Save Apex Digest

A six issues of the bi-monthly speculative fiction magazine, Interzone subscription.

Won by Pam McNew

Founded in 1982, Interzone has maintained its position as one of the world’s leading professional Science Fiction and Fantasy magazines, nominated for a Hugo many years running and winning in 1995.

Interzone has published new stories by authors such as Brian Aldiss, Sarah Ash, J.G. Ballard, Iain M. Banks, Stephen Baxter, Michael Blumlein, Molly Brown, John Brunner, Christopher Burns, Richard Calder, Jonathan Carroll, Thomas M. Disch, Paul Di Filippo, Greg Egan, William Gibson, Nicola Griffith, John Courtenay Grimwood, M. John Harrison, Robert Holdstock, Gwyneth Jones, Graham Joyce, Garry Kilworth, Jonathan Lethem, Paul J. McAuley, Ian R. MacLeod, Michael Moorcock, Kim Newman, Rachel Pollack, Christopher Priest, Alastair Reynolds, Nicholas Royle, Geoff Ryman, Brian Stableford, Charles Stross, Ian Watson and a great many talented newer authors.

Non-fiction includes Interzone favourites such as David Langford’s Ansible Link (news and gossip), Nick Lowe’s Mutant Popcorn (films) and John Clute’s Scores (books). Interzone also regularly covers manga, anime, games, DVDs, magazines, television, plays, art, various sidebar features and in-depth interviews.

Even though Interzone is now 25 years old it is still one of the freshest, boldest and most visually dynamic fiction magazines in the world.

Donated by Jetse de Vries and Andy Cox.

A copy of the chicklit ebook, Charade, by M.E. Ellis.

Won by Eugie Foster

Shirley Langford is a stay-at-home mum. With four kids, who often drive her nuts, Shirley’s one outlet, and connection to the outside world beyond her family, is the Internet. Addicted to online shopping, browsing, quizzes and emailing her friend Kathy, Shirley begins to feel like life is passing her by after her daughter starts attending parties.

When Kathy’s marriage hits the rocks, Shirley jumps at the opportunity to ask her friend on a night out. But, when this falls through, Shirley’s husband plans a different kind of evening—one that promises more than the night out ever could.

A copy of the psychological horror ebook, Quits, by M.E. Ellis.

Dean J Lovett

Watch the trailer for Quits

Wayne Thomas hides a secret, locking it in the depths of his mind. Has kidnapping a young woman proved to him that all females are conniving, treacherous creatures? His childhood has him convinced that women are evil. Can he rid himself of the traumatic events that plagued his younger years or will they continue to haunt him?

Befriended by the woman he abducted, Wayne becomes a different person. He embraces happiness, hoping that for once, things won’t go wrong—until a memory triggers the horrors he has locked away and it all comes tumbling out, forcing him to face up to his demons—those inside him, and those that still live and breathe.

A copy of the ebook, Pervalism, by M.E. Ellis.

Won by Eugie Foster

Watch the trailer for Pervalism

Abhorred by a selfish mother, but adored by his father, John Brookes grew up with strangled emotions. The young boy finds an outlet for his confusion through harming defenceless animals, but when his prostitute mother and his devoted father divorce, John’s elation is fleeting. His mother gives birth to an illegitimate child, and watching his father’s heartache tears John apart. Jealous of his half brother, he turns his hatred upon an unsuspecting victim.

However, as life moves on, John finds love and marriage, followed by the birth of his own child. This still isn’t enough to pacify his inner demons. They surface once more, tormenting, mocking and sending John on a killing spree that culminates in the most dreadful crime of all.

One of James A. Moore’s Personal Copies of his short story collection, Slices, coming out from Earthling Publications early next year. If requested, the copy can be personalized for the winner.

Fredrick E Grimm

From “a considerable storytelling talent” (LIBRARY JOURNAL) and “one of the grandmasters of the horror genre” (THE MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW) comes SLICES….

A man discovers that blood is thicker than water and often stains the soul.

A boy’s fear of clowns bears deadly fruit when he catches the attention of Rufo the Clown.

A defense attorney struggles with a most unusual ability – to see every sin committed by people around him.

A man haunted by his deeds during wartime learns a lesson in fear from his grandfather.

A vengeful demon seeks to feast on the souls of four high school chums, fifteen years after a fateful night.

These nightmares and other slices of horror are included in the first-ever collection of short stories – both originals and hard-to-find reprints – by James A. Moore, the author of over a dozen horror novels including BLOOD RED and the SERENITY FALLS trilogy.

Limited clothbound numbered edition , signed by Moore - published price $45.00

Gary Yap has donated his hardcover copy of Alone Against Tomorrow signed by Harlan Ellison.

Won by Fredrick A Fisher

A collection of short stories published in 1971, Alone Against Tomorrow includes some of Harlan Ellison’s most famous work, including “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream” and “‘Repent, Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktockman.” All of the stories in this collection center around isolation and alienation.

A rare copy of the Red Light District Chapbook autographed by Louise Bohmer, that includes fiction from Ms. Bohmer, Mari Adkins, and others. Plus an personalized 8 x 10 photograph of Lousie Bohmer.

Won by Bob Agamedi

Nine stories… nine stories to thrill you, keep you up at night, stimulate you, and terrify you. Nine stories by eight wonderful new authors, authors that are going places as you’ll soon see.

It’s been dredged up again and again, Jack the Ripper. But what if Jack were alive today? How would he stand up in this world? He’s already among us, you just have to look around and see where he is. Three authors delve into a surrealistic world where Jack comes back. And he’s hiding behind your curtains. He still walks the streets of The Red Light District and he’s got a knife with your name on it. Welcome to the new world of Jack.

Ever have one of those days when you feel like the little men with white jackets are coming? Three authors explore those days, but take you a step further. They actually put you in that jacket and let you live for a brief time in the world of insanity. What size do you want your jacket to be?

Lust and death, they go together. At least they do here. Three authors titilate you, and scare you. Be careful of your girlfriend, boyfriend or spouse. Loving them just may kill you.

Enjoy reading? Enter the drawings for all 42 of the fiction items for $40.

A signed copy of Eugie Foster’s chapbook, Inspirations End/Still My Beating Heart.

Won by Linda A Lindsey

A copy of Troy by Simon Brown, published by Ticonderoga Publications.

Won by Oliver Hanson

Diomedes, Paris, Helen, Achilles, Agamemnon, Cassandra and Odysseus all feature in this collection of Simon Brown’s acclaimed “Troy stories”. Since the early 1980s Simon Brown has engaged readers with a series of alternate takes on the Trojan War. “Love and Paris”, “Imagining Ajax”, “Why My Wife Left Me, and Other Stories, by Diomedes” and the brilliant “The Masque of Agamemnon” are collected here for the first time, alongside lesser known tales and the original novella, “The cup of Nestor”.

Ten stories. One legend.

Collection features an introduction by Garth Nix, author of Sabriel, Abhorsen and the Keys to the Kingdom series.

A signed copy of Slaine by Steve Savile due out December 12.

Won by Richard Novy, Troy J. Knutson and Michael Livingston

Steve Savile has donated three copies of Slaine so we will draw three names from this hat.

Exile is the first verse in the Lay of Sláine Mac Roth, son of the Sessair. It follows his life between the ages of 12 and 19, and begins with young Sláine coming to terms with his warrior’s gift, the Warp Spasm. Exile chronicles his acceptance into the elite warriors of the Red Branch, and his eventual exile from his own people for crimes against his King. Sláine encounters Ukko, a filthy dwarven scoundrel, who attaches himself to the young warrior, ‘guiding’ him towards his eventual return to claim the Kingship of the Sessair.

A signed copy of Headstone City by Tom Piccirilli.

Won by Collin Scott

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Alternately funny, sad and thrilling, Piccirilli’s stellar supernatural crime novel plays haunting riffs on old mob standards. The wise guys of Brooklyn welcome back cab driver Johnny “Dane” Danetello, fresh from two years in the slammer, with a contract on his life and a handful of restless ghosts. Burdened with the ability to see the dead, Dane spends time between fares chatting up spirits and spooks, trying to make sense of his precarious life on the outside. If his old pal (and partner in metaphysical enhancement) Vincent Monticelli wants Dane dead, why hasn’t he been taken out? What does the gorgeous movie actress Glory Bishop want from him? Who’s the federal lawman looking into the Monticelli family? These questions lead Dane to face his own haunted past, including a murdered father, a mother who lived and died in agony, and the beautiful young Angie Monticelli, who caught a ride to her death in Dane’s cab two years earlier. Stoker-winner Piccirilli (A Choir of Ill Children) plays cleverly with his hero’s paranormal ability, keeping the reader guessing—and jumping—by blurring distinctions between the living and the dead. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A signed copy of Dusk Before the Dawn by Larry Ketchersid.

Won by Fredrick A Fisher

An American educated Mayan sits atop a Temple in Tikal National Park, waiting.

A father helplessly watches his family fall into some kind of sleep, or trance. Then he too succumbs, begging a stranger to save them.

A PhD scientist awakens, remembering only hours ago she was in her nanotechnology lab, trying to work a solution to make incredibly small robots replicate. But she finds that she is now ill, or a prisoner, or both.

A lettered edition of The Resurection And The Life by Brian Keene. It will contain some special items not offered with the regular lettered edition. Personalized by George Walker and Brian Keene. (This comes out in late fall.)

Won by Troy J. Knutson

A lifetime year subscription to Dark Discoveries Magazine

Won by David Broussard

Yes, you read that right. Lifetime

A signed copy of Memorial Day (A Mick Callahan Novel) by Harry Shannon

Won by Bob Agamedi

HARRY SHANNON’S FIRST MICK CALLAHAN NOVEL

From Booklist
Meet Mick Callahan, a former television talk-show psychiatrist foiled by his own ego (and a penchant for liquid refreshment). Now he’s earning an undistinguished living as a radio host in Dry Wells, Nevada (a place for which the phrase “small town” is too grandiose). But, several years after his self-inflicted downfall, things are looking up: in a few days, he has an interview for a job that will return him to television. The only roadblock is the potential for scandal surrounding the murder of a young woman caller to his show. Mick needs to find out whodunit before the case can foul up his job opportunity. First-novelist Shannon gives the amateur-detective theme a nice little twist by giving his hero a deadline–and a self-centered one at that. The crisply detailed small-town desert setting adds to the novel’s sense of freshness. Callahan isn’t the first psychiatrist-detective hero, but he’s certainly one of the more memorable. Let’s hope he’s around for a long run. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association

A signed, special promotional chapbook, Seascape by Jack Ketchum. Only 200 were ever printed, and none were ever sold (the promo was a giveaway). This is chapbook #197 (of 200), signed by Jack Ketchum.

Won by Daniel Strohschein

A signed copy of Bloodstone by Nate Kenyon plus a Bloodstone pen and bookmark

Won by Robert K. Gemienhardt

AN EX-CON on the run from his own shattered past…
A WOMAN taken against her will…
A YOUNG MAN consumed by rage…
AND A TOWN on the edge of darkness.

In White Falls, a horrifying truth is about to be uncovered that will unleash an ancient evil. Some secrets should remain buried…

A recovering alcoholic on the run from his past, all Billy Smith wants is to be left alone. But the visions that torture his every living moment will not let him rest. Commanded by the voices in his head to commit acts of violence he does not understand, he kidnaps a prostitute known only as Angel and heads north to a bucolic little New England town called White Falls.

There, the two strangers try to blend in while they struggle to understand the bizarre circumstances that have brought them together. But in this town all is not what it seems. Something monstrous has taken root in White Falls, and has waited centuries for the right time to awaken.

As the town draws closer to its Spring Festival, psyches begin to unravel and violence erupts. Nobody is safe from the madness that spreads from neighbor to neighbor, kin to kin. As Billy Smith and Angel hurtle headlong towards their ultimate destiny, they find themselves in the grip of a power much greater than they can imagine.

The fate of the living ultimately rests on the back of one man.

For the dead are watching . . . and they are hungry.

A signed paperback copy of Decipher, by Stel Pavlou.

Won by Emily Brunson

for 12,000 years the message has been buried
In a frozen Antarctic wasteland, in the depths of the Amazon River, in a chamber beneath the ruins of the Sphinx, something has surfaced: a cluster of crystalline artifacts composed of an energy source unknown to modern science and inscribed with ancient hieroglyphs. Between them a strange signal courses through the oceans, emanating from a source that has stunned mankind. The lost city of Atlantis has been found.
it is the meaning of civilization
Now, two of the world’s most powerful armies stand on the brink of war to gain control of the most powerful force known to modern man. But a group of scientists struggling to decode the message of the primeval network fears that it is already too late.
and it’s end
Solar flares ignite the surface of the earth, and a worldwide cataclysm of biblical proportions begins. Now as Atlantis rises, so do its secrets - along with a terrifying prophecy that is coming true.
mankind had 12,000 years to crack the code. we have one week left.

A signed paperback copy of Gene, by Stel Pavlou. This book was never published in the U.S.

Won by Dean J Lovett

the secret
When Detective James North is called urgently to a hostage scene at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, he’s surprised by two unusual things. Firstly, the hostage taker - a young man called Gene - is wielding a bronze-age sword like an expert warrior, keeping the NYPD at bay. Secondly, though they’ve never met, Gene is asking for North by name.
will be
All either man knows is that he has the instinctive need to kill the other.
revealed
So begins North’s search to discover his true history with Gene - a history that takes him far, far into the past and beyond, and a secret that men will kill for; a secret that stretches from twenty-first century New York to the Trojan Wars, a thousand years before Christ.
This time though, both men know the cycle is coming to an end, and the secret could destroy them both.
3000 years. Two Men. One Secret.

This book was never published in the U.S. and previously has only been available in English in the U.K.

A signed first edition hardcover of The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell.

Won by Michael Livingston

It was predictable, in hindsight. Everything about the history of the Society of Jesus bespoke deft and efficient action, exploration and research. During what Europeans were pleased to call the Age of Discovery, Jesuit priests were never more than a year or two behind the men who made initial contact with previously unknown peoples; indeed, Jesuits were often the vanguard of exploration.

The United Nations required years to come to a decision that the Society of Jesus reached in ten days. In New York, diplomats debated long and hard, with many recesses and tablings of the issue, whether and why human resources should be expended in an attempt to contact the world that would become known as Rakhat when there were so many pressing needs on Earth. In Rome, the questions were not whether or why but how soon the mission could be attempted and whom to send.

The Society asked leave of no temporal government. It acted on its own principles, with its own assets, on Papal authority. The mission to Rakhat was undertaken not so much secretly as privately–a fine distinction but one that the Society felt no compulsion to explain or justify when the news broke several years later.

The Jesuit scientists went to learn, not to proselytize. They went so that they might come to know and love God’s other children. They went for the reason Jesuits have always gone to the furthest frontiers of human exploration. They went ad majorem Dei gloriam: for the greater glory of God.

They meant no harm.

Ben Bova has donated a copy-edited manuscript of the UK edition of Titan. How cool is that?

Won by Richard Novy

From Publishers Weekly
In the latest planetary saga from Hugo-winner Bova (Mercury, etc.), the solidly hypothesized science enthralls, especially down on the surface of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. On Christmas Eve 2095, the exploring vehicle Titan Alpha lumbers around that mysterious minus-183-degree Celsius world of black snow, seeking traces of life. Meanwhile, the human story—chiefly centered on the space habitat Goddard, in orbit above Saturn—lurches along as laboriously as Alpha, the tensions among the various stereotypical characters simmering fitfully but rarely coming to a savory boil. Chief scientist Edouard Urbain makes predictable compromises to save his brainchild, Alpha. Retired CEO and gee-whiz astronaut Pancho Lane takes off on a hairy deep-space jaunt to save Saturn’s rings from exploitation from “slimy SOB” Malcolm Eberly, Goddard’s power-hungry leader, once lover to Pancho’s reborn sister, Holly. The novel resolves the many personal conflicts in a flurry of silly political maneuvers as old as Aristophanes’Lysistrata—bring ‘em to heel by denying ‘em sex—but the result is not half as entertaining or so thought provoking. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A 6 issue subscription to the signed limited Clarkesworld Magazine chapbooks

Won by Helena L. Bell

The first issue of Clarkesworld Magazine comes out on October 1 with A Light in Troy by Sarah Monette, 304 Adolph Hitler Strasse by Lavie Tidhar and Art by Tomasz Pietrzyk. Within two months of online publication, each month’s stories will be printed in a limited edition numbered chapbook that will be signed by both contributors. This edition will be limited to 100 copies

An autographed set of Hyperthought, Warsurf, and Neurolink by M.M. Buckner, winner of this year’s Phillip K. Dick award.

Won by Joseph Shoji

That’s right, M.M. Buckner has donated a set of three books.

“War Surf is a much more intelligent, much deeper book than it seems…an ambitious and heartfelt novel with a fine ending…So the next time someone tells you that American SF is dead, ask them to add M.M. Buckner to the list of people that they ought to be reading.”
— Cheryl Morgan, Emerald City

Kevin Anderson - Resurrection, Inc. - Signed limited Edition. (list price is $45.00)

Won by Robert K. Gemienhardt

…IT IS THE FUTURE…. AND THE DEAD WALK THE STREETS….Resurrection. Inc. found a profitable way to do it. A microprocessor brain, synthetic heart and blood-presto, anyone with the price could buy a Servant with no mind of it’s own, no memories of its past life, and trained to obey any command. But for every Servant created, a living worker was out of a job. Some people took to rioting in the streets, their rampages ruthlessly ended by armored and heavily armed Enforcers, eager for the kill. Some joined the ever-growing cult of neo-Satanism, seeking heaven in the depths of Hell.

Then came Danal. He was dead-murdered in a neo-Satanist sacrifice-but as a Servant he began to remember. Danal learned who had killed him. . . and what Resurrection, Inc. had in mind for the human race. . .

(Donated by Overlook Connection Bookstore and Press)

Gary Raisor - Less Than Human - Signed limited Edition - a tale of blood and vampires in Texas. Signed by Raisor, Joe R. Lansdale, and tatoo artist Guy Aitchison.(list price is $45.00)

Won by Scott Berke

Nominated for Best First Novel Bram Stoker Award !

The Greyhound pulled into Carruthers, Texas a little after nine and unloaded seventeen people into the unseasonably cold autumn night. All had family waiting for them.

All, except for two.

The Town of Carruthers, Texas, has seen its share of drifters and lowlifes. But never anyone like Steven and Earl…

They move from town to town. Hustling the pool halls. Raising a little hell. Drinking a little blood. They sleep by day and hunt by night — the ultimate predators. The perfect life.

Until now.

A barroom brawl ends in disaster. The soil from Steven’s grave has been stolen. And a young boy’s death sparks an all out war between vampires and mortals that will turn the local Frontier Day celebration into a blood bath…

(Donated by Overlook Connection Bookstore and Press)

F. Paul Wilson - The Tery: Definitive Edition - rare advance proof (only 1 of 50) that comes with a signed book plate by Mr. Wilson

Won by Nancy Glenn

Heroes don’t always look the part.

He was a tery, a lean, bearish creature with no name. The human soldiers left dead. Just another dumb animal on their extermination list.

But he didn’t die.

Animals weren’t the only beings on the list. Certain humans were marked for extinction as well. A fugitive band found him and brought him back from the brink. He became their pet, their mascot.

And still he had no name. He was simply “the tery.”

He soon learned that these were no ordinary humans, and learned too that he was no ordinary tery. The humans had no idea that the creature they fed table scraps and patted on the head would soon turn their world upside down and change it forever.

By then he had a name.

THE TERY – A beauty-and-the-beast fable that only F. Paul Wilson could tell, full of wonder and horror, brimming with strange landscapes and hideous mutations from science run amok. An unforgettable tale of the extremes of the human spirit—of bravery and depravity, of innocence and evil.

(Donated by Overlook Connection Bookstore and Press)

F. Paul Wilson - The Last Rakosh: A Repairman Jack Tale - Signed Limited - a rare Signed Publisher’s copy.(list price is $35.00)

Won by Lisa Mannetti

Jack finds himself, and his friends, at a traveling carnival. During a look through the freak show, they come across what was believed to be extinct: a Rakosh. Or is it? Jack had made sure that the Rakoshi were dead –exterminated. Jack style. But now, somehow, there appears to be evidence of a Rakosh.

The Last Rakosh puts Jack back on the trail of this new mystery that will thrill and entertain… in Jack style.

Previously available as a rare short story, this version has been completely revised into novella length for this special publication.

(Donated by Overlook Connection Bookstore and Press)

Jack Ketchum - Offspring - the sequel to Off Season - a rare Signed Publisher’s Copy. (list price is $45.00)

Won by Bob Agamedi

Twenty years ago….It shocked horror fans everywhere — Jack Ketchum’s OFF SEASON, the brutal and harrowing story of an inbred family of cannibals in present-day Maine. Some readers were horrified, others outraged. Yet no one could put the book down. An instant cult classic.

THE LEGEND LIVES ON!

The local sheriff of Dead River, Maine, thought he’d killed them off ten years ago… a primitive, cave-dwelling tribe of predatory savages. But somehow, the clan survived. To breed. To hunt. To kill and eat. Now the peaceful residents, who came to Dead River to escape civilization, are fighting for their lives….

(Donated by Overlook Connection Bookstore and Press)

An autographed copy of Tales of the Atlantic Pirates by Geoffrey Girard

Won by William Ward

Cannon fire, swordplay and the ruthless pursuit of gold have stalked the high seas from the decks of black-flagged ships for centuries. Collected here are thirteen original tales based on the real-life pirates who once sailed and hunted along America’s Atlantic coast. From ghostly crews and cursed islands to the capture of Blackbeard and modern-day treasure hunts, join these seafaring outlaws for more than three hundred years of American history, folklore, and adventure.

An autographed copy of Tales of the Jersey Devil by Geoffrey Girard.

Won by Tara Noble

The legend of the mysterious and terrifying Jersey Devil, a unique American myth that has terrorized and captivated the mysterious New Jersey Pine Barrens for more than two hundred years, collected in thirteen original tales. From the creature’s birth in 1735 to a modern-day Jersey Devil hunt, dare to follow this monster and those who have faced its terror through more than two hundred years of American history, folklore, and horror.

A copy of Elemental autographed by the editors Alethea Kontis and Steve Savile.

Won by Jennifer Pelland

From Publishers Weekly

This SF and fantasy anthology intended to raise money for the victims of the tsunami of 2004 opens with an introduction by Arthur C. Clarke, who lives on Sri Lanka, and ends with the editors’ memories of listening to the disaster unfold on the news and the Web. In between are 23 above-par stories by such prominent writers as David Gerrold (”Report from the Near Future: Crystallization”), Larry Niven (”The Solipsist at Dinner”), Brian Aldiss (”Tiger in the Night”) and David Drake (”The Day of Glory”). Both Adam Roberts (”And Tomorrow and”) and Esther M. Friesner (”Abductio ad Absurdum”) contribute humorous stories about how unexpected events that start off alarming end up innocuous or even amusing. In fact, the dominant theme of this volume is the variety of human reactions to the universe throwing spitballs. Perhaps we could hope for an equally readable effort to raise funds for New Orleans? (May)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An autographed copy of AlphaOops by Alethea Kontis

Won by James K Chambliss

It’s backwards! It’s inside out! It’s every letter for itself! This laugh-out-loud romp is not your average alphabet book!

Z is tired of always having to be last when the alphabet family lines up. He is demanding fair and equal treatment! The letters (more or less) agree to go backwards, but it’s not long before P has some ideas of his own. And so does H, for that matter. In fact, it seems as if almost every letter has a different opinion about how the alphabet should be arranged. It’s chaos! It’s pandemonium! And it’s definitely not as easy as A-B-C! Filled with visually humorous details, Bob Kolar’s colorful illustrations are the perfect foil for Alethea Kontis’s snappy story about the comic confusion that comes when the letters of the alphabet, like a class of unruly children, step out of order and show that each one has a mind of its own.

A one year subscription to Shimmer Magazine

Won by Bruce Horner

This issue of Shimmer is full of the well-written slipstream and interstitial stories that show why the magazine has become a favorite with both the fans and the critics….

Overall, another great issue by Wodzinski. It is with no doubt that if Shimmer continues to produce such high quality work, we’ll be hearing its name being tossed about with the other critical darling of the fantasy/science fiction genre, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet.

A copy of Dark Side of the Moon by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Won by Anne Stringer, Dean J Lovett and Lisa Morgenstern

Sherrilyn Kenyon has generously donated three copies of this, so we’ll be drawing three names from this hat.

Susan Michaels was once the hottest reporter on the Beltway Beat until a major scandal ruined her life and left her writing stories about alien babies and Elvis sightings. Life as she once knew it is over, or so she thinks until she gets a lead on the biggest story in town: The Seattle Slayer. She heads to the local animal shelter, expecting a tip on the latest rash of killings. Instead, she gets a story about the mayor feeding citizens to a ring of vampires… yeah. Just another day in her life.

Then she gets talked into adopting a cat she’s allergic to. Her first thought is to neuter the cat. But when he turns out to be a gorgeous shapeshifting man who claims to be an immortal vampire slayer she thinks: not so fast. Next thought: seek professional help.

Susan doesn’t know what to believe, but as she’s drawn into a paranormal world, she comes to realize that the story that could bring her credibility is too unbelievable to expose. Now it’s no longer a question of bringing the truth to her readers, it’s a matter of saving lives and souls, and her only ally is a man she’s allergic to. In the world of the Dark-Hunters, it’s always dangerous. But never more so than when one very human woman can shatter their entire world with just one story. The only question is… will she? Dark Side of the Moon is full of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s trademark sexy humor and breathtaking imagination.

An autographed copy of A House Divided, signed by Deborah LeBlanc, president of the HWA.

Won by Karen Gill and Dean J Lovett

Deborah LeBlanc has generously donated two copies of this, so we’ll be drawing two names from this hat.

From Publishers Weekly
A two-story clapboard house—split and turned into separate structures by greedy Louisiana contractor Keith Lafleur—stands at the center of this creepy Southern ghost story. One side houses Laura Toups, her sassy African-American friend Tawana Batiste, Tawana’s mentally challenged cousin and their salon, the Beauty Box. Matt Daigle and his young son live on the other side, above the diner Matt runs. A series of haunting events—including bumps in the night, hundreds of dead birds on the lawn and a yard-spanning spider web—lead the residents to uncover the house’s secret history and Lafleur to murderous insanity. LeBlanc (Grave Intent) uses the haunted house plot to underscore the virtues of the two nontraditional families, giving her campfire story depth, and rounds out the enterprise with convincing dialogue and cinematic snapshots of Southern life. Though she leaves some loose ends, opting out with a well-placed “[t]here was a lot no one would ever know for sure,” her emphasis on characters and their relationships make this an affecting spook story. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An autographed copy of Hopscotch by Kevin J. Anderson

Won by Jennifer Pelland

Suppose you could switch bodies with another person? What exciting new experiences would you choose to explore? What forbidden desires would you indulge? Suppose someone stole your life — how far would you go to get it back?

From New York Times bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson comes a pure adrenaline thriller of hijacked identities, elusive motives, and deeply buried secrets — a disturbing, thought-provoking excursion into a sleek, hedonistic society where nothing is your own . . . not even your soul.

For a fee, Eduard Swan will swap bodies with people in distress — those facing surgeries, emotional crises, moments of unpleasantness or discomfort they can’t or would rather not deal with. Eduard will experience the suffering for them. It’s a lucrative business, and in a world in which no one is required to feel any pain, there is no end of clients.

But someone doesn’t want to play by the rules. Someone doesn’t want to return his body. And, unfortunately for Eduard, that someone is one of the world’s most powerful men. Now Eduard has no choice but to steal back his life.

A copy of The Magic Ring autographed by the editor, Amy H. Sturgis, Ph.D.

Won by Gina S. St.Phillips Ingraham

It is the twelfth century, the era of Richard the Lion-heart and the Third Crusade. Along the Danube, the tranquil world shared by the young squire Otto and his cousin Bertha is changed forever when they witness a knightly contest for possession of a magic ring. Soon both are drawn into a quest that transforms them and endangers all they love. The resulting adventures lead each to different paths of enchantment and peril, from the mysteries of Moorish Spain to the birthplace of Norse mythology. While navigating an ever-changing sea of allies and foes, both natural and magical, the two seek love, honor, survival, and a ring that possesses more power than either can possibly understand.

A seamless blend of medieval quest, epic fantasy, and Gothic nightmare, The Magic Ring draws on an impressive host of inspirations, such as Germanic folk tales and Icelandic sagas, Arthurian romance and Gothic horror. This novel has earned its place as a text of considerable historical significance, and yet it continues to offer an exhilarating reading experience for the modern audience.

This edition includes the complete original text of the first English version of The Magic Ring, the 1825 translation by Robert Pearse Gillies, as well as a scholarly introduction, a glossary of literary influences and references, and the complete text of Fouqué’s 1820 short story “The Field of Terror,” also translated by Gillies.

An autographed copy of Infoquake by David Louis Edelman.

Dave has generously donated two copies of this, so we’ll be drawing two names from this hat.

Won by John Michael Munsil and Scott Danielson

From Publishers Weekly
Slick high-finance melodrama and dizzying technical speculation lift Edelman’s SF debut, the first of a trilogy. Centuries in the future, humans rely less on machines than on upgrading their own nervous systems with nanotech bio/logic programs. Natch, a gifted young code programmer–entrepreneur obsessed with clawing his way to the top, jumps at the chance to merchandise a major new technology, MultiReal, even though he doesn’t know what it is. Natch soon becomes a target for not just his business rivals but also totalitarian governmental agencies and more mysterious groups. Natch’s being a borderline sociopath makes him extremely creative in business tactics and personal manipulation (and thus fascinating to read about). The world in which he operates is also fascinating, with awesome personal powers being sold on a frantic open market. Edelman, who has a background in Web programming and marketing, gives his bizarre notions a convincing gloss of detail. Bursting with invention and panache, this novel will hook readers for the story’s next installment. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An autographed copy of The Conqueror Worms by Brian Keene

Won by Eugie Foster

One day the rain just didn’t stop. As the flood waters rose and coastal cities and towns disappeared, some people believed it was the end of the world. Maybe they were right. But the water wasn’t the worst part. Even more terrifying was what the soaking rains drove up from beneath the earth—unimaginable creatures, writhing, burrowing…and devouring all in their path. What hope does an already devastated mankind have against… The Conqueror Worms.

An autographed copy of Terminal by Brian Keene.

Won by Dean J Lovett

From award-winning author Brian Keene comes a darkly suspenseful tale of crime and the common man–with a surprising jolt of the supernatural…

Tommy O’Brien once hoped to leave his run-down industrial hometown. But marriage and fatherhood have kept him running in place, working a job that doesn’t even pay the bills. And now he seems fated to stay for the rest of his life. Tommy’s just learned he’s going to die young–and soon. But he refuses to leave his family with less than nothing–especially now that he has nothing to lose.

Over a couple of beers with his best friends, John and Sherm, Tommy launches a bold scheme to provide for his family’s future. And though his plan will spin shockingly out of control, it will throw him together with a child whose touch can heal–and whose ultimate lesson is that there are far worse things than dying.

An autographed copy of City of the Dead by Brian Keene

Won by Robert Ricciuti

From Publishers Weekly
In this sequel to the Stoker-winning The Rising (2003), Keene ingeniously asks, if human corpses can be reanimated, why not dead dogs, rats, sparrows, goldfish, etc.? His other innovation is the news that the zombie swarm is inhabited by demons who are angry at God for trying to exile them in the Void. They want to get revenge by killing everything on Earth, and they are numerous, clever and indestructible enough to accomplish the task. Opposing the demon-zombies are a few living survivors, chiefly an ex-hooker, a young father and his little boy. Finding no shelter elsewhere, they wind up in a fortified Manhattan skyscraper, commanded by an old millionaire who’s certain he can outlast any attack. Keene does a fine job keeping the mechanics of the siege clear, while switching viewpoints among his large cast of characters. He’s also inventive in imagining ways the human body can be disassembled, with vivid descriptions of torn flesh and spraying fluids. After a while, though, the relentless dread becomes tiresome. Reading this book is like being trapped in a long, gory, unwinnable video game. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An autographed copy of The Rising by Brian Keene

Won by Prudence Board

The dead are returning to life as intelligent zombies. Trapped by the undead, escape seems impossible for Jim Thurmond. But Jim’s young son is alive and in dire peril hundreds of miles away. Despite overwhelming odds, Jim vows to find him— or die trying.

Joined by an elderly preacher, a guilt-ridden scientist, and a determined ex-prostitute, Jim embarks on a cross-country rescue mission. They must battle both the living and the living dead. And for Jim and his companions, an even greater evil awaits them at the end of their journey. This is the time of…The Rising.