of the Crystal Crib—and upon winning the love of Odin's son. PNR

Technicolor Ultra Mall, by Ryan Oakley

(Oct. 15, Edge)

The world’s ecosystems have been destroyed by genetic pollution and cities have evolved into mega malls. Budgie is a knife wielding, brass knuckled young man from the impoverished and brutal red section of Toronto’s T-Dot Center. When his best friend is murdered and Budgie falls in love with the woman responsible, he learns that there’s more to life than drugs, blood or money. To escape his past he must give up everything and everyone he knows and sell his perceptions to an enigmatic and dangerous gang leader. SF

The Butcher of Anderson Station, by James S.A. Corey

(Oct. 17, Orbit)

A new story set in the world of the Expanse. One day, Colonel Fred Johnson will be hailed as a hero to the system. One day, he will meet a desperate man in possession of a stolen spaceship and a deadly secret and extend a hand of friendship. But long before he became the leader of the Outer Planets Alliance, Fred Johnson had a very different name: The Butcher of Anderson Station. SF

Lord of the Wolfyn, by Jessica Andersen

(Oct. 18, Harlequin)

Once upon a time, the Blood Sorcerer vanquished the kingdom of Elden. To save their children, the queen scattered them to safety and the king filled them with vengeance. Only a magical timepiece connects the four royal heirs, and time is running out. For practical Reda Weston, nothing could explain how reading a sexy version of “Little Red Riding Hood” catapulted her into another realm—face-to-fang with the legendary wolf-creature who seduced women. A wolf who transformed into a dark, virile man. PNR

Half-Blood, by Jennifer L. Armentrout

(Oct. 18, Spencer Hill)

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-purebloods have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals? Well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pureblood Aiden. YA

The Infernals, by John Connolly

(Oct. 18, Atria)

Samuel Johnson is in trouble. Not only is he in love with the wrong girl, but the demon Mrs. Abernathy is seeking revenge on him for his part in foiling the invasion of Earth by the forces of evil. She wants to get her claws on Samuel, and when Samuel and his faithful dachshund, Boswell, are pulled through a portal into the dark realm, she gets her chance. The second Samuel Johnson novel. YA

Dark Sins and Black Sands, by Stephanie Draven

(Oct. 18, Nocturne)

Escaping a hellish Syrian prison, U.S. serviceman Ray Stavrakis emerged with uncanny mind-control powers and an eerie ability to morph into a mythical Minotaur. As a half man, half bull, Ray had legendary power, but only one woman could prove his innocence, with her cool-eyed interrogation and her hot-blooded sensuality. But Vegas psychologist Layla Bahset had no memory of Ray or her past. Only a feeling of being stalked by a nonhuman predator. Was it Ray, or was another evil force at work? PNR

Ashes of a Black Frost, by Chris Evans

(Oct. 18, Gallery)

Musket and cannon, bow and arrow, and magic and diplomacy vie for supremacy. As the human-dominated Calahrian Empire struggles to maintain its hold on power in the face of armed rebellion from within, the Iron Elves’ perilous quest to defeat the power-hungry elf witch, the Shadow Monarch, now takes on greater urgency. Third in the Iron Elves series. F

Beautiful Chaos, by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

(Oct. 18, Little, Brown)

Ethan Wate thought he was getting used to the strange, impossible events happening in Gatlin, his small Southern town. But now that Ethan and Lena have returned home, strange and impossible have taken on new meanings. Swarms of locusts, record-breaking heat, and devastating storms ravage Gatlin as Ethan and Lena struggle to understand the impact of Lena's Claiming. Even Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals is affected, and their abilities begin to dangerously misfire. As time passes, one question becomes clear: What—or who—will need to be sacrificed to save Gatlin? Third in the Beautiful Creatures series. YA

The Shattered Vine, by Laura Anne Gilman

(Oct. 18, Gallery)

Confusion, violence, and terror are sweeping over the Lands Vin. And four people are at the center of a storm. Jerzy, Vineart apprentice and former slave, was sent by his master to investigate strange happenings—and found himself the target of betrayal. By Jerzy’s side are Ao, who lives for commerce and the art of the deal; Mahault, stoic and wise, risking death in flight from her homeland; and Kaïnam, once Named-Heir of an island principality, whose father has fallen into a magic-tangled madness that endangers them all. These four companions will travel far from the earth and the soul of the vine to the very limits of the Sin Washer’s reach. Third in the Vineart War series. F

Dearly, Departed, by Lia Habel

(Oct. 18, Del Rey)

Love conquers all, so they say. But can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie? The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses. YA

Aloha from Hell, by Richard Kadrey

(Oct. 18, Harper Voyager)

All hail Sandman Slim, author Richard Kadrey’s ultra-extreme anti-hero and recent escapee from Lucifer’s overheated Underworld playground. Now, in Aloha from Hell, the ruthless avenger, a.k.a. Stark, finds himself trapped in the middle of a war between Heaven and Hell. With God on vacation, the Devil nosing around in Paradise, and an insane serial killer doing serious damage on Earth, Stark/Slim is ready to unleash some more adrenaline-surging, edgy and violent supernatural mayhem—and even pay another visit to Hell if necessary. Third in the Sandman Slim series. UF

Beauty and the Werewolf, by Mercedes Lackey

(Oct. 18, Luna)

The eldest daughter is often doomed in fairy tales. But Bella—Isabella Beauchamps, daughter of a wealthy merchant—vows to escape the usual pitfalls. Anxious to avoid the Traditional path, Bella dons a red cloak and ventures into the forbidden forest to consult with “Granny,” the local wise woman. But on the way home she’s attacked by a wolf—who turns out to be a cursed nobleman. But a determined beauty, a wizard (after all, he’s only an occasional werewolf) and a little godmotherly interference might just be able to bring about a happy ending. Sixth in the Five-Hundred Kingdoms series. F

A Vampire for Christmas, by Laurie London, Michele Hauf,

Caridad Pineiro, and Alexis Morgan (Oct. 18, HQN)

All they want for Christmas is you...It’s the time of year for twinkling lights on trees and kisses under the mistletoe. Yet the passing of another year means nothing to the stunning immortals who lurk in the shadows of the new-fallen snow. And they don’t care if you’ve been naughty or nice. Let four fanged lovers open your eyes to a passion you never dared to imagine. After all, there’s no place like home for the holidays–and these dazzling vampires can’t wait for an invitation. PNR

Swear, by Nina Malkin

(Oct. 18, Simon Pulse)

A promise broken. A bond betrayed. It’s been six months since ghost-turned golem Sinclair Youngblood Powers confessed his love, stole Dice’s heart, and disappeared from Swoon, perhaps from existence. Despite the hurt, Dice has been moving steadily toward ordinary. The last thing Dice wants is to mess with anything remotely supernatural. But when her best friend’s boyfriend goes missing, Dice knows his disappearance was no accident, and it somehow has everything to do with Sin. Because Dice can feel it: Sin is back. Second in the Swoon series. YA

Damned, by Chuck Palahniuk

(Oct. 18, Doubleday)

Eleven-year-old Madison finds herself in Hell, unsure of why she will be there for all eternity, but trying to make the best of it. The author described the novel as “if The Shawshank Redemption had a baby by The Lovely Bones and it was raised by Judy Blume.” And “it’s kind of like The Breakfast Club set in Hell.” YA?

Seizure, by Kathy Reichs

(Oct. 18, Razorbill)

Ever since Tory Brennan and her friends rescued Cooper, a kidnapped wolf pup with a rare strain of canine parvovirus, they've turned from regular kids into a crime-solving pack. But now the very place that brought them together—the Loggerhead Island Research Institute—is out of funding and will have to shut down. That is, unless the Virals can figure out a way to save it. YA

The Scorpio Races, by Maggie Stiefvater

(Oct. 18, Scholastic)

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die. At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep. Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition—the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen. YA

Zone One, by Colson Whitehead

(Oct. 18, Doubleday)

In this wry take on the post-apocalyptic horror novel, a pandemic has devastated the planet. The plague has sorted humanity into two types: the uninfected and the infected, the living and the living dead. Now the plague is receding, and Americans are busy rebuilding civilization under orders from the provisional government based in Buffalo. Their top mission: the resettlement of Manhattan. Mark Spitz is a member of one of the civilian teams working in lower Manhattan. Alternating between flashbacks of Spitz’s desperate fight for survival during the worst of the outbreak and his present narrative, the novel unfolds over three surreal days as it depicts the mundane mission of straggler removal, the rigors of Post-Apocalyptic Stress Disorder, and the impossible job of coming to grips with the fallen world. And then things start to go wrong. SF\

See anything you want? Zone One caught my interest as a dystopia with some goofy humor, although the amount of pre-pub buzz makes me suspicious, and I just finished the amazing Scorpio Races. 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. 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!