Two more literary deaths: Hellmuth Karasek and Ellis Kaut

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Cora

2015 has been a bad year for German literature and a bad year for celebrity deaths in general.

Now we lost two more literary greats in the space of a few days, critic and writer Hellmuth Karasek, who died yesterday aged 81, and children’s book writer Ellis Kaut, who died last week aged 94.

Ellis Kaut is probably familiar to anybody who grew up in (West) Germany between the 1960s and now. The mischievous kobold Pumuckl and his reluctant human friend master carpenter Meister Eder are probably the best known, though Ellis Kaut also created other characters such as the Kater Musch, a talking black cat. Pumuckl appeared in radio plays and books and even spawned a TV series in the 1980s. The first episode is here. Both Gustl Bayerhammer, the actor who played Meister Eder, and Hans Clarin*, the actor who provided Pumuckl’s voice, have been gone for several years now. When Pumuckl was slimmed down for a new edition of Ellis Kaut’s books, a firestorm broke out and Pumuckl got his babyfat back. Coincidentally, Pumuckl drinks alcohol on occasion (beer mostly, but also cherry liqueur), unimaginable for US children’s book characters.

The Süddeutsche Zeitung has an obituary for Ellis Kaut, looks for traces that both Ellis Kaut and her most famous creation Pumuckl left their hometown in Munich. There is also an article where various Süddeutsche Zeitung journalists share their memories of Ellis Kaut and Pumuckl.

With the recent death of Max Kruse and the death of Otfried Preußler in 2013 and the even earlier deaths of Michael Ende and Astrid Lindgren pretty much all the authors I read as a kid are now gone. It’s probably just a sign of aging, but it still makes me sad.

Talking of cultural touchstones, if you were a literature geek in postwar (West) Germany, the late Hellmuth Karasek will probably have been one of your cultural touchstones. Together with the late Marcel Reich-Ranicki, whom we lost in 2013, and Sigrid Löffler, Hellmuth Karasek made up one third of Das Literarische Quartett, the best literature program not just on German TV but on TV anywhere. For anyone who’s never seen the show, it’s hard to imagine that 75 minutes of four people (Reich-Ranicki, Karasek, Löffler and a guest critic) talking about books could be fantastically entertaining, but it was. Luckily, YouTube has plenty of clips and even full episodes.

What made Das Literarische Quartett so good was the snarky interplay between the three critics (plus guest critic). I always assumed that the sniping was purely for show and that Reich-Ranicki, Karasek and Löffler were best friends in real life, which is why I was shocked when Sigrid Löffler walked out after a disagreement with Marcel Reich-Ranicki about a Haruki Murakami novel (the relevant bit is on YouTube here). However, Hellmuth Karasek and Marcel Reich-Ranicki actually were friends. Here is a clip of them talking about their friendship (and dissing Sigrid Löffler) in the chat show Beckmann. What makes this friendship even more unusual is that Marcel Reich-Ranicki was a Jewish Holocaust survivor, while Hellmuth Karasek had been a student at one of the Nazi elite boarding schools known as Napolas.

Die Zeit, where Hellmuth Karasek worked as a critic, has an obituary, as does Der Spiegel where he was head of the culture department for twenty years. Here is also an English language obituary courtesy of Deutsche Welle.

I think every Literarisches Quartett fan has a favourite Reich-Ranicki moment. It’s more difficult to remember a favourite Karasek moment, since he was usually the calming foil to the explosive Marcel Reich-Ranicki. However, Hellmuth Karasek uttered the line that has long guiding my own reading namely, “Das Leben ist zu kurz für schlechte Bücher” (Life is too short for bad books).

For a taste of how funny Hellmuth Karasek could be, check out this video of him reviewing the IKEA catalogue, shot barely a month before his death.

Coincidentally, Das Literarische Quartett is coming back to TV this Friday after fifteen years off the air, featuring critics Volker Weidermann, Maxim Biller and Christine Westermann and a guest.

It remains to be seen whether the reboot will be as good as the original, though one thing is for sure: Hellmuth Karasek along with Marcel Reich-Ranicki will be sorely missed.

*Few things were freakier than seeing Hans Clarin play a psychopathic killer who has an incestous relationship with his mother in the Edgar Wallace thriller Das Indische Tuch (The Indian Scarf), because Pumuckl or rather his voice doesn’t murder people.

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Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month for September 2015

Posted on September 30, 2015 by Cora

Indie Speculative Fiction of the MonthIt’s that time of the month again, time for “Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month”.

So what is “Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month”? It’s a round-up of speculative fiction by indie authors newly published this month, though some August books I missed the last time around snuck in as well. The books are arranged in alphabetical order by author. So far, most links only go to Amazon.com, though I may add other retailers for future editions.

Once again, we have new releases covering the whole broad spectrum of speculative fiction. We have science fiction, space opera, science fantasy, paranormal romance, post-apocalyptic fiction, dystopian fiction, near future science fiction, YA science fiction, YA fantasy, epic fantasy, urban fantasy, fairytale retellings, alternate history, time travel, intergalactic prison breaks, interplanetary wars, interactive zombies, fallen angels, dashing spies, super-mathematicians, wizards, witches, werewolves, aliens, robots, immortal demon hunters, cryogenic freezing, magical Vegas weekends, death in love, lots of LGBT characters and much more.

Don’t forget that Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month is also crossposted to the Speculative Fiction Showcase, a group blog run by Jessica Rydill and myself, which features new release spotlights, guest posts, interviews and link round-ups regarding all things speculative fiction several times per week.

As always, I know the authors at least vaguely, but I haven’t read all of the books, so Caveat emptor.

And now on to the books without further ado:

Zero Hour by Eamon AmbroseZero Hour by Eamon Ambrose:

A soldier wakes, possibly the last survivor of a brutal attack by machines intent on destroying humanity, but all is not as it seems in this thrilling futuristic tale with a twist that will make you want to read it all over again.

 

 

 

 

ZeQuest by Dhayaa AnbayaganeZeQuest by Dhayaa Anbajagane:

Armorica was an ancient planet filled with luscious fields, towering forests, and crystal clear streams.
And now, it was going to be destroyed.
When Armorica’s very existence is threatened by an enemy planet, Q is left with no other choice but to take matters into his own hands and prevent a inter-planetary massacre from breaking out. But one question remained unanswered : How was he supposed to take down an entire planet?
Thrilling, Plot-twisting and mysterious, ZeQuest explores the nature of a selfish world, where nothing is ever what it seems to be.

This is book 2 of the Quest Saga, following ConQuest.

Children of the GraveChildren of the Grave by Tonia Brown, Alex Laybourne, Aurelio Lopez III, Joe McKinney, Joe Mynhardt and Armand Rosamilia:

Six talented zombie authors take on the Afterlife in an interactive shared-world zombie anthology.

Welcome to Purgatory, an arid plain of existence where zombies are the least of your problems. It’s a post-mortem Hunger Games, and Blaze, a newcomer to Purgatory, needs your help to learn the rules of this world and choose the best course of action.

Purgatory is escapable, so aid Blaze to win the favor of the ruling Gatherers by earning this right. But what’s waiting outside Purgatory, is beyond what the human mind can fathom.

His fate. Your choices.

Your six different choices are penned by Joe McKinney, Armand Rosamilia, Tonia Brown, Joe Mynhardt, Aurelio Lopez III, and Alex Laybourne.

Alliance by Timothy L. CerepakaAlliance by Timothy L. Cerepaka:

His allies are not always who they seem to be.

The law enforcement robot known as J997 travels to the magical and mystical world of Dela after a criminal wanted on his homeworld of Xeeo. His mission is simple: Find the criminal and bring her back to his world to be judged for her crimes. With an entire database in his head that contains information on everything in the two worlds, and an unflappable desire to pursue the criminal, J997 is certain that this job will be quick.

But the mission becomes more complicated when J997 is caught between two secret organizations whose conflict goes back to the dawn of the two worlds themselves. J997 must now avoid getting caught in the crossfire if he is going to return home to Xeeo in one piece. Unless the two organizations have anything to say about it.

Destiny Abounds by Annathesa DarksbaneDestiny Abounds by Annathesa Nikola and Shei Darksbane:

On the prison world of Urebai, a notorious Prisoner breaks free of her chains once more. On primeval Fade, a decorated warrior flees her home for the stars to escape her past. And under the light of a distant star, a solitary pilot prepares to make the ultimate sacrifice for her people.
This is how the tale begins.
Branwen Hawke left behind the swords and castles of her homeworld to take solace from the war that consumed most of her life. After stumbling into the role of captain of a one-of-a-kind starship with an unlikely crew, she must find a way to keep them together and thriving. But even with years of experience commanding troops, Branwen has her hands full with a lost pilot from a distant world, an engineer with crippling anxiety, an innocent young medic with a secret, a renowned Kala, and her insanely dangerous baggage.
Now tasked with an important mission that could make or break the crew’s reputation, Branwen must face her inner turmoil and find some sort of peace despite the struggles she can’t escape, while safeguarding the lives that have fallen so fatefully into her hands.

Driven by Shei DarksbaneDriven by Shei Darksbane:

Dakota Shepherd never thought learning to drive could be such a pain. It seems like every truck she touches ends up dead, but Raelya kindly offers to teach her anyway. Her first lesson in a secluded lot seems to be going pretty well, until someone ends up dead there too.
A sleepless night. An untold tale. A deadly betrayal.
Dakota stumbles upon a long-held secret that could tear the pack apart. Tasked with settling a decades-old score, Dakota is driven to seek justice and set things to rights before an unforgivable crime goes unpunished forever.

 

Of Books, and Earth, and Courtship by Aliette de BodardOf Books, and Earth, and Courtship by Aliette de Bodard:

In a Paris that never was, a city of magical factions where Fallen angels mingle with magicians, alchemists and witches…

Emmanuelle is the Fallen archivist of House Silverspires, and only wants a quiet life with her books. But when Selene, the latest student of Lucifer Morningstar, walks into the library, Emmanuelle finds herself drawn in an adventure to steal from another House. It’s a thrilling and dangerous task, but the most dangerous thing about it might just be Selene herself–aloof and resourceful, and unexpectedly attractive…

Set in the universe of the critically acclaimed The House of Shattered Wings.

Quartz by Rabia GaleQuartz by Rabia Gale:

A sunless world. The lost Tower of Light. And the race to find it.

Rafe Grenfeld, diplomat and spy, has problems.

He’s just learned of the discovery of a legendary quartz pillar: his world’s most precious resource. But his informer died before revealing its location, and Rafe’s on the run in the hostile state of Blackstone.

Once, quartz powered magical devices, but the mages who created them are long gone. Now, veins of quartz give light to a dying world, and Rafe has competition.

Karzov, the notorious chief of Blackstone’s secret police, is also hunting for the pillar. Determined to claim it for his own country, Rafe forms an uneasy alliance with the mysterious and maddening Isabella. As dangerous magical artifacts resurface and dark forces close in, Rafe must tap into the lost powers of the mages to find and secure the quartz—before his world is torn apart by famine and war.

Model #37 by Judy GoodwinModel #37 by Judy Goodwin:

Baby has lived a privileged life—her father always said she was “special.” And Baby knows she’s not like normal humans. She’s only 47 inches tall, even though she’s eighteen years old. She can live off tiny amounts of food. And she’s got a dorsal fin in the middle of her back.

Today’s the big day. She’s supposed to model for the world, and make her father proud. The only questions are why is she so nervous, and why won’t her father let her out of the lab? Most of all, Baby, also known as Model 37, wants to see the world.

Maybe even meet another “special” person like her.

Bonus short story: The Nannypod

It’s Monday morning, and Chris has to get to work. The only problem is, his Nannypod, the device strapped to his wrist that runs his life, just died. He doesn’t even know which bus to get on.

How will he live without it?

The Awakening by Adair HartThe Awakening by Adair Hart:

A heavily damaged alien research vessel in the Andromeda galaxy is hurtling toward a planet. The aliens should not be there. They have been traveling through space and time, abducting apex predators and sticking them in virtual simulations for research. The problem is the virtual simulations are powering down, unleashing the specimens on the ship.

Dr. Albert Snowden and his niece, Emily, were abducted by the aliens. They are visited by a mysterious being named Evaran in the last minutes of the virtual simulation.He has decided to interfere in this timeline-changing event and rescue them.

Stopping the ship from crashing into the planet before getting to Evaran’s ship is one issue. Navigating the apex predators on the loose is another. To make matters worse, Jerzan Graduul, infamous leader of the Bloodbore mercenary pack, has boarded the ship in search of salvage opportunities, and has noticed Evaran’s ship. The hunt begins.

Hartshire Noble Council by R.D. HendersonHartshire Noble Council by R.D. Henderson:

Luigi Darkhawk is a mage and head of the Hartshire Noble Council which is a mysterious and anonymous civic organization that metes out justice to and for the city’s criminal underworld.

As the head of the noble council, he takes advantage of his position by doing favors for criminals in exchange for bribes and other illicit considerations which enables him to have a very nice life and own very nice things, including a penthouse suite in the most expensive hotel in the city.

While he enjoys the benefits of his position on the noble council, an assassin is killing members of the noble council and innocent by-standers with black bolts each containing magic-based explosive component. (Could these black bolts be the same black bolts stolen from Nambroc, the black elf city in the Nether Realm?) The city’s criminal underworld as well as the constables are scouring the city to find the person responsible for all the death and carnage.

At the same time of the assassinations, rumors are swirling about that there could be black elves hiding among the populace of the city. (Could the assassin be a black elf?)

Luigi wants to keep the status quo in the city because he wants to maintain is very nice life, but he knows the assassins needs to be stopped.

If the assassin is not caught, not being able to maintain his very nice life would be the least of his worries. Luigi could be the next victim of the assassin, and certainly does not want that to happen.

Hartshire Noble Council is the fifth novella in the Nambroc Sequence, a fantasy series.

The Fuller's Apprentice by Angela HolderThe Fuller’s Apprentice by Angela Holder:

All Josiah wants is a little excitement. His work as an apprentice fuller is boring, and playing in the mill’s machinery isn’t that dangerous. Everything goes fine—at first.

All right, he’s lucky the wizard Elkan and his familiar, a donkey named Sar, are there to save his life. Even better, when his furious master fires him, Elkan offers him a job as his assistant. Josiah jumps at the chance. Traveling around Tevenar for a year, meeting all sorts of interesting people, helping the dedicated young wizard and clever donkey serve them with the Mother’s healing magic—what could be more fun?

But Josiah soon learns that while matters of life and death may be exciting, they’re seldom fun. Impulsive actions, even when taken with the best of intentions, can have devastating consequences. And some choices have the power to change the future of Tevenar forever.

Root of Unity by S.L. HuangRoot of Unity by S.L. Huang:

Cas Russell has always used her superpowered mathematical skills to dodge snipers or take down enemies. Oh, yeah, and make as much money as possible on whatever unsavory gigs people will hire her for. But then one of her few friends asks a favor: help him track down a stolen math proof. One that, in the wrong hands, could crumble encryption protocols worldwide and utterly collapse global commerce.

Cas is immediately ducking car bombs and men with AKs — this is the type of math people are willing to kill for, and the U.S. government wants it as much as the bad guys do. But all that pales compared to what Cas learns from delving into the proof. Because the more she works on the case, the more she realizes something is very, very wrong . . . with her.

For the first time, Cas questions her own bizarre mathematical abilities. How far they reach. How they tie into the pieces of herself that are broken — or missing.

How the new proof might knit her brain back together . . . while making her more powerful than she’s ever imagined.

Desperate to fix her fractured self, Cas dives into the tangled layers of higher mathematics, frantic for numerical power that might not even be possible — and willing to do anything, betray anyone, to get it.

Jacks Are Wild by Monique MartinJacks Are Wild by Monique Martin:

From the world of Out of Time comes the first book in a new series with Jack Wells!

Former OSS officer Jack Wells’s first assignment for the Council for Temporal Studies sounds deceptively simple—stop a murder before it happens. But as Jack soon finds out, there’s nothing simple about 1960 Las Vegas, especially when the woman you’re sent to save is a mobster’s wife.

Jack is joined by Simon and Elizabeth Cross as he struggles to stay alive long enough to stop Susan’s murder and protect a very fragile timeline.

Lunar Discovery by Salvador MercerLunar Discovery: Let the Space Race Begin by Salvador Mercer:

When a Chinese rover discovers an alien technology on the dark side of the moon, it is up to Richard ‘Rock’ Crandon and his NASA team of scientists and engineers to devise a way to return before the Chinese and Russians.

With pressure mounting, the world is pushed closer to conflict and potential war as the NASA team finds itself seriously behind in the newly initiated space race. The future of mankind, its ideological and technological advances are at stake, as the space race begins.

A Contemporary Sci-Fi, Techno-Thriller, by Salvador Mercer, Author of the Claire-Agon Fantasy World Books.

Polarized by Bedrich Pasek VIIIPolarized by Bedrich Pasek VIII:

Scientists told Sebastian Collier that freezing a man for the trip to Triangulum was a simple procedure. Little more than a nap. But when the systems performing routine bodily maintenance go to great lengths to keep him alive, it’s debatable what emerges from his cryogenic chamber could be called a man at all.

Years after Sebastian’s mysterious death, his descendant Colonel J.D. Boskie is deployed to Triangulum to quash rebellion.

Fervent political discord has the planet eerily united in its antagonism toward mother Earth. Slick thieves are heisting so much of Triangulum’s resources that Earth’s economy is in ruins from the fallout. The planet’s as heartless as its automated factories. If they’re building an army, well…

Boskie’s men think he’s too young. His heavy-handed commanding officer Luna “The Lunatic” doesn’t trust him. And Boskie needs the help of Lucia Meduse Rimbaud, the powerful Triangulese executive with dark eyes that the cherubim drew. She’s argumentative. Forbidden fruit. Infuriating. Doesn’t want anything to do with him.

She’s irresistible.

Boskie believes something big’s about to happen. He also believes he’s slipping into madness just like his ancestor did. He may be right.

Mutation Z: Closing the Borders by Marilyn PeakeMutation Z: Closing the Borders by Marilyn Peake:

Eviscerated bodies are found along both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Military security is stepped up on both sides of the border. However, journalists are given free rein to explore the devastation. As more and more bodies are found, people begin to panic. Meanwhile in The Liberia Treatment and Research Camp of West Africa, Emma Johnson and Chibueze Koroma continue to receive experimental doses of Mutation Z. They also begin to remember the horrific things they’ve done. As journalist Hunter Morgan’s investigation leads him to that same Camp, his own little girl falls sick with fever.

MUTATION Z: CLOSING THE BORDERS is the second book in the MUTATION Z series, following The Ebola Zombies.

What Happened in VegasWhat Happened in Vegas by K.L. Phelps:

Her mother warned her not to go. It was supposed to be a carefree girls’ weekend in Vegas, but what Katrina got was magic, murder, and mayhem.

Swept off her feet by cute but geeky wizard Andrew Parker, Kat is caught in an age-old feud between vampires and lycans. The problem? If things go wrong, it could mean not only the end of her life, but every life in Vegas.

With a kidnapping, a magic carpet ride, and a quickie wedding, this Vegas weekend might be too wild even for Elvis.

Threads of Gold by Christine PopeThreads of Gold by Christine Pope:

Unexpected help can lead to unexpected consequences…

When Annora Kelsden’s father gets her family into financial trouble, it’s up to her to save them. Unable to truly spin straw into gold, Annora despairs for her life. When a mysterious stranger offers to help, Annora desperately agrees to his terms, thankful for his assistance.

After the king receives the gold he desires, Annora believes she’s safe from harm, only to realize that she’s spun herself a trap with seemingly no end. But can the consequences lead her where she never expected — into the arms and heart of her mysterious savior?

A Rumplestiltskin tale spun with sweet sensuality….

Feral by P.J. PostHer Eyes Match the Sky by P.J. Post:

This romance brought to you by the end of the world…

She was looking forward to her junior year of high school, obsessing about prom, getting her driver’s license and maybe even meeting her first boyfriend, but September finds her on the run, from the bombings, from looters and much, much worse.

No more homecoming.

No more homeroom.

No more home.

The United States of America is dying, dragging civilization down with it. No electricity, no cars, no phones, no infrastructure, nothing but anarchy remains. The survivors, families and struggling communities are migrating west, away from the invading armies. Some are praying for the lights to come back on, but others are embracing the New World Order, living for today and taking what they need, but mostly, what they want.

Among them are the orphaned children, scraping by in the shadows with fewer and fewer surviving the cold nights of the approaching winter. But they don’t have to be the forgotten generation.

All they need is a leader.

And she’s found him. If she can keep him alive, they may all have a chance.

Feral is an ongoing serialized story. Episode 2, The Mark, is also available.

The Magic Mines of Asharim by Pauline M. RossThe Magic Mines of Asharim by Pauline M. Ross:

A fallen empire. A woman with dark secrets. A strange magical weapon.

The glorious Akk’asharan Empire was torn apart by treachery two hundred years ago, its water supply cut off. Now its people are enslaved and humiliated, but they have never forgotten the past, and dream of one day restoring their former greatness.

Allandra’s dreams are more immediate: how to control the powerful magical abilities that are ruining her life. After a disastrous outbreak of power, she’s desperate to escape from justice and find a place to grieve and recover. Perhaps the hidden mines of Asharim can provide a safe haven.

The mines can provide much more than that: not only a way to control her dangerous magic, but a magical weapon that might even restore the fallen empire to its rightful place. But with enemies on her trail, and powerful factions who will do anything to stop her, she will only get one chance. If she fails, the empire’s last hope will be lost forever.

From the magic mines of Asharim, no one emerges unchanged.

Sleeper Ship by Jim RudnickSleeper Ship by Jim Rudnick:

As penance for not being honest with his Admiral, Captain Tanner Scott has been sent on a boring routine maintenance mission of checking the RIM boundary buoys one after another and that lets him enjoy his Scotch in peace.

Imagine his surprise when a Sleeper ship suddenly arrives on the RIM and he learns that the thousands of alien Sleepers are all children! While making that known has already gotten RIM Confederacy realms fighting, the real hidden problem is the secret that a virus infects the alien Sleepers.

Finding out the Sleeper’s secret is one thing but the news of what that virus could bring to the RIM and what it might do is the real reason that a powerful RIM Royal realm wants to enslave the alien Sleepers.

When Captain Scott realizes that another RIM planetary realm has also learned what the virus could be worth, they too try to take over the Sleeper ship and that means that Tanner can’t as per usual self-medicate with Scotch but instead has to overcome the RIM’s adversaries and somehow save the alien Sleepers too!

91a0H0nWS5L._SL1500_The Immortals by S.M. Schmitz:

Colin and Anna have been hunting demons for a long time. But something is different in Baton Rouge. The rules are being broken and they’re powerless against some of the greatest forces Hell can assemble. If they can’t stop these demons from manipulating every rule of this war, then Heaven may lose the only battle that’s ever really mattered.

 

 

 

Swords of SilverSwords of Silver by Hollis Shiloh:

Together at last, Holin and Kale are on the run from magicians and dragon-slayers alike, but utterly happy because they have each other.

Then one night, soldiers arrive and capture them both. Kale escapes with Holin’s help—and vows to return and rescue his beloved. But that might not be as easy as it sounds, even for a man like Kale.

 

 

Unrevelations by Rissa WatkinsUnrevelations by Rissa Watkins:

The apocalypse has begun.

Death stalks Sara and not in a metaphorical way. More like the literal, move out of your house and get a restraining order kind of way. When Sara reveals she has the ability to see him, he becomes fascinated. Unfortunately, Death shows his interest by trying to kill her. Repeatedly. Each failed attempt only increases his enthusiasm.

Sara soon realizes the news reports of werewolves, zombies, and plagues can mean only one thing: The Heavenly Seals in the Book of Revelations have been broken.

All this happens just when her wasteland of a love life seems to be showing signs of improving. Matt, the cute cop who responds to her 911 calls, gives her fantasies of a happy future. Maybe one that involves handcuffs. Before she can build a new life, she has to survive Death’s infatuation and stop him from unleashing the End of Days, Biblical style.

Speak by R.M. WebbSpeak by R.M. Webb:

Witches and Warlocks. Hidden magic and conspiracies.

Zoe’s shy. Like really shy. Even simple conversations with her best friend, Becca, can have her lost in her head, worrying about all the things she might have said or done wrong. But there’s this part of Zoe that’s as ferocious as a tiger, this part that paces in frustration whenever Zoe gets quiet, and urges her to do things that push her out of her comfort zone – her very small comfort zone.

The tiger gets its way when Zoe meets Noah at her favorite bar, because Zoe is so not comfortable. First, Noah’s absolutely gorgeous. Second, every time he touches her, she feels these golden pings of … something … that calm her and soothe her and make her feel like the answers to all her questions are right around the corner. And third, it looks like Becca is keeping a dangerous secret, a secret that Noah is in on and isn’t happy about at all.

With Noah’s help, Zoe’s gonna have to learn to speak, because her words hold power … more power than she ever dreamed possible.

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2015 Lunar Eclipse

Posted on September 28, 2015 by Cora

Unfortunately, clouds had to move in just in time for the totality of last night’s lunar eclipse, so I didn’t get to see the blood moon this year.

However, I managed to catch a nice shot of the almost entirely vanished moon from my window approx. twenty minutes earlier.

Lunar Eclipse

The moon approx. twenty minutes before reaching totality.

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Harvest Festival 2015

Posted on September 20, 2015 by Cora

September 19 is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, so if you’re looking for piratical reads, check out the Arr, Matey Pirate Bundle at DriveThruFiction.

In my corner of North Germany, September 19 was also the annual harvest festival which is commemorated with a parade, a big party with lots of drinking and loud music and a church service on Sunday morning. I’ve posted photos of previous harvest festival parades here. This year, the harvest festival was also advertised by these very cute Straw-Minions.

The parade passed through my street again this year, so I took some photos of the decorated floats made by various local sports teams, social clubs and other organisations: Continue reading →

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Photos: Lüneburger Heide 2015

Posted on September 14, 2015 by Cora

Last week, I took advantage of the pleasant and sunny weather to make a day trip to the Lüneburger Heide, a nature preserve with a unique heath landscape approximately 70 kilometers to the East of Bremen. The Lüneburger Heide as well as the related nature park Südheide (Southern Heath) offer plenty of hiking spots.

You can see photos of previous trips to the Lüneburger Heide, namely to the Ober- and Niederhaverbeck region as well as to the Heide am Schillohsberg in the Südheide here.

I got lucky, cause the heath was still in full bloom in all its purple glory, though already slightly fading. The photos were all taken in the so-called Osterheide (Eastern Heath) between the towns of Schneverdingen and Heber.

The Osterheide area has a varied history, since it housed a military airport during WWII, then became a camp for refugees and displaced persons for a few years. After the displaced persons had been re-placed, the British Army took over the area and used it as a closed to the public training ground until 20 years ago. There still are several closed to the public military training grounds in the Lüneburger Heide region – for some reason armies love heath area for training. But thankfully the British Army left in 1994 and Osterheide is now a nature preserve and hiking ground and open to the public at last. Continue reading →

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Rest in Peace, Max Kruse

Posted on September 8, 2015 by Cora

Max Kruse, German writer of children’s and YA books, died aged 93. Die Welt has a lovely obituary.

Everybody who grew up in the German speaking world in the past 45 years is likely familiar with Urmel aus dem Eis (Urmel from the Ice), Max Kruse’s best known children’s book. Urmel aus dem Eis is the story of the critter Urmel who emerges from a deep frozen dinosaur egg and navigates the modern world. Kruse was allegedly inspired to write the story when his family purchased a freezer in the late 1960s. Here is a clip of Urmel singing from the famous TV adaptation by the Augsburger Puppenkiste puppet theatre.

However, Max Kruse wrote a lot more than just Urmel. And yes, many of his books are SFF. Hell, Urmel even gets to travel into space in one of the books. Indeed, it’s telling how many of our great SFF writers of the postwar era were children’s book writers such as Michael Ende, Ottfried Preußler and Max Kruse. And quite often, these writers and their books were beloved by young readers, but not by teacher and educators who hated them for their escapism and lack of realism, as this obituary for Max Kruse in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung shows.

Max Kruse also had a fascinating life story apart from his books. He was the youngest of eight children of a famous family. His father was the sculptor Max Kruse, his mother the dollmaker Käthe Kruse. Young Max even became the model for one of his mother’s dolls, namely this cutie, the life-size baby doll “Du Mein”, which was originally developed for nursing students, because its head and limbs were weighted, so it behaved like a real baby.

I was thrilled when I learned that the man who wrote the Urmel books was the son of Käthe Kruse and the model for the life-size Käthe Kruse baby doll I craved so much as a young girl, but couldn’t afford, because Käthe Kruse dolls were prohibitively expensive due to being still handmade. I never did get a “Du Mein” baby (and they’re no longer being made, it seems), but I do own a small Käthe Kruse baby doll that I bought in the late 1980s. I call him “Baby T”, because he looks just like Mr. T down to the distinctive hairstyle. And yes, there are black Käthe Kruse dolls and have been at least since the 1980s. I own two of them, Baby T and his big sister Tonya, who are joined by their white friends Irene and Patricia.

So rest in peace, Max Kruse, creator of Urmel, Don Blech, Lord Schmetterhemd and many others.

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Two new releases and three stories about dystopias, apocalypses, nuclear war and cryogenics

Posted on September 7, 2015 by Cora

As I mentioned yesterday, I have another new release announcement to make this weekend. In this case, it’s even a double new release announcement, because I have two e-books containing three stories altogether to announce.

These stories also came out of the July Short Story Challenge, i.e. the challenge to write a short story per day during the month of July. Over at the Pegasus Pulp blog, I’ve also got a more detailed post about the July Short Story Challenge and what I learned during the challenge.

One thing I did notice during the July Short Story Challenge is that I occasionally wrote stories in subgenres or styles I probably wouldn’t have tried otherwise. The two stories collected in Four Minute Warning are an example of this, because both belong to a subgenre I don’t much care for, namely nuclear war fiction. In fact, I’m not actually sure what precisely it was that inspired these two stories, though I suspect it was the result of watching footage of nuclear bomb explosions for another story I wrote for the challenge.

As a kid of the 1980s, I have seen pretty much every anti-nuclear-war movie there is: The Day After, Threads, On the Beach, The War Game, Testament, Dr. Strangelove, Where the Wind Blows, The Bedsitting Room. You name it, I’ve probably seen it. I’ve also read plenty of nuclear war fiction, e.g. A Canticle for Leibowitz, The Long Tomorrow, On the Beach, That Only a Mother, Die Letzten Kinder von Schewenborn, etc…

However, the fact that I have consumed my share of nuclear war fiction and films does not mean that I am a fan of the subgenre. Instead, I have a rather conflicted relationship to these works. I can acknowledge their importance in promoting nuclear disarmament, while being put off by the soap opera melodrama in many of them (The Day After is particularly bad about this, but Testament, On the Beach and even Threads also lay it on thick). What is more, I was always struck by the fact that the British and American characters in those works never took part in protests (anti-nuclear protests were something of a background noise of my childhood) and always seemed to assume that they could survive a nuclear war. Of course, the point is ultimately that they can’t survive, because pretty much everybody in these works usually dies in various horrible ways. But the fact that movies made during the 1980s still showed people assuming that they could survive a nuclear war always struck me as very strange, since no one in Germany believed that except for maybe a handful of politicians.

In the end, when writing my own takes on the nuclear war subgenre, I did take the “ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances” approach that I often criticized about other works in the subgenre, though I chose to focus on college students rather than suburban families. Plus, my characters are rather fatalistic and don’t assume that they will survive. In fact, both stories are set during the few minutes between the time the alarm is given and the moment the bombs hit.

And yes – fair warning – there is no happy ending to either story.

Four Minute Warning
Four-Minute-WarningTwo tales of love and loss and nuclear war.

Thirteen Minutes

Caught in a supermarket, when the alarm goes off, Luke and David admit some unspoken truths to each other before the bombs fall.

Four Minute Warning

Tracy and Jimmy know you can’t survive a nuclear war, even if civil defence leaflets and radio broadcasts claim otherwise.

More information.
Length: 5700 words
List price: 0.99 USD, EUR or GBP
Buy it at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Germany, Amazon France, Amazon Netherlands, Amazon Spain, Amazon Italy, Amazon Canada, Amazon Australia, Amazon Brazil, Amazon Japan, Amazon India, Amazon Mexico, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Apple iTunes, Scribd, Oyster, Smashwords, Inktera, txtr, Thalia, Weltbild, Hugendubel, Der Club, Libiro, Nook UK, DriveThruFiction, OmniLit/AllRomance e-books, Casa del Libro, Flipkart, e-Sentral and XinXii.

The second new release is also a result of the July Short Story Challenge. This one was inspired by a random word generator which gave me the words “frozen” and “servant”. That started a train of thought about a rich and terminally ill persons who wants to have their servants cryogenically frozen along alongside themselves just like the pharaohs of ancient Egypt. The end result was a piece of near future science fiction (again not really a subgenre I much care for) about the social and economic consequences that ensue when cryogenic freezing suddenly becomes a viable technology.

A History of the New Ice Age
A History of the New Ice Age by Cora BuhlertThe cryogenic freezing of the dead in hope of a eventual revival has long been the province of cranks and crazies. However, when two frozen mountain gorillas are successfully revived, cryogenics suddenly becomes a viable medical technology. The first humans are revived soon thereafter and though most of them have financial difficulties not to mention problems adjusting to the new world in which they find themselves, their successful revival nonetheless sparks a run on cryogenic freezing with unforeseen social and financial consequences…

This short story of 2300 words chronicles the cryogenics boom of the mid to late twenty-first century.

More information.
Length: 2300 words
List price: 0.99 USD, EUR or GBP
Buy it at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Germany, Amazon France, Amazon Netherlands, Amazon Spain, Amazon Italy, Amazon Canada, Amazon Australia, Amazon Brazil, Amazon Japan, Amazon India, Amazon Mexico, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Apple iTunes, Scribd, Oyster, Smashwords, Inktera, txtr, Thalia, Weltbild, Hugendubel, Der Club, Libiro, Nook UK, DriveThruFiction, OmniLit/AllRomance e-books, Casa del Libro, Flipkart, e-Sentral and XinXii.

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New German language anthology available – Neue deutschsprachige Anthologie im Handel

Posted on September 6, 2015 by Cora

I actually had planned to make a new release announcement this weekend, but now you get two, since it turns out that I also have a German language short story in an anthology I had sort of forgotten about.

Kurze Geschichten für Zwischendurch is a German language indie showcase anthology along the lines of Stories on the Go (in which I also have a story BTW) and contains stories by 84 different authors. And best of all: The anthology is 100% free.

My story in this anthology is called “Harry im Glück” (Lucky Harry) and it’s a story of luck and fate set among the ruins of Post-Communist East Germany.

***

Ich hatte schon geplant, dieses Wochenende ein neues Buch anzukündigen. Aber jetzt kriegt Ihr zwei Ankündigungen, da es sich herausstellt, dass ich auch eine Kurzgeschichte in einer neuen deutschsprachigen Anthologie habe, die ich schon beinahe vergessen hatte.

Die Anthologie heißt Kurze Geschichten für Zwischendurch. Der Titel ist Programm, denn es handelt sich hierbei um sehr kurze (1000 Worte oder weniger) Geschichten von 84 verschiedenen, deutschsprachigen Indie Autoren. Und das allerbeste: Die Anthologie ist 100% kostenlos.

Meine Geschichte heißt “Harry im Glück” und führt uns in die Ruinen der ostdeutschen Provinz in der Nachwendezeit, wo sich die Wege eines Bankräubers und eines Obdachlosen kreuzen.

Kurze Geschichten für Zwischendurch

Kurze Geschichten für ZwischendurchDie kostenlose Selfpublisher-Anthologie: 84 Autorinnen und Autoren stellen sich anhand aktueller Kurzgeschichten von maximal 1.000 Wörtern vor.

Ideal zur Überbrückung kurzer Wartezeiten, im Bus, in der S- und U-Bahn, im Wartezimmer, in der Mittagspause …

Unterschiedliche Schreibstile und verschiedene Genres laden zum Stöbern und Schmökern ein.

Mit Geschichten von:

Phil Humor · Melissa David · Michael Paul · K.C. Stevens · Carola Wolff · Rich Schwab · John McLane · Silvia Nagels · May B. Aweley · Karina Reiß · Bettina Kiraly · Frank Böhm · Katharina Cubin · E. Sawyer · Mike Scholz · Nessa Notedigo · Monika Baitsch · Beatrix Lohmann · Valerie le Fiery · D.C. Hubbard · Moa Graven · Sabine Schulter · Andalie Herms · L.R. Bäuml · Simon Savier · Jonas Kissel · Adelheid von Theilenberg · Markus Dittrich · G. Greschke-Begemann · Bettina Wohlert · Ilona Bulazel · Elfie Nadolny · Laura Mench · Marla Lovett · Shehera Connor · Dagmar Finger · Joachim Harksen · Maria C. Brosseit · Melanie Neubert · Sonja Rabaza · Burkhard Tomm-Bub · Nicole de Virgiliis · Martin Maier · Charlotte da Silva · Jörg Krämer · Sabine Hennig-Vogel · T. S. Bordemé · Katrin Lachmann · Tim Jöris · Birgit Otten · Peter Brentwood · Laura Gambrinius · Kirsten Harder · Klara Bellis · K.D. Hendriks · Henry D. Rottler · Ele Wolff · Angela Planert · Leo Tiresias · David May · M.P. Anderfeldt · Waltraud Lang · Katja Fischer · Robert Friedrich von Cube · Cora Buhlert · Jill J. Jenkins · Ludmilla Dümichen · Astrid Rose · Lisa Diletta · Haiko Herden · Sal Rowney · Cornelia Rückriegel · Erika Eisenlöffel · Jörg Luzius · Petra Arentzen · Sara Puland · Claudia Dahinden · Marcel Meder · Jacqueline Schmidt · Lefty E. Ria · Stefanie Droßel · Gabriele Steiniger · Stefanie Maucher · Mika M. Krüger

Preis: 0,00 EUR, USD oder GBP
Erhältlich bei Amazon Deutschland, Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Amazon Niederlande, Amazon Frankreich, Amazon Italien, Amazon Spanien, Amazon Canada, Amazon Australien, Amazon Brasilien, Amazon Mexico, Amazon Japan, Amazon Indien, Kobo, Apple iTunes, Google Play, Thalia, Weltbild, Hugendubel, Der Club, BOL, Otto-Media, Donauland, buecher.de, buch.de, eBook.de, beam eBooks, Barnes & Noble, txtr, Inktera, Smashwords, Casa del Libro, Flipkart, e-Sentral und XinXii.

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Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month for August 2015

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Cora

Indie Speculative Fiction of the MonthIt’s that time of the month again, time for “Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month”.

So what is “Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month”? It’s a round-up of speculative fiction by indie authors newly published this month, though some July books I missed the last time around snuck in as well. The books are arranged in alphabetical order by author. So far, most links only go to Amazon.com, though I may add other retailers for future editions.

Once again, we have new releases covering the whole broad spectrum of speculative fiction. We have science fiction, space opera, science fantasy, paranormal romance, fantasy romance, post-apocalyptic fiction, dystopian fiction, YA fantasy, epic fantasy, urban fantasy, Asian fantasy, grimdark fantasy, weird western, demons, djinns, vampires, witches, werewolves and other shifters, space pirates, exiled princesses, desert planets, Wild West mages, lots of LGBT characters and much more. We also have a whole lot of books by women this month.

Don’t forget that Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month is also crossposted to the Speculative Fiction Showcase, a group blog run by Jessica Rydill and myself, which features new release spotlights, guest posts, interviews and link round-ups regarding all things speculative fiction several times per week.

As always, I know the authors at least vaguely, but I haven’t read all of the books, so Caveat emptor.

And now on to the books without further ado:

Runespell by Sela CarsenRunespell by Sela Carsen:

In most fairy tales, the prince rescues the princess. It’s not often she gets to return the favor.
Mai Westenra is pulled into a centuries-old quest for vengeance and magic, never realizing that she’ll find love in the midst of danger.
Tyr Halvarsson has waited lifetimes to be rid of his curse. Resigned to his immortal half-life, one selfless act of humanity can redeem him. Or kill him.
Together, Mai and Tyr must work against time and magic to perform the runespell that will save their lives and give them a chance at love that lasts.

The Tale of Yin by Joyce ChngThe Tale of Yin by Joyce Chng:

The duology of Oysters, Pearls & Magic and The Path of Kindness sees the stories of Mirra and her daughter, Kindness, as they struggle to find their identities and selves on the planet they have called home. A feminist YA novella, the Tale of Yin looks at magic, privilege, the landscape and compassion.

 

 

 

Hunted by Shei DarksbaneHunted by Shei and Annathesa Nikola Darksbane:

Dakota Shepherd is such a newb: newly Awakened, rookie werewolf, supernatural investigator in training. Her command of the wolf inside is shaky at best, and her grasp of the unstable magic she wields is worse. She sure has a lot to learn about her new life in the supernatural world. So why would anyone want to stalk her?
A trespasser in pack territory. Blood on the mountain. An urban legend, spoken only in whispers.
Can Dakota rise to the challenge of a deadly foe?
There’s no shame in being new: everyone starts out that way. But in a world of powerful supernatural threats, being a newb could get a girl killed. And if Dakota isn’t up to the job of protecting herself, how can she hope to protect her loved ones from the ancient supernatural killer that hunts them?

This is the sequel to Awakened.

Pierce by Jolie du PrePierce: A Vampire Serial, Episode 1 by Jolie de Pré:

When vampire warning signs flog the city and people mysteriously disappear one by one, Alicia avoids the nightly hours like the black plague. This attractive, African-American lady spends her days waitressing all while struggling to make a living after a devastating breakup. Her city is already a danger zone, and the arrival of a Caucasian, blood-thirsty trio (Dagon, Vince, and Bess) only amplifies the dilemma. Dagon is a romantic treading between the lines of hopeless and hopeful, whereas Vince’s sexual compulsion doesn’t leave him with any room for true love. Bess is clearly attracted to the much-flaunted Dagon, but alas, her interest is unrequited. Could it be that someone else—of non-vampiric origin, has grabbed a tight hold on his non-beating heart? And with all these monstrosities running about, is Alicia truly safe in the comfort of her own home between sunset and sunrise?

Gods of Blood and Bone by Azalea EllisGods of Blood and Bone by Azalea Ellis:

My name is Eve Redding. I am the new god.

I never wanted to become a Player in the Game, never intended for any of this to happen. I was content with my ordinary, invisible existence among the millions of civilians crowding my city. But the monstrous creators of the Game forced me to Play, and I’m the type to cling to life by the tips of my bloody fingernails.

At first, I was enamored by the ability to augment everything about myself – to become smarter, stronger, prettier…better. But after my teleportation to that first Trial – a death tournament held on a beautiful, vicious alien world – I would have done anything to escape the Game.

I needed power to protect myself and those I cared about from the Game and its creators, so I took it. But every deadly choice I made along the way eroded not only what once made me weak, but what also made me human.

Riot of Storm and Sky by Jennifer EllisionRiot of Storm and Smoke by Jennifer Ellision:

War draws closer, like a tide to the shore.

Bree and her friends have escaped the clutches of the Egrian King, but their troubles are far from over. Still reeling from the secrets that drew new breath when her father took his last, Bree sets off for the safety of Nereidium– the kingdom she’s just learned is hers.

But with the King’s ire at its peak and war a certainty, Nereidium is no longer safe. As Prince Caden rallies the Egrian people against his tyrant father, Bree, Princess Aleta, and Tregle race to the Nereid shore to warn them of the incoming danger—and to put the Nereid Princess on the throne.

The only trouble there: Bree can’t bring herself to reveal that the Princess is her.

It’s not a dilemma she can waste time pondering. With a new weapon in his arsenal, the King’s strikes are sure to be bolder than ever before. And Bree may not be ready to wear a crown… but she won’t let her kingdom down without a fight.

This is the sequel to Threats of Sky and Sea.

Taming the Wolf by Irma GeddonTaming the Wolf by Irma Geddon:

Jared is a young medical resident with a quick wit, a ripped body and a heart of gold. He has a terrible secret—one that has always stopped him from baring his heart to any girl.

Paige is a smart girl, but she’s hopelessly shy and awkward—that is, until Cupid stabs her with his golden arrow, and all she can think about is getting in the pants of perfect but secretive Jared.

Will Cupid’s decision to make Paige fall hopelessly in love with Jared spell trouble for them both?

To the Gap by Kyra HallandTo the Gap by Kyra Halland:

The secret of Lainie’s forbidden magical gifts has been exposed, and Silas wants to take her far away from the Wildings to a place where she can be safe. To earn money for the journey, Silas signs them up to work on the big annual cattle drive to the Gap.

Lainie dreams of making the Wildings into a place where she and Silas and other mages can live in peace. The cattle drive is the perfect opportunity for her and Silas to show the Plain settlers of the Wildings that not all mages are wicked, heartless monsters.

While Silas has reason to believe that the danger to Lainie is worse than he thought, Lainie can’t agree that leaving the Wildings is the answer. As they travel with the herd, Lainie and Silas must avoid being captured or killed by mage hunters and discovered by the mage-hating Plains, while protecting the herd from renegade mages looking for money and trouble. And they have to find a way to resolve the disagreement between them – do they seek refuge in a faraway land or stand and face the dangers of being outlaw mages in the Wildings? – before it tears them apart.

This is Book 4 of Daughter of the Wildings, western fantasy romance for adults and older teens.

Revolver by Michael Patrick HicksRevolver by Michael Patrick Hicks:

Cara Stone is a broken woman: penniless, homeless, and hopeless. When given the chance to appear on television, she jumps at the opportunity to win a minimum of $5,000 for her family.

The state-run, crowdfunded series, Revolver, has been established by the nation’s moneyed elite to combat the increasing plight of class warfare.

There’s never been a Revolver contestant quite like Cara before. The corporate states of America are hungry for blood, and she promises to deliver.

The “stunning and harrowing” short story, originally published in the anthology No Way Home, is now available as a standalone release and features an all-new foreword written by award-winning science fiction author, Lucas Bale.

Old Ways by Paul KleynhansOld Ways by Paul Kleynhans:

Saul escaped the capital with the blood of the Emperor and Princes on his hands, but the recently crowned Empress seeks revenge. She will not rest until her father’s murder is avenged, and sends her Inquisitors, the Dark Legion, to bring him to justice. While hunted by the Inquisition, monsters of the deep, and pirates, Saul sets off to free his brother, the rightful King of Ubrain, from the arena in Qash—a city built on the backs of slaves.

This is the sequel to Dark Legion.

 

Legend of the Jinn by Jennifer LiuLegend of the Jinn – The Teapot Storm by Jennifer Liu:

And the Jinn break their lamps…
In the vast Arkazian Desert, stories of the magical wish-granting Jinn tantalize the sands. Awe-inspiring and life changing all hope to cross their path. All except Verity.
Verity has angered the Jinn and now their magic laces her blood in a poisonous race. Cursed, she must find the cure her grandfather has hidden in the sands. But before she can save herself, the Jinn demand she save another.
A girl for a girl, the trade must be completed
Liam and Hank are two villagers from the Smoke Stacks. Poor and ill-equipped they trick Verity into joining their rescue mission – a girl from their village has been taken. A girl they both seem to love.
As the three race across the sand, dark shadows trail close behind. The Kingdom’s greatest soldier has defected and, now with dark magic on his side, he is nearly unbeatable. And he has one mission – to stop Verity.
Time is running out
Chased from all sides, Verity is caught in a desperate struggle. The magic inside of her is addictive and seductive, but as it grows, her humanity diminishes. If she doesn’t find the cure, the Jinn will win and she will be forced to join their ranks as they stage a rebellion to overthrow the human world.

Oasis by Floyd LooneyOasis by Floyd Looney:

Oasis is a desert world, a backwater world ignored by the Star League for generations. The people have subdivided themselves into “tribes” over time. When space pirates and their unknown benefactors try to take over, a teenager named Jake tries to rally people to the defense of their world.

 

 

 

The Last of the Ageless by Traci LoudinThe Last of the Ageless by Traci Loudin:

Three centuries ago, humans and aliens fought for control of the Earth, ending in an apocalyptic disaster known as the Catastrophe…

Dalan is a shapeshifter
He hails from a tribe of mutants dedicated to preserving fading species by taking their forms. To become fully recognized as an adult, he must pass a trial in the wastelands far from home.

Nyr is a killer
When her lust for bounty yields an ancient artifact of mysterious origin, everything she knows is turned upside down. Once a hunter, now a pawn, she must learn to rely on others to survive what’s coming.

Korreth is a slave
Without any extra talents, he depends on nothing more than his strength and wits as he flees the army of mutants that enslaved him. He must return home to warn his people before the swelling ranks of monsters threaten his family.

…but in the shadows, a new threat rises—one that could end what little remains of civilization: The Last of the Ageless.

Casimir's Journey by Lisa ManifoldCasimir’s Journey by Lisa Manifold:

When Casimir looked up, the last thing he saw was Thea. He saw nothing after that and he didn’t expect to.

Until he saw bright, white light, and heard someone talking to him. This was nothing like he expected.

Follow Casimir as he works his way back to Thea – or will he? Catrin is determined that Thea is a waste of his time, talent, and certainly of his heart.

Who will prevail? A great power, or an even greater love?

Casimir’s Journey is Book Two in the Sisters Of The Curse series.

Witch's Curse by Chrissy MossWitch’s Curse by Chrissy Moss:

Hunted since birth, now Okira must use the power she’s been hiding…or die trying.

Trained in secret, hidden from the rest of the Sea of Tears, Okira felt safe; until fate had other plans for her. When a playful sylph pulls Okira into the ocean it sets off a chain of events that lead her down a deadly path.

Danger lurks around every corner. To survive Okira must tap into the abilities she has only begun to understand, stretching her knowledge to the brink.

Now Okira must travel across the Sea of Tears with the shape shifter, Brother Hawk. Together they must find a way to stop the acolytes in their mad lust for power before the high priest unleashes the kraken and destroys everyone.

Witch’s Curse is the second book in the Witch’s Trilogy.

The Blood Moon by David NethThe Blood Moon by David Neth:

Brother witches Josh and Chris have sacrificed a great deal for their magical responsibilities. Their Aunt Kathy is the only family they have left, and together they must face their enemies to keep them from targeting any more victims. But when Kathy is put in the hospital after an attack, the boys are a witch short.

With the brothers at their weakest, they uncover a growing new power trying to organize the demonic hierarchy. Josh and Chris are left alone to battle an evil stronger than anything they’ve ever faced. An evil so strong it might cost them their lives.

The Melding by Claire RyanThe Melding by Claire Ryan:

THE MELDLING is a tale of epic fantasy, set in a world where humans have been driven underground by a war not of their making, and one woman must find the truth of her existence within her own heart.

She was rescued from a darkened dungeon; brought out into the light with no memory of her past. Her only certainty was her name: Suzanna.

Her flesh marks her as a daemon, one of a race of deadly warriors locked in a war with their mortal enemies, the daevas, that has scoured the surface of the world. Humans are irrelevant to them both. But it was Lukas, a human knight, who carried her from the dungeon, nursed her back to health, and protected her from harm. Her body may be daemonic, but her soul is not, and there is a far deeper connection between her and Lukas than either of them will say.

Lukas decides to bring her to Bastion, the hidden underground city of the humanva, to face the judgment of the Distant Nine. On the journey, the truth is revealed: Suzanna is a meldling, a rare fusion of daemonva and humanva. Meldlings are unstable, dangerous, and prone to total madness. Suzanna may be the first to keep her sanity, but if the Distant Nine decide that she is a threat, she will also be the last.

Suzanna must accept her past, and finally learn who or what she really is, underneath her daemonic skin. Drawn into events beyond her control, the meldling will become the key to ending the war – but will it be with the destruction or the salvation of the daemonva?

And are her feelings for one human knight real?

Final Sacrifice by S.M. SchmitzFinal Sacrifice by S.M. Schmitz:

Lottie is determined to end the nightmare her resurrection has caused and the constant threat she and her friends face because she exists. She has organized a war against the leaders of the company that transports people from her home planet to Earth, and the time has come for her battle to begin.

In the final book of the Resurrected series, Lottie and her friends must attempt to destroy the business that has spent years trying to kill them, and now, there are thousands of people all over the world who are participating in Lottie’s insurrection. If she fails, she and her friends will lose their lives. But if she succeeds, she and her friends will finally have the freedom to live.

This is the sequel to Resurrected and Insurrected.

Bear and Fox by Hollis ShilohBear and Fox by Hollis Shiloh:

Dane is a lonely bear shifter who doesn’t know if he’ll ever find a mate. Then one day he finds himself defending a fox from a brutal wolf attack. He’s found his mate—and the fox shifter is scared of him.

Will Dane ever earn the trust of his mate, a shy, handsome, suspicious man who’s had little reason to ever trust anyone?

Contains a honey-loving bear, a sweet, suspicious fox, gay uncles, a tiny bit of shifter politics, and enough food to shake a stick at.

Heat level: very low
~32,000 words

Sasharia En Garde by Sherwood SmithShasharia En Garde by Sherwood Smith:

First published as two books — Once a Princess, and Twice a Prince — this romantic fantasy has been revised and published as one book, as first intended. It is set in the same world as Crown Duel, to which Sasha’s mother, Sun, was once swept away by a real prince.

But not to happily ever after. Her prince vanished, and a wicked king took the throne. Since then, Sasha and Sun have been hiding on Earth, both training in martial arts until Sasha is tricked into going back to Khanerenth.

She’s more than ready to kick some bad-guy butt, but is the stylish pirate Zathdar the bad guy? Or artistic, dreamy Prince Jehan, son of the wicked king?

Meanwhile Sun is determined to cross worlds to save her daughter. She might not have been a very good princess, but nobody messes with Mom!

Revelations by Ella SummersRevelations by Ella Summers:

Five tales of magic, technology, and adventure plunge deeper into the fantasy world of Sorcery and Science.

Silas sees a young Prophet girl fight off a band of elite soldiers during Silas’s Vacation.

In Solstice Games Assassin, Silas alone can stop an assassination that could catapult two empires into war.

Fireworks tells the story of Marin’s explosive plan to revolutionize airship travel.

In Agent of SIN, Selpe spy Leonidas Chase and his partner find themselves neck-deep in an investigation that could pit them against their empire’s most powerful aristocrats.

When one of Elitia’s greatest researchers goes missing, Ariella and Davin track him to a renegade camp in Portal Keys.

Revelations is Book 3.5 in the Sorcery and Science series.

Noontide Sun by Jessie ThomasNoontide Sun by Jessie Thomas:

For seven long years, Sarah has heard nothing but her betrothed’s voice against a perpetual storm.

After incurring the wrath of a spiteful Redcoat officer capable of wielding magic, Sarah was separated across centuries from Gabriel, the young man she intended to marry. While Gabriel languishes in a prison where the years pass without aging him, Sarah is trapped in a present that isn’t her own with the key that can free him.

When the key starts to disintegrate, Sarah is forced into a race against time to rescue the young man she loves before they’re both lost to the depths of waning magic.

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Yet More 2015 Hugo Reactions

Posted on August 27, 2015 by Cora

Yes, we’re still talking about the 2015 Hugos, so here are the latest links: Continue reading →

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