Bound By Flame

When Cynda gets hot and bothered, things start to sizzle. Gorgeous flame-haired Cynda Flynn knows fire–its heat, its power, its magic. A fully trained Sybil warrior priestess, Cynda’s weapon is flame. But she’s unprepared for the passion ignited by Nick Lowell, an undercover cop in the NYPD’s Occult Crime Unit. He’s half human, half demon, and hotter than hell, with fathomless black eyes that ignite something buried deep inside Cynda, making her melt in all the right places. Luckily, Nick has found a way to control his dark side, but he’s done it old-school–through steel-willed self-control. And after five years working secretly within the deadly Legion cult, he’s unbreakable. Or he was, until Cynda came along. Now it’s personal–and even his big bad love may not be enough to halt a terrible new evil snuffing out fire Sybils like Cynda. It’s nasty. And if it can’t be stopped, they’re all going to fry. From the Paperback edition.

For decades, smiling images of "Aunt Jemima" and other historical and fictional black cooks could be found on various food products and in advertising. Although these images were sanitized and romanticized in American popular culture, they represented the untold stories of enslaved men and women who had a significant impact on the nation's culinary and hospitality traditions, even as they were forced to prepare food for their oppressors. Kelley Fanto Deetz draws upon archaeological evidence, cookbooks, plantation records, and folklore to present a nuanced study of the lives of enslaved plantation cooks from colonial times through emancipation and beyond. She reveals how these men and women were literally "bound to the fire" as they lived and worked in the sweltering and often fetid conditions of plantation house kitchens. These highly skilled cooks drew upon knowledge and ingredients brought with them from their African homelands to create complex, labor-intensive dishes. However, their white owners overwhelmingly received the credit for their creations. Deetz restores these forgotten figures to their rightful place in American and Southern history by uncovering their rich and intricate stories and celebrating their living legacy with the recipes that they created and passed down to future generations.

The night holds endless pleasures . . . and hides nameless terrors. As the broom end of her Sybil triad, Merilee Alexander has the sacred duty as a warrior witch of taking out the trash. Lately, though, she’s been a little overwhelmed: Manhattan is a mess. And her prophetic end-of-the-world nightmares aren’t helped by the waking fantasies of love. Or the fact that the object of her affections, gorgeous Jake Lowell of NYPD’s Occult Crimes Unit, is playing it so cool. Actually, Jake wants Merilee desperately, every luscious inch of her. Still, he’s holding back. He’s got secrets. Dark, dangerous, demonic secrets. But as Jake and Merilee trawl the city’s supernatural underbelly to out a demonic kingpin who, disguised as a charismatic leader, is amassing dark power, it’s make-or-break time. For their lives, their love, and the world are about to be sucked into the undertow of the tides of an unstoppable evil. From the Paperback edition.

The climactic third novel in New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost's Night Prince series finds Vlad and his newly turned bride, Leila, at odds with each other—and vulnerable to the one vampire powerful enough to end the Dark Prince's reign . . . Play with fire, pay the price Leila's years on the carnie circuit were certainly an education. What she didn't learn: how to be a vampire, or how to be married to the most famous vampire of them all. Adjusting to both has Leila teetering on a knife edge between passion and peril, and now the real danger is about to begin . . . Vlad must battle with a centuries-old enemy whose reach stretches across continents and whose strength equals his own. It isn't like Vlad to feel fear, but he does . . . for Leila, because his enemy knows she is Vlad's greatest weakness. As friend and foe alike align against him—and his overprotectiveness drives Leila away—Vlad's love for his new bride could be the very thing that dooms them both . . .

"Jae, a sixteen-year-old former slave girl has found magic and broken out of the curse imposed by the ruling class. To free the rest of her people, she may have to lead a violent revolution"--

The Dark Crescent Sisterhood #1 As Sybils—protector warrior “witches”—they control the Elements...But passion is a force that no one can contain. Never trust a demon—in bed or out. As a fully trained Sybil, Riana Dumain knows this. But even a warrior priestess falls victim to her own earthy desires when NYPD detective, Creed Lowell, enters her life. Riana has her suspicions about the detective—specifically that he’s using his badge to consolidate demonic power for the evil Legion cult. When a politician’s son falls victim to a ritualistic sacrifice, Riana and her two sister Sybils join forces with Creed’s Occult Crimes Unit. But working so closely with Creed proves to be dangerous in ways Riana could never have imagined. She learns that her instincts were right and not only is the hot as sin detective a half-human, but he’s guarding a trap door to hell. Now it’s up to Riana to try to reign Creed’s inner demon before all of Manhattan falls victim to his darkness. “Talk about your kick-butt launches! Windsor catapults readers into the gritty world of the Dark Crescent Sisterhood, filled with top-notch characterization and nonstop action. Add in some seriously sizzling sensuality, and you have a perfect read. With back-to-back releases, hot talent Windsor is sure to make waves.” -RT Book Review

For fans of Tamora Pierce and Kristin Cashore comes the exciting and thoughtful social-justice fantasy sequel to Bound by Blood and Sand. Revolution is nigh, and one seventeen-year-old girl stands at the head of it all. Jae used to be a slave, laboring with the rest of her people under a curse that forced her to obey any order she was given. At seventeen, she found the source of her people's lost magic and became the only person to break free--ever. Now she wants to use her power to free the rest of her people, but the ruling class will do anything to stop her. Jae knows that breaking the curse on her people would cause widespread chaos, even unimaginable violence between the castes, and her caste would likely see the worst of it. Many would die. But to let them remain shackled is to doom them to continue living without free will. How is one girl, raised a slave and never taught to wield power, supposed to decide the fate of a nation? "Much food for thought and discussion; but above all, a gripping read." —Kirkus Reviews "Unflinchingly honest...A satisfying sequel." —SLJ "The action of this memorable story is fast and furious, its challenges many, and the fight for right ever-present." —Booklist “Allen does a great job of interweaving elements of the backstory throughout...will appeal to readers looking for stories about social justice.” —VOYA

Jae is a slave in a dying desert world. Once verdant with water from a magical Well, the land is drying up, and no one remembers the magic needed to keep the water flowing. If a new source isn’t found soon, the people will perish. Jae doesn’t mind, in a way. By law, she is bound by a curse to obey every order given her, no matter how vile. At least in death, she’ll be free. Elan’s family rules the fading realm. He comes to the estate where Jae works, searching for the hidden magic needed to replenish the Well, but it’s Jae who finds it, and she who must wield it. Desperate to save his realm, Elan begs her to use it to locate the Well. But why would a slave—abused, beaten, and treated as less than human—want to save the system that shackles her? Jae would rather see the world burn. Though revenge clouds her vision, she agrees to help if the realm’s slaves are freed. Then Elan’s father arrives. The ruler’s cruelty knows no limits. He is determined that the class system will not change—and that Jae will remain a slave forever. "Ferocious and intelligent." —Kirkus Reviews "Allen’s lush debut mixes current, pressing questions with fantasy while exploring systematic injustice and historical oppression...readers will clamor for the sequel." —Publishers Weekly

A full-blooded dragon, Giselle Brandhart is one of the rarest beings on earth. She grew up thinking no man could ever equal her strength and power. Until one day…he saves her life. Giselle Born of the two most powerful dragon houses on earth You’ve never seen anything like me. There has never been anyone like me. No one can catch me. No one can stop me. Nothing can hurt me. Until he did. He came out of nowhere, shattering my world with the force of thunder. He touched me. Stirred me. Made me crave something I thought I could never have. For the first time in my life, I have a someone strong enough to fight by my side. If I can ignore his secrets. Look past his scars. Even when I know they’ll be my undoing. Toren I’m a man with no past. No family. No memories. A nomad. A survivor. Their war no longer belongs to me. I’ve served my time. Done my penance. Earned my peace. Then I heard her cry in the night. Felt her pain. Knew something had hurt her. Her blood called to me. Quickened my pulse like electric shock. From the moment I touched, her I knew she was mine. To protect. To keep. To claim. Mine. Only others want her too. Her strength. Her power. Taking what’s mine means I’ll lose my freedom. And what’s left of my soul. Book Themes: Book Themes: dragon shifter romance, shapeshifters, wolf shifter romance, werewolves, magic, magical characters, strong female heroine, possessive alpha male hero, fated mates, immortals, forbidden love, shifter romance books, paranormal romance, wolf shifter, werewolf romance, werewolves, action and adventure dystopian futuristic, disguise, secret identity, woman in peril

Mathews uses a limited definition of paranormal, and examines works set, for the most part, in a relatively realistic modern world inhabited by both humans and paranormal beings.