This week's pre-publication, can't-wait-to-read is:
Publication Date: July 1st 2010 (Flux)
I can’t last much longer. It’s been one week, three days, and I forget how many hours.
My belly cramps, and I curl on my bed, staring out at the stars. A delicious breeze glides through my window and cools my sweaty forehead. The air smells of summer–mowed grass, recent rain, lingering barbecue–and tempts me more than I want to admit. Shards of moonlight and shadow shift on the wall. I clench my teeth and toes and try to ride out the pain. My bedroom drifts counterclockwise, and I shut my eyes.
My belly cramps, and I curl on my bed, staring out at the stars. A delicious breeze glides through my window and cools my sweaty forehead. The air smells of summer–mowed grass, recent rain, lingering barbecue–and tempts me more than I want to admit. Shards of moonlight and shadow shift on the wall. I clench my teeth and toes and try to ride out the pain. My bedroom drifts counterclockwise, and I shut my eyes.
It can’t be good for me, not shapeshifting.
Seventeen-year-old Gwen hides a dangerous secret: she’s Other. Half-pooka, to be exact, thanks to the father she never met. Most Americans don’t exactly roll out the welcome mat for Others, especially not the small-town folks of Klikamuks, Washington. As if this isn’t bad enough, Gwen’s on the brink of revealing her true identity to her long-time boyfriend, Zack, but she’s scared he’ll lump her with the likes of bloodthirsty vampires and feral werewolves.
When a pack of werewolves chooses the national forest behind Gwen’s home as their new territory, the tensions in Klikamuks escalate-into murder. It soon becomes clear a serial killer is methodically slaying Others. The police turn a blind eye, leaving Gwen to find the killer before the killer finds her. As she hunts for clues, she uncovers more Others living nearby than she ever expected. Like Tavian, a sexy Japanese fox-spirit who rivals Zack and challenges her to embrace her Otherness. Gwen must struggle with her own conflicted identity, learn who she can trust, and-most importantly-stay alive.
On Karen's website she says-
My debut, a young adult urban fantasy novel titled Other, will be published by Flux on July 1, 2010. You can look forward to a half-pooka shapeshifter girl with plenty of snark, a sexy fox-spirit boy, and a serial killer on the loose. With werepuppies thrown in for good measure. The sequel, Bloodborn, features werewolves, unrequited love, and hidden little towns of the Northwest, where the really weird paranormal people hide out.
What is a pooka?
Also known as, “What the bleep is a pooka?”, which may be the reaction of certain people. Anyway. A pooka is, in a nutshell, a shapeshifting spirit of the faerie family from Wales or Ireland. Most commonly, they appear in the form of a shaggy black horse with sulfurous yellow eyes. A pooka’s yellow eyes always give it away, even in human form. Gwen, being half-pooka, can pass her eyes off as hazel, though they glow when she gets excited. Pookas are tricksters who love waylaying innocents, according to lore, though that may just be human propoganda. Pookas also go by the name puca, phouka, pwca, and many other spelling variants.
Also known as, “What the bleep is a pooka?”, which may be the reaction of certain people. Anyway. A pooka is, in a nutshell, a shapeshifting spirit of the faerie family from Wales or Ireland. Most commonly, they appear in the form of a shaggy black horse with sulfurous yellow eyes. A pooka’s yellow eyes always give it away, even in human form. Gwen, being half-pooka, can pass her eyes off as hazel, though they glow when she gets excited. Pookas are tricksters who love waylaying innocents, according to lore, though that may just be human propoganda. Pookas also go by the name puca, phouka, pwca, and many other spelling variants.
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event to spotlight upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. It's hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.
12 comments:
This does sound great. I'll have to add it to my list. Thanks!!
July 2010...are you going to last? :P
July 2010 is eons away! :(
Wow that does sound amazing! I haven't read about pookas though, so that's a new one for me! :)
I don't know pookas but what caught my attention was this: "Most Americans don’t exactly roll out the welcome mat for Others". So, who does???
This sounds awesome! I will have to keep my eye out for it next year.
This sounds very good - I haven't heard of this author before so will keep a look out for it. Thanks!
Sounds intresteding, reminds me of the Mercy Thompson books by Patrica Briggs
Thanks for posting! I have added this to my collection on WoWs: http://www.karenkincy.com/?page_id=686
Best,
Karen Kincy
www.karenkincy.com
P.S. July 2010 is far, far away, but there are always ARCs... ;)
Wow, this sounds like a really fun read. I'll have to add it to my list!
Oh this does sound good! I want to read it tooooo.
This book sounds like great fun! I took the "What 'Other' are you?" quiz a while back, but had no idea it was actually based on a book I know I'll enjoy reading. Great pick!
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