**Visit Dark Faerie Tales today for her Spooky Legends Guest blog with Bekka Black and a chance to win iDRAKULA**

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Happy Halloween!  It seemed only fitting that we end Spooky Legends with the most famous urban legend of all: Dracula. Kersten Hamilton, author of the goblin Paranormal YA debut, TYGER TYGER due out on November 15th, gets that honor along with her character Vee Williams.  Don’t miss the giveaway a copy of TYGER TYGER and a necklace. See details below.

And for more chances to win Tyger Treasure,  Kersten Hamilton is giving away twenty hand-made necklaces in November and December to celebrate her new book Tyger Tyger! The pendants were created by book blogger Melissa at Books and Things http://melissawatercolor.blogspot.com/ and each necklace is beautiful and unique.  Enter here to win this necklace, and have fun hunting for the rest!

Kersten Hamilton is a prolific children's writer known for her fast-paced, dramatic storylines. She is the author of twenty-four books for children and works with the house church movement in her home town of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

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Vee Williams on “The Vampires of Ireland”
by
Kersten Hamilton

“I’m going to wring your neck, Charles Williams,” I said as the engine of my rental car sputtered and died. I would. Just as soon as I found him. I pulled my cell phone out of my purse — no service. Of course.

My brother had been supposed to meet me in Killarney over a week ago. It had taken me six days to find out that he’d set out on foot into the Magillycuddy Reeks, the wildest mountains in Ireland. Looking for Dracula. Well, stories about Dracula, anyway. Charlie was a mythologist — an expert on myths and legends — and his specialty was finding the seed of truth behind the stories.

His current obsession with the blood–sucking dead had started at a folklore conference at the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi in Romania, were a colleague had explained that vampires were not native to Transylvania. They were immigrants planted there by Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula.

And so we had come to Stoker’s native Ireland to research the neamh-mairbh, the walking dead.

I shouldn’t have come along. I’d known better than to follow Charlie on his adventures since I was ten. That was the year my 12-year-old brother convinced me to spend the night in the cemetery down the street, waiting for our newly deceased neighbor, Mr. Greenslade, to rise as a zombie. Sometime during the night I’d fallen asleep, and Charles Williams gave up on Mr. Greenslade rising as an undead.

I woke up cold and wet and all alone, and ran home screaming, sure that zombies had eaten my brother’s brain — only to find him at the kitchen table finishing off the Cheerios and writing in the little notebook he always kept with him.

Following Charlie had led to one disaster after another ever since. Dozens of disasters. Like my rental car dying on a misty mountain road.

The car’s tires crunched on gravel as I steered to the side of the narrow road. I tried to start the engine. It wouldn’t even turn over. I flipped on the emergency flashers.

This time it was different, though. Charlie had been missing for a week, and I had to find him. I knew I had to find him. Because something was wrong. I’d felt it before, when Grandmother Baker had died.

I peered into the mists. Had anyone even passed me on the road? Not going up. A group of bikers had passed me a few moments before, going in the opposite direction. Not the cardio-conscious kind, pedaling across the country in tights; the greasy kind, with leather jackets and loud mufflers. They must have been headed to the pub ten miles down the road, as it was the only one I had passed. I could hike ten miles to keep them company, walk the other direction up the road, hoping for cell reception at the top of the hill, or I could sit in my car. In the dark. Alone. Waiting for zombies.

“Up the hill it is,” I said. As I reached for the door handle a child’s hand slapped against the outside of the widow, finger splayed in warning. My heart stopped — until I realized that it was not a hand, but a leaf lifted by the wind. I gritted my teeth and opened the door.

Ghost children. That’s what I got for following Charlie. The nightmares would be next. These adventures always gave me nightmares.

I locked the car and started walking. The low sun cast my shadow into the mist, where it marched along beside me like a creature of damp and darkness. It reminded me far too much of the fog that had settled around us when we visited the grave of the Dearg–due under Strongbow’s Tree in County Waterford.

The Dearg–due had been a beautiful girl before she had either been murdered or died of grief when her lover jilted her; Charlie wrote both versions of the story in the notebook he always kept in his pocket. They buried her under a tree, but before long she was up and walking again, looking for lonely men on darksome paths. And when she met one she’d dance for him until she drove him mad with lust, then kill him by sucking his blood. Very similar, Charlie had pointed out, to the girls of Count Dracula’s harem, sexy and seductive.

We’d been on our way to our next stop — the grave of the evil Abhartach in Parish Derry — when Charlie had gotten a call from the head of the Irish Folklore Commission inviting him to a symposium in Dublin. Charlie’d gone to the symposium, leaving me to collect the stories of Abhartach.

Whatever Charlie had heard at that symposium had sent him walking into the Magillycuddy Reeks.

The road I was following split, one branch angling down, and the other going higher still. I still had no cell coverage, so I went up. Almost immediately, the wind picked up, tearing my mist–shadow to shreds and pulling at my jacket. It was cold enough to make me wish for a coat, and strong enough that I had to lean into it. Fat raindrops were staring to fall when I saw the inn — a rambling place that looked as if it had grown out of the rocks themselves. But the lights in the windows were bright enough, and the people I could see inside looked happy.

I stepped through the door, fighting the wind to shut it behind me. By the time I’d managed it, everyone in the room — a young couple sitting very close together, a girl by the window, two young men, and a plump woman in an apron — was staring at me.

“Do you have a room?” I asked.

The plump woman shook her head. “Sorry,” she said. “We’re full up just now. You’ll have to go on.”

“Mother,” the girl by the window said, “let her stay. It’s almost dinner time.”

“Absolutely no—“

“Let her stay.”

“Ella!” the older woman said sharply. “Don’t use that voice on me, young lady. I won’t have it.”

The door opened behind me and a young man came in. It was clear that he was related to the dark haired girl. In fact, everyone in the room must have been related. They had the same dark hair and dark eyes, and slightly varied versions of straight noses and full lips.

“There’s walkers in this wind, Mother,” he said.

“We have a guest, Liam,” the older woman said. “Don’t frighten the girl.”

“Walkers?” I asked. I hoped it wasn’t a ghost story. The wind was already crying around the eaves. I didn’t need a scary story. Not tonight.

Liam looked at his mother. She pressed her lips together.

“When the walls between worlds grow thin,” Liam said, “those that should by all rights and reason have traveled on come back, carried on the mountain winds.”

It was a ghost story.

As if on cue the door slammed open. Ella screamed, and I whirled —

— to see Charlie come through the door, another young man close behind him. Charlie laughed and pulled a leaf from his hair. “You should see your faces.”

“If it isn’t old Mother Ciardha,” the young man with Charlie said, “And how’s the brood?”

“They were fine until you blew in, Michael.” Mother Ciardha said his name as if it were a bad word. “You know we don’t serve your kind here.”

“You’ve mentioned that before.” He stepped toward me and offered his hand. “You must be Vee. Call me Mike.”

I took it, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

“You met Charlie at the symposium?” I asked, pulling my hand away a little faster than I meant to.

“No,” Charlie said. “I met him down the mountain in Seanchill.”

“You can’t stay,” Mother Ciardha said. “Either of you.”

“Let’s discuss that,” Mike said. “In a bit more privacy.”

“Go on,” Mother Ciardha said, and the young people left the room, going back through the dark hallway, glancing over their shoulders as they went.

“What’s going on?” I asked, as Mike and the old woman stepped away from us.

“Don’t worry about it,” Charlie said, pulling me toward the couch. “They’ll work it out. They’ve known each other forever. Tell me about Abhartach.” He took his notebook from his pocket. “You can’t imagine how sorry I am to have missed seeing that.”

“Charlie,” I leaned close. “Is there any chance Mike is a —” he was going to laugh at me if I said it. But I had felt something when I touched Mike’s hand. Something unnatural.

“A what?” Charlie whispered, following my glance toward Mike.

“A ghost.” I felt stupid saying it, even before Charlie burst out laughing. Both Mike and Mother Ciardha turned to look at us.

“I’m sure he is not a ghost,” Charlie said, loudly enough for them to hear. “Now, what did you find out about Abhartach?”

“He was a chieftain,” I said, “and a dwarf, who tortured and killed his own people until they sent a messenger to the great Irish hero—”

“Fionn MacCumhaill,” Charlie said.

“You know the story?”

“They put Fionn in all the best stories. Go on.”

“The people begged Fionn to kill the evil dwarf and stop the abuse. So he did.”

Charlie looked up from his notebook. “That’s it?”

“Of course that’s not it,” I dragged my eyes away from Mike. At least Mother Ciardha was watching him closely. “Abhartach rose from his grave and demanded a bowl of his servant’s blood to sustain him. Fionn killed him again, but again he rose up.

“So Fionn talked to a saint in the woods, who told him to run Abhartach through with a sword of yew wood —”

“A wooden stake!” Charlie said.

“— then bury him upside down, surround his grave with thorns and put a large rock on it. That was the end of him. What did you find in Dublin?” I asked.

“Notes from a lecture by a man named Sean O’Suilleabhain, about a keep inhabited by blood–drinking shape–shifting fairies. And you’ll never guess what it was called.” He held his notebook out to me, and I studied his scrawling handwriting. Dun Dreach–Fhoula underlined twice.

“That, little sister, is pronounced Dun Drockola.”

“Where is this keep?”

“In Magillycuddy Reeks,” Charlie turned toward Mike and Mother Ciardha, who were still talking, and I smacked the back of his head.

“Ow,” he rubbed his thick skull. “What was that for?”

“It’s been more than a week, Charlie. You could have, you know, phoned. I was scared to death that something had happened to you. I thought you were dead.”

“Dead?” Charlie pressed his hand dramatically to his chest. “You shouldn’t worry. As Peter Pan used to say, ‘To die would be a very great adventure!’ ”

“Aristotle,” I corrected. “J.M. Barrie stole it from Aristotle. And they’re both dead.”

Charlie laughed. “We’ve found all the pieces, Vee. Everything Bram Stoker used. Sexy blood-sucking creatures, wooden stakes, shape shifters. It’s all right here in Ireland. In several different stories of course, but a good writer knows what to leave out, thank goodness. Count Dracula could have ended up a blood–thirsty coochi–dancing dwarf.”

“A red–headed, freckled coochi–dancing, shape–shifting dwarf,” I said. “With an Irish brogue. That doesn’t sound too scary. So we’ve tracked the vampires to their lair. Can we go home now?”

“I’m going home,” Charlie said. “There is just one more thing I want before I do.” He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. About the thing in the graveyard.”

“Shut up, Charlie,” I said.

“You’re supposed to say, ‘I forgive you, Charlie’.”

“No,” I threw a couch pillow at him. “Because I don’t. I still have nightmares about that stupid graveyard.”

“I’d never let the monsters get you, little sis. I swear. C’mon, say it! ‘I forgive you, Charlie’.”

“I’ll think about it,” I said.

Charlie shrugged and moved over by the fire with Mike. He looked up from writing in his notebook to catch me watching him, and winked.

I shut my eyes, and eventually did sleep. Charlie and Mike’s voices ran through my dreams, which started with Mr. Greenslade eating Brainy-O’s on a tombstone, and ended with the Ciardha clan, many more than I had really met, standing around the room, their backs to the walls, their eyes fixed on Charlie…and Michael, who threw off strange rays of light when he moved, like sunbeams peeking through clouds.

When I woke, the fire had gone out. The room was so cold I was sure the only reason I hadn’t frozen was because Charlie had tucked his coat over me. I had almost forgiven him until I realized that I was alone. Everyone was gone. Charlie had done it again. He’d left me.

I opened the front door and found that someone had brought my car up. Probably one of the Ciardha boys. There was a note tucked under the windshield wiper. It said Seanchill.

I pulled the map out of the glove compartment. Seanchill was less than five miles away. They were probably having breakfast. Only when I arrived there were no restaurants in Seanchill. Houses and shops were boarded up. The only living beings I saw were an old couple walking hand in hand down the street. I parked the car, and walked after them.

“Excuse me,” I called. “I’m looking for two young men,” I said. “They would have been through town this morning.”

“There’s been no one through town for days,” old woman said.

Her husband hesitated. “There was the body they brought off the mountain last week.” They walked on.

I shoved my hands in Charlie’s coat pockets, and a chill started to spread inside me. His notebook. The notebook Charlie never left was in the coat pocket. And why would he have left his coat on such a cold morning, when we could have all come together in the car? None of it made any sense. My hand was shaking as I took a picture of Charlie from my wallet.

“Wait,” I called, running after them. “Have you seen this man?”

“It’s the boy they found,” the old man studied me. “Was he a friend?”

“My brother,” I said. “What happened to him?”

“He’d been…torn by beasts.”

“And his blood drained.”

“And how would you be knowing that?”

“He was looking for Dun Dreach–Fhoula.”

“Saints preserve us,” the old woman crossed herself. “The tomb of the shape-shifters. The house of Maither Ciardha!”

“Your brother’s buried in the yard at St. Michaels.” The old man took my arm to keep me from falling. “We put him in holy ground.”

St. Michael’s. The brood had not been staring at Charlie. They had been watching the angel that was with him.

“We won’t let the bodies sit,” the old man was saying, “not when they’ve been at them, no matter what the authorities might say. We give them a decent Christian burial.”

“Thank you,” I managed.

I stood over the fresh grave at St. Michaels, hugging Charlie’s notebook until the cold started to make me as numb on the outside as I felt on the inside. I opened it to the last page.

To die will be an awfully big adventure.— Aristotle, Peter Pan and Charlie Williams.

Ps – I’ll love you forever, Vee. C’mon, say it!

“I forgive you for the zombies, Charlie,” I whispered. “Thank you for saving me from the monsters.” A sudden wind lifted the bright autumn leaves from the freshly turned earth, whirling them around me before it tossed them, light as Charlie’s laughter, into the clear blue sky.

---

Thanks so much Kersten.  Come back anytime!

Visit Kersten Online:
Website|Blog

Giveaway

Giveaway courtesy of Kersten Hamilton
One signed copy of TYGER TYGER & a necklace made by Melissa at Books and Things 
 

Teagan Wylltson's best friend, Abby, dreams that horrifying creatures--goblins, shape-shifters, and beings of unearthly beauty but terrible cruelty--are hunting Teagan. Abby is always coming up with crazy stuff, though, so Teagan isn't worried. Her life isn't in danger. In fact, it's perfect. She's on track for a college scholarship. She has a great job. She's focused on school, work, and her future. No boys, no heartaches, no problems.

Until Finn Mac Cumhaill arrives. Finn's a bit on the unearthly beautiful side himself. He has a killer accent and a knee-weakening smile. And either he's crazy or he's been haunting Abby's dreams, because he's talking about goblins, too . . . and about being The Mac Cumhaill, born to fight all goblin-kind. Finn knows a thing or two about fighting. Which is a very good thing, because this time, Abby's right.

The goblins are coming.

Giveaway Guidelines

1. Open Internationally
2. Fill out the form
3. Enter by November 6th. All Spooky Legend winners will be announced on November 7th

I would greatly appreciate if you shared this giveaway on your blog or favorite social networks.  And please tell Kersten what you think about “Dracula” in the comments. Thanks!

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Interested in guest blogging on All Things Urban Fantasy? CONTACT ME

**Visit Dark Faerie Tales today for her Spooky Legends Guest blog with Stefan Petrucha and a chance to win BLOOD PROPHESY**

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Jessica Andersen is here today as we near the end Spooky Legends to lend us one of her uber hot Nightkeepers from her Final Prophesy urban fantasy romance series (the fifth book, BLOOD SPELLS will be released on November 2nd) and Jessica here to tell us all about Lucius’s take on the “Wendigo” urban legend and giveaway a prize pack of autographed copies of DEMONKEEPERS and BLOOD SPELLS & some rocking Mayan spiced chocolate. See details below.

Jessica S. Andersen is an American writer of mystery and medical romances. She obtained a PhD in Genetics, but when she finally settles on a single career, she will have been many things: a doctor of molecular genetics, a patent agent, a freelance editor, a professional horse trainer and riding coach, a fiancé and the proud owner of a pair of corgis. But if you ask her who she is, Jessica will say, "I'm a writer. The rest is all background research." Jessica lives in a small farm in eastern Conneticut with her own personal hero, Brian, as well as the corgis, two cats and a handful of young horses, who she claims are investments but never seem to get sold.

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Lucius on “Wendigo”
by
Jessica Andersen

Hi everyone! (waves)

Author Jessica Andersen here. Thanks for joining Lucius and me here today at Spooky Legends, and a big thanks to Abigail for inviting us!

The Novels of the Nightkeepers tell of the race to the 2012 doomsday, when Mayan lore and modern science warn of a global cataclysm, and dark forces stand poised to crush mankind. Our only hope rests with a secret group of modern magic-wielders called Nightkeepers, who gain their full powers by finding and winning their destined mates. NIGHTKEEPERS, DAWNKEEPERS, SKYKEEPERS and DEMONKEEPERS are available now, and the fifth book in the series, BLOOD SPELLS, will be in stores this coming Tuesday, November 2nd!

BLOOD SPELLS is the story of married parents Patience and Brandt White-Eagle. Estranged, they are forced to reunite when an ancient Aztec god-king arises and threatens the barrier between the earth and underworld. But soon the danger turns personal, becoming a test of their powers ...and the love they once shared!

Today, though, I asked Lucius (hero of DEMONKEEPERS) to join us by webcam because, well, this is right up his alley. He’s Skywatch’s resident geek and the guardian of the Nightkeepers ancient library. More, he’s all about myths and legends, Indiana Jones stuff, and figuring out how ancient spells and curses work in modern day. That’s part of what makes him indispensable for the Nightkeepers. The other part is that he’s got magic of his own, and he and his mate, Jade … well, they’re pretty much unstoppable together!

So, Lucius … take it away!

***

“Thanks, I think I will!” Lucius leans into the frame of the webcam. “Hi everyone!” He’s big and built, but the way his brown hair flops over his forehead makes him more likable than intimidating. Though he could definitely be intimidating if he tried.

He’s sitting at a stone table. In the background are cave walls are carved into scenes of ancient scribes hard at work, and there are racks of books and artifacts. A statue of a jaguar is over in the corner; water is coming from its mouth to fall in a bowl between its paws, where a couple of beers are chilling, and a second bowl on its head holds bread of some sort … along with a couple of donuts and a bag of Cheetos.

Lucius gets a glint in his hazel eyes as he asks in a zombie voice, “Can you say BRAAAINS??? Bwa ha ha!” Leaning back, he grins. “Or maybe eyeballs? Or, heck, the body part of your choice. Because today we’re talking about wendigos, the patron saints (er, so to speak) of cannibalism.

“Many of the tribes native to what became the Northern US and Canada told stories about terrible monsters that looked like men, sometimes very tall, but always emaciated and gray-skinned, with sunken eyes and oozing skin, and smelling of decay. The wendigo lived on human flesh, embodied greed and gluttony, and were always searching for their next victim. Worse, human beings could transform into wendigo if they became cannibals, or if they got greedy.”

He pauses, then says reflectively, “The thing I find coolest about this monster isn’t the monster itself, really, but its function: The wendigo was a badass boogieman designed to keep people from eating each other during famines, especially in the winter.

“Now, I grew up in the Midwest where the winters could get very long and very cold. By the time spring rolled around, my brothers and sisters and I were usually feeling pretty stir-crazy, even though we had heat, food, TV and stuff. I can only imagine what it must’ve been like to try and survive in the far northern territories without those luxuries … and I can see why the ancients would need a ‘don’t eat each other, or else’ threat. In fact, cannibalism was a huge taboo in these tribes, more so than among most of the people living in easier climates.

“For example, the Maya, who lived way south of wendigo territory, practiced a metaphorical form of cannibalism: They let their own blood, mixed it into maize dough, formed the dough into human figures, and then cooked and ate them. This either returned the blood to its originator or allowed the blood to be shared, forming ritual bonds. Or, if the dough people were sacrificed to the gods, it was a way of returning human blood to the gods as repayment for the gods having shed their blood to create mankind. The Maya were big into things being cyclical and history repeating itself … and for that matter, so are the Nightkeepers.”

He grins, eyes sparking again. “I don’t think I necessarily think we need to be looking out for wendigo in our back yards this Halloween—times are tough, but there’s always the dollar menu at McDonald’s, right? But how about a little all-in-good-fun cyber-wendigo-ing to ring in All Hallow’s Eve? So tell me … who would you vote in as ‘most likely to become a wendigo,’ either because they’re greedy or because you think they would be the first to take a bite out of a friend, family member, or coworker?

“I’ll start: I volunteer my thesis advisor’s ex-husband. I’m not going to name names—cough, cough, DICK—but seriously? He’s someone who would be improved by turning into a rotting-corpse monster, and maybe he’d even learn a lesson or two from it. Okay, probably not, but a guy can hope, right?”

He glances off the screen, then back. “Right. I almost forgot: Everyone who posts a comment is entered to win books and chocolate. And how can you go wrong with that?? So let’s hear it: Who is your ‘most likely to become a flesh-eating cannibal monster this Halloween’?”

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Thanks Jessica.  Come back anytime!

Visit Jessica Online:
Website |Facebook

Want to read more from Jessica Andersen?

Paranormal titles

Final Prophecy
1. Nightkeepers 
2. Dawnkeepers
3. Skykeepers
4. Demonkeepers
5. Blood Spells (read my Review)

On the Hunt (2011)

Intrigue titles

Internal Affairs
Mountain Investigation
Snowed in with the Boss
Manhunt in the Wild West
With The M.D....At The Altar?
Twin Targets
Dr.’s Orders
Meet Me At Midnight
Classified Baby
Prescription: Makeover
Under the Microscope
Red Alert
Rapid Fire
At Close Range
Ricochet
Bullseye
The Sheriff's Daughter
Covert M.D.
Body Search
Intensive Care
Sealed with a Kiss
Dr. Bodyguard

Giveaway

Giveaway courtesy of Jessica Andersen
A prize pack of autographed copies of DEMONKEEPERS and BLOOD SPELLS & some rocking Mayan spiced chocolate.

  

DEMONKEEPERS description

According to Mayan doomsday prophecy, 12/21/12 marks the end of the world in a global cataclysm that can only be prevented by the Nightkeepers, magical warriors enlisted to fight the rise of the underworld demons. To fulfill the final prophecy the Nightkeepers must find their mates, but when Lucius and Jade are charged with rescuing the Mayan sun god, they try to ignore their growing attraction. Unless they can confront their own demons and accept that love isn't a weakness, even destiny might not be able to save them...

BLOOD SPELLS description

Mayan lore and modern science warn that 12/21/2012 will bring a global cataclysm. Dark forces stand poised to crush mankind. The only hope rests with a secret group of modern magic-wielders called the Nightkeepers. But as Patience White-Eagle and her husband, Brandt, team up as a mated warrior pair, they will face a deadly threat that will test their powers-and their love...

Click HERE to read an excerpt from BLOOD SPELLS

Giveaway Guidelines

1. Open Internationally
2. Fill out the form
3. Enter by November 6th. All Spooky Legend winners will be announced on November 7th

I would greatly appreciate if you shared this giveaway on your blog or favorite social networks.  And please tell Jessica what you think about “Wendigos” & answer the question she asked in the comments. Thanks!

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Interested in guest blogging on All Things Urban Fantasy? CONTACT ME

**Visit Dark Faerie Tales today for her Spooky Legends Guest blog with Sophie Littlefield and a chance to win BANISHED**

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Some books you can tell just by looking at them that they were meant for you. When I saw Elle Jasper’s debut urban fantasy AFTERLIGHT (and her fantastic website) I just knew.  Thanks to our Spooky Legends event, we’re getting a sneak peak into the mind of Riley Poe, the main character in AFTERLIGHT (due out November 2nd) and Elle here to tell us all about Riley’s take on the “Melon Heads” urban legend and giveaway 4 signed copies of AFTERLIGHT. See details below.

Elle Jasper spent her youth buried in the pages of Mary Shelly, Edgar Allen Poe, Bram Stoker, and Stephen King. Growing up on the salt marshes of Savannah, Georgia, she was always fascinated by the city’s ancient cobblestones, eerie church spires and Gothic Revival architect—as well as the dark, not-so-publicized side of Savannah, both steeped in tumultuous history. After an education at Armstrong Atlantic University, she forged her love of Gothic literature with an active imagination to pen her own stories. She is now a full time writer and lives amidst the moss and shadows of Savannah. Visit her on the web and enter her contest: www.ellejasper.com

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Riley Poe on the “Melon Heads of Connecticut”
by
Elle Jasper

So, yeah. The Melon Heads. Pretty freaky stuff. I'd been at an ink convention once in Hartford and heard some guys at the bar talking about the "mutants down Melon Head Road". I'm nosey and not a shy bone in my body, so I asked what they were talking about. This one guy got totally into the telling of it. Swear to God, he believed everything he was saying. His eyes got all round and unblinking, and the more he spoke, a chill crept up my spine. I've watched my share of slasher movies--I love them. But this? Freaked me out. The guy, whose name I found out was Zach, said the Melon Heads were a group of crazed inbreds who lived off of Zion Hill Road in Milford. Supposedly, they originated in Colonial times-outcast for whatever reason from average society and forced to live in the wood, alone. Zach said his grandfather had told him the story while hunting in the area when he was eleven. Scared the sh-- out of him, he said. The woods were deathly quiet, eerie, and Zion Hill Road supposedly led straight up to the Melon Heads homestead. No one, Zach said--NO ONE--ever made it all the way up the road because the pavement stopped and turned into dirt, winding through the trees and underbrush. He'd heard stories growing up of abandoned cars found on the side of Zion, keys left in the ignition, doors unlocked. But no sign of the passengers. "The fu----- Melon Heads," Zach said. "Every once in a while they pull in an outsider to breed with, just because so many of their offspring dies." I listened with complete fascination. Freakish fascination. "So after the baby's born, then what?" I asked. Zack looked at me with, I swear, complete honesty, and said, "They eat 'em." 

I decided to do a little checking-up on Zach's story. It was freaking weird and I, a lover of all things freakish and weird, wanted to know more. I'm drawn to freaky-skeery stuff like a moth to a zap-light. Anyway. The legend of the Melon Heads isn't monotonous to Milford, apparently. The legend has taken root in other parts of the state. Southbury, Monroe, Seymour, Weston, Oxford, Trumbull, and Shelton all have a version of the Melon Heads, and all have their own Melon Head Road. One variation boasts of a group of escaped mental patients who took refuge in the woods, forced to inbreed and it slowly rotted their brains into cannibalistic Melon Heads. Another a lost colony of inbreds, centuries old. All had one common denominator: freakish big-headed inbreds who prey on those who get a little too close to their homestead.

This brings to mind one of my FAVORITE X-Files episodes: The Peacocks. Damn, those were some scary folk. I imagine the Melon Heads to be alot like the Peacocks. 

I also envision the Melon Heads living in a dilapidated old barn.

Another thing comes to mind. The Deliverance. Good ole Georgia! I've only seen re-runs of the movie, but day-amn! That thing is just freaky weird! Just that weird little kid with the shaved head playing the banjo. Shudder.

As a matter of fact, we have a slightly different version here, just west of Savannah, out in the country. I remember being fifteen, hanging with some bad peeps, and we drove out to their place. I've seen them with my own eyes. Very distinctive. Short in stature, shortened limbs. One stood in his garden, shaking his pitch fork at us as we drove by yelling obscenities (I am NOT proud of my actions as a youth). I remember being totally freaked out. As far as I've ever heard, they keep to themselves. No malice there. They just want to be left alone. But they damn sure exist. At least, I guess they still do. I haven't been back since that night.

I will never forget Zach's face as he continued to talk about the Melon Heads. They apparently need way more than a hug. People go missing. An errie feeling weighs the air. Cars are left on the roadside, abandoned. And if you have a brain, so says Zach, you won't go wandering Zion Hill Road in Milford after dark. Or in the light, either. His specific warning, when I showed interest in checking it out myself, was "Stay the fu-- away from that place. It's nothing but pure evil."

I have seen pure evil, up close and personal. I listened to him.

So in my own online investigation, I found a really cool place on line that tells all about the Melon Heads, and other cool and spooky things about Connecticut. Check out this link:  http://www.damnedct.com/the-melon-heads/

Happy All Hallow's Eve, peeps! I double-dog DARE you to take a stroll down Zion Hill Road!!!

Riley Poe

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Thanks Elle.  Come back soon!

Visit Elle Online:
Website|Blog |Twitter |Facebook

Giveaway

Giveaway courtesy of Elle Jasper
4 signed copies of AFTERLIGHT by Elle Jasper

As Savannah's most unconventional tattoo artist, Riley Poe is quite familiar with the local underground scene. She lives and works on the edge of it every day.

Now, she's about to step over the edge.

When her younger brother is taken by a sinister cult led by centuries-old vampires, Riley discovers a world of shadows and blood--and those who exist there.

Her ally is the hot-tempered vampire Eli Dupre, who is attracted both to Riley's beauty as well as her one-of-a-kind blood type. A blood type he is not alone in craving.

To save her brother from certain un-death, Riley will face dangers she's never dreamed of, ruthless bloodthirsty enemies, and an evil of endless hunger that wants to devour all in its vile grasp.

AFTERLIGHT book trailer

Giveaway Guidelines

1. Open Internationally
2. Visit Elle’s website and sign up for her newsletter
3. Fill out the form
4. Enter by November 6th. All Spooky Legend winners will be announced on November 7th

I would greatly appreciate if you shared this giveaway on your blog or favorite social networks.  And please tell Elle what you think about “The Melon Heads” in the comments. Thanks!

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Interested in guest blogging on All Things Urban Fantasy? CONTACT ME

It’s the last Friday of the month which means it’s time to check out what we’re going to be reading next month in:

HOT OFF THE PRESS!

To clarify, for this post I’m using Urban Fantasy as an umbrella term to include Urban Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Paranormal YA, Contemporary Fantasy, even a little Paranormal Steampunk etc.

All titles below link to BookDepository.com (free worldwide shipping to 90 countries) and ATUF makes a small commission from purchases made through the links, so thank you for helping maintain this site!

November releases scheduled for review on ATUF:

• Afterlight by Elle Jasper
• Blood Spells by Jessica Andersen (reviewed 3/5)
• Firewalker by Allyson James (reviewed 3/5 )
• The Greyfriar by Clay & Susan Griffith (reviewed 5/5 )
• Magic at the Gate by Devon Monk

Is your book coming out soon?
Contact Abigail to schedule your visit or request a review

November – Adult Titles #35

Luck of the Wolf (Century Werewolves #6)
by Susan Krinard – November 1, 2010

Description

Branded an outcast by the noble branch of his werewolf clan, Cort Renier had come to San Francisco seeking fortune—and revenge. What he found was a mysterious beauty who could not—or would not—reveal who she truly was. At first glance she seemed vulnerable and afraid, like so many girls caught up in the debauchery of the city's whiskey-soaked gambling dens. But one look into her stunning turquoise eyes and he knew he'd found the winning hand.

Aria di Reinardus had reasons of her own for concealing her identity, but Cort's kisses were more than enough to convince her to go along with his plan to transform her into a missing heiress and return her to her "family." But they were not the only ones with secrets to keep and vengeance in mind, and they were about to discover that some destinies couldn't be outrun….

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: HQN Books; Original edition (November 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373774699
• ISBN-13: 978-0373774692

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 Shadow of the Sheik (Silhouette Nocturne)
by Nina Bruhns – November 1, 2010

Description

All are terrified of the ruthless legend of al Shahin—the Black Hawk. Sheikh Shahin Aswadi doesn't mind. It makes his job easier. He is one of the immortal shape-shifters who serve the ancient Egyptian god Set-Sutekh, and no human has dared approach his hidden oasis encampment for nearly a century.

That is, until intrepid anthropologist Gemma Haliday comes sniffing around after her missing sister. She has foolishly disregarded the dire warnings of the nomads in order to question the one man who may know of her sister's fate. To Shahin's gratification, she walks straight into the trap he has carefully laid for her.

Just one taste of Gemma's lips and he knows he must possess her fully…but he wants her willing. He wants her to burn for him as he burns for her—with a desire as hot and vast as the timeless Egyptian desert.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin (November 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373618476
• ISBN-13: 978-0373618477

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The Shifters (Silhouette Nocturne)
by Alexandra Sokoloff – November 1, 2010

Description

Charged with overseeing the shapeshifters of New Orleans, Caitlin MacDonald has her reasons for being wary of their kind. So when charismatic bounty-hunting shifter Ryder Malloy blows into town claiming to be on the trail of a horde of malevolent entities called Walk-Ins, Caitlin has no reason to trust him—with her city or her heart. But as tourists start dropping dead from supernatural possession, Cait must team with Ryder to navigate his shadowy, ephemeral world…

Fiercely independent, Ryder usually hunts alone—but this case requires an exception. To prevent a supernatural massacre, he needs the beautiful Keeper on his side—and, if possible, even closer. In his world, appearances can be deceiving and deadly. And the only way they'll survive is if this woman who tempts him like no other trusts in him completely….

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin (November 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373618468
• ISBN-13: 978-0373618460

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The Taming of the Wolf
by Lydia Dare – November 1, 2010

Lord Dashiel Thorpe has fought his true nature his entire life, but whenever the moonlight proves too powerful, Dashiel is unable to control the werewolf within him. It is on one such moonlit night that Dashiel accidentally bites the beautiful Scottish witch, Caitrin McLeod. Though now bound to him irrevocably, Cait decides that she wants nothing to do with him. When she flees to her native Scotland, Dashiel has no choice but to follow her and convince her that it was nothing short of destiny that has bound them together body and soul.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca; Original edition (November 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402244371
• ISBN-13: 978-1402244377

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Afterlight (The Dark Ink Chronicles #1)
by Elle Jasper – November 2, 2010

Description

Savannah's most unconventional tattoo artist, Riley Poe, lives on the edge. Now she's put over the edge when her younger brother is taken by a sinister cult led by vampires. Her only ally is the hot-tempered vampire Eli Dupre, attracted to Riley's beauty and rare blood type. To save her brother from certain un-death, Riley faces dangers she's never dreamed of, ruthless bloodthirsty enemies, and an evil of endless hunger that wants to devour it all...

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Signet; Original edition (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451231678
• ISBN-13: 978-0451231673

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Blood Spells (Final Prophecy #5)
by Jessica Andersen – November 2, 2010

Description

Mayan lore and modern science warn that 12/21/2012 will bring a global cataclysm. Dark forces stand poised to crush mankind. The only hope rests with a secret group of modern magic-wielders called the Nightkeepers. But as Patience White-Eagle and her husband, Brandt, team up as a mated warrior pair, they will face a deadly threat that will test their powers-and their love...

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Signet; Original edition (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451231651
• ISBN-13: 978-0451231659

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Carousel Tides
by Sharon Lee – November 2, 2010

Kate Archer left home years ago, swearing that she would die before she returned to Maine. As plans go, it was a pretty good one - simple and straightforward. Not quite fast enough, though. Before she can quite manage the dying part, Kate gets notice that her grandmother is missing, leaving the carousel that is the family business untended. And in Archers Beach, that means way more trouble than just a foreclosure.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Baen; Original edition (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439133956
• ISBN-13: 978-1439133958

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Devil at Midnight (Fitz Clare Chronicles #9)
by Emma Holly – November 2, 2010

Description

For years, mercenary captain Christian Durand has done everything he can to protect his men. When a beautiful ghost appears to offer comfort, he assumes the strain has finally pushed him over the edge. All he knows for certain is that this woman tugs at both his heart and desires. But now that a vampire queen has set her immortal sights on Christian, he must choose between his darker urges and a powerful love that spans centuries.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Berkley; Original edition (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425237818
• ISBN-13: 978-0425237816

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Firewalker (Stormwalker #2) 
by Allyson James – November 2, 2010

Description

Janet Begay's Crossroads Hotel has attracted the supernatural ever since it opened. But a new, dark power is rising, this time inside Janet herself. Her boyfriend Mick, a sexy dragon shapeshifter the Navajo call a Firewalker, know what terrifying magic is threatening to overwhelm Janet and her Stormwalker powers. He watches over her, ready to fight for her, to do anything to keep her safe.
But then a mysterious corpse is found near the Crossroads Hotel-and Janet becomes the main suspect. Now Janet and Mick must uncover what really happened, and their investigation leads to the most perilous decision of their lives...

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Berkley; Original edition (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425237826
• ISBN-13: 978-0425237823

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Game Over 
by Taylor Keating – November 2, 2010

Description

Video game designer River Weston is ready to sell her soul to smooth out the glitches in her latest project. When she unwittingly taps into a parallel dimension via cutting-edge technology, a Dark Lord is quick to take her up on her inadvertent offer. Trapped in the world she thought she’d created for her game, River finds herself in a very real alternate dimension that she must escape from before her soul can be used to unleash evil--upon this dimension and many others.
River’s only ally is the sexy and mysterious Chase Hawkins.  A prisoner of the Dark Lord, Hawk is a man adrift—literally. His body safe at home under the watchful care of the Guardians’ scientists, his astral-traveling spirit has been enslaved by his people’s worst enemy, the Dark Lord. Clinging desperately to his sense of self, Hawk is determined to turn the tables on his captor before the connection to his body is lost.  When the beautiful, achingly familiar River enters the picture, he vows he will do everything he can to save her from her bleak fate.
Drawn together with an inescapable force, Hawk and River must wrest her soul from the Dark Lord’s grasp before it’s too late.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Tor Paranormal Romance; Original edition (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765365472
• ISBN-13: 978-0765365477

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The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire #1)
by Clay & Susan Griffith – November 2, 2010

Description

In the year 1870, a horrible plague of vampires swept over the northern regions of the world. Millions of humans were killed outright. Millions more died of disease and famine due to the havoc that followed. Within two years, once great cities were shrouded by the grey empire of the vampire clans. Human refugees fled south to the tropics because vampires could not tolerate the constant heat there. They brought technology and a feverish drive to reestablish their shattered societies of steam and iron amid the mosques of Alexandria, the torrid quietude of Panama, or the green temples of Malaya.

It is now 2020 and a bloody reckoning is coming.

Princess Adele is heir to the Empire of Equatoria, a remnant of the old tropical British Empire. She is quick with her wit as well as with a sword or gun. She is eager for an adventure before she settles into a life of duty and political marriage to man she does not know. But her quest turns black when she becomes the target of a merciless vampire clan. Her only protector is The Greyfriar, a mysterious hero who fights the vampires from deep within their territory. Their dangerous relationship plays out against an approaching war to the death between humankind and the vampire clans.

The Greyfriar: Vampire Empire is the first book in a trilogy of high adventure and alternate history. Combining rousing pulp action with steampunk style, The Greyfriar brings epic political themes to life within a story of heartbreaking romance, sacrifice, and heroism.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Pyr (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1616142472
• ISBN-13: 978-1616142476

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In Dreams Begin (Harrowing #2)
by Skyler White – November 2, 2010

Description

"Close your eyes tightly--tightly--and keep them closed . . ."

From a Victorian Ireland of magic, poetry and rebellion, Ida Jameson, an amateur occultist, reaches out for power, but captures Laura Armstrong, a modern-day graphic artist instead. Now, for the man or demon she loves, each woman must span a bridge through Hell and across history . . . or destroy it.

"Every passionate man is linked with another age, historical or imaginary,
where alone he finds images that rouse his energy." W. B. Yeats

Anchored in fact on both sides of history, Laura and Ida, modern rationalist and fin de sicle occultist, are linked from the moment Ida channels Laura into the body of celebrated beauty and Irish freedom-fighter Maud Gonne. When Laura falls--from an ocean and a hundred years away--passionately, Victorianly in love with the young poet W. B. Yeats, their love affair entwines with Irish history and weaves through Yeats's poetry until Ida discovers something she wants more than magic in the subterranean spaces in between.

With her Irish past threatening her orderly present and the man she loves in it, Laura and Yeats--the practical materialist and the poet magus--must find a way to make love last over time, in changing bodies, through modern damnation, and into the mythic past to link their pilgrim souls . . . or lose them forever.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425236951
• ISBN-13: 978-0425236956

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In the Company of Vampires (Dark Ones #8)
by Katie MacAlister – November 2, 2010

Description

When Francesca arrives at GothFaire to save her mother from the trickster god, Loki, things go from bad to worse. Her immortal ex, Benedikt, is there, full of secrets-and with a new girlfriend. Now Fran must battle a power-hungry group who wishes to dominate both the immortal and mortal worlds-and the woman who claimed Ben's heart. It's a good thing Fran's no ordinary mortal...

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Signet; Original edition (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451231600
• ISBN-13: 978-0451231604

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 Living Nightmare (The Sentinel Wars #4)
by Shannon K. Butcher – November 2, 2010

Description

For nine years, the Sentinel Nika has had one goal-to save her younger sister from the Synestryn who hold her captive. Now, the psychic bond Nika forged with her sibling on that terrible night is fading, and time is running out. But the one man who can unlock the power inside her may be the greatest danger to her.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Signet; Original edition (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451232372
• ISBN-13: 978-0451232373

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Magic at the Gate (Allie Beckstrom #5)
by Devon Monk – November 2, 2010

Description

Allie Beckstrom's lover, Zayvion Jones, is a Guardian of the Gate, imbued with both light and dark magic and responsible for ensuring that those energies don't mix. But Zayvion lies in a coma, his soul trapped in death's realm. And when Allie discovers that the only way to save Zayvion is to sacrifice her very own magical essence, she makes a decision that may have grave consequences for the entire world.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Roc; Original edition (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451463625
• ISBN-13: 978-0451463623

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Marked By The Moon (Night Creature #9)
by Lori Handeland – November 2, 2010

Description

Tough-as-nails Alexandra Trevalyn does what most people can't: She kills werewolves. Once part of an elite group of hunters, she's going rogue these days, though no less determined to rid the world of bloodthirsty beasts...once and for all. That's why Alex had no choice but to kill Julian Barlow's wife - and will have to pay the price. Julian's brand of vengeance is downright devious, and now he's turned Alex into a member of his pack. It's only a matter of time before she falls under his spell. With the wild freedom of the wolf in her veins, Alex can't deny that Julian wakes her most primal passions...and draws her that much closer to the moon's call, where evil lies in wait.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks; Original edition (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312389345
• ISBN-13: 978-0312389345

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Play of Passion (Psy/Changeling #12)
by Nalini Singh – November 2, 2010

Description

In his position as Tracker for the SnowDancer pack, Drew Kincaid must rein in rogue changelings who've lost control of their animal halves- even if it means killing those who've gone too far. But nothing in his life has prepared him for the battle he must now wage-to win the heart of a woman who makes his body ignite...and who threatens to enslave his wolf.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Berkley; Original edition (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425237796
• ISBN-13: 978-0425237793

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Prince Charming Doesn't Live Here (The Others #10)
by Christine Warren – November 2, 2010

From the Back Cover

With New York Times bestselling author Christine Warren’s latest novel, “happily ever after” is about to get a whole lot stranger…and hotter.

Danice Carter is not one for glass slippers. A stilettos-wearing lawyer at one of Manhattan’s most elite establishments, Danice has a very strong grip on reality. So when she’s asked by one the firm’s founding partners to take on a personal case, Danice knows she’s in for the opportunity of a lifetime. All she has to do is convince her top boss’s granddaughter, Rosemary, to file a paternity suit. Sounds simple enough…until Danice arrives at Rosemary’s home and is pounced on by a handsome stranger.

PRINCE CHARMING DOESN'T LIVE HERE

Private investigator McIntyre Callahan’s was only following his powerful client’s orders: Find Rosemary—at all costs. Instead, he’s found a super-hot lawyer prowling around looking for answers he can’t give. The half-human, half-Fae Mac tries to warn Danice that she’s way in over her head—that Rosemary may roam among The Others, and may have dangerous ties to the Unseelie Court—but she won’t be deterred. Even if that means following Mac to the ends of the earth to find Rosemary…or surrendering to his supernatural powers of temptation…until death do they part.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks; First Edition edition (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312947941
• ISBN-13: 978-0312947941

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Reckoning
by J. C. Wilder – November 2, 2010

Description

A world where good and evil dwell…

Seeking justice for her murdered twin sister, Maeve finds herself trapped in a world of magic and deception. She’s discovered the key that will guarantee her success—a magical spell to control a vampire. Now she needs to locate a witch of pure intent to teach the spell to her.

Quinn Montgomery wants nothing to do with his birth mother, Mortianna, the most powerful witch in the world. When he discovers Maeve is his mother’s prisoner, he rescues the prickly immortal from imminent death. Determined to set things right, he returns her to the Scottish Highlands only to find that Maeve isn’t the only victim of Mortianna’s treachery.

Together, Maeve and Quinn reluctantly join forces to battle the forces of darkness as they fight their growing attraction for each other. Will Quinn teach Maeve the spell she desperately needs, or will she fall under his spell instead?

Warning: This book contains a kick-ass heroine, a Wizard hero to die for, copious amounts of throw-the-hero-down-and-jump-him sex, more corpses than you can shake a stick at, sleeping vampires, cranky witches and wee beasties guaranteed to give you nightmares.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Samhain Publishing (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1605048658
• ISBN-13: 978-1605048659

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Sea Storm
by Christine Feehan – November 2, 2010

Description

In one trade package together for the first time-two stories of the Drake Sisters from the #1 New York Times bestselling phenomenon.
This two-in-one package from the #1 New York Times bestselling Drake Sisters series includes:
Magic in the Wind
Ever since Damon Wilder sought refuge in Sea Haven, he's heard the same breathless rumor so suggestive that it carries him to Sarah's cliff-top home. But Damon has not arrived alone. Two men have tracked him to Sea Haven, and into the shadows of Drake House, where Sarah hides her own secrets. And danger is just a whisper away.
Oceans of Fire
A gifted daughter in a magical bloodline, Abigail was born with a mystical affinity for water, and possesses a strong bond with dolphins, swimming among them in the waters off Sea Haven. Until she witnesses a murder on shore, and flees for her life-right into the arms of the Interpol agent who once broke her heart.

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade; Original edition (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425236773
• ISBN-13: 978-0425236772

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Wicked Highlander (Dark Sword #3)
by Donna Grant – November 2, 2010

Description

The most reckless and fierce of the MacLeod brothers, Quinn is a prisoner of the god inside him, tormented by his inability to save his family from slaughter. His fury governs him, and day by day he loses himself to the darkenss in his soul. But Quinn has a profound yearning for a woman’s love….

Raised by Druids, the achingly beautiful Marcail is as spellbinding as the ancient magic that surges through her body. To Quinn, she is most desirable woman he has ever known. But to his enemy Deirdre, she is the perfect bait to lure Quinn into her trap. Once the two lovers are in her wicked grasp, their passion will be put to the ultimate test…

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks; First Edition edition (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312381247
• ISBN-13: 978-0312381240

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Bitten in Two (Jaz Parks #7)
by Jennifer Rardin – November 8, 2010

Description

Jaz Parks here. I. Am. Pissed. Just as Vayl and I arrive in Morocco to secure an ancient artifact, he wakes up calling me by another woman's name. And it's not even a good one. But since any form of argument transforms him into an unholy terror, I'm forced to play along until the gang and I can figure out what kind of power has so vastly altered his perceptions.
So it's time for me to do what any well-trained assassin in my position might do. I attack. What follows is a hair-raising, breath-taking bullet train ride to the finish as the crew battles on multiple fronts. I now know what I have to do - I must return to hell one last time.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Orbit; Original edition (November 8, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316043788
• ISBN-13: 978-0316043786

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Songs of Love and Death: All-Original Tales of Star-Crossed Love (anthology)
by George R. R. Martin  – November 16, 2010

Description

IN this star-studded cross-genre anthology, seventeen of the greatest modern authors of fantasy, science fiction, and romance explore the borderlands of their genres with brand-new tales of ill-fated love. From zombie-infested woods in a postapocalyptic America to faery-haunted rural fields in eighteenth- century England, from the kingdoms of high fantasy to the alien world of a galaxy-spanning empire, these are stories of lovers who must struggle against the forces of magic and fate.

Award-winning, bestselling author Neil Gaiman demonstrates why he’s one of the hottest stars in literature today with “The Thing About Cassandra,” a subtle but chilling story of a man who meets an old girlfriend he had never expected to see.

International blockbuster bestselling author Diana Gabaldon sends a World War II RAF pilot through a stone circle to the time of her Outlander series in “A Leaf on the Winds of All Hallows.” Torn from all he knows, Jerry MacKenzie determinedly survives hardship and danger, intent on his goal of returning home to his wife and baby—no matter the cost.

New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher presents “Love Hurts,” in which Harry Dresden takes on one of his deadliest adversaries and in the process is forced to confront the secret desires of his own heart.

Just the smallest sampling promises unearthly delights, but look also for stories by New York Times bestselling romance authors Jo Beverley and Mary Jo Putney, and by such legends of the fantasy genre as Peter S. Beagle and Tanith Lee, as well as many other popular and beloved writers, including Marjorie M. Liu, Jacqueline Carey, Carrie Vaughn, and Robin Hobb. This exquisite anthology, crafted by the peerless editing team of George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, is sure to leave you under its spell.

Discover the many realms of the heart with this extraordinary cast of acclaimed authors:

PETER S. BEAGLE

JO BEVERLEY

JIM BUTCHER

JACQUELINE CAREY

DIANA GABALDON

NEIL GAIMAN

YASMINE GALENORN

M.L.N. HANOVER

ROBIN HOBB

CECELIA HOLLAND

TANITH LEE

MARJORIE M. LIU

MARY JO PUTNEY

LINNEA SINCLAIR

MELINDA SNODGRASS

LISA TUTTLE

CARRIE VAUGHN

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Gallery (November 16, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439150141
• ISBN-13: 978-1439150146

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Counterfeit Magic (Women of the Otherworld)
by Kelley Armstrong – November 20, 2010

Description

Return to the world of Kelley Armstrong's best-selling novels Dime Store Magic and Industrial Magic for a long original novella.
The first rule of a supernatural fight club? Don't kill your opponent.
When the fighters come with lethal spells, werewolf strength and half-demon powers, that can be a lot tougher than it sounds. It's hard to attract talent if they know they might not leave the ring alive. So when fighters at a California club start dying -- it's bad for business.
Witch detectives Paige Winterbourne and Savannah Levine take the case. Going undercover in the power-heavy arena of the fight club is a welcome change of pace for Paige, relegated to the role of The Wife as her husband struggles to find his place in his family's Cabal--the corporate Mafia of the supernatural world.
As Paige is drawn deeper into new and dangerous corners of her world, she quickly discovers the greatest threat isn't the killer in her sights. It's something much, much closer to home. And this is one fight she can't afford to lose.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Subterranean; Deluxe Hardcover edition (November 30, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596063289
• ISBN-13: 978-1596063280

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Night of the Vampires (Hqn)
by Heather Graham – November 23, 2010

Description

As a soldier, Cole Granger fights to restore peace to a world divided by war and evil. His extraordinary talents are enlisted to prevent the president's horrific premonition from becoming reality. Nothing—and no one—will stop him from fulfilling his duty. Especially the mysterious young woman who claims to be his comrade's sister. Enemy or ally, he can't yet determine. But one thing he knows for certain is that he must keep her close. Very close.

Megan Fox's quest to uncover a family secret leads her to the center of vampire riots in West Virginia. To find the answers she needs—and clear herself of suspicion—she must join forces with Cole. They work undercover to bring justice, but they can't disguise the potent attraction and need that draw them together. Yet trust doesn't come easily for Cole…and when Megan unearths the grim, dark truth, can she trust him to believe her?

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: HQN Books (November 23, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373774869
• ISBN-13: 978-0373774869

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Black Wings
by Christina Henry – November 30, 2010

Description

As an Agent of Death, Madeline Black is responsible for escorting the souls of the dearly departed to the afterlife. It's a 24/7 job with a lousy benefits package.
Maddy's position may come with magical powers and an impressive wingspan, but it doesn't pay the bills. And then there are her infuriating boss, tenant woes, and a cranky, popcorn-loving gargoyle to contend with.
Things start looking up, though, when tall, dark, and handsome Gabriel Angeloscuro agrees to rent the empty apartment in Maddy's building. It's probably just a coincidence that as soon as he moves in demons appear on the front lawn. But when an unholy monster is unleashed upon the streets of Chicago, Maddy discovers powers she never knew she possessed. Powers linked to a family legacy of tarnished halos.
Powers that place her directly between the light of Heaven and the fires of Hell...

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Ace (November 30, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441019633
• ISBN-13: 978-0441019632

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Bone Gods (Black London #3)
by Caitlin Kittredge – November 30, 2010

Description

Witch hunts are on the rise and supernatural turf wars are reaching a boiling point. Then, just when it seems life couldn’t get any worse for Pete, Jack reappears—but he’s no longer the man she’s always known. Hell has changed him forever. And he’s brought back with him a whole world of trouble…

A cabal of necromancers are using ancient, unspeakable magic to turn the tide of war in their favor. Then, as the city is about to sink into chaos, Pete receives a chilling directive: To end the war, you must kill the crow-mage. Beset from all sides, Pete finds herself turning to an unholy source for help…even if doing so could destroy Black London—and life as she knew it—once and for all.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (November 30, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312388209
• ISBN-13: 978-0312388201

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Eternal Flame (Night Watch #3)
by Cynthia Eden – November 30, 2010

Description

Cynthia Eden invites you into the world of the Others--supernatural creatures who are sexy, powerful, and more than human in every way...

No one that deadly should look that good. Hybrid demon Zane Wynter specializes in tracking the most lethal criminals, whether human or Other. But Jana Carter is nothing like his previous targets. She's an Ignitor, able to conjure and control fire. She's also sexy beyond belief--and used to playing dirty...

Jana knows she's being set up. She even knows who's responsible: Project Perseus, a secretive group that plans to rid the world of paranormals by any means necessary. From Louisiana's sultry swamps to its desolate cemeteries, Jana and Zane must race to destroy the mastermind behind Perseus before their world goes up in flames--and with it, a desire that burns too hot to resist...

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Brava (November 30, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758242131
• ISBN-13: 978-0758242136

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Hungry For You (Argeneau Vampires #14)
by Lynsay Sands – November 30, 2010

Description

This vampire has been alone for far too long . . .

As one of the most ancient in the Argeneau clan, Cale Valens has given up on finding a life mate. His friends and family, however, have not. In fact, they believe they've finally found his perfect match. Getting them together, however, requires one little white lie . . .

Alexandra Willan is in a panic. Her restaurant is due to open in two weeks, but her chef just walked out. Then a highly recommended replacement arrives, an impossibly handsome culinary genius who sends electric tingles racing through her body . . .

Except he can't cook. In fact, Cale hasn't eaten real food in two thousand years. Yet he's determined to prove to Alex his prowess in the kitchen . . . and elsewhere. Because never has he hungered so for any mortal woman. And not just for a taste of her, but for the whole delicious feast!

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon (November 30, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061894575
• ISBN-13: 978-0061894572

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In the Dark of Dreams (Dirk & Steele #10)
by Marjorie M. Liu – November 30, 2010

Description

She could never forget the boy with the ice blue eyes . . .

She was only twelve when she saw the silver boy on the beach, but Jenny has never stopped dreaming about him. Now she is grown, a marine biologist charting her own course in the family business—a corporation that covertly crosses the boundaries of science into realms of the unknown . . . and the incredible.

And now he has found her again, her boy grown into a man: Perrin, powerful and masculine, and so much more than human, leaving Jenny weak with desire and aching for his touch.

But with their reunion comes danger. For Perrin and Jenny—and all living creatures—their only hope for preventing the unthinkable lies in a mysterious empire far beneath the sea . . . and in the power of their dreams.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon (November 30, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062020161
• ISBN-13: 978-0062020161

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Silver Zombie (Delilah Street #4) 
by Carole Nelson Douglas – November 30, 2010

Description

Zombies and Witches and Vamps . . . Oh, My!

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas—at least that’s Delilah Street’s hope. With Sin City’s vampire and werewolf mobs wanting to cash in her chips once and for all, she’s retreating with her partner Ric Montoya and half-wolfhound Quicksilver to her Kansas birthplace. Unfortunately, when it comes to finding trouble, there’s no place like home. . . .

It doesn’t take long before Delilah realizes she’s not in Vegas anymore. Zombie cowboys and spectral cattle drives are kicking up dust, the local weather girls are total witches who forecast perfect storms, and some Hollywood fanatic is recasting zombies as the greatest stars of the silver screen. And speaking of silver, Delilah’s special affinity for the all-purpose monster-repellent leads her posse straight down a silver brick road—and into a notso- fun house of mirrors—putting her face-to-face with her dicey past and a mystery woman named Lilith, who’s a real dead ringer for Delilah. The key word being dead.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Pocket (November 30, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439167818
• ISBN-13: 978-1439167816

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Tempted by Fate (The Guardians of Destiny #3)
by Kate Perry – November 30, 2010

Description

Willow Tarata is a Guardian who trusts no one. She hunts those who prey on the vulnerable. And she's driven by a vengeful goal-find the man who murdered her mother. Yet suddenly Willow's quarry now has her on the run . . . straight into the sights of San Francisco's most dangerous detective.
Three bizarre murders have Inspector Rick Ramirez baffled-and determined to uncover the truth. But to catch the real killer, he needs the help of his prime suspect, Willow Tarata, even though this fierce and sexy blonde is challenging his professional cool. And now, unless they believe in each other and trust their deepest instincts, a relentless evil will end both Willow's and Rick's life-and claim this Guardian's extraordinary powers forever . . .

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Forever (November 30, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446564621
• ISBN-13: 978-0446564625

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Vampires Not Invited (Night Tracker #3)
by Cheyenne McCray – November 30, 2010

Description

New York Times bestselling author Cheyenne McCray sets the night on fire in her blazing-hot Night Tracker series—where the fangs come out when the sun goes down…

Vampire attacks are on the rise in the city that never sleeps. So why is half-human, half-Drow private eye Nyx tracking down Sprites? Sure, these “young bloods” are causing mischief all over town—like painting the Statue of Liberty’s toenails neon pink. But it’s not until Nyx finds herself at the Pit, Manhattan's hottest nightclub for paranorms, that she understands what she’s really up against…

Seems Master Vampire Volod has a plan—and the Sprites are in on it. By targeting the weaknesses of every paranorm in the city, from Elves to Shifters to Zombies, Volod and his fang gang aim to rule the night once and for all. Over Nyx’s dead body. She loves a good challenge—and she will seduce danger at every turn to throw Volod off course. It’s time for Nyx to enter the beating heart of this dark conspiracy…before driving a stake through it.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks; First Edition edition (November 30, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312532687
• ISBN-13: 978-0312532680

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Wolfsbane (Aralorn #2)
by Patricia Briggs – November 2, 2010

Description

Shapeshifting mercenary Aralorn leads a dangerous existence. Now she must return home for her noble father, the Lyon of Lambshold, has passed away. But when Aralorn and her companion Wolf arrive, they find he's not dead, but ensorcelled by the ae'Magi, using him as a conduit to destroy Aralorn and Wolf. She must overcome this mysterious mist or fall to the blackest of magic.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Ace; Original edition (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441019544
• ISBN-13: 978-0441019540

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Vicious Grace (The Black Sun's Daughter #3) 
by M.L.N. Hanover – November 30, 2010

Description

When you’re staring evil in the eye, don’t forget to watch your back . . .

For the first time in forever, Jayné Heller’s life is making sense. Even if she routinely risks her life to destroy demonic parasites that prey on mortals, she now has friends, colleagues, a trusted lover, and newfound confidence in the mission she inherited from her wealthy, mysterious uncle. Her next job might just rob her of all of them. At Grace Memorial Hospital in Chicago, something is stirring. Patients are going AWOL and research subjects share the same sinister dreams. Half a century ago, something was buried under Grace in a terrible ritual, and it’s straining to be free. Jayné is primed to take on whatever’s about to be let loose. Yet the greatest danger now may not be the huge, unseen force lurking below, but the evil that has been hiding in plain sight all along—taking her ever closer to losing her body, her mind, and her soul. . . .

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Pocket (November 30, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439176299
• ISBN-13: 978-1439176290

November – YA Titles #9

Confessions of a Vampire's Girlfriend 
by Katie Maxwell – November 2, 2010

From author's website-
"One book containing both young adult books Got Fangs? and Circus of the Darned, plus new glossary and author’s note.

GOT FANGS? (Originally published January 2005)
All sixteen-year-old Francesca Ghetti wants to do is have a normal life where she’s one of the crowd, blending in so no one will know just how much of a freak she is. Dragged to Europe by her mother to join GothFaire, a travelling band of psychics, magicians, and assorted other oddities, Fran has to cope with not only the normal angst of always being a fish out of water, but also with her own fate as a psychometrist.
Enter one Moravian Dark One (referred to by most people as vampires) named Benedikt who claims Fran is the key to redeeming his soul, a mysterious horse who seems to have an involved past, an immortal friend who remembers what Mozart was like, and a demonologist who thinks he’s Elvis, and you can understand why Fran despairs of ever fitting in.

CIRCUS OF THE DARNED (Originally published January 2006)
I’ve given up all hope of having a normal life. As if things weren’t freaky enough traveling around Europe with a group of witches, mediums, and magicians who make up my home-away-from-home (aka the GothFaire), now I also have to cope with a mysterious man who wants to steal my horse, and a time-travel counselor who insists I’m Cleopatra reincarnated.
I just want to go on a date with Benedikt, but when your boyfriend’s a vampire, nothing is easy. Not only is Ben keeping secrets from me, but somehow, I raised an entire battlefield of warring Viking ghosts–all of whom refuse to be sent back.
And I thought all I had to worry about was what to wear on my date…"

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: NAL Trade; Original edition (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451232593
• ISBN-13: 978-0451232595

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Pegasus

by Robin McKinley – November 2, 2010

Description

A gorgeously written fantasy about the friendship between a princess and her Pegasus.
Because of a thousand-year-old alliance between humans and pagasi, Princess Sylviianel is ceremonially bound to Ebon, her own Pegasus, on her twelfth birthday. The two species coexist peacefully, despite the language barriers separating them. Humans and pegasi both rely on specially-trained Speaker magicians as the only means of real communication.
But its different for Sylvi and Ebon. They can understand each other. They quickly grow close-so close that their bond becomes a threat to the status quo-and possibly to the future safety of their two nations.
New York Times bestselling Robin McKinley weaves an unforgettable tale of unbreakable friendship, mythical creatures and courtly drama destined to become a classic.

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399246770
• ISBN-13: 978-0399246777

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The Vampire Diaries: Origins (Stefan’s Diaries #1)
by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec – November 2, 2010

Description:

Set during the Civil War, against a backdrop of grand estates, unimaginable riches, and deadly secrets, three teenagers in Mystic Falls, Virginia enter a torrid love triangle that will span eternity. Brothers Stefan and Damon Salvatore are inseparable until they meet Katherine, a stunning, mysterious woman who turns their world upside down. Siblings turned rivals, the Salvatores compete for Katherine’s affection, only to discover that her sumptuous silk dresses and glittering gems hide a terrible secret: Katherine is a vampire. And she is intent on turning them into vampires so they can live together — forever.

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062003933
• ISBN-13: 978-0062003935

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Selkie Girl
by Laurie Brooks – November 9, 2010

Description

ELIN JEAN HAS always known she was different from the others on their remote island home. She is a gentle soul, and can’t stand the annual tradition of killing seal babies to thin the population. Even Tam McCodron, the gypsy boy to whom she is strangely drawn, seems to belong more than she does.
It’s just a matter of time until Elin Jean discovers the secret of her past: her mother, Margaret, is a selkie, held captive by her smitten father, who has kept Margaret’s precious seal pelt hostage for 16 years. Soon Elin Jean faces a choice about whether to free her mother from her island prison. And, as the child of this unusual union, she must make another decision. Part land, part sea, she must explore both worlds and dig deep inside herself to figure out where she belongs, and where her future lies.
Poignant, meaningful, and romantic, Selkie Girl is a lyrical debut about a mesmerizing legend.

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (November 9, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 037584385X
• ISBN-13: 978-0375843853

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The Painted Boy
by Charles de Lint November 11, 2010

Description

Jay Li should be in Chicago, finishing high school and working at his family's restaurant. Instead, as a born member of the Yellow Dragon Clan--part human, part dragon, like his grandmother--he is on a quest even he does not understand. His journey takes him to Santo del Vado Viejo in the Arizona desert, a town overrun by gangs, haunted by members of other animal clans, perfumed by delicious food, and set to the beat of Malo Malo, a barrio rock band whose female lead guitarist captures Jay's heart. He must face a series of dangerous, otherworldly--and very human--challenges to become the man, and dragon, he is meant to be. This is Charles de Lint at his best!

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile (November 11, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670011916
• ISBN-13: 978-0670011919

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Sweep (Dark Magick, Awakening, and Spellbound: Volume 2)
by Cate Tiernan - November 11, 2010

Description

The second three Sweep books bound into one gorgeous edition at a fabulous price! Morgan Rowlands is a blood witch, the last of a long line of ancient and powerful witches and the holder of an unfathomable power. With the help of her love, her soul mate, Cal, she has realized her true self, but at a price. For Morgan and Cal share a terrible, dark secret; one that binds them together even as they are rend apart. Yet there is something about Cal's hunger for magick that frightens Morgan . . . And now there is another, one who can bring Morgan clarity, truth . . . love. Morgan must decide who is her true soul mate, and who is out to destroy her forever . . .

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Speak (November 11, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142418978
• ISBN-13: 978-0142418970

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Tyger Tyger (Goblin Wars #1)
by Kersten Hamilton – November 15, 2010

Description

Teagan Wylltson's best friend, Abby, dreams that horrifying creatures--goblins, shape-shifters, and beings of unearthly beauty but terrible cruelty--are hunting Teagan. Abby is always coming up with crazy stuff, though, so Teagan isn't worried. Her life isn't in danger. In fact, it's perfect. She's on track for a college scholarship. She has a great job. She's focused on school, work, and her future. No boys, no heartaches, no problems.
     Until Finn Mac Cumhaill arrives. Finn's a bit on the unearthly beautiful side himself. He has a killer accent and a knee-weakening smile. And either he's crazy or he's been haunting Abby's dreams, because he's talking about goblins, too . . . and about being The Mac Cumhaill, born to fight all goblin-kind. Finn knows a thing or two about fighting. Which is a very good thing, because this time, Abby's right. The goblins are coming.

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (November 15, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0547330081
• ISBN-13: 978-0547330082

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Night Star (Immortals #5)
by Alyson Noel – November 15, 2010

Description

With 2 million copies of her "Immortals series" in print, Alyson Noel is one of the hottest paranormal teen authors writing today. "Night Star" continues the epic love story that has enchanted readers across the world. Ever and Damen must face bitter rivals, jealous friends and their own worst fears - all in the hope of being together forever. "Night Star" is guaranteed to mesmerize fans and leave them breathlessly awaiting the sixth and final book!

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (November 16, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312590989
• ISBN-13: 978-0312590987

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Matched
by Ally Condie - November 30, 2010

Description

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile (November 30, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525423648
• ISBN-13: 978-0525423645

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Please CONTACT ME if I missed a title and I will update this post.
*Release dates are subject to change