Waiting on Wednesday #20 - Secret by Brigid Kemmerer

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. Secrets pique people's interest, though not everyone wants to admit it. This week I am featuring Secret by Brigid Kemmerer as my Waiting on Wednesday pick. Secret is due out from Kensington Teen books on January 28, 2014.

Secret is book #4 in Brigid Kemmerer's Elemental series. 
From Goodreads: 
"Nowhere is safe. Not even home…

Nick Merrick is stretched to the breaking point.

Keep his grades sky-high or he’ll never escape his hometown.
Keep his brother’s business going or the Merricks will be out on the street.
Keep the secret of where he’s going in the evenings from his own twin—-or he’ll lose his family.
Keep his mind off the hot, self-assured dancer who’s supposed to be his “girlfriend’s” partner.

Of course there’s also the homicidal freak Quinn has taken to hanging around, and the Elemental Guide counting the hours until he can try again to kill the Merrick brothers.

There’s a storm coming. From all sides. And then some.

Nick Merrick, can you keep it together?"

Secret is due out from Kensington Teen books on January 28, 2014.

What book are you waiting on this week?

Waiting on Wednesday #18 - Broken Sigil by William Meikle

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. This week I am waiting on Broken Sigil by Willliam Meikle. This is a novella length piece, coming in at about 55 pages long. It's a paranormal piece and once again sounds like one of my favorite types, a ghost story. In this case, perhaps it's more accurately a haunted  house story.

From Netgalley:

There are houses like this all over the world. Most people only know of them from whispered stories over campfires; tall tales told to scare the unwary. But some...those who suffer...know better. They are drawn to these places to ease their pain.

If you have the will, the fortitude, you can peer into another life, where the dead are not gone.

 Broken Sigil is due out January 14, 2014 as part of Darkfuse's novella series. 

What book are you waiting on this week?

Waiting on Wednesday #17 - A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. This week I am waiting on A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey. It is the first book in a new series, The Lovegrove Legacy. I really enjoy stories about witches. I have ever since I went to Salem, MA. when I was small. When I grew up, I realized that most if not all of those accused of witchcraft in the Salem trials were not witches at all, simply odd or a victim of politics. A Breath of Frost promises witches of the more fictional type with dangers of the more paranormal kinds.

Here is what Goodreads has to say about it:
"In 1814, three cousins-Gretchen, Emma, and Penelope-discover their unknown family lineage of witchcraft. Beyond the familiar manicured gardens and ballrooms of Regency London, a dangerous, alluring new underworld visible only to those with power is now open to the cousins. 
But unbeknownst to them, by claiming their power, the three cousins have inadvertently opened the gates to the Underworld. 
Now the dead, ghouls, hellhounds-and the most terrifying of all: the spirits of dark witches known as the Greymalkin Sisters-are hunting and killing young debutante witches for their powers. 
And, somehow, Emma is connected to the murders...because she keeps finding the bodies. 
Can the cousins unravel the clues and mystery behind their heritage and power before their gifts are stripped away ...or even worse, another witch is killed?"

A Breath of Frost is due out January 7, 2014 from Walker Children's. The author has book trailers on her website at  http://alyxandraharvey.com/lovegrove/

What Book are You Waiting on this Wednesday?

Waiting on Wednesday #14 - Murder and Moonshine by Carol Miller

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week the book I am waiting on is Murder and Moonshine by Carol Miller. It's due out December 17, 2013 from Minotaur Books.

From Goodreads.com:
"All small towns have secrets—and plenty of them—as every small town waitress knows. Daisy is no different. A young, recently-separated waitress at H&P's Diner in sleepy southwestern Virginia, she hears more than her fair share of neighborhood gossip while serving plates of hash and peach cobbler. But when a reclusive old man, Dickerson, shows up at the diner one day, only to drop dead a few minutes later, Daisy quickly learns that some secrets are more dangerous to keep than others—especially when there’s money and moonshine involved.

Daisy finds herself caught between whiskey and guns; a handsome ATF agent and a moonshine-brewing sweet talker; and a painful past and a dangerous present. Not sure any longer who she can trust, Daisy must turn sleuth while also protecting her sick mother and keeping a handle on Aunt Emily, her goading, trigger-happy landlord. There's trouble brewing in her small town, and before it passes, many secrets will come to light.

Carol Miller makes a memorable and charming debut in Murder and Moonshine, the first of an intriguing new series."

It sounds interesting to me. I wonder just what will come out in the course of the book. And I hope she will find someone she can trust before the end.

What book are you waiting on this week?

Waiting on Wednesday #13: The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week the book I am eagerly anticipating is The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes.

From Goodreads:
"Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But it’s not a skill that she’s ever taken seriously. That is, until the FBI come knocking: they’ve begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.

What Cassie doesn’t realize is that there’s more at risk than a few unsolved homicides— especially when she’s sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own.

Sarcastic, privileged Michael has a knack for reading emotions, which he uses to get inside Cassie’s head—and under her skin. Brooding Dean shares Cassie’s gift for profiling, but keeps her at arm’s length.

Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms closer than Cassie could ever have imagined. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive. "

I've heard that it's like a combination of Criminal Minds and CSI, but I can't vouch for that until I read it myself. It does sound very interesting at any rate. It's due out November 5, 2013 through Disney-Hyperion Books.

What book are you waiting on this week?

Waiting on Wednesday #12 - Unhinged by A.G. Howard

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over on Breaking the Spine to spotlight new releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

From Goodreads:
"Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head."

I know it might be a little early to post this one as it doesn't come out until January 7, 2014, but I  just finished reading the chapter sampler that was available from Netgalley and the publisher and it was awesome.  It started out in mid action. Already there was tension. And from there the tension just continued to build. By the end of the sampler, I just wanted the rest of the book. I loved the interplay between Alyssa and Morpheus. I haven't yet read book one. This is my first exposure to these characters and this Wonderland. I want to know more. I'm waiting to read  Splintered from my library and happy to see it getting checked out.

So what are you waiting on this week?

Waiting on Wednesday #11 - Sorrow's Knot by Erin Bow

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over on Breaking the Spine where we spotlight new releases that we are eagerly anticipating. This week I am waiting on Sorrow's Knot by Erin Bow. It's due out October 29, 2013 from Arthur A. Levine books at Scholastic. 

From Goodreads.com: "In the world of Sorrow’s Knot, the dead do not rest easy. Every patch of shadow might be home to something hungry and nearly invisible, something deadly. The dead can only be repelled or destroyed with magically knotted cords and yarns. The women who tie these knots are called binders.

Otter is the daughter of Willow, a binder of great power. She’s a proud and privileged girl who takes it for granted that she will be a binder some day herself. But when Willow’s power begins to turn inward and tear her apart, Otter finds herself trapped with a responsibility she’s not ready for, and a power she no longer wants."

There is a sneak peek available on the author's website: http://www.erinbow.com/sorrowsknotexcerpt.shtml

What book are you waiting on this week?

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Waiting on Wednesday: The Midnight Dress by Karen Foxlee

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over on Breaking the Spine where we spotlight new releases that we are eagerly anticipating. This week my WoW is Midnight Dress by Karen Foxlee.

I read a rave review of this book on Publisher's Weekly. Between that and the Goodreads description I can't wait for the book to come out here in the States on October 8, 2013 from Knopf Books for Young Readers. It was released first in Australia earlier this year. 

From Goodreads: "Quiet misfit Rose doesn't expect to fall in love with the sleepy beach town of Leonora. Nor does she expect to become fast friends with beautiful, vivacious Pearl Kelly, organizer of the high school float at the annual Harvest Festival parade. It's better not to get too attached when Rose and her father live on the road, driving their caravan from one place to the next whenever her dad gets itchy feet. But Rose can't resist the mysterious charms of the town or the popular girl, try as she might.

Pearl convinces Rose to visit Edie Baker, once a renowned dressmaker, now a rumored witch. Together Rose and Edie hand-stitch an unforgettable dress of midnight blue for Rose to wear at the Harvest Festival—a dress that will have long-lasting consequences on life in Leonora, a dress that will seal the fate of one of the girls. Karen Foxlee's breathtaking novel weaves friendship, magic, and a murder mystery into something moving, real, and distinctly original." 

From the review: "While I always have precocious younger readers who like to venture into the YA section, I feel that, due to some mature themes, this is definitely a title for teenage readers. I think that fans of Sarah Dessen, Rainbow Rowell, and Deb Caletti will love this book..."

I haven't read any of those authors, but the book still sounds wonderful to me. Can't wait to read it. What are you "Waiting on this Wednesday?"

Waiting on Wednesday: Shadows by Paula Weston

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights the upcoming releases that we're most looking forward to. 

My selection this week is Shadows (Rephaim #1) by Paula Weston. 

It's due out in the U.S. September 10, 2013  by Tundra books. 

From GoodReads: "It's almost a year since Gaby Winters watched her twin brother die. In the sunshine of a new town her body has healed, but her grief is raw and constant. It doesn't help that every night in her dreams she fights and kills hell-beasts. And then Rafa comes to town. Not only does he look exactly like the guy who's been appearing in Gaby's dreams, he tells her things about her brother and her life that cannot be true, things that are dangerous. Who is Rafa? Who are the Rephaim? And who is Gaby? The truth lies in the shadows of her nightmares." 

The available reviews say lots of good things about this book. I'm looking forward to reading it.

Waiting on Wednesday #9: Daughter of Camelot by Glynis Cooney

Waiting on Wednesday is sponsored over at Breaking the Spine. 

Daughter of Camelot by Glynis Cooney is due out September 24, 2013 from Mabon Publishing.

From Goodreads and the Publisher's website: "Raised in the shadow of a fort dedicated to training Knights of the Round Table, Deirdre thirsts for adventure. Born a twin, the soon to be 14 Deirdre dreams of having adventures like the noble men in her life. To prepare, she has her brother Rhys teach her secretly the combat lessons he learns as he prepares for his knighthood.

Instead at 14, Deirdre is sent with her older sister Nia to court to learn the etiquette and talents of a young woman.

Then crisis hits Camelot. Allegiances are challenged. Perceptions change. A prophecy foretelling the fall of King Arthur threatens to become a reality. Deirdre finds herself entangled in a deadly conspiracy that stretches deep into the very heart of Camelot. All Deirdre thought she knew and believed in is challenged when she embarks on a quest to defy Fate and save the King.

Filled with terrific suspense and budding romance, Daughter of Camelot is a fast paced adventure set against the turmoil at the end of the Arthurian era."

If you are a fan of Arthurian literature, like me, this looks like it will be an interesting title. I think it would also appeal to fans of medieval time period stories.

What book are you "waiting on" this week?

Waiting on Wednesday: How to Kill a Vampire: Fangs in Folklore, Film and Fiction by Liisa Ladouceur

"Waiting On" Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I have a little bit of a fascination for things that go bump in the night - vampires, werewolves, that sort of thing. I like reading the folklore and mythology behind our beliefs about such things. How to Kill a Vampire: Fangs in Folklore, Film and Fiction by Liisa Ladouceur examines just that as well as how it's been applied in films and fiction.

"Tell me something that's not obvious!" you cry out. Well, in addition to how to kill vampires from different cultures, the book gives advice about how to avoid becoming a vampire in the first place.

And according to the blurb, "It traces the evolution of how to kill the fictional vampire—from Bram Stoker’s Dracula and the Hammer horror films beginning in the 1950s to Anne Rice’s Lestat and the dreamy vamps of Twilight, True Blood, and The Vampire Diaries—and also celebrates the most important slayers, including Van Helsing, Buffy, and Blade. In exploring how and why these monsters have been created and the increasingly complex ways in which they are destroyed, the book not only serves as a handy guide to the history and modern role of the vampire, it reveals much about the changing nature of human fears."

All in all, if you have an interest in vampires that goes beyond just enjoying the fiction - what makes them tick, where do the writers get some of their ideas from - then this book might be worth your time. How to Kill a Vampire is due out September 1, 2013 from ECW Press.

Waiting on Wednesday - Naked Once More by Elizabeth Peters

 "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week my choice is Naked Once More by Elizabeth Peters due out August 6, 2013 by Grand Central Publishing. This is actually a re-release, but I missed it the first time out which was 1989. It won an Agatha award for best novel that same year.

Jacqueline Kirby, Jake, is a librarian turned novelist. She is contemplating getting out of the writing business when her agent approaches her with the option to write the sequel to the blockbuster novel Naked in the  Ice. Naked in the Ice was written by Kathleen Darcy who was missing and declared dead after 7 years. The novel had skyrocketed her to instant fame. Jake thought only a fool would turn down this opportunity. 

From Goodreads: "It’s an opportunity no novelist in her right mind would pass up, and there’s no doubting Jacqueline’s sanity…until she starts digging through the missing woman’s papers—and her past. Until she gets mixed up with Kathleen’s enigmatic lover. Until a series of nasty accidents convince her much too late that someone wants to bring Jacqueline’s story—and her life—to a premature end."

Lest the thought that Jaqueline is a librarian turn you off, the official web site for Elizabeth Peters assures you that Jake is not your stereotypical librarian. Rather, she is described as "an intelligent, glamorous, and flamboyant woman of mystery whose passion for reference work and natural talent combine to make her an excellent detective. No matter what the situation, she always gets her man."

I find the premise intriguing. I used to work in the public library system. I think that I will enjoy it. I think that if you like Elizabeth Peters writing, you would probably enjoy it. I love the cover too.

Waiting on Wednesday: Frozen (Heart of Dread #1) by Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Frozen is Book One in a series called Heart of Dread, and is expected out by September 17, 2013 through Penguin Publishing.  I was able to read a short excerpt from the book, and I can say I look forward to being able to reading the whole book when it comes out. It seems to be a  little bit of a mash up of fantasy and dystopian type stories. There is magic that isn't trusted by the majority of people. And  much of the world is frozen as a result of something that the humans have done. There is some romance as well.

From Goodreads: 
"From New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston comes this remarkable first book in a spellbinding new series about the dawn of a new kind of magic.

Welcome to New Vegas, a city once covered in bling, now blanketed in ice. Like much of the destroyed planet, the place knows only one temperature—freezing. But some things never change. The diamond in the ice desert is still a 24-hour hedonistic playground and nothing keeps the crowds away from the casino floors, never mind the rumors about sinister sorcery in its shadows.

At the heart of this city is Natasha Kestal, a young blackjack dealer looking for a way out. Like many, she's heard of a mythical land simply called “the Blue.” They say it’s a paradise, where the sun still shines and the waters are turquoise. More importantly, it’s a place where Nat won’t be persecuted, even if her darkest secret comes to light.

But passage to the Blue is treacherous, if not impossible, and her only shot is to bet on a ragtag crew of mercenaries led by a cocky runner named Ryan Wesson to take her there. Danger and deceit await on every corner, even as Nat and Wes find themselves inexorably drawn to each other. But can true love survive the lies? Fiery hearts collide in this fantastic tale of the evil men do and the awesome power within us all."

Waiting on Wednesday: Troubled Daughters, Twisted Wives ed. by Sarah Weinman

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My choice for this week is Troubled Daughters, Twisted Wives: Stories from the Trailblazers of Domestic Suspense ed. by Sarah Weinman due out August 27, 2013 from Penguin Books.

This is an anthology of 14 women writers from 1940s through the mid 1970s. Among those selected are Charlotte Armstrong, Patricia Highsmith, and Shirley Jackson. The website domesticsuspense.com  has more on the authors and why they were selected for inclusion.

From Goodreads.com:" One of today’s preeminent authorities on crime fiction, Weinman asks: Where would bestselling authors like Gillian Flynn, Sue Grafton, or Tana French be without the women writers who came before them?

In Troubled Daughters, Twisted Wives, Weinman brings together fourteen hair-raising tales by women who—from the 1940s through the mid-1970s—took a scalpel to contemporary society and sliced away to reveal its dark essence. Lovers of crime fiction from any era will welcome this deliciously dark tribute to a largely forgotten generation of women writers."

I hadn't thought of Domestic Suspense as a genre until I came across this book. Sarah Weinman suggests that as a genre it exists (from domesticsuspense.com):

"To my mind, it’s a genre of books published between World War II and the height of the Cold War, written by women primarily about the concerns and fears of women of the day. These novels and stories operate on the ground level, peer into marriages whose hairline fractures will crack wide open, turn ordinary household chores into potential for terror, and transform fears about motherhood into horrifying reality. They deal with class and race, sexism and economic disparity, but they have little need to show off that breadth.

Instead, they turn our most deep-seated worries into narrative gold, delving into the dark side of human behavior that threatens to come out with the dinner dishes, the laundry, or taking care of a child. They are about ordinary, everyday life, and that’s what makes these novels of domestic suspense so frightening. The nerves they hit are really fault lines."

It sounds fascinating to me from a historical perspective and from an entertainment perspective. I suspect it will also appeal to fans of noir fiction.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Faceless One by Mark Onspaugh

"Waiting On" Wednesday" is a weekly event  hosted at Breakingthespine.blogspot.com that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. The Faceless One by Mark Onspaugh is my choice for this week's Waiting on Wednesday. It's due to be published October 28, 2013 by Hydra.

From Amazon and Goodreads:

"From a brilliant new voice in horror comes a riveting nightmare of ancient evil unleashed—and the bravery and sacrifice of those called to combat it.

In 1948, when he was just a boy, Jimmy Kalmaku trained with his uncle to be the shaman of his Tlingit village in Alaska. There he learned the old legends, the old myths, the old secrets. Chief among them was that of a mask locked in a prison of ice, and of the faceless god imprisoned within: a cruel and vengeful god called T'Nathluk, dedicated to the infliction of pain and suffering.

Now all but forgotten in a Seattle retirement home, Jimmy finds his life turned upside down. For when an unwitting archaeologist pries the mask free of its icy tomb, he frees T’Nathluk as well. Stuck in spirit form, the Faceless One seeks a human to serve as a portal through which he can enter our reality. The Faceless One can control—and mercilessly torture—anyone who touches the mask, which means there is no shortage of slaves to ferry it across the country to its chosen host.

Yet the Faceless One has foes as well: Stan Roberts, a tough New York cop whose pursuit of justice will lead him into a dark abyss of the soul; Steven, Liz, and Bobby, the family of the doomed archaeologist; and Jimmy Kalmaku, who must at last become the shaman of his boyhood dreams."

Waiting on Wednesday: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Brokenspine.blogspot.com, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My choice for this week is Between the Devil and the Deep  Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke.  The book is due to be released August 15, 2013.

From Amazon: 

You stop fearing the Devil when you’re holding his hand…

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town…until River West comes along. River rents the guesthouse behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more? Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery…who makes you want to kiss back. Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.

A gothic thriller romance with shades of Stephen King and F. Scott Fitzgerald, set against a creepy summertime backdrop—a must-read for fans of Beautiful Creatures, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, and Anna Dressed in Blood.