Hello, Muses!
As June draws to a close and my 31st Birthday looms closer (this Thursday, yikes!), there are a few interesting releases that we shouldn't forget about.
In Adult books, Brenda Joyce surprised me with her historical romance A Rose in the Storm, set in Scotland during the Wars of Scottish Independence against England led by Robert the Bruce. Stay tuned for my review later this week. Also worth mentioning are Copper Girl by Jennifer Allis Provost and Caged Warrior by Lindsey Piper.
In Young Adult books, Tara Sullivan's Golden Boy sounds like a heart wrenching novel; I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes a bestseller. If you like Cole Gibsen's Katana series, then you may want to try Ink, book 1 in the Paper Gods series by Amanda Sun.
In Movies & TV Series, check out The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, starring Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi, and Jim Carrey who was, in my opinion, the best part of this movie! If you are looking for a little starcrossed romance then you need to check out Upside Down starring Jim Sturgess and Kristen Dunst. Not much going on in tv series this week, but if you like Army of Darkness then Todd and the Book of Pure Evil: Season 2 might be worth a watch.
Enjoy!
BOOKS (25th-27th JUNE)
ADULT
A Rose in the Storm
by: Brenda Joyce
With warfare blazing through Scotland, the fate of the Comyn-MacDougall legacy depends on one woman. Recently orphaned, young Margaret Comyn must secure her clan's safety through an arranged marriage. But when an enemy invasion puts her at the mercy of the notorious Wolf of Lochaber, her every loyalty—and secret want—will be challenged.
And A Kingdom Is At Stake
Legendary warrior Alexander "The Wolf" MacDonald rides with Robert Bruce to seize the throne of Scotland. But when he takes the fiery Lady Margaret prisoner, she quickly becomes far more than a valuable hostage. For the passion between them threatens to betray their families, their country . . . and their hearts.
Release Date: 25 June 2013
After Dark (Lords of the Underworld, #4.5)
by: Gena Showalter, Kait Ballenger
From New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter
The Darkest Angel
Winged warrior Lysander has been alive for centuries, and yet he's never known desire-until he meets Bianka. Spawned from the bloodline of his enemy, the beautiful but deadly Harpy is determined to lead the untouched Lysander into temptation. He may try to evade her attempts, but even the most iron-willed demon assassin can resist for only so long....
And from debut author Kait Ballenger
Shadow Hunter
Vampire hunter Damon Brock's first assignment with the Execution Underground is Rochester, New York, a city crawling with the undead. But he isn't the only hunter in town gunning for vamp blood. Tiffany Solow is fierce and ruthless when it comes to slaying the monsters that destroyed her family-and she works solo. But being alone is no longer so desirable when she meets the mysterious hunter who wants more than just her turf. As they work to massacre the local covens, the line between good and evil blurs when they are forced to decide between their lifelong beliefs... and their newfound hearts
Release Date: 25 June 2013
Armies of Heaven (The House of Arkhangel, #3)
by: Jane Kindred
Full-scale war has
broken out in Heaven, and Anazakia must embrace her destiny, leading an
army of Virtues into battle against a Host of enemies to restore the
House of Arkhangel’sk. Furious with her for putting her trust in the
angel who has done them all irreparable harm, Vasily tries to ignore his
growing resentment, while Belphagor returns to the world of Man with a
cadre of beautiful androgynous Virtues to restore the sundered alliance
between the Fallen and the gypsy underground. Without their help in
enlisting the terrestrial forces of Grigori and Nephilim, Anazakia’s
Virtues are hopelessly outnumbered. But there are more things in Heaven
and Earth than any of them have dreamt of, and those they cannot see
will mean the difference between victory and losing everything.
Release Date: 25 June 2013
Caged Warrior (Dragon Kings, #1)
by: Lindsey Piper
Ten years ago, Audrey MacLaren chose to marry her human lover, making her an exile from the Dragon Kings, an ancient race of demons once worshiped as earthly gods. Audrey and her husband managed to conceive, and their son is the first natural-born Dragon King in a generation—which makes him irresistible to the sadistic scientist whose mafia-funded technology allows demon procreation. In the year since her husband was murdered, Audrey and her little boy have endured hideous experiments.
Shackled with a collar and bound for life, Leto Garnis is a Cage warrior. Only through combat can Dragon Kings earn the privilege of conceiving children. Leto uses his superhuman speed and reflexes to secure the right for his two sisters to start families. After torture reveals Audrey’s astonishing pyrokenesis, she is sent to fight in the Cages. If she survives a year, she will be reunited with her son. Leto is charged with her training. Initially, he has no sympathy for her plight. But if natural conception is possible, what has he been fighting for? As enemies, sparring partners, lovers, and eventual allies, Leto and Audrey learn that in a violent underground world, love is the only prize worth winning
Release Date: 25 June 2013
Copper Girl (Copper Legacy, #1)
by: Jennifer Allis Provost
She never spoke of magic, never associated with those suspected of handling magic, never thought of magic, and never, ever, let anyone see her mark. After all, the last thing she wanted was to end up missing, like her father and brother.
Then, a silver elf pushed his way into Sara's dream, and her life became anything but ordinary.
Release Date: 25 June 2013
Damn Him to Hell (Saturn's Daughter, #2)
by: Jamie Quaid
Justice is blind. Justine isn’t.
Book two in the Saturn's Daughter series, in which Tina Clancy is
gifted with the power to dispense justice...for good or evil.
Tina Clancy is adapting to her new life as one of Saturn’s Daughters while living in the toxic part of Baltimore known as The Zone, and occasionally acting as a champion of the downtrodden, the weird, the innocent...and the sometimes not-so-innocent.
Just when she finally lands a real law job, the Zone is blasted by poisonous gas and her sometimes-boyfriend starts receiving visitors from Hell. He’s none too pleased about that, or in Tina having sent his granny to Hell in his place. For that matter, neither is granny…
Tina Clancy is adapting to her new life as one of Saturn’s Daughters while living in the toxic part of Baltimore known as The Zone, and occasionally acting as a champion of the downtrodden, the weird, the innocent...and the sometimes not-so-innocent.
Just when she finally lands a real law job, the Zone is blasted by poisonous gas and her sometimes-boyfriend starts receiving visitors from Hell. He’s none too pleased about that, or in Tina having sent his granny to Hell in his place. For that matter, neither is granny…
Release Date: 25 June 2013
Forged in Steele (KGI, #7)
by: Maya Banks
Qualifications: High intelligence, rock-hard body, military background.
Mission: Hostage/kidnap victim recovery. Intelligence gathering. Handling jobs the U.S. government can’t…
Steele, a KGI team leader, is an enigma not even his team mates understand. His emotions are tightly locked down and nothing can break that icy exterior. Nothing except Maren Scofield, a doctor on a mission, a woman who has gotten under Steele’s skin and threatens to crack that unflappable cool he’s legendary for.
Steele is determined not to allow Maren past his carefully guarded defenses, but when she’s in danger, there’s no way he’ll allow anyone else to protect her. She’s hiding something. He’s sure of it. But he isn’t prepared for the shocking discovery her secrets reveal. Or how they will forever alter the course of his destiny. He has a decision to make. Hold tight and shut her out. Or take a chance on something more powerful than he’s ever faced. Love.
Release Date: 25 June 2013
Game Changer, The (The Perfect Game, #2)
by: J. Sterling
Jack appeared at my door last night after six months of no
communication wearing a Mets jersey and holding a dozen red roses. He
told me he was sorry, that he loved me, and that he would earn my trust
again. It took everything in me to not fall apart at the mere sight of
him. I wanted to take him back into my life, but I needed to know that
this time it would be forever…
How do you stay together when the world's trying to tear you apart?
Release Date: 25 June 2013
'Geisters, The
by: David Nickle
Release Date: 25 June 2013
Hunted (Iron Druid Chronicles, #6)
by: Kevin Hearne
Crashing the pantheon marathon is the Norse god Loki. Killing Atticus is the only loose end he needs to tie up before unleashing Ragnarok—AKA the Apocalypse. Atticus and Granuaile have to outfox the Olympians and contain the god of mischief if they want to go on living—and still have a world to live in.
Release Date: 25 June 2013
YOUNG ADULT
After Daybreak (Darkness Before Dawn, #3)
by: J.A. London
Dawn grew up behind a wall, terrified of the vampires outside who controlled the lives of humans and demanded their blood. But when she became a delegate for her city and met Victor, she realized that not all vampires were the same, that maybe one could be trusted.
Now Day Walker Sin is infecting his followers with a disease that turns them into mindless killers. Dawn and Victor will have to convince humans and vampires to band together to stop him, because alone they will all die.
After Daybreak is perfect for fans of the YA series Morganville Vampires and the Vampire Diaries.
Release Date: 25 June 2013
Corner of Bitter and Sweet, The
by: Robin Palmer
Sixteen-year-old Annabelle Jacobs never asked to be famous, but as the daughter of Janie Jacobs, one of the biggest TV stars in the world, she is. Growing up is hard enough. Having to do it in public because your mother is a famous actress? Even harder. When your mom crashes and burns after her DUI mug shot is splashed across the internet? Definitely not fun. Then your mom falls for a guy so much younger than she that it would be more appropriate for you to be dating him? That’s just a train wreck waiting to happen.
From Robin Palmer, author of Geek Charming and Wicked Jealous, this is a novel about the most complicated relationship a girl ever has: that with her mother.
Release Date: 27 June 2013
Feros, The (Vindico, #2)
by: Wesley King
After defeating their villain mentors, the Vindico, James, Hayden, Sam, Emily and Lana are finally ready to join the League of Heroes. But as their induction into the League draws near, they are framed by a group of rogue Heroes and given life sentences on the Perch. Thunderbolt, the League’s leader, is the only one who can clear their names, but he is missing. To make matters worse, the Vindico are mysteriously let out of prison and a group of strange Shadow people start trailing the teens’ every move. Unsure of who to trust or where to go, the teens put their new skills to the test once more as they fight to save themselves—and their families—from an unknown foe. But how will they defeat an enemy they can not see?
Release Date: 27 June 2013
Golden Boy
by: Tara Sullivan
Thirteen-year-old Habo has always been different— light eyes, yellow hair and white skin. Not the good brown skin his family has and not the white skin of tourists. Habo is strange and alone. His father, unable to accept Habo, abandons the family; his mother can scarcely look at him. His brothers are cruel and the other children never invite him to play. Only his sister Asu loves him well. But even Asu can’t take the sting away when the family is forced from their small Tanzanian village, and Habo knows he is to blame.
Seeking refuge in Mwanza, Habo and his family journey across the Serengeti. His aunt is glad to open her home until she sees Habo for the first time, and then she is only afraid. Suddenly, Habo has a new word for himself: Albino. But they hunt Albinos in Mwanza because Albino body parts are thought to bring good luck. And soon Habo is being hunted by a fearsome man with a machete.
To survive, Habo must not only run but find a way to love and accept himself.
Release Date: 27 June 2013
Hidden, The (Avena, #1)
by: Marianne Curley
On one fateful night, Ebony meets Jordan and she's intensely drawn to him. It's as if something explodes inside of her--something that can be seen from the heavens. Ebony still doesn't know that she's a stolen angel, but now that the heavens have found her, they want her back.
Release Date: 25 June 2013
In the After (In the After, #1)
by: Demitria Lunetta
They are faster than anything you've ever seen.
And They won't stop chasing you...until you are dead.
Amy is watching TV when it happens, when the world is attacked by Them. These vile creatures are rapidly devouring mankind. Most of the population is overtaken, but Amy manages to escape—and even rescue “Baby,” a toddler left behind in the chaos. Marooned in Amy’s house, the girls do everything they can to survive—and avoid Them at all costs.
After years of hiding, they are miraculously rescued and taken to New Hope, a colony of survivors living in a former government research compound. While at first the colony seems like a dream with plenty of food, safety, and shelter, New Hope slowly reveals that it is far from ideal. And Amy soon realizes that unless things change, she’ll lose Baby—and much more.
Rebellious, courageous, and tender, this unforgettable duo will have you on the edge of your seat as you tear through the pulse-pounding narrow escapes and horrifying twists of fate in this thrilling debut from author Demitria Lunetta.
Release Date: 25 June 2013
Ink (The Paper Gods, #1)
by: Amanda Sun
Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.
Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.
Release Date: 25 June 2013
Lost Sun, The (United States of Asgard, #1)
by: Tessa Gratton
Seventeen-year-old Soren Bearskin is trying to escape the past. His father, a famed warrior, lost himself to the battle-frenzy and killed thirteen innocent people. Soren cannot deny that berserking is in his blood--the fevers, insomnia, and occasional feelings of uncontrollable rage haunt him. So he tries to remain calm and detached from everyone at Sanctus Sigurd's Academy. But that's hard to do when a popular, beautiful girl like Astrid Glyn tells Soren she dreams of him. That's not all Astrid dreams of--the daughter of a renowned prophetess, Astrid is coming into her own inherited abilities.
When Baldur, son of Odin and one of the most popular gods in the country, goes missing, Astrid sees where he is and convinces Soren to join her on a road trip that will take them to find not only a lost god, but also who they are beyond the legacy of their parents and everything they've been told they have to be.
Release Date: 25 June 2013
Neptune's Tears (Timedance, #1)
by: Susan Waggoner
Release Date: 25 June 2013
Paradox
by: A.J. Paquette
Ana only knows her name because of the tag she finds pinned to her jumpsuit. Waking in the featureless compartment of a rocket ship, she opens the hatch to discover that she has landed on a barren alien world. Instructions in her pocket tell her to observe and to survive, no doubt with help from the wicked-looking knives she carries on her belt. But to what purpose?
Meeting up with three other teens--one boy seems strangely familiar--Ana treks across the inhospitable landscape, occasionally encountering odd twists of light that carry glimpses of people back on Earth. They're working on some sort of problem, and the situation is critical. What is the connection between Ana's mission on this planet and the crisis back on Earth, and how is she supposed to figure out the answer when she can't remember anything
Release Date: 25 June 2013
MOVIES & TV SERIES (25th JUNE)
MOVIES
Black Pond
Directed by: Tom Kingsley
A typical British family is labeled as murderers by the tabloid press after a dinner guest dies in their home, and a scheming psychotherapist leaks the story to opportunistic reporters. Tom Thompson (Chris Langham) was taking his dog for a walk when he happened across Blake, a man who appeared to have fallen on hard times. Sympathetic, the suburban father invited the stranger back to his home or a hot meal. During the course of the dinner, however, Blake suddenly dropped dead. Months later, a friend of the family relays the perplexing story to his therapist Dr Eric Sacks (Simon Amstell), who immediately leaks the story to the press. In no time, the Thompsons gain a notorious reputation as the, "Family of Killers". Meanwhile, all Tom wants is to gain the respect of his rebellious daughters Jess and Katie, sooth the frazzled nerves of his distraught wife Sophie.
Release Date: 25 June 2013
Call, The
Directed by: Brad Anderson
In this heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat thriller, veteran 911 operator Jordan (Halle Berry) takes a life-altering call from a teenage girl (Abigail Breslin) who has been kidnapped and thrown into the trunk of a madman's car. But with the clock ticking, Jordan soon realizes she must confront a killer from her past in order to save the girl's life and put an end to a serial killer's haunting rampage.
Release Date: 25 June 2013
In the Family
Directed by: Patrick Wang
In the town of Martin, Tennessee, Chip Hines, a precocious six year old, has only known life with his two dads, Cody and Joey. And a good life it is. When Cody dies suddenly in a car accident, Joey and Chip struggle to find their footing again. Just as they begin to, Cody's will reveals that he named his sister as Chip's guardian. The years of Joey's acceptance into the family unravel as Chip is taken away from him. In his now solitary home life, Joey searches for a solution. The law is not on his side, but friends are. Armed with their comfort and inspired by memories of Cody, Joey finds a path to peace with the family and closer to his son.
Release Date: 25 June 2013
Incredible Burt Wonderstone, The
Directed by: Don Scardino
Superstar magicians Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carell) and Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi) have ruled the Las Vegas strip for years, raking in millions with illusions as big as Burt's growing ego. But lately the duo's greatest deception is their public friendship, while secretly they've grown to loathe each other. Facing cutthroat competition from guerilla street magician Steve Gray (Jim Carrey), whose cult following surges with each outrageous stunt, even their show looks stale. But there's still a chance Burt and Anton can save the act-both onstage and off-if Burt can get back in touch with what made him love magic in the first place
Release Date: 25 June 2013
Lesser Blessed
Directed by: Anita Doron
A misfit metalhead from the Northern Territories endures relentless bullying after surviving a family tragedy that left him scarred both physically and emotionally in this poignant teen drama based on a novel by Richard Van Camp. Larry Sole (Joel Nathan Evans) lives in an isolated community where most teenagers pass the time with drinking and sports. A member of the Tlicho First Nation, his extreme musical tastes and general disinterest in such frivolous pastimes make him not only a target for adolescent aggressor Darcy (Adam Butcher), but a virtual unknown to Juliet (Chloe Rose), the pretty girl whom he quietly pines for. When rebellious Aboriginal Johnny (Kiowa Gordon) transfers to their school and quickly puts Darcy in his place, both Larry and Juliet are impulsively drawn to their fearless new classmate. As a tender friendship blossoms between Larry and Johnny, so does a passionate romance between Juliet and Johnny. The moment Larry summons the courage to stand up for himself, however, a painful secret from his troubled past threatens to make him more of an outcast than ever before.
Release Date: 25 June 2013
No
Directed by: Pablo Larrain
In 1988, Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet, due to international pressure, is forced to call a plebiscite on his presidency. The country will vote YES or NO to Pinochet extending his rule for another eight years. Opposition leaders for the NO persuade a brash young advertising executive, Rene Saavedra (Gael Garcia Bernal), to spearhead their campaign. Against all odds, with scant resources and under scrutiny by the despot's minions, Saavedra and his team devise an audacious plan to win the election and set Chile free.
Release Date: 25 June 2013
Upside Down
Directed by: Juan Diego Solanas
Ever since Adam (Jim Sturgess) and Eden (Kirsten Dunst) fell in love as teens, their bond has faced astronomical odds. The pair are separated not just by social class and a political system bent on keeping them apart, but also by a freak planetary condition: they live on twinned worlds with gravities that pull in opposite directions-he on the poverty-stricken planet below, she on the wealthy, exploitative world above. Their budding but illicit romance screeches to a tragic halt when interplanetary-border patrol agents catch them and Eden suffers an apparently fatal fall. But when, ten years later, Adam learns she is alive and working at a vast corporation whose towering headquarters connects their planets, he sets out on a dangerous quest to infiltrate the company and the upper world to reconnect with her. UPSIDE DOWN is a visually stunning romantic adventure that poses the question: what if love was stronger than gravity?
Release Date: 25 June 2013
TV SERIES
Jack Taylor: Series 1
Based on the bestselling crime fiction by Ken Bruen
Self-destructive, pigheaded, and overfond of the bottle, Jack Taylor (Iain Glen, Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey) is a forty-something ex-cop trying to earn a living as a private detective in his native Galway. Taylor has burned a lot of bridges, but he still has a knack for uncovering ugly truths. In his new trade, Taylor finds evil at every turn: the serial murders of young female factory workers, a vicious vigilante group executing summary justice, and a sadistic nun dubbed "Lucifer" by her former charges.
Set against the rugged backdrop of western Ireland, this crime noir series depicts a country in transition, caught between the certainties of the past and the anxieties of a post-bubble future. Those same strains play out in the life of Jack Taylor, a man seeking to reinvent himself in a community with a long memory and an uneasy attitude towards change. Includes three feature-length mysteries: The Guards, The Pikemen, and The Magdalen Martyrs.
Release Date: 25 June 2013
New Tricks: Season 9
Starring: James Bolam, Brian Lane
RETIRED COPS SOLVE COLD CASES IN THIS HIT BRITISH SERIES
For eight years, the old dogs of the Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad—veteran detectives Jack Halford (James Bolam, The Beiderbecke Affair), Brian Lane (Alun Armstrong, Garrow's Law), and Gerry Standing (Dennis Waterman, The Sweeney)—have been a close-knit team. Led by Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman (Amanda Redman, Sexy Beast), their beautiful, younger boss, they have solved cold cases with classic policing skills and easy camaraderie. Then Jack drops a bombshell: he's quitting. Retiring. And this time, he means it.
Before long, Sandra finds a replacement in retired detective Steve McAndrew (Emmy® nominee Denis Lawson, Bleak House, Star Wars). A chatty, enthusiastic Scot, Steve treads on toes but gives the hit British series a "charm injection" (Huffington Post, U.K.). Season Nine guest stars include James Wilby (Island at War, Gosford Park), Sharon Small (The Inspector Lynley Mysteries), Kerry Fox (Cloudstreet), and Tim McInnerny (Blackadder) as intelligence agent Stephen Fisher.
Release Date: 25 June 2013
Todd and the Book of Pure Evil: Season 2
Todd and the Gang return for more gore-a-fying adventures at Crowley High. Todd is torn between his horny needs and his dark destiny; Jenny discovers the reason behind her Dad s disappearance; Curtis ex-girlfriend returns to throw the Gang in turmoil; and Hannah discovers a secret so disturbing that it threatens her own identity. Meanwhile, Atticus is determined to unlock the Book s power for himself, and Jimmy is, well, doing Jimmy things.
Bonus Features: Blooper Reel, Deleted and Extended Scenes, Extended Musical Numbers, Special FX Bonus Material, Behind-the-Scenes Featurette, In Memoriam : A tribute to the fallen students of Crowley High, Three Audio Commentaries with Cast & Crew.
Release Date: 25 June 2013
