December 2007

I hope all of you enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving, celebrating everything you have to be grateful for in your lives. And as the holiday season becomes more rushed and frantic, remember to take a little bit of time to relax and unwind (preferably with a good book). Nothing soothes my frazzled mind more than reading, even if it is for a short time. It makes my holidays that much happier.

Suzanne Tucker, one of Fresh Fiction’s reviewers, wrote me this note concerning a favorite author of hers, Connie Mason. “As I read in the latest Book Club publication, Ms. Mason might soon be retiring her pen. As a longtime reviewer and loyal fan, I want to encourage everyone to read anything and everything you can find by this wonderful author. You won’t find any of her stories that disappoint. I can honestly say that my library contains a copy of every book she has ever written. It was a quiet Sunday afternoon, many years ago, before I started as a reviewer, when I could not find a book in my house I had not read. I drove to the closest bookstore and perused the rows and rows of books. One of Connie Mason’s covers caught my eye. It was ICE AND RAPTURE. I bought it, read it, loved it and became a forever fan. I searched bookstores all over to find out-of-print titles until I had them all. She has given me so many wonderful hours of reading enjoyment. Each story is a treasure and a gift of the heart. Give yourself a gift and pick up a Connie Mason masterpiece. You’ll be so glad you did.”

It’s been over three years since Brenda K. Jernigan released a book, but she’s hoping readers haven’t forgotten her. She returns December 4, 2007, with a new historical romance from Zebra titled SOUTHERN SEDUCTION. She says SOUTHERN SEDUCTION is like the old-fashioned books we fell in love with years ago. However, be aware that it is written under her new pen name of Alexandria Scott. A surprise bequest offers three women a fresh start in America, new hope and romantic adventure.

In THE REMAINS OF THE DEAD (Obsidian), the first book in the Ghost Dusters Mystery series (on sale December 4, 2007), Wendy Roberts has created a very unique female amateur sleuth, as well as a ghostly twist. Sadie Novak owns Scene-2-Clean, a crime scene cleanup business. If this weren’t unusual enough, she also has the spooky ability to see and talk to the ghosts of the victims.

P.B. Ryan (aka Patricia Ryan) concludes her Gilded Age mystery series December 4, 2007, with the publication of A BUCKET OF ASHES (Berkley Prime Crime). This series is set in post-Civil War Boston and stars Nell Sweeney, an Irish-born governess with a not-so- respectable past she must be kept hidden. Nell is assisted in her sleuthing by her employer’s black sheep son, Will Hewitt. As the complicated, slowly evolving relationship between Nell and Will draws to its natural conclusion in this sixth book, Pat hopes she’s wrapped things up in a way that’s gratifying to Nell and Will’s many admirers.

If you recall, I told you in my February 2007 column how much I enjoyed Anne Frasier’s chilling novel PALE IMMORTAL (Onyx, 9/5/06). After contacting Anne, she tells me that the sequel, GARDEN OF DARKNESS, set to go on sale December 4, 2007, is more of a solid horror novel, although it also has a slight amount of romance. Most of the main characters return: Evan, Rachel, Graham, along with a couple of new characters. It seems the public display of a mummified vampire and the discovery of a mass grave combine to awaken dark elements in the creepy town of Tuonela, Wisconsin.

The historical romance that Catherine Coulter has been working on, WIZARD’S DAUGHTER, will be released December 18, 2007. Quoting from her newsletters, it “has got both good and bad woo woo, strange creatures who live in the Pale, and Celtic gods, and you don’t want to forget the ghost who sings ditties. It’s set (primarily) in England, 1835, and yes, the Sherbookes appear but play secondary roles. Remember Ryder and Sophie’s son, Grayson? The one who always told all the cool ghost stories when all the cousins were young? Well, you might guess what he does as an adult.”

You know those bad boys you go out looking for precisely because your mother warned you not to; those bad boys every good girl needs at least once (if not twice!)? Well, here’s what you’re looking for – December 18, 2007, Donna Kauffman gives us THE BLACK SHEEP AND THE HIDDEN BEAUTY (Brava trade paper). Rafe Santiago may have left the streets years ago, but the street has in no way left him. He never lets his guard down and always trusts the little voice that tells him when someone is hiding something. And tomboy horse trainer Elena Caulfield is definitely hiding something.

December 26, 2007, is the release date of Tara Janzen’s second book in her new Loose series (a spin-off from her Crazy series) with all those Steele Street hotties. The new novel, CUTTING LOOSE (Dell), will feature sexy Charlotte, a 1968 Shelby Mustang Cobra GT500KR, as well as humans Lily Robbins and Zachary Pride (aka Alejandro Campos) as they tackle wild adventure and wind up in love.

Shana Abé concludes her Thief trilogy about the shape-shifting drákon (supersensual creatures who can turn from human to smoke to dragon form) on December 26, 2007, with QUEEN OF DRAGONS (Ballantine hardcover). This time a princess from the Carpathian Mountains of Transylvania contacts the Darkfrith clan suggesting the existence of a lost tribe of drákon. Believing they’re alone in the world, the arrival of the stunning letter unnerves them, for whoever this unknown princess is, she’s dangerous enough to know about their existence – and where to find them. The mystery surrounding the princess’ true identity, as well as the warning she delivers of a brutal killer targeting the drákon, cannot go unheeded – for the enemy may be one of their own.

Also on sale December 26, 2007, is the next installment in Rita Lakin’s humorous Getting Old mystery series, GETTING OLD IS TO DIE FOR (Dell), starring Gladdy Gold and her friends. Gladdy has gone from being a dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker to a South Florida retiree, and she loves every minute of it. Between poolside gossip, a hot-to-trot boyfriend and a booming detective business, life couldn’t be sunnier — until a trip back to the Big Apple with her sister Evvie leads to murder and mayhem.

Julie Garwood returns to medieval Scotland with the publication December 26, 2007, of SHADOW MUSIC (Ballantine hardcover). She says that Brodick Buchanan, the hero of RANSOM, is a close ally of SHADOW MUSIC hero Colm MacHugh and they share a deep dislike for the MacKenna clan. Add to the mix an insidious lie, a hidden treasure and a passionate love affair and you have all the ingredients for a perfect Garwood novel.

Lynsay Sands’ Argeneau family of vampires has become so popular and in-demand that Avon is publishing three new books in the series in back-to-back months. THE ACCIDENTAL VAMPIRE goes on sale December 26, 2007, followed by VAMPIRES ARE FOREVER on January 29, 2008, and then VAMPIRE, INTERRUPTED on February 26, 2008.

Bishop and his FBI Special Crimes Unit find themselves in an even more unique situation than usual in Kay Hooper’s BLOOD DREAMS (Bantam hardcover), set to go on sale December 31, 2007. Even this talented group of psychic cops isn’t able to stop the horrible evil this time, so a civilian organization of crimestoppers, every bit as gifted and unconventional as SCU, is called upon to assist them. It’s no surprise that Bishop had the idea for this group, called Haven, several years ago. His goal was to establish a network of psychics scattered across the country who could help police in complex investigations.

Coming January 1, 2008, is the fourth book in Robin D. Owens’ futuristic Summoning series, KEEPERS OF THE FLAME (Luna trade paper). Twins, both with healing gifts, are Summoned to another world to fight a disease sent by the Dark to weaken Llandrana. As they use all their resources to save lives, one twin will risk everything on an experiment that could doom them both.

On January 1, 2008, historical author Elizabeth Hoyt debuts her new contemporary pseudonym Julia Harper with the fun and sizzling book HOT (Forever). When an unusual opportunity presents itself, a small town librarian and part-time bank teller grabs it and finds herself on the run – and being pursued by a sexy FBI Special Agent.

The fourth book in Carrie Vaughn’s series about a werewolf named Kitty Norville is titled KITTY AND THE SILVER BULLET (Grand Central) and scheduled for release January 1, 2008. Kitty’s radio show is as popular as ever and she has a boyfriend who actually seems to understand her. Can she finally settle down to a normal life? When her mother becomes ill, Kitty returns to Denver and the abusive pack of werewolves she escaped a year ago. With the city’s two oldest vampires threatening war against each other, Kitty is again drawn into a world of violence. Will she have to become what she hates the most – a killer – to protect her family, her lover and herself?

SUCKER BET is the next installment in Erin McCarthy’s amusing Vegas Vampires series set for release January 2, 2008, from Berkley Sensation. This one tells vampire Gwenna Carrick and detective Nate Thomas’ story. As the ex-wife of a notorious and jealous vampire, Gwenna has to be careful with her social life. When she spends a wild and memorable night with the sexy Nate, she knows she doesn’t want it to be their only night. But when her ex finds out, he has something different to say about it.

If urban fantasy is your favorite genre, then get ready for the release of Yasmine Galenorn’s DARKLING (Berkley). This third book in her Sisters of the Moon series goes on sale January 2, 2008, featuring Menolly, one of the half- human/half-Fairie, wild and sexy D’Artigo sisters, who are members of the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. You’ll note that I call this urban fantasy, not paranormal romance, even though they may be labeled that way by the publisher. If you haven’t read the first two books, WITCHLING (10/06) and CHANGELING (6/07), Yasmine wants to emphasize the fact that they are definitely urban fantasy. There are relationships and they do contain explicit sex scenes, but they are not primarily romances. Don’t be expecting a hero/heroine relationship focal point or any happy-ever-after endings – just good old urban fantasy.

On January 2, 2008, (and in plenty of time for Valentine’s Day) HarperEntertainment will release GREAT KISSES…and Famous Lines Right Out of the Movies by Timothy Knight, the perfect gift edition for hopeless romantics, as well as movie buffs. It’s a compilation of 50 of the most memorable cinematic kisses, featuring “full-color photos of Hollywood’s legendary actors in their most famous passionate moments…along with the classic quotes from those movie moments...”

I wish all of you have a very happy holiday season, and stay tuned for 2008...Tanzey