into the dark

THURSDAY THIRTEEN

1. Secrets Vol. 18: Dark Passions erotic anthology (out now). This one is on the TBB list for Larissa Ione's entry alone. Something to tide me over while the wait drags on (and on!) for the first of her Sydney Croft novels later in the year.

2. The Sword: Sons of Destiny by Jean Johnson (Feb). In an interview at DearAuthor.com, editor Cindy Hwang called this (potentially 8-book?!) series "sexy, fabulous, and funny" and also mentioned great world-building. That said, I'm there!

3. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill (Feb). Having grown up reading Stephen King, I'm more than willing to shell out the bucks for his son's hardcover debut. Even without the enviable storytelling genes to back him up, Hill's novel about an online purchase gone wrong (way wrong) sounds irresistible.

4. Atlantis Rising by Alyssa Day (Mar). The plot to break my budget in March continues with a seemingly never-ending offering of enticing books. This start of a new paranormal romance series looks interesting.

5. A Wicked Snow by Gregg Olsen (Mar). I first heard of Gregg Olsen via MySpace and his other blog, CrimeRant. Olsen is a true crime writer (one of my favorite guilty pleasure forms of reading--it's fascinating, often repulsive stuff, and God help me but I can't look away!) and this novel marks his entry into fiction. I have no idea what it's about, but I'm buying it. How's that for the power of online promotion?

6. Her Only Desire by Gaelen Foley (Apr). Admittedly, Gaelen is one of my best friends, but she's also a fantastic writer. I always look forward to her books and this one, the start of a new trilogy spun-off from her Knights Miscellany, is bound to be another scorcher.

7. Take Me Tonight by Roxanne St. Claire (Apr). I've only read part of the first Bullet Catcher book (not for lack of interest, just happens like that sometimes), but I liked what I read and I keep buying entries in this series because I know I'm going to want to have the entire collection.

8. One With The Night by Susan Squires (Apr). Susan Squires is another writer I keep on my watch list. I have almost all of her books, beginning with her debut, Danelaw, which I judged in an unpublished writer contest via RWA about an eon ago. Proud to say I recognized Susan's talent even then, which she has in spades. Plus she's one of the kindest people you'll ever meet.

9. Hunters: Heart and Soul by Shiloh Walker (Apr). I never read this author's Ellora's Cave books, but I picked up her debut with Signet Eclipse last year and enjoyed it. This new one is trade, which sucks (I always prefer mass market, both for price and the convenient size), but I will probably purchase it because I hate waiting for mm re-releases and I love the cover.

10. All About Evie by Beth Ciotta (May). One of my favorite bloggers, who's also a terrific writer with a fun, creatively diverse backlist, Beth makes her HQN debut with a romantic comedy featuring a struggling actress who pairs up with a former con man turned investigator in order to nab a grifter on a luxury cruise liner. Sounds fun already!

11. The Last Assassin by Barry Eisler (Jun). This is actually the paperback release of Eisler's latest hardcover novel. I've never read his stuff, but last year I clicked a link to a podcast recording of him reading a chapter from one of his novels and it totally hooked me. Then my ADD kicked in and I wandered off to another site, another podcast . . . and forgot I wanted to buy his book. Doh! Hate. That. But now the latest one is coming out in paperback, and I won't be deterred. And since I saved by not purchasing hardcover, I can also pick up the first book in the series, Rain Fall. (Girly P.S.: Eisler's got a great voice, and he's kinda cute, too.)

12. Your Mouth Drives Me Crazy by HelenKay Dimon (Jul). I am a frequent lurker at HelenKay's author blog and the one she co-writes, but I somehow missed her first novel. Remedied that a couple of weeks ago, and now I'm also looking forward to her new release from Kensington Brava. HelenKay very kindly outted me at her blog recently with a plug for my books. Stuff like that will land you on my auto-buy list every time. :)

13. This one isn't scheduled for release until TBA 2008, but since I'll be jonesing for it throughout most of 2007, it makes the list. Jordan Summers, another of my favorite bloggers, landed a three-book deal with TOR for an urban fantasy series that poses the question: What if Little Red Riding Hood and The Big Bad Wolf were the same person? The first title, aptly enough, is Red.

Ah . . . so many books, so little time!