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New Releases: 4/5/16

Here’s what went on sale today!

opens in a new windowAlien Hunter: White House by Whitley Strieber

opens in a new windowAlien Hunter: White House by Whitley StrieberThe aliens have seen many worlds, but they know that Earth in particular is a jewel. They lust for its soaring mountains, its shining seas, its gorgeous forests, and majestic deserts. There is just one part of the planet that they don’t want: us.

Flynn Carroll knows that the aliens are a race of brilliance and extraordinary cruelty. And he knows that they have found a way to eliminate humanity: capture the mind of the president of the United States. Control him, and you control the most powerful man in the world.

opens in a new windowHellknight by Liane Merciel

opens in a new windowPathfinder Tales: Hellknight by Liane Merciel The Hellknights are a brutal organization of warriors dedicated to maintaining law and order at any cost. For devil-blooded Jheraal, even the harshest methods are justified if it means building a better world for her daughter. Yet when a serial killer starts targeting hellspawn like Jheraal and her child, Jheraal has no choice but to use all her cunning and ruthlessness in order to defeat an ancient enemy to whom even death is no deterrent.

opens in a new windowIn the Labyrinth of Drakes by Marie Brennan

opens in a new windowIn the Labyrinth of Drakes by Marie BrennanEven those who take no interest in the field of dragon naturalism have heard of Lady Trent’s expedition to the inhospitable deserts of Akhia. Her discoveries there are the stuff of romantic legend, catapulting her from scholarly obscurity to worldwide fame. The details of her personal life during that time are hardly less private, having provided fodder for gossips in several countries.

As is so often the case in the career of this illustrious woman, the public story is far from complete. In this, the fourth volume of her memoirs, Lady Trent relates how she acquired her position with the Royal Scirling Army; how foreign saboteurs imperiled both her work and her well-being; and how her determined pursuit of knowledge took her into the deepest reaches of the Labyrinth of Drakes, where the chance action of a dragon set the stage for her greatest achievement yet.

opens in a new windowNightstruck by Jenna Black

opens in a new windowNightstruck by Jenna Black The night is the enemy, and the city of Philadelphia is its deadliest weapon. Becket is an ordinary teenage girl, wrestling with the upheaval of her parents’ divorce. A studious high school senior, her biggest problems to date have been choosing which colleges to apply to, living up to her parents’ ambitious expectations for her, and fighting her secret crush on her best friend’s boyfriend. But that all changes on the night she tries to save an innocent life and everything goes horribly wrong.

opens in a new windowNight Work by David C. Taylor

opens in a new windowNight Work by David C. Taylor Michael Cassidy, a New York cop plagued by dreams that sometimes come true, escorts a prisoner accused of murder to Havana on the cusp of Fidel Castro’s successful revolution against the Batista dictatorship. After delivering the man to La Cabaña prison and rescuing Dylan McCue, a Russian KGB agent and his now-married former lover, from her scheduled execution, Cassidy returns to New York and retreats into the comforts of alcohol and sex.

opens in a new windowQuantum Break: Zero State by Cam Rogers

opens in a new windowQuantum Break: Zero State by Cam Rogers Jack Joyce spent six years trying to escape—escape his life, escape time, escape the madness of his brother, Will. But when he finally returns home, it turns out his brother isn’t quite so mad. Will has created a time machine, one with the potential to save humanity. War? Preventable. Natural disasters? Stoppable.

Except for one tiny problem… his machine will also cause the end of the time as we know it. Now Jack has just one chance to turn back time, to fix what was broken, to save the world.

NEW SHORT STORY:

opens in a new windowDown to Zero by Jon McGoran

opens in a new windowDown to Zero by Jon McGoranWhen a beekeeper removing hives from an inner city warehouse is greeted with gunfire, Detective Doyle Carrick is called in to help aging mentor Jack Conroy catch the shooters. Although a previous case involving genetically modified bees has made Doyle the closest thing to a bee expert the Philly PD has, it’s a subject he wants nothing to do with. But Doyle owes Jack plenty of favors. Soon, the pair are clashing with foreign agents, corporate security agents, and lowlife thugs while tracking the mysterious bees across the city. As they work to figure out why these bees are worth killing over before the shooters can strike again, Doyle finds himself racing against a clock he could never have imagined.

NEW FROM TOR.COM:

opens in a new windowEvery Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

opens in a new windowEvery Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere… else. But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.

Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced… they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.

NOW IN PAPERBACK:

opens in a new windowAssassin’s Game by Ward Larsen

opens in a new windowBlood of the Cosmos by Kevin J. Anderson

opens in a new windowFractured by Kate Waterson

opens in a new windowNight Life by David C. Taylor

opens in a new windowThe Suspicion at Sandition by Carrie Bebris

opens in a new windowTrial of Intentions by Peter Orullian

NEW IN MANGA:

opens in a new windowAkuma no Riddle: Riddle Story of Devil Vol. 3 by Yun Kouga; Art by Sunao Minakata

opens in a new windowHour of the Zombie Vol. 1 by Tsukasa Saimura

opens in a new windowSee upcoming releases.

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Sincerity is the Watchword

opens in a new windowEvery Heart a DoorwayWritten by opens in a new windowSeanan McGuire

I watch a lot of horror movies. However many you’re thinking right now, I regret to inform you that you have woefully underestimated the number of horror movies that I have watched in my lifetime. I watch a lot of horror movies. My earliest cinematic memories involve horror movies—Alien when I was three years old, sitting on my uncle’s lap in the living room of our old apartment; The Blob after a midnight trip to the emergency vet to have a cattail removed from my cat’s eye; Critters in my grandmother’s living room, elbows buried in the plush beige carpet, dreaming of marrying the handsome red-haired boy in the lead role. So many horror movies. The only form of media that has arguably had more of an influence on me than the horror movie is the superhero comic book (which is a whole different kettle of worms).

The standards of horror have changed with time, of course. The things we’re afraid of now and the things we were afraid of fifty years ago are not the same, and neither are the avatars we choose to face those fears. We’ve gone from jut-jawed heroes to final girls to clever kids to slackers who somehow stumbled into the wrong movie, and when it’s been successful, it’s been incredible, and when it’s failed, we haven’t even needed to talk about it, because everyone knows. But there’s one ingredient to a really good horror movie that has never changed—that I don’t think ever will change—that I think we need to think about a little harder.

Sincerity.

There’s a point in Creepshow II where a beautiful girl has been grabbed by the oilslick monster that lives on the surface of an abandoned lake. It is eating her alive. She’s awake, aware, and screaming. Her friends are freaking out, because that’s the reasonable thing to do under the circumstances. But none of them are refusing to commit to the moment. The monster is there. The fact that the monster looks like an evil pudding doesn’t change the fact that the monster is there.

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There’s a moment in Slither where the mayor of the small town under siege by alien invaders loses his temper because there’s not a Mr. Pibb in his official mayoral car. He has seen people die. His own life has been threatened. He may not last until morning. He just wants his Mr. Pibb. It’s one of the most fully committed, most human moments I have ever seen in a horror movie, and it did more to sell me on the terror of the situation than all the overblown confessions of love in all the sequels in the world.

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Sincerity. Completely committing to the situation, no matter how silly. Whether chased by giant snakes (Anaconda), or super-intelligent sharks (Deep Blue Sea), or a flesh-eating virus (Cabin Fever), or even Death Itself (Final Destination), sincerity can be the difference between a forgettable Saturday night special and something that you’ll find yourself going back to. “So bad it’s good” is a phrase most often applied to horror movies with the sense to be sincere.

I find this is true of most mediums. The Care Bear Movie holds up surprising well, because it had the guts to completely commit to its source material; so does the original V. Some newer material falls apart on re-watching, because it never figured out how to be sincere. Fully committing to the topic at hand, on the other hand, gives you something worth revisiting a time or twelve.

We scare because we care, after all. Caring counts.

New York Times bestselling author Seanan McGuire is the author of the October Daye urban fantasy series, the InCryptid series, and several other works, both standalone and in trilogies. She lives in a creaky old farmhouse in Northern California, and was the winner of the 2010 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. In 2013 she became the first person ever to appear five times on the same Hugo ballot. Her novella Every Heart a Doorway comes out April 5th from Tor.com Publishing.

Buy Every Heart a Dooryway today:
opens in a new windowAmazon | opens in a new windowBarnes & Noble | opens in a new windowBooks-a-Million | opens in a new windowiBooks | opens in a new windowIndiebound | opens in a new windowPowell’s

Follow Seanan McGuire on Twitter at opens in a new window@seananmcguire and stay updated on her opens in a new windowwebsite.

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On the Road: Tor/Forge Author Events for April

opens in a new windowA Shadow All of Light by Fred Chappell opens in a new windowA Voice from the Field by Neal Griffin opens in a new windowEvery Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

opens in a new windowTor/Forge authors are on the road in April! Here is the info on all of our upcoming author events. See who is coming to a city near you!

Charlie Jane Anders, opens in a new windowAll the Birds in the Sky

Wednesday, April 13
opens in a new windowThe Delancey – Writers With Drinks NYC
New York, NY
7:00 PM

Friday, April 22
Copperfield’s Books
Petaluma, CA
7:00 PM

R.S. Belcher, opens in a new windowThe Brotherhood of the Wheel

Saturday, April 2
Barnes & Noble
Norfolk, VA
2:00 PM

Saturday, April 9
College of William and Mary Bookstore
Williamsburg, VA
12:00 PM

Marie Brennan, opens in a new windowIn the Labyrinth of Drakes

Saturday, April 9
Borderlands Cafe
San Francisco, CA
3:00 PM

Tuesday, April 12
University Bookstore
Seattle, WA
7:00 PM
Also with Todd Lockwood.

Fred Chappell, opens in a new windowA Shadow All of Light

Tuesday, April 12
St. David’s School – Performing Arts Center
Raleigh, NC
7:00 PM
Books provided by Quail Ridge Books.

Friday, April 15
Malaprops
Asheville, NC
7:00 PM

Tuesday, April 19
Regulator Bookshop and Cafe
Durham, NC
7:00 PM

Saturday, April 23
McIntyre’s Books
Pittsboro, NC
2:00 PM

Thursday, April 28
Greensboro Central Library
Greensboro, NC
7:00 PM

Alan Gratz, opens in a new windowThe Dragon Lantern

Thursday, April 21
opens in a new windowMurder by the Book
Houston, TX
6:30 PM
Tor Teen Night: Also with P.J. Hoover and David Lubar.

Neal Griffin, opens in a new windowA Voice from the Field

Friday, April 15
Readers’ Realm
Montello, WI
1:00 PM

Friday, April 15
The Volume One Gallery
Eau Claire, WI
7:00 PM

Saturday, April 16
Mystery to Me Bookstore
Madison, WI
7:00 PM

Sunday, April 17
Arcadia Books
Spring Green, WI
2:00 PM

Wednesday, April 20
Neenah Public Library
Neenah, WI
2:00 PM
Fox Cities Book Festival

Thursday, April 21
The Reader’s Loft
Green Bay, WI
6:00 PM
Also with Patricia Skalka.

Leanna Renee Hieber, opens in a new windowStrangely Beautiful

Sunday, April 24
Word Bookstores
Brooklyn, NY
2:00 PM
Also with Sunil Patel and Keffy Kehrli.

Tuesday, April 26
Barnes & Noble
West Chester, OH
7:00 PM

Wednesday, April 30
Morris-Jumel Mansion
New York, NY
5:30 PM

Glen Hirshberg, opens in a new windowGood Girls

Saturday, April 2
Dark Delicacies
Burbank, CA
2:00 PM
Also with Joe R. Lansdale.

P.J. Hoover, Tut: The Story of My Immortal Life

Thursday, April 21
opens in a new windowMurder by the Book
Houston, TX
6:30 PM
Tor Teen Night: Also with Alan Gratz and David Lubar.

David Lubar, opens in a new windowCharacter, Driven

Thursday, April 21
opens in a new windowMurder by the Book
Houston, TX
6:30 PM
Tor Teen Night: Also with Alan Gratz and P.J. Hoover.

Seanan McGuire, opens in a new windowEvery Heart a Doorway

Monday, April 4
opens in a new windowBooksmith
San Francisco, CA
7:30 PM

Saturday, April 23
opens in a new windowBorderlands Cafe
San Francisco, CA
6:00 PM

Renee Patrick, opens in a new windowDesign for Dying

Saturday, April 23
opens in a new windowSeattle Mystery Bookshop
Seattle, WA
12:00 PM

Sunday, April 24
opens in a new windowEagle Harbor Book Co
Bainbridge Island, WA
3:00 PM

David C. Taylor, opens in a new windowNight Work

Monday, April 11
opens in a new windowBook People
Austin, TX
7:00 PM
Also with Stuart Woods.

Tuesday, April 12
opens in a new windowPoisoned Pen
Scottsdale, AZ
7:00 PM

Tuesday, April 19
opens in a new windowBrookline Booksmith
Brookline, MA
7:00 PM

Dan Wells, opens in a new windowThe Devil’s Only Friend

Friday, April 8
opens in a new windowThird Place Books – Ravenna
Seattle, WA
7:00 PM

February #TorChat Sweepstakes

The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination

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Did you participate in today’s #TorChat? We hope you enjoyed it and look forward to your participation in next month’s chat on March 20th!

In the meantime, here’s your chance to win a prize! Five – that’s right, five – lucky winners will receive a trade paperback edition of The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination. Leave a comment below to enter.

And again, we’d like to thank Diana Gabaldon, Seanan McGuire, and Austin Grossman for participating. We’d especially like to thank editor John Joseph Adams for moderating!

Sweepstakes closes to new entries on February 27th at noon.

And don’t forget to come and join us next month, on March 20th, at 4 PM Eastern!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. You must be 18 or older and a legal resident of the 50 United States or D.C. to enter. Promotion begins February 20, 2013 at 4:30 p.m. ET. and ends February 27, 2013, 12:00 p.m. ET. Void in Puerto Rico and wherever prohibited by law. Please see full details and official rules go here. Sponsor: Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.

February #TorChat Lineup Revealed

The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination

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This month, #TorChat is taking you into the lab…of some mad scientists! Join us as editor and moderator John Joseph Adams chats with Seanan McGuire, Austin Grossman, and Diana Gabaldon on February 20th at 4 PM Eastern.

Mwahahaha!

Tor Books (@torbooks) is thrilled to announce the February #TorChat, part of a monthly series of genre-themed, hour-long chats created by Tor Books and hosted on Twitter.

This month, #TorChat is taking you behind the scenes in some very dangerous places – the minds of several mad scientists. Joining us will be the mistress of time travel and author of the New York Times bestselling Outlander novels, Diana Gabaldon; the creator of Soon I Will Be Invincible’s Doctor Impossible, Austin Grossman; and creative genius (and by that, we mean mad scientist) Seanan McGuire, the author of the October Daye series, as well as the Newsflesh Trilogy (as Mira Grant). Together, they’ll be discussing the best layout to the underground lair, how to perfect your evil laugh, and, of course, the best way to try to take over the world!

The chat will be loosely moderated by editor extraordinaire and mad scientist wrangler John Joseph Adams, a fantastic anthologist, editor, and the publisher of Lightspeed Magazine. We hope all you budding evil geniuses will follow the chat and join in using the Twitter hashtag #TorChat!

About the Authors

JOHN JOSEPH ADAMS (@JohnJosephAdams) is the bestselling editor of Wastelands, Under the Moons of Mars, Seeds of Change, The Living Dead, The Way of the Wizard, By Blood We Live, and The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. He’s a two-time finalist for the Hugo and a three-time finalist for the World Fantasy Award. He is also the publisher and editor of Lightspeed Magazine, and the co-host of Wired.com’s “The Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy” podcast. His newest anthology is The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination, publishing on February 19th.

DIANA GABALDON (@Writer_DG) is the author of the award-winning, number one New York Times bestselling Outlander novels, which include Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums Of Autumn, The Fiery Cross, A Breath Of Snow And Ashes, and An Echo In The Bone, with twenty million copies in print worldwide. She has also written a graphic novel called The Exile, and a number of novels and novellas about her character, Lord John Grey, the latest of which, The Scottish Prisoner, came out in 2011. The eighth novel in the main series, Written in My Own Heart’s Blood, will be published in 2013.

AUSTIN GROSSMAN (@Austin_Grossman) is the author of Soon I Will Be Invincible, which was nominated for the John Sargent Sr. First Novel Prize. His writing has appeared in Granta, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. He is a video game design consultant and a doctoral candidate in English Literature at the University of California at Berkeley, and he has written and designed for a number of critically acclaimed video games, including Ultima Underworld II, System Shock, Trespasser, and Deus Ex. His second novel, You, came out from Mulholland Books in 2012, and his short fiction has also appeared in the anthology Under the Moons of Mars: New Adventures on Barsoom.

SEANAN MCGUIRE (@seananmcguire) is the author of the October Daye and InCryptid urban fantasy series. Writing under the open pseudonym Mira Grant, she is the author the Newsflesh trilogy—which includes Feed, Deadline, and Blackout—which she describes as “science fiction zombie political thrillers” that focus on blogging, medical technology, and the ethics of fear. A story set in that milieu appeared in John Joseph Adams’s anthology The Living Dead 2. Her other short work has appeared in Fantasy Magazine, Book View Café, The Edge of Propinquity, Apex Magazine, and in the anthologies Zombiesque and Tales from the Ur-Bar.

About #Torchat
#TorChat is a genre-themed, hour-long chat series created by Tor Books and hosted on Twitter. Guest authors join fans in lively, informative and entertaining discussions of all that’s hot in genre fiction, 140 characters at a time, from 4 – 5 PM EST on the third Wednesday of every month. Each #TorChat revolves around a different genre topic of interest, often of a timely nature, and strives to provide a new media opportunity for readers to connect with their favorite authors.

About Tor Books
Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, is a New York-based publisher of hardcover and softcover books. Founded in 1980, Tor annually publishes what is arguably the largest and most diverse line of science fiction and fantasy ever produced by a single English-language publisher. In 2002, Tor launched Starscape, an imprint dedicated to publishing quality science fiction and fantasy for young readers, including books by critically acclaimed and award winning authors such as Cory Doctorow, Orson Scott Card, and David Lubar. Between an extensive hardcover and trade-softcover line, an Orb backlist program, and a stronghold in mass-market paperbacks, books from Tor have won every major award in the SF and fantasy fields, and has been named Best Publisher 25 years in a row in the Locus Poll, the largest consumer poll in SF.

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