Friday, January 16, 2015

What's Up for the Debut Author Challenge Authors in 2015? - Part 6


This is the sixth in a series of updates about formerly featured Debut Author Challenge authors and their upcoming books 2015. This update covers some of the 2012 Debut Author Challenge authors. What's Up for the Debut Author Challenge Authors in 2015? - Part 7 will cover additional 2012 DAC authors.

See Part 1 here.
See Part 1.5 here.
See Part 2 here.
See Part 3 here.
See Part 4 here.
See Part 5 here.





Suzanne Johnson

Pirate's Alley
Sentinels of New Orleans 4
Tor Books, April 21, 2015
Hardcover and eBook, 352 pages

After vanquishing undead serial killers and discovering the dark secrets of her family history, wizard sentinel DJ Jaco must now stop the coming preternatural war in Suzanne Johnson's Pirate's Alley.
Wizard sentinel DJ Jaco thought she had gotten used to the chaos of her life in post-Katrina New Orleans, but a new threat is looming, one that will test every relationship she holds dear. Caught in the middle of a rising struggle between the major powers in the supernatural world—the Wizards, Elves, Vampires and the Fae—DJ finds her loyalties torn and her mettle tested in matters both professional and personal.

Her relationship with enforcer Alex Warin is shaky, her non-husband Quince Randolph is growing more powerful, and her best friend Eugenie has a bombshell that could blow everything to Elfheim and back. And that’s before the French pirate Jean Lafitte, newly revived from his latest "death," returns to New Orleans with vengeance on his mind. DJ’s assignment? Keep the sexy leader of the historical undead out of trouble. Good luck with that.

Duty clashes with love, loyalty with deception, and friendship with responsibility as DJ navigates passion and politics in the murky waters of a New Orleans caught in the grips of a brutal winter that might have nothing to do with Mother Nature.

War could be brewing, and DJ will be forced to take a stand. But choosing sides won’t be that easy.





Ted Kosmatka

The Flicker Men
Henry Holt and Co., July 21, 2015
Hardcover and eBook, 352 pages

A scientist shocks the world with proof of the human soul—the discovery ignites a struggle between physics and theology, free will and fate, and reveals more than we were ever meant to know

A novel worthy of comparison to works by Michael Crichton and William Gibson, Ted Kosmatka returns with his best and boldest thriller yet. Eric Argus has one last chance. His earlier scientific work—groundbreaking and infamous—jeopardized his reputation and threatened his sanity. But an old university friend hires him at Hansen Research, a Boston laboratory that provides researchers a probationary period of free reign. Argus has a final opportunity to regain his standing and renew his faith in science.

He replicates Feynman's double-slit experiment that famously demonstrated the mysterious dual nature of light and matter. Building upon that work, Argus discovers a staggering and elemental difference between humanity and the rest of the animal kingdom. He proves the existence of the human soul.

His findings are celebrated and condemned in equal measure. But no one can predict where the unraveling truth will lead. Soon reports surface of "soulless" individuals, humans seemingly devoid of spiritual substance, known as "the Fated." Who are they? Why are they here? And what happens now that they are known? As Argus seeks answers, a powerful syndicate seeks him, and the race for the truth turns deadly—but for how many?





John Love

Evensong
Night Shade Books, January 6, 2015
Trade Paperback and eBook, 352 pages

A near-future thriller where those who protect humanity are not always completely human.

The future is a dangerous place. Keeping the world stable and peaceful when competing corporate interests and nation-states battle for power, wealth, and prestige has only gotten harder over the years. But that’s the United Nations’ job. So the UN has changed along with the rest of the world. When the UN’s “soft” diplomacy fails, it has harder options. Quiet, scalpel-like options: The Dead—biologically enhanced secret operatives created by the UN to solve the problems no one else can.

Anwar Abbas is one of The Dead. When the Controller-General of the UN asks him to perform a simple bodyguard mission, he’s insulted and resentful: mere bodyguard work is a waste of his unique abilities. But he takes the job, because to refuse it would be unthinkable.

Anwar is asked to protect Olivia del Sarto, the host of an important upcoming UN conference. Olivia is head of the world’s fastest-growing church, but in her rise to power she has made enemies:  shadowy enemies with apparently limitless resources.

Anwar is one of the deadliest people on earth, but her enemies have something which kills people like him. And they’ve sent it for her. It’s out there, unstoppable and untraceable, getting closer as the conference approaches.

As he and Olivia ignite a torrid affair, Anwar must uncover the conspiracy that threatens to destroy her, the UN, and even The Dead.





Douglas Nicholas

Throne of Darkness
Something Red 3
Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Trade Paperback and eBook, 320 pages

Perfect for fans of Game of Thrones, this novel from acclaimed author Douglas Nicholas continues the gripping dark fantasy series that Kirkus Reviews describes as “a more profound Harry Potter for adults.”

It’s 1215 in northwest England—the eve of the signing of the Magna Carta—and mystical Irish queen Maeve and her unlikely band of warriors must protect the region from a chilling fate. Word of a threat reaches the Northern barons: King John has plotted to import an African sorcerer and his sinister clan of blacksmiths, whose unearthly powers may spell destruction for the entire kingdom. Along with her lover, Jack, her gifted niece, Nemain, and Nemain’s newlywed husband, Hob (whose hidden talents will soon be revealed), Maeve must overcome a supernatural threat unlike any she’s seen before.

With his characteristic blend of historical adventure and intoxicating mythological elements, Nicholas once again “goes for the throat…with brilliant writing and whip-smart plotting” (New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry). This is a richly woven tale that will leave you hungry for more.





Daniel O'Malley

Stiletto
The Rook / The Checquy Files 2
Little, Brown and Company, June 30, 2015
Hardcover and eBook, 352 pages

In this spirited sequel to the acclaimed The Rook, Myfanwy Thomas returns to clinch an alliance between deadly rivals and avert epic -- and slimy -- supernatural war.

When secret organizations are forced to merge after years of enmity and bloodshed, only one person has the fearsome powers---and the bureaucratic finesse---to get the job done. Facing her greatest challenge yet, Rook Myfanwy Thomas must broker a deal between two bitter adversaries:

The Checquy---the centuries-old covert British organization that protects society from supernatural threats, and...

The Grafters---a centuries-old supernatural threat.

But as bizarre attacks sweep London, threatening to sabotage negotiations, old hatreds flare. Surrounded by spies, only the Rook and two women who absolutely hate each other, can seek out the culprits before they trigger a devastating otherworldly war.

Stiletto is a novel of preternatural diplomacy, paranoia, and snide remarks, from an author who "adroitly straddles the thin line between fantasy, thriller, and spoof " (Booklist).





Melissa F. Olson

Boundary Crossed
An Old World Novel 1
47North, May 1, 2015
Trade Paperback and eBook

[cover not yet available]
After her twin sister’s brutal death, former US Army Sergeant Allison “Lex” Luther vowed to protect her niece, Charlie, from every possible danger. Then when two vampires attempted to kidnap the child, it quickly turned into a fight to the death—Lex’s death, that is.

Lex wakes up to two shocking discoveries: she has somehow survived the fight; and baby Charlie is a “null,” gifted with the ability to weaken supernatural forces…and a target for evil creatures who want to control that power. Determined to guarantee a safe future for Charlie, Lex makes a deal with the local coven. She sets out with the dashing—and undead—Detective Quinn to track down who’s responsible for the kidnapping, sharpening her magic skills along the way. But the closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous her powers become, threatening to destroy everything—including herself.

Boundary Crossed is a dark, thrilling glimpse into a magical world that will leave readers spellbound.




While you are waiting for Boundary Crossed, you can read a novella set in the Old World:

Bloodsick
An Old World Novella
Westmarch Publishing, December 26, 2014
eBook, 144 pages

All her life, Sashi’s mother warned her not to get involved with werewolf problems. But Sashi, a witch who uses magic to heal sick and injured bodies, has never made a habit of ignoring trauma. When she meets an abused shapeshifter that no one else seems willing to help, Sashi will risk everything –including a budding romance with a human, Will – to save a woman who can’t save herself.









1 comment:

  1. I hate to wish the year away but I can't WAIT for April and June to come

    ReplyDelete