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Books Fiction Affliction

Fiction Affliction: December Releases in Paranormal Romance

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Published on December 2, 2011

New releases in paranormal romance in December 2011
New releases in paranormal romance in December 2011

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, werewolves nipping at your… Nothing says happy holidays like a shapeshifter or werewolf, obviously, as shifter romance takes top billing for December’s 2011 paranormal romance releases. Vampires, aliens, psychics, goddesses and unspecified immortals are also represented as popular series by Joey Hill, Lora Leigh, Marjorie M. Liu, and Sarah McCarty continue (gotta love a vampire cowboy).

Fiction Affliction details releases in science fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and “genre-benders.” Keep track of them all here.

 

WEEK ONE

Obsidian, by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Dec. 6, Entangled)

Starting over sucks.When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy Internet access, and a whole lot of boring—until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something unexpected happens. The hot alien living next door marks me. Young Adult.

Demons Like It Hotby Sidney Ayers (Dec. 1, Sourcebooks)

Serah SanGermano runs a successful catering company in a Midwestern town. After she inadvertently helped her friend unleash a legion of demons, she’s been trying to hide her own newly discovered powers. Matthias Ambrose, a mysterious demon mercenary sent to protect her, has his own secret—one that will embroil them both in the scandal from hell.

Dreaming of the Wolf, by Terry Spear (Dec. 1, Sourcebooks)

Werewolf pack leader Jake Silver is an acclaimed photographer. He sees a beautiful woman at the art gallery where his photos are on display, and his intrigue turns into wolfish protectiveness. Alicia Greiston has never met anyone like Jake—he’s sexy, alpha, and totally irresistible, and he calls to something primal in her soul.

Devil’s Kiss, by Zoe Archer (Dec. 6, Zebra)

1762. James Sherbourne, Earl of Whitney, is a gambling man. Not for the money, but for the thrill. Whit has become one of the infamous Hellraisers, which was how he found himself in a gypsy encampment, betting against a lovely Romani girl. Zora Grey’s smoky voice and sharp tongue entrance Whit nearly as much as her clever hands with the cards. Zora can’t stop Whit and his Hellraisers from a fiendish curse: the power to grant their own hearts’ desires, to chase their pleasures from the merely debauched to the truly diabolical. But she still has to escape him.

Uncross My Heart, by Jennifer Colgan (Dec. 6, Samhain)

After a century of living la vida muerta, Julian Devlin’s closest ally casts a de-vamping spell that leaves him defanged and demoted from his hard-won place in Baltimore’s vampire hierarchy. Disoriented by his transformation, he can’t even find his way home. Before he can explain to the quirky consignment shop owner why he’s hiding in her basement, she’s punched the newly re-acquired breath out of him and smacked him upside the head with her knock-off purse. As Zoe Boyd risks her life to give him back his death, she warms the soul Julian never thought he’d own again.

Daybreak, by Ellen Connor (Dec. 6, Berkley)

It’s been twelve years since the Change, and Penelope Sheehan is one of the few still practicing magic for the good of humanity in this dark, dangerous world. She needs the help of a shapeshifter named Tru, whom she knew when he was a troubled boy. But Tru is a creature of instinct and impulse, living only to satisfy his senses—ignoring the scarred heart nobody has ever reached. Fighting alongside the last holdouts of humanity, they will unleash a passion that tempts them to risk everything for love. But if they succeed, Tru and Pen hold the power to brighten the Dark Age for all time.Third in the Dark Age Dawning series.

Under the Moon, by Natalie J. Damschroder (Dec. 6, Entangled)

Quinn Caldwell is the epitome of a modern goddess. Her power source is the moon, her abilities restricted only by physical resources and lunar phase. She runs a consulting business and her father’s bar, serves on the board of the ancient Society for Goddess Education and Defense, and yearns for Nick Jarrett, professional goddess protector and the soul mate she can never have. But someone has developed the rare and difficult ability to drain a goddess of her powers, and Quinn is a target. With the world thinking Nick has gone rogue and that Quinn is influenced by “family ties” she didn’t know she had, keeping themselves safe while working to find the enemy proves harder each day. But not as hard as denying their hearts.

Night Reigns, by Dianne Duvall (Dec. 6, Zebra)

Ami isn’t much for trusting strangers. She has a hard time trusting anyone. But she’s no coward, and she’s no pushover in the protection department, either. So when she comes across a mysterious warrior taking on eight deranged vampires on his own, she doesn’t hesitate to save his bacon. Of course, that was before she realized what one little rescue would get her into. Marcus Grayden has been an immortal protector of humanity for eight hundred years, and at the moment he’s not interested in backup. From the moment Ami arrives in his life, he can’t deny that she’s strong, smart, and extremely skilled at watching his back. But she’s also destroying his protective solitude and stirring desires he can’t bear to awaken. Second in the Immortal Guardians.

Bound by the Vampire Queen, by Joey W. Hill (Dec. 6, Berkley)

Sworn to obedience, compelled by loyalty, and threatened with damnation for betrayal, Jacob is Lady Lyssa’s vampire servant. But as Lyssa struggles with the powers that have come alive in her paternal Fae blood, she is challenged by two deadly enemies. Eighth in the Vampire Queen series.

How to Worship a Goddess, by Stephanie Julian (Dec. 6, Samhain)

Lucy is the Etruscan goddess of the moon, hunted by a powerful demon. One misstep and he will trap and consume her in his bid to escape the underworld. Lucy has stayed one step ahead of him, but she didn’t count on falling for minor league hockey player Brandon Stevenson. He’s not one of her worshippers, but he is determined to win over the gorgeous woman who watches him at every game and won’t give her up without a fight—even if it means releasing the beast he holds inside. Second in the Forgotten Goddesses series.

True Shot, by Joyce Lamb (Dec. 6, Berkley)

Samantha Trudeau has spent the past ten years using her psychic abilities to put bad guys behind bars. She’s always believed she’s one of the good guys, until fellow spy and best friend Zoe reveals a shocking secret about who they’ve really been working for. When Zoe’s gunned down, Sam goes on the run, because now her employer is coming after her. Journalist Mac Hunter has had a rough year. At the insistence of his good friends, sisters Charlie and Alex Trudeau, he’s going to crash at their family cabin for some much-needed rest and relaxation. But when he arrives he’s stunned to find the third Trudeau sister, Sam, wounded and unconscious on the cabin floor. Things go from bizarre to dangerous when men with guns show up. Third in the True trilogy.

Lawe’s Justice, by Lora Leigh (Dec. 6, Berkley)

Lora Leigh returns to the world of the Breeds, where animal instincts can bring a feral pleasure to every man and his willing female mate. Twenty-sixth in the Breeds series.

Slade, by Sarah McCarty (Dec. 6, Berkley)

As the backbone of The Renegades’ defense, vampire technological genius Slade Johnson hasn’t met a problem he couldn’t solve. But when Slade is tasked with saving the life of his nephew, he must get in bed with the one woman who has the power to destroy them all: his enemy—his mate. Fourth in the Shadow Wranglers series.

Hearts and Swords, by Robin D. Owens (Dec. 6, Berkley)

Award-winning author Robin D. Owens returns to the futuristic world of Celta with four original romantic fantasies as four different couples find their HeartMates and their destinies on Celta.

Deadlock, by Moira Rogers (Dec. 6, Samhain)

Abandoned by her wolf shifter father and raised by her human psychic mother, Carmen Mendoza can’t deny she’s different. She craves things most women shy away from—and she has a trail of shapeshifting ex-boyfriends to prove it.Working at a clinic for supernatural creatures, she’s escaped the notice of her father’s legacy-obsessed family. Until they need a pawn in their bid for power. Third in the Southern Arcana series.

That Old Black Magic, by Michelle Rowen (Dec. 6, Berkley)

Reluctant witch Eden Riley knows that codependent relationships aren’t good, especially when you’re possessed by a sexy but troublemaking demon. Darrak’s physical form makes good girl Eden want to go bad, but the constant itch to use the soul-destroying black magic she’s recently acquired might force Eden to explore her dark side in an entirely different way. Third in the Living in Eden series.

Deadly Little Voice, by Laurie Faria Stolarz (Dec. 6, Hyperion)

High school junior Camelia thought her powers of psychometry only gave her the ability to sense the future through touch. But now she’s started hearing voices. Mean voices. Berating her, telling her how ugly she is, and that she’d be better off dead. It’s a troubling development that has Camelia terrified for her mental stability, especially since her deranged aunt with a suicidal history just moved into the family house. More torturing, ex-boyfriend Ben, who has similar psychometric abilities, has been spending more time with their classmate Alejandra, even as her own feelings for Adam grow stronger. Young Adult.

Feral, by Sheri Whitefeather (Dec. 6, Berkley)

Mexico, 1850. One fateful night Noah Diaz is ravished by a bold woman who transforms him into an immortal lion. Now he is a wealthy man who owns an underground sex club where supernatural beings can indulge in no-holds-barred sensual play. Though Noah has scores of willing victims, it is the thrill of the hunt he desires. Jenny Lincoln runs a big cat rescue operation that can’t stay afloat —until a donor comes through with the condition that she goes to his club.

 

WEEK TWO

The Girl with the Granite Heart, by A.J. Menden (Dec. 15, DP)

Known as Granite, Selena Curtis is practically impervious to attack. If only her heart was, too. A member of the Elite Hands of Justice, the world’s premier superhero squad, her time as the group’s newbie is over. She’s about to betray them. Jack Campbell is back. Despite the rumors, the piratical-looking supervillain is potent as ever, and he’s Selena’s only chance at stopping someone even more deadly: the Dragon.

 

WEEK THREE

Claim the Night, by Rachel Lee (Dec. 20, Nocturne)

No information on this title was available at deadline.

Enchanted Again, by Robin D. Owens (Dec. 20, Luna)

No information on this title was available at deadline.

Touch of Power, by Maria V. Snyder (Dec. 20, Mira)

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos. Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. First in a new series.

 

WEEK FOUR

The Demon Lover, by Juliet Dark (Dec. 27, Ballantine)

Since accepting a teaching position at remote Fairwick College in upstate New York, Callie McFay has experienced the same disturbingly erotic dream every night: A mist enters her bedroom, then takes the shape of a virile, seductive stranger who proceeds to ravish her in the most toe-curling, wholly satisfying ways possible. Perhaps these dreams are the result of writing her bestselling book, The Sex Lives of Demon Lovers. After all, Callie’s lifelong passion is the intersection of lurid fairy tales and Gothic literature—which is why she finds herself at Fairwick’s renowned folklore department, living in a once-stately Victorian house that, at first sight, seemed to call her name.But Callie soon realizes that her dreams are alarmingly real.

Spirit Bound, by Christine Feehan (Dec. 27, Jove)

Lethal undercover agent Stefan Prakenskii knew a thousand ways to kills a man—and twice as many ways to pleasure a woman. That’s what made him look forward to his new mission: arrive in the coastal town of Sea Haven and insinuate himself in the life of an elusive beauty who had mysterious ties to his past, and a link to a dangerously seductive, and equally elusive master criminal who wanted only one thing: to possess her. Judith Henderson was an artist on the rise—an ethereal, and haunted woman whose own picture-perfect beauty stirred the souls of two men who have made her their obsession. Second in the Sisters of the Heart series.

Bedeviled, by Sable Grace (Dec. 27, Avon)

Kyana thought only to save her friend’s life when she fed Haven her blood; instead, she created a monster. Now the woman she thought of as a sister is under the spell of an ancient, vengeful god, determined to set him free and wreak havoc on the mortal world—only Kyana can stop her. But time is running out. In just seven days, Kyana’s Vampyre and Lychen abilities will be gone and she’ll be completely transformed into the Goddess of the Hunt—and her blood ties to Haven will be severed.

The Mortal Bone, by Marjorie M. Liu (Dec. 27, Ace)

When the bond Maxine Kiss shares with the demons tattooed on her skin is deliberately severed, the demon hunter is left vulnerable and unprotected. For the first time in ten thousand years, the demons have a taste of freedom. And as the little demons grow more violent and unpredictable, Maxine starts to fear they will lose their minds without her. Reuniting won’t be easy, since a greater temptation waits for these hellions: a chance to return to their lives as Reaper Kings, and unleash hell on Earth. Fourth in the Hunter Kiss series.

Warrior’s Redemption, by Melissa Mayhue (Dec. 27, Pocket Star)

Malcolm MacDowylt, laird of Clan MacGahan, is a man ruled by guilt. His wife’s death, his struggling clansmen, even his sister being held prisoner—all hangs on his shoulders. As a descendent of the Norse gods himself, he’s not surprised when his Faerie “mother-in-law” arrives determined to deliver justice for his treatment of her daughter. At least not until that justice appears in the form of a woman whose every look speaks to his very soul…A woman who claims to come from 700 years in the future.

Magic of the Moonlight, by Ellen Schreiber (Dec. 27, Katherine Tegen)

Celeste has more to worry about than a secret romance with a hot guy from the wrong side of town. That guy, Brandon, is a werewolf. With gossip and hostility swirling at school, it’s time to find a cure for his nocturnal condition, and perhaps the one person who can help is his scientist father. But what if a “cure” makes things worse and Brandon becomes a werewolf full time? And with rumors circulating that there are werewolves in Legend’s Run, is it possible that there is another among their classmates? Second in the Full Moon series. Young Adult.

Angel Fire, by L.A. Weatherly (Dec. 27, Candlewick)

Only Willow has the power to defeat the malevolent Church of Angels, and they will stop at nothing to destroy her. Willow isn’t alone, though. She has Alex by her side – a trained Angel Killer and her one true love. But nothing can change the fact that Willow’s a half-angel, and when Alex joins forces with a group of AKs, she’s treated with mistrust and suspicion. She’s never felt more alone…until she meets Seb. He’s been searching for Willow his whole life – because Seb is a half-angel too. Second in the series. Young Adult.

 


Author Suzanne Johnson is a book geek with a fondness for a good dystopia. Her new urban fantasy series, scheduled to begin with the release of Royal Street in April 2012 by Tor Books, is set in New Orleans during and after Hurricane Katrina. Find Suzanne on Twitter.

About the Author

About Author Mobile

Suzanne Johnson

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Urban fantasy author with a new series, set in immediate post-Katrina New Orleans, starting with ROYAL STREET on April 10, 2012, from Tor Books. Urban fantasy author with a new series, set in immediate post-Katrina New Orleans, starting with ROYAL STREET on April 10, 2012, from Tor Books.
Learn More About Suzanne
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