Kindle Genre Watch (02 Nov 09)

Genre fiction - as opposed to nonfiction, graphic novels and picture books - lends itself to enjoyable Kindle reading because when you pick up a book of fiction you don't necessarily expect it to be illustrated. Authors of mysteries, science fiction, fantasy, romance novels and westerns paint word pictures and their readers use their own imagination to picture the scene of the crime or the stare of a vampire or the track of an alien space craft hurtling towards earth.

Now you can spend less time searching for new genre fiction and more time reading it as I watch for newly-released genre fiction in the Kindle Storeso you don't have to. Recent genre fiction releases include:

FANTASY

Never After by Laurell K. Hamilton, Yasmine Galenorn, Marjorie M. Liu, and Sharon Shinn. Jove. Kindle edition $7.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"The bonds of love. The bonds of matrimony. The bonds between husband and wife. Some bonds are made to be broken. Here, for the first time ever, are four stories based on the classic idea of the 'faerie tale wedding'—except this time, the damsels aren't the ones in distress. New York Times bestselling author Laurell K. Hamilton spins a story of a princess who decides to take her own destiny in hand and rescue a pampered Prince Charming from an evil sorceress... A selkie on the run from a century-old broken marriage arrangement has finally found true love - only to have the darkness from her past return to threaten both her and her dearly beloved.. a young princess escapes betrothal to a warlord by entering a magical forest. But when an evil queen sends her on a quest to 'The Tangleroot Palace' she faces dangers more perilous than marriage. When a princess refuses her boring betrothed, the king holds a competition to see who will win his daughter's hand. But in matters of the heart, is a winner truly worthy - or can a loser offer even more?" - berkleyjoveauthors.com.

Bound to Shadows by Keri Arthur. This is book 8 in the Riley Jenson Guardian series. All are available for the Kindle, starting with the first in the series: Full Moon Rising. Dell. Kindle edition $6.39. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"Part vampire, part werewolf, Riley Jenson knows what can happen when vamps don’t play well with others. But she’s never seen anything like this: a series of brutal murders surrounding the latest hot spot for vampire-human hookups - and the victims aren’t just killed, they’re beheaded. Now Riley is launching into action, toying with a seductive - and highly suspicious - club owner, and finding herself in the middle of another mystery: women being killed one by one, without a trace of violence." - www.randomhouse.com.

Sleepwalker: The Last Sandman by Brad Marlowe. Write Angle Press. Kindle edition $1.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"... a dark force springs to life from the uncommon imaginations of two young brothers, casting a cold shadow over Nod, the mercurial land of dreams. When the malevolent entity abducts the Sandman, and then snatches its own creators from their cozy beds in an Iowa farmhouse, where the boys live with their loving aunt and uncle, Jake Golden (the boys’ cynical father) must resurrect the imaginative child within in order to cross the barrier that separates the real from the surreal. ...a Modern Fantasy with no wizards, faeries, dragons, or vampires. It is an exploration of the origin of dreams and the tale of a world-weary, broken-hearted father’s love for the sons he has neglected far too long." - Amazon.

The Ghost King by R. A. Salvatore. This is book three in the author's Transitions trilogy. The first two volumes were The Orc King and The Pirate King. Wizards of the Coast. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Disabled.
When the Spellplague ravages Faerûn, Drizzt and his companions are caught in the chaos. Seeking out the help of the priest Cadderly - the hero of the recently reissued series The Cleric Quintet - Drizzt finds himself facing his most powerful and elusive foe, the twisted Crenshinibon, the demonic crystal shard he believed had been destroyed years ago.

Bite Marks by Jennifer Rardin. Book 6 in the Jaz Parks series that began with Once Bitten, Twice Shy. Orbit. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"Jaz is possessed. After biting the neck of a domyter during a forced visit to his territory, she now has unwelcome voices in her head. While fighting for supremacy in her own mind, she finds herself confronted with a near-impossible task: perform perfectly on her next mission or face the unemployment line." - www.jenniferrardin.net.

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan. Tor. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
This is the first book in The Wheel of Time, Robert Jordan's monumental fantasy series. Jordan had completed eleven volumes before his death in 2007 and the three final books are being completed by fellow fantasy author Brandon Sanderson. The first of these (The Gathering Storm) has just been published in hardcover and will presumably be available for the Kindle soon.
"The peaceful villagers of Emond's Field pay little heed to rumors of war in the western lands until a savage attack by troll-like minions of the Dark One forces three young men to confront a destiny which has its origins in the time known as The Breaking of the World. This richly detailed fantasy presents a fully realized, complex adventure which will appeal to fans of classic quests." - Library Journal.

MYSTERIES/THRILLERS

The Scarpetta Factor by Patricia Cornwell. Putnam. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Disabled.
"It is the week before Christmas. A tanking economy has prompted Dr. Kay Scarpetta - despite her busy schedule and her continuing work as the senior forensic analyst for CNN - to offer her services pro bono to New York City's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. In no time at all, her increased visibility seems to precipitate a string of unexpected and unsettling events. She is asked live on the air about the sensational case of Hannah Starr, who has vanished and is presumed dead. Moments later during the same telecast she receives a startling call-in from a former psychiatrist patient of Benton Wesley's. When she returns after the show to the apartment where she and Benton live, she finds an ominous package - possibly a bomb - waiting for her at the front desk." - Amazon.

Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris. This is book 4 in the Harper Connelly series. All are available for the Kindle, starting with the first in the series: Grave Sight. Berkley. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"In bestseller Harris's solid fourth Harper Connelly mystery (after 2007's An Ice Cold Grave), Harper, who can not only locate bodies but also deduce the cause of death, and her stepbrother, Tolliver Lang, are summoned to Texas by members of the wealthy Joyce family, who are looking for answers behind the death of their patriarch, Rich. But when an act of violence threatens the pair, Harper realizes that the circumstances behind Rich's death may have ties to her own troubled childhood in nearby Texarkana. Further complicating matters, Tolliver and his drug addict father, who's recently been paroled, have an uneasy reunion that stirs up long-buried memories about the unsolved disappearance eight years earlier of Harper's older sister, Cameron..." - Publishers Weekly.

Pursuit of Honor by Vince Flynn. Atria. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"The action begins six days after a series of explosions devastated Washington, D.C., targeting the National Counterterrorism Center and killing 185 people, including public officials and CIA employees. It was a bizarre act of extreme violence that called for extreme measures on the part of elite counterterrorism operative Mitch Rapp and his trusted team member, Mike Nash. Now that the initial shock of the catastrophe is over, key Washington officials are up in arms over whether to make friends or foes of the agents who stepped between the enemy's bullets and countless American lives regardless of the legal consequences. Not for the first time, Rapp finds himself in the frustrating position of having to illustrate the realities of national security to politicians whose view from the sidelines is inevitably obstructed..." - Amazon.

Heat Wave by Richard Castle. Hyperion. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"A New York real estate tycoon plunges to his death on a Manhattan sidewalk. A trophy wife with a past survives a narrow escape from a brazen attack. Mobsters and moguls with no shortage of reasons to kill trot out their alibis. And then, in the suffocating grip of a record heat wave, comes another shocking murder... Mystery sensation Richard Castle, blockbuster author of the wildly best-selling Derrick Storm novels, introduces his newest character, NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat. Tough, sexy, professional, Nikki Heat carries a passion for justice as she leads one of New York City's top homicide squads. She's hit with an unexpected challenge when the commissioner assigns superstar magazine journalist Jameson Rook to ride along with her to research an article on New York's Finest. PulitzerPrize-winning Rook is as much a handful as he is handsome. His wise-cracking and meddling aren't her only problems. As she works to unravel the secrets of the murdered real estate tycoon, she must also confront the spark between them..." - Amazon.

Reunions Can Be Murder by Connie Shelton. This is the 7th mystery featuring New Mexico CPA and sleuth Charlie Parker. The series began with the very reasonably-priced ($.0.99) Deadly Gamble. Secret Staircase Books. Kindle edition $4.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"Charlie gets her newest case when an ill-tempered female attorney hires her to find the family's missing patriarch in time for an upcoming family reunion. The elderly man took off two months earlier to do some gold prospecting in the hills of southern New Mexico. Charlie agrees to ask around but privately she thinks the old man probably just left town to avoid his irritating daughter. However, when she visits the almost-ghost town of White Oaks, Charlie comes upon a body that could be the missing Willie McBride..." - Amazon.

ROMANCE

Hot on Her Heels by Susan Mallery. HQN. Kindle edition $5.76. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"Dana Birch vowed never to put herself at the mercy of a powerful man. She became a deputy so that she could take care of herself and protect those she loves. Especially her best friends, the Titan sisters. Twenty years ago, Garth Duncan swore revenge on Jed Titan for abandoning Garth and his mother. Now he's back to fulfill that promise, even if Jed's daughters get caught in the crosshairs. All that stands between him and his goal is Dana, her gun and a growing passion that can't be denied." - Amazon.

Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts. Book 2 in the Bride Quartet series that began with Vision in White. Berkley. Kindle edition $9.47. Text-to-Speech: Disabled.
"As little girls MacKensie, Emma, Laurel, and Parker spent hours acting out their perfect make believe 'I do' moments. Years later their fantasies become reality when they start their own wedding planning company to make every woman's dream day come true. In Bed of Roses, florist Emma Grant is finding career success with her friends at Vows wedding planning company, and her love life appears to be thriving. Though men swarm around her, she still hasn't found Mr. Right. And the last place she's looking is right under her nose. But that's just where Jack Cooke is. He's so close to the women of Vows that he's practically family, but the architect has begun to admit to himself that his feelings for Emma have developed into much more than friendship. When Emma returns his passion - kiss for blistering kiss - hey must trust in their history...and in their hearts." - Amazon.

The Untamed Bride by Stephanie Laurens. Book 1 of the Black Cobra Quartet. HarperCollins. Kindle edition $6.39. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"They're battle-hardened, sinfully wealthy, completely unstoppable - and all male: Four officers of the Crown, fighting against a deadly foe known only as the Black Cobra. He is a man who has faced peril without flinching, determined to fight for king and country. She is a bold, beautiful woman with a scandalous past, destined to become an untamed bride. Together they must vanquish the ruthless enemy, while confronting the dangers of the heart. - www.harpercollins.com.

The Care and Taming of a Rogue by Suzanne Enoch. HarperCollins. Kindle edition $6.39. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"After years away from London, Captain Bennett Wolfe is back - and alive, much to Society's surprise. Having been presumed dead, this rugged adventurer is now much sought after by every marriage-minded young woman...but Bennett only has eyes for the intriguing Lady Phillipa Eddison. Phillipa would rather read than flirt, but she does know a thing or two about proper courtship rituals. A gentleman does not kiss a lady senseless, and he certainly does not bring his pet monkey when he comes calling. Lady Phillipa's ever been so scandalized ... or tempted." - www.harpercollins.com.

Shadowlight by Lynn Viehl. Onyx. Kindle edition $6.39. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"With just one touch, Jessa Bellamy can see anyone's darkest secrets, thanks to whoever tampered with her genes. What she doesn't know is that a biotech company has discovered her talent and intends to kill her and harvest her priceless DNA. Gaven Matthias is forced to abduct Jessa himself so he can protect her, but Jessa has a hard time believing the one man whose secrets she can't read. As a monstrous assassin closes in and forces them to run, Jessa will have to find another way to discover if Matthias is her greatest ally - or her deadliest enemy." - Amazon.

Darkness Unleashed by Alexandra Ivy. Zebra Books. Kindle edition $4.47. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"A scarred recluse, Jagr makes no secret of his disdain for others' company. But now, as a member of Chicago's powerful vampire clan, he has certain obligations to fulfill. The latest: track down a missing were pureblood and return her to her sister. The problem: Regan Garrett has no intention of complying. And though Jagr agreed not to harm an inch of this stubborn female's distractingly tempting body, he'll gladly kiss her into submission, awakening an urge he hasn't felt in years. Hell, in centuries... Regan vowed never to be at the mercy of another man. That goes double for arrogant, steel-muscled vampires with eyes of ice..." - Amazon.

SCIENCE FICTION

Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams. Publisher. Kindle edition $6.39. Text-to-Speech: Disabled.
"It’s easy to get disheartened when your planet has been blown up, the woman you love has vanished due to a misunderstanding about space/time, the spaceship you are on crashes on a remote and Bob-fearing planet, and all you have to fall back on are a few simple sandwich-making skills. However, instead of being disheartened, Arthur Dent makes the terrible mistake of starting to enjoy life a bit - and immediately all hell breaks loose." - from the paperback edition.

The Clone Betrayal by Steven L. Kent. Book 5 in the Clone series that began with The Clone Republic. Ace. Kindle edition $6.39. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"Lt. Wayson Harris was born and bred as the ultimate soldier. But he is unique, possessing independence of thought. And when the military brass decide to blame the clones for the decimation of the U.A. republic, Lt. Harris decides to stop being the scapegoat, with all the firepower he can muster." - Amazon.

Kris Longknife: Undaunted by Mike Shepherd. Book 7 in the Kris Longknife series. Ace. Kindle edition $6.39. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"Kris Longknife encounters some peaceful aliens who have come to warn humanity of an unidentifiable force that is roaming the galaxy, obliterating everything in its path - a path now leading directly toward the human worlds." - Amazon.

7th Son: Descent by J. C. Hutchins. St. Martin's Griffin. Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"As America reels from the bizarre presidential assassination committed by a child, seven men are abducted from their normal lives and delivered to a secret government facility. Each man has his own career, his own specialty. All are identical in appearance. The seven strangers were grown - unwitting human clones - as part of a project called 7th Son.
The government now wants something from these 'John Michael Smiths.' They share the flesh and implanted memories of the psychopath responsible for the president's murder. The killer has bigger plans, and only these seven have the unique qualifications to track and stop him..." - jchutchins.net.

Star Trek: Titan: Synthesis by James Swallow. Star Trek. Kindle edition $6.39. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"The Starship Titan continues on her outward voyage of discovery. Ranging farther and farther from Federation space, Captain William Riker and the crew look forward to living Starfleet's mission: seeking out new life, discovering new civilizations. Striking a 'sandbank' - a spatial distortion - the Titan is knocked out of warp, her crew shaken up but uninjured. Titan has stumbled across a battlefield, and floating in it, shattered and in pieces, are the remains of a ship. Searching for survivors, they discover the ship never had a crew..." - books.simonandschuster.com.

WESTERNS

The Rattlesnake Season by Larry D. Sweazy. Berkley. Kindle edition $4.79. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"After rejoining the Texas Rangers as part of the Frontier Battalion, Josiah Wolfe must escort his old friend Charlie Langdon to trial. But the ride to the hangman's noose isn't going to be easy. And Wolfe's killer instinct may be his only chance to see his son again." - Amazon.

Longarm and the Pleasant Valley War by Tabor Evans. (Longarm, 372). Jove. Kindle edition $4.79. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"In the blood-soaked rangelands of Texas, a powerful ranch fenced in its smaller neighbors - and now the entire valley is about to explode like a powder keg. Deputy Marshal Custis Long will have to slap leather and sling lead before he can lay down the law." - Amazon.

Crossing the Line by J. R. Roberts. (The Gunsmith, 335). Jove. Kindle edition $4.79. Text-to-Speech: Disabled.
"Clint Adams thinks he's hit just another small-town gambling hall, until lady luck, in the form of a beautiful Faro dealer, shows him a few tricks at the table - and in bed. But when a sore loser guns her down, the Gunsmith finds the stakes raised to life and death."

Slocum and the Living Dead Man by Jake Logan. (Slocum, 369). Jove. Kindle edition $4.79. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
"Shackled in jail and charged with murder was not how Slocum hoped to spend his time in Montana. He's there for killing a man he never met in a town he never heard of. And even if he can escape this jail, he'll have men on his tail - and letting'em live will take all the restraint he can muster.

Classic Western Collection. Kindle edition $2.95. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.
Includes My Antonia by Willa Cather, The Last of the Mohicans by James Fennimore Cooper, The Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey, The Virginian by Owen Wister, and The Adventures of Daniel Boone by John Filson.