Home of the Alpha Showdown, and one-stop shop for urban fantasy, paranormal romance and fantasy news and reviews.
Countdown Michelle Rowen Published: Sept. 24, 2013 (Harlequin Teen) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Review Source: Provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review Reviewed by: Amanda Rating (out of 5): 3.5 stars The Plague has come and gone, decimating over half the world’s population and leaving behind crumbled cities and people desperate to get to the Colony, a paradise of a million... 
We’ve gone too long without a proper Book Bits post. (Did you miss it? Let me know, because your preferences do dictate content here at VBC.) To make up for the hiatus I’ve made the theme of this post kissing. Yep. You may swoon in three, two, one… The Indigo Spell teaser trailers I’m all sorts of excited about the next Bloodlines novel from Richelle Mead. Third books are her trademark. They’re always... 
Every year, I compile the standard year-end best books list—read 2012’s best reads list—and it’s a hard task narrowing things down. What’s harder though is picking the ten heroes from novels published this year to make my annual swoon-worthy list. Last year Eve Silver’s Lokan took top honors and the year before Stacia Kane’s Terrible was causing fevers all over the place. There are returning favorites... 
It’s been a slower week in book news. I blame the long weekend. Instead of excerpts and book deals, today’s Book Bits is all about the pretty. Cover reveals begin in 3…2…1… Cover Art: Cold Days by Jim Butcher The next Dresden Files book is set to release in hardcover on Nov. 27, 2012. Blurb and artwork via Jim Butcher’s website. HARRY DRESDEN LIVES!!! After being murdered by a mystery assailant,... 
Dark Kiss (Nightwatchers #1) Michelle Rowen Published: May 22, 2012 (Harlequin Teen) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Rating (out of 5): 3.5 stars I have to give it up to Michelle Rowen; she can make waiting for a single kiss the hottest thing ever. The majority of the novel has protagonist Samantha doing everything she can to keep from kissing people. It is the desire and the danger that lies with... 
In an effort to help you keep that to-read list updated, I’ve compiled the hot urban fantasy and paranormal romance releases for December. All dates are U.S. and tentative. I’ve included genre classification with each book: UF is urban fantasy, PNR is paranormal romance, F is fantasy and YA is young adult. DECEMBER 1 Demon’s Like It Hot by Sidney Ayers (Demons Unleashed #2) PNR Devil’s Kiss by Zoe Archer... 
It’s been a chaotic and stressful week at VBC HQ. On the upside, I’ve been chatting up my National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) progress with the Huffington Post. Check their Books section each week for an update, if you’re curious. Also, I popped in at Heroes & Heartbreakers earlier this week to talk about the case of nerves I get before diving into the next book in a beloved series. Yep, series...
