into the dark

THURSDAY THIRTEEN

1. Demon Angel by Meljean Brook (January). I picked this one up at Barnes & Noble the other day, after many months of lusting for it courtesy of Meljean's blog.

2. The No Evil trilogy by Allison Brennan (January, February, and March). Yes, I realize it's technically a cheat to list three books as one item, but that's the way I'm rolling tonight. I enjoyed Allison's debut trilogy, and I'm curious to see what she's doing with this one.

3. Count To Ten by Karen Rose (February). Love her books. Crisp, strong writing and taut suspense. My husband likes her books, too. The author and I share an agent, so one day I really hope to meet Karen Rose and gush to her in person.

4. Unshapely Things by Mark Del Franco (February). I can't remember how I stumbled across this author's website, but the premise of his new dark urban fantasy novel/series intrigued me. Plus, like my series, it's set in Boston (albeit an alternate Boston, where faerie prostitutes are being murdered and a Druid cop must figure out how to stop it). Sounds gritty and dark--my favorite!

5. Kiss Her Goodbye by Robert Gregory Browne (February). This one is hardcover, something I rarely buy--not because I'm cheap, but because I find hardcover books uncomfortably hard around the cover area. I much prefer paperbacks, but I'll likely make an exception on this one. Again, not sure how I found this author's website/blog, but I love his insights on the business and writing, and his online chapter excerpts aren't bad, either.

6. Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward (March). March is going to be a big book binge month for me because several new releases are on the slate then. Top on the list is the new Black Dagger Brotherhood book. I finally got the chance to read Lover Awakened and OMG, I am a slave to this series more than ever now!

7. Scent of Shadows by Vicki Petterson (March). I'm finding that a lot of ROC and ACE books are making my to-be-bought list lately, like this debut from a former (or current?) Las Vegas showgirl. The cover of this book is sexy/creepy, and I'm hoping the storyline is, too.

8. Visions of Heat by Nalini Singh (March). I am currently reading Slave to Sensation, this author's single title paranormal romance debut, and I'm really enjoying it. Enough to know that I'll be buying the next one as soon as it comes out.

9. Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead (March). Another author I discovered via her blog. Love her sense of humor, and I liked the excerpt she posted from this debut novel. I'll definitely be checking it out.

10. Pleasures of The Night by Sylvia Day (May). This one is trade paperback, coming out from Avon Red, which is their erotic romance imprint. I've long been a reader of Sylvia's blog, and although I have at least one of her novels in my TBR already (Ask For It, I believe), this is the book I'm really eager to read first. Sylvia's got a cool website in the works for this series, including an excerpt.

11. The Vampire Queen's Servant by Joey W. Hill (July). Another trade paperback, this time from Berkley. I've never read this author's books before, but since she wrote (writes?) for Ellora's Cave, this novel is sure to be H-O-T. I read the excerpt at her website and think I may have found a new guilty pleasure.

12. Riding The Storm by Sydney Croft (September). Again, a trade paperback, also promising plenty of steam. I've gotten to know "Sydney" through Larissa Ione and Stephanie Tyler, who are both gifted authors on their own. Writing together as a team? I can hardly wait!

13. Last, but by no means least, I'm looking forward to the follow-up novel to Anne Frasier's fantastic 2006 release, Pale Immortal. I don't think the new one has a firm title yet, so we'll just call it Pale Immortal 2 (September). I'm dying to know what's going to happen to Evan Stroud, Rachel Burton, and Evan's back-from-the-brink son, Graham. I plan to blog about Pale Immortal in January sometime.

Both of these books feature kick-ass heroines who come up against dangerous paranormal beings while locking horns (and other things) with sexy, sardonic men who challenge them on every level. The settings couldn't be more different--tropical island paradise vs. glamorous Regency London--but both are fast-paced, exciting reads that keep you glued to the pages. And bonus! Both have sequels on the way for 2007: Jaci's Hunting The Demon (Fall), and Colleen's Rises The Night (June).

So, that's my list for now. Am I missing anything good?