Daily Archives: February 19, 2017

Continue Online (Part 1, Memories)by Stephan Morse

The future is filled with self-driving cars, virtual realities, chore completing machines, and super fast internet connections. Yet all these technological innovations cannot prevent tragedy. Three years ago Grant Legate lost that which he loved most. His carefully built life fell apart in the wake of depression.

Now, Grant spends most days working endless hours as a companion to an AI. Their job is simple, to repair broken machines that humanity uses to visit virtual realities. Unintended hard work pays off after his boss forces Grant to take a vacation and try the latest game craze called Continue Online; a fantasy world with the freedom to play any role one might choose.

Inside this new game, he meets a series of AIs that are nothing like what he expected from a video game. Grant starts his journey from a very different perspective, and he is only one part of an AI agenda that will end up impacting all of humanity.

Pauperby Jack McDonald Burnett

From the author of Girl on the Moon and the upcoming sequel, Girl on Mars, comes this standalone novel about humankind’s next great adventure.

Billionaire Frank Ebersole believes Pauper, Earth’s smaller moon, is the source of magic–the power magickers draw from to perform their supernatural feats. He wants to find the magic “generator” there and exploit it, making him the most powerful man on Earth.

To do it he’ll put together an expedition to the tiny moon, with a crew chosen from the general population: an administrative assistant with a big heart, a plucky magicker with her own agenda, a quiet teenage girl, and Frank’s own “body man.”

Together they’ll have to survive demanding, accelerated training. Their voyage will be fraught with danger and heartbreaking loss. Some of them may not make it home. Will they learn Pauper’s secret? And will it save them, or kill them?

The Thirteenth Tale: A Novelby Diane Setterfield

A wonderfully atmospheric and haunting New York Times bestselling novel that is reminiscent of classics such as Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Rebecca.

When Margaret Lea opened the door to the past, what she confronted was her destiny.

All children mythologize their birth…So begins the prologue of reclusive author Vida Winter’s collection of stories, which are as famous for the mystery of the missing thirteenth tale as they are for the delight and enchantment of the twelve that do exist.

The enigmatic Winter has spent six decades creating various outlandish life histories for herself — all of them inventions that have brought her fame and fortune but have kept her violent and tragic past a secret. Now old and ailing, she at last wants to tell the truth about her extraordinary life. She summons biographer Margaret Lea, a young woman for whom the secret of her own birth, hidden by those who loved her most, remains an ever-present pain. Struck by a curious parallel between Miss Winter’s story and her own, Margaret takes on the commission.

As Vida disinters the life she meant to bury for good, Margaret is mesmerized. It is a tale of gothic strangeness featuring the Angelfield family, including the beautiful and willful Isabelle, the feral twins Adeline and Emmeline, a ghost, a governess, a topiary garden and a devastating fire.

Margaret succumbs to the power of Vida’s storytelling but remains suspicious of the author’s sincerity. She demands the truth from Vida, and together they confront the ghosts that have haunted them while becoming, finally, transformed by the truth themselves.

The Thirteenth Tale is a love letter to reading, a book for the feral reader in all of us, a return to that rich vein of storytelling that our parents loved and that we loved as children. Diane Setterfield will keep you guessing, make you wonder, move you to tears and laughter and, in the end, deposit you breathless yet satisfied back upon the shore of your everyday life.

Handcrafted Bitters: Simple Recipes for Artisanal Bitters and the Cocktails that Love Themby Rockridge Press

With more bitters recipes than any other book–and twice as many cocktail recipes to try them out–Handcrafted Bitters belongs on the shelf of every cocktail enthusiast, kitchen crafter, foodie, and happy drunk.

An expert at simplifying professional techniques for the DIYer, Will Budiaman has created an easy-to-use and adventurous guide that provides all the tools needed to craft your own bitters and take your cocktails to the next level. Seasonal bitters and cocktail recipes, professional tips and tricks, and plenty of cocktail lore and wisdom demystify the art of making bitters at home.

Complete with a foreword by Doug Dalton, owner of Future Bars–including San Francisco’s Bourbon & Branch, Local Edition, and Swig–and expert advice from the founders of Scrappy’s Bitters and Hella Bitters, Handcrafted Bitters is your complete guide to making your own bitters…and the cocktails that love them.

Recipes include: Orange-Fennel Bitters, Habanero Bitters, Lemongrass Bitters, Rhubarb Bitters, Chocolate Bitters, Grapefruit Bitters, and more!

Unspokenby Jen Frederick

***USA Today Bestselling Book***

Whore. Slut. Typhoid Mary.

I’ve been called all these at Central College. One drunken night, one act of irresponsible behavior, and my reputation was ruined. Guys labeled me as easy and girls shied away. To cope, I stayed away from Central social life and away from Central men, so why is it that my new biology lab partner is so irresistible to me?

He’s everything I shouldn’t want. A former Marine involved in illegal fighting with a quick trigger temper and an easy smile for all the women. His fists aren’t the danger to me, though, it’s his charm. He’s sliding his way into my heart and I’m afraid that he’s going to be the one to break me.

Impulsive. Unthinking. Hot tempered.

I allow instinct to rule my behavior. If it feels good, do it, has been my motto because if I spend too much time thinking, I’ll begin to remember exactly where I came from. At Central College, I’ve got fighting and I’ve got women and I thought I was satisfied until I met her.

She’s everything I didn’t realize I wanted and the more time I spend with her, the more I want her. But she’s been hurt too much in the past and I don’t want to be the one to break her. I know I should walk away, but I just can’t.

Day of Reckoning: A Lucas Wade Western (Book 3)by Raylan McCrae

Day of Reckoning is the Third Book in the highly acclaimed Lucas Wade Western Series. As the legendary Wyoming Range Wars are building steam, Marshal Lucas Wade finds himself caught between the Big Cattle corporate barons of the Stock Growers Association and the old time ranchers, big and small, that have settled in the open ranges of Wyoming. When the corporate cattlemen hang Judy Ruth Walder with an “I Rustled Cows” sign around her neck, Marshal Wade realizes there are no limits to what they will do. More than one gunfight will be required as Spencer, Wyoming fills up with gunmen hired by the Association, but eventually the conflict explodes into a war with hundreds on each side.
The previous two books in the series, Just Compensation and Gunfighter’s Justice, spent months on the Amazon Top 10 List of Classic Westerns. Raylan McCrae has been favorably compared by readers and critics to Zane Grey and Louis L’Amour. If you’ve not yet read the Lucas Wade series, Day of Reckoning is the perfect place to begin. Raylan McCrae continues to write about a wide open West, where freedom is personified by men willing to take a life and death stance for what they want or what they believe in. As always, in Day of Reckoning McCrae blends an action packed drama with humor and spice that will keep you turning pages.

Redemptionby Laxmi Hariharan

"One of the best books I read this year. A tightly-woven tale of loss, pain, and recovery–and of what it means to forget oneself in order to be redeemed by love ★★★★★ " – Margo Bond Collins, NY Times bestselling author.

"Really, really, damn good. I am undone by the raw emotion that pours through this book." – Teri Hicks, reader

"Loved it! Made me hungry for more. Am going to read ALL the other books in series!" Elizabeth Peacock, reader

From New York Times bestselling author, Laxmi Hariharan, comes Redemption, the much anticipated next standalone story in the Many Lives Series. For fans of Nalini Singh and Christine Feehan. Experience a thrilling paranormal romance where shifters, vampires and immortals fight to save their love and their race.

LEANA
I submit to nobody–not even him.

MIKHAIL
I've never needed anyone, but now I more than need her–I want her.

When differences threaten to tear fated mates apart

Reclusive designer Mikhail Anton blames wolf-shifters for his memory loss, refusing to accept the signs that he is immortal. On meeting Leana Iyeroy, a female cage-fighter and shifter, Mikhail is drawn to her in ways he can't identify. And when vampires threaten Leana, he must acknowledge his abilities to rescue her from certain death. They must team up to save their city–before their differences destroy everything they love.

The Many Lives Universe
In a world full of shifters, vampires and immortals, the Many Lives Series begins in present-day Bombay right before a catastrophic natural disaster destroys much of the city. Embark upon a perilous and epic journey as Ruby Iyer and Vikram Roy uncover the secrets of the city–and the demons of their past.

The Many Lives Series is an epic paranormal romance series that traces the origin and love stories of one woman's illegitimate descendants–all united by the power of her infamous sword.

Protogenesisby Alysia Helming

A Terrible Tragedy…

One fateful day, life for California teenager Helene Crawford comes to a grinding halt. There was a fire. Her mother is “gone”. The police say she’s dead. But something’s not right…a maze of clues lead her to believe that her mom is still alive.

The Answers lie in Greece…

The Greek Mafia may be involved. She has a crazy godfather in Athens she never knew she had. Vivid dreams of ancient gods consume her sleep. Helene must go to Greece. The answers to her quest to find her mom lie there.

A New Life, New Love…

Suddenly uprooted to move across the world, Helene must survive a new school and navigate the highs and lows of new love. All of this in Greece, a country embroiled in economic crisis where the kids literally speak “Greek”.

A Portal to Another World…

Through this daring journey, Helene will pass through the gates of her past to another world where the roots of modern civilization and the gods of her favorite ancient myths converge – in order to find her mom, find herself, find true love, become empowered and transform to fulfill her destiny.

Who knows? Maybe the gods and goddesses are on her side… or maybe not. After all, nothing is as it seems.

Mash Upby Joe Klingler

“Cleverly designed, Mash Up is the perfect detective read, as well as a classic addition to the noir genre.”–San Francisco Book Review (5 of 5 Stars)

Disturbed by the death of a suspect in a recent case he feels was the result of his own failure to unravel a high-tech crime; Qigiq, Fairbanks detective, motorcyclist and knife-thrower, heads south to partner with the energetic, action-loving Kandy Dreeson of the San Francisco Police Department to be schooled on all things digital.

But when Robina, a violinist from a local college, arrives at the police station with body parts in an Amazon box screaming about her missing roommate, Kandy and Qigiq are soon drowning in a torrent of cyber-clues from YouTube videos to disappearing music files while dodging threats to their lives. With each bit they decipher they grow ever closer to the dangerous forces that would trade money for murder, and secrecy for seduction.

High-speed chase suspenseful, exploding with power-struggle intrigue, and awash in Silicon Valley “innovation,” Mash Up captures the enchantment of the Internet Age, and the deadly power of a file copy.

“Klingler is skilled at writing action scenes. He puts the reader directly in the line of fire, and he doesn’t let up…Anyone interested in thrillers or police procedurals will find much to appreciate in this newest Qigiq installment.”–Foreword Clarion Reviews (4 Star ****)

A Field of Roses and Stonesby Henry S.

A Field of Roses and Stones is a romantic suspense. It is a fast-paced adventure of loss, love, and redemption. Abe McKusick is not yet forty. Recently a high-powered Minneapolis mergers and acquisitions attorney–with House of Saud clients and billionaire friends–Abe’s life has become a catastrophe. He lost his only child to leukemia. His wife abandoned him. He’s unemployed. And now the F.B.I. is investigating him for ties to international drug smuggling and terrorism. Abe is teetering on the edge of madness and plagued by suicidal thoughts. Then begins an unexpected romance with Dr. Aishling Quinlan –the pediatric surgeon formerly treating Abe’s child. Aishling is sophisticated and beautiful but harbors immense guilt from a tragic event in her past. Abe is manipulated by bullying federal agents, his money-grubbing financial advisor, and the provocative Katie Trends, an unlikely acquaintance with unanticipated ambitions. Abe will find out if his love for Aishling is enough to rescue him from this sea of chaos.