A woman learns the truth about her family's history in "Alchemystic" by Anton Strout.
Alexandra is content to be a struggling artist until her brother's untimely death. Thrust into her family's real estate empire, Lexi is also thrust into something else of her family's it turns out her great-great-grandfather was a spellmason, an artist who could use his magic on stone. With the help of a gargoyle named Stanis, Lexi must fight the ancient enemies of her family to protect those she loves. Or will they be separate forever?
This is the cool beginning to a new series of magic, danger and gargoyle sidekicks. Lexi's a strong-willed main character to cheer for.
"Alchemystic" is published by Ace. It is $7.99 and 290 pages long.
***
New York Times bestselling author Susan Sizemore visits a vampire hunter with a magic side in "Personal Demon."
Ivy Bailey helps police the vampire population. But she is inexplicably drawn to Christopher, a vampire enforcer whose job mirrors her own. While the last thing Ivy wants is a vampire boyfriend, the more she is around Christopher, the more she is attracted to him. And when the two of them discover that something sinister is traveling the streets in the form of brought back serial killers, including Jack the Ripper, their romance may be doomed...by death.
Vampire fiction and romance come together in this well written gem of a novel.
"Personal Demon" is published by Ace. It is $7.99 and 282 pages long.
***
New York Times bestselling author R.L. Stine visits the world of adult horror in "Red Rain."
Lea Sutter is a travel writer who visits a strange little island known for a bizarre past in the hopes of getting published again. What she gets is a terrible hurricane that practically wipes the whole town off the map. And in the midst of the chaos, she finds two beautiful 12-year-old boys who have nowhere to go.
Lea's husband, Mark, doesn't quite understand her insistance in taking the boys in and adopting them, and neither does her two children. But the family makes the best of it and the boys seem OK...except they are really not. Samuel and Daniel are something else entirely, and so is their bond to Lea. And not only is Lea's family in danger, but so is the whole town...
This was a fun, creepy "evil children" story that kept me reading until the wee hours. There was a few odd plot points and twists that didn't hold up with more thought after the story was done, but it was still a fun way to spend an evening reading!
"Red Rain" is published by Touchstone. It is $24.99 and 369 pages long.
***
A vampire romance anthology gives three sexy stories of bloodsucking Scottsmen in "Born to Bite" by Hannah Howell, Diana Cosby and Erica Ridley.
In "Dark Secret" by Howell, a young woman's search for her cousin leads her into the arms of a vampire. Murdina search for the last of her family leads her to be a maid for a wealthy family. One of the few to treat her kindly is the mysterious Gillanders Baldwin. And soon an attraction between them becomes a full-fledged desire. But is Gillanders keeping dangerous secrets?
Does her lust for her body or her blood?
In "Highland Vampire" by Cosby, Rowan Campbell is a beautiful fey who is inexplicably drawn to a handsome and dangerous vampire. But this is no ordinary vampire, but Aedan MacGregor, king of the Highland vampires! And while he is dangerous, so is his claims that she is his mate, a bond that no one can change. But does Rowan want to change it or give in to his seduction? Or can she even live in his world?
In "Never Been Bitten" by Ridley, Elspeth is a spinster who is introduced to the dashing MacCane at a party. Cain is rumored to be a vampire, something that has the ladies of the ton scandalized (and offering up their throats.) Elie is captivated by Cain but her mother's vagabond lifestyle seems to be bringing up more questions and there may be secrets about her family that even Ellie doesn't realize. Is Ellie safe around Cain? Or is he safe around her?
For those who like paranormal romance, this is the perfect "treat" for Halloween.
"Born to Bite" is published by Kensington. It is $15 and 266 pages long.
Contact Amy Phelps at aphelps@newsandsentinel.com
