Beyond Bounds: Karen Miller, Tara Smith Bray, Scott Westerfeld, P.C. Cast, Laurell K. Hamilton, Sherrilyn Kenyon, & Karen Marie Moning

October seems to be the month for new releases. From the young adult vampires in Betrayed to the more adult dreams of Sherrilyn Kenyon and Laurell K. Hamilton, there seems to be something for everyone.

I recently came by a copy of The Innocent Mage by Karen Miller, the first book in her Kingmaker, Kingbreaker duo. It was released in September and hot on its heels The Awakened Mage followed in October. Published by Orbit books, this is your traditional epic fantasy; magic, quests, and underdog heroes. In other words, Karen Miller has it all and writes it well.  Karen Miller talked with Chris, over at Chris the Book Swede, about her novels, the fact that she chose to write a duo instead of a trilogy, and what writing and publishing has been like for her. You can also read his reviews of The Innocent Mage and The Awakened Mage.  

Tara Smith Bray makes her young adult fantasy debut with BeTwixt, a tale of three teens who discover that they might not be completely human. This is the first in a new series and I have already seen it being compared to Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Series. Check out the cool site that has been set up for the book and read an excerpt.

Another young adult addition this month is Scott Westerfeld’s eagerly awaited Extras, the fourth in the Uglies series. You can read an excerpt, an interview with Scott Westerfeld, or check out his blog. There is also a contest going on for teens ages 13 to 17 in which you can win an Extras Playstation 3.

Then we have Betrayed: A House of Night Novel by the mother daughter team of P.C. and Kristen Cast from Oklahoma. This new series has had wonderful reviews, but that isn’t the only reason I’m mentioning it. Being an Okie myself, I feel bound to tell you about these vampire novels coming out of my home state. I’ve picked up the first two of the series (Marked and Betrayed), the gorgeous covers having originally caught my eye, but throw in a tale of a misfit girl, a school for becoming a vampire, and lots of teen angst, and you’ve got a good combination. Blood sucking and hormones? Talk about conflict. Check out P.C. Cast’s blog or read the first chapter from Marked.  

Article Author: Katie Trattner

Ms. Trattner works for a non-profit agency where she is thankful for any internet time she can squeeze into her day. In her free time she reads one of the thousands of books stacked in her tiny apartment.

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