Juno Books News

Issue 3
06.30.07

In This Issue:

BACK IN THE SADDLE?
NEW DIRECTION
NEW ACQUISITIONS
SNEAK PEEK SAMPLER: Blood Magic by Matthew Cook
BOOK UPDATE
E-Z BOOK SHOPPING
SUBSCRIBER SPECIAL DISCOUNTS
WEB SITE UPDATE
WARRIOR WOMEN
CONTEST: We Have a Winner!
MORE CONTEST FUN
SUBMISSIONS
QUOTATION

Yes, it HAS been longer than expected since the last newsletter, but then again we've been pretty darn busy. Along with publishing books (and magazines for Sean and Stephen), I went to the International Conference of the Fantastic in the Arts in Florida (as a guest of the very wonderful Lord Ruthven Assembly) in March; joined Sean and Stephen in Maryland for a meeting with our Distributor, Diamond, later in March; made another quick trip in April; Sean and Stephen went to Wiscon in Madison, WI on Memorial Day weekend; we all went to Book Expo America in New York City June 1-3 (for a summation of BEA by the Numbers: http://www.bookexpoamerica.com/App/homepage.cfm?moduleid=42&appname=288) and now we are back from the American Library Association Annual Conference last Friday-Tuesday.

(Sean's photos from Wiscon: http://www.flickr.com/photos/29144970@N00/sets/72157600310332430/detail/ and from BEA:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29144970@N00/sets/72157600310272914/detail/ and from ALA:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29144970@N00/sets/72157600471064189/detail/)

I'm home (I think) until an early September meeting although the guys are going to Readercon next week.

Whew!

In addition to all the running about, we've also had a big change in direction. As reported on the blog back in April, starting this fall we will be doing some books as mass market paperback originals rather than trade paperbacks. Mass market allows us further market penetration -- more books in more stores. Our first four mass markets will be BLOOD MAGIC by Matt Cook, Dancing With Werewolves by Carole Nelson Douglas, AMBERLIGHT by Sylvia Kelso, and CHASING SILVER by Jamie Craig.

We have acquired two original novels for publication in 2008. Yes, both came from the "slush pile"! They are THE CLOCKWORK HEART by Dru Paggliasotti and PERSONAL DEMONS by Stacia Kane.

THE CLOCKWORK HEART is a steampunkish romantic fantasy (are we launching a new subgenre?) featuring Taya, one of Ondinium's metal-winged couriers, who is privileged to travel freely across the city's sectors and mingle indiscriminately among its castes. But even she can't out fly the tangled web of terrorism, loyalty, murder, and secrets that is cast around her when a daring mid-air rescue leads to her involvement with the Forlores: handsome, brilliant Alister, who sits on Ondinium's governing council and writes programs for the Great Engine, and awkward, sharp-tongued Cristof, who has exiled himself from his caste and repairs clocks in the lowest sector of the city. What secrets are they hiding, and how far can love carry them in a city that beats to the ticking of a clockwork heart?

PERSONAL DEMONS features therapist Megan Chase. Megan promises listeners to her new radio call-in show she'll "slay their personal demons," and they believe her. So do the personal demons. Although she doesn't know it, Megan is the only human in the world without a personal demon on her shoulder. This, coupled with her psychic abilities, makes her a valuable weapon for any demon "family" that can gain her allegiance. It also makes her a serious threat not just to the personal demons, but to a soul-sucker from the Legion of Hell known as The Accuser. The Accuser already has an old score to settle with Megan, and sees this as the perfect time to do it. Megan does have allies: a demon lover who sets about both protecting and seducing her with devilish intensity, a witch with poor social skills, and three cockney guard demons named Malleus, Maleficarum, and Spud. But can they defeat not only The Accuser, the personal demons, and the ghosts of Megan's past, but a reporter who threatens to destroy Megan's career as well?

We'll have more to announce soon. (I've just been slow getting contracts out.)

We've been distributing "samplers" -- 80-page booklets with samples from two of the four mass market titles -- at various conventions and such. Starting his month we'll put free downloadable "samplers" on the Web site for you.

Our first offering is from BLOOD MAGIC by Matthew Cook. You can download it (in PDF) from http://www.juno-books.com/sample_blood_magic.pdf

Enjoy!

MATTERS OF THE BLOOD by Maria Lima
http://juno-books.com/matters.html

"This is an absolutely spectacular addition to the paranormal landscape... Novels of this caliber are few and far between..."-BookFetish

"Keep this author on your watch list. She'll be going places and fast.... All in all, this is one of the best titles that I have read in a long time. It's a classy, teasing tale riddled with intrigue and paranormal bliss." -BookFetish

"...a dark, seductive, and bitingly humorous debut novel and is a must-read for fans of campy/creepy paranormal fiction....this is one paranormal super-thriller you should 'bump' to the top of your to-be-read pile."-Heartstrings

EURYALE by Kara Dalkey
http://juno-books.com/euryale.html

It is probably best to buy EURYALE from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Euryale-Kara-Dalkey/dp/0809557835) or Wildside (http://www.wildsidepress.com/Euryale-by-Kara-Dalkey-TP_p_31-117.html)

"This singularly interesting fantasy...Her understanding of characters from the past and their motivations is very nearly at the level off a such as classical historical novelist as Mary Renault, with a talent to arouse full empathy in the modern reader". -- Booklist

"...quietly written, moving narrative...[with] emotional intrigue in plenty...Kara Dalkey is a writer of unusual strength and versatility..." -- Dragon

"The versatile Dalkey...has done an excellent job of making her characters believable people, living ordinary lives in ancient Rome..." -- Locus

BEST NEW ROMANTIC FANTASY 2
http://juno-books.com/bnrf2.html

The annual anthology of outstanding stories of love and wonder returns (under a new name). Fourteen tales are compiled and honored as the best of the year. Enchanting and enchanted lovers, magical romance, dark desires, otherworldly sensations, ethereal encounters, paranormal thrills, sensual spells, supernatural suspense, sizzling speculations... Highly imaginative short fiction and novellas from the best fantasy romance writers.

In addition to links to individual "buy direct" links on each book page (full list: http://www.wildsidepress.com/Juno-Books_c_31-1.html), we're adding links on the Web site to buy from Amazon.com, too. Only the newest pages (EURYALE and BNRF2) have the individual links, but there is a list on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Read-Juno-Books-Fantasy-with-a-Focus-on-Females/lm/R2CW0E4YN9PCRH/ref=cm_lm_byauthor_title_full/103-1071519-9101447) with all the books.

And, along with our $2 off per book newsletter special (use the code: goddess) we are also offering a new multiple book deal.

Any four Juno Books titles for $44
Any six Juno Books titles for $60
Any eleven Juno Books titles for $100

Select an option here: https://wildsidepress.3dcartstores.com/Juno-Books_c_31-1.html

Continue with your order. When you get to the ORDER SUMMARY where you chose method of payment, you will find a little COMMENT BOX at the bottom. Just enter the titles of your selected books. [Yes, you can buy multiple copies of the same book(s), but indicate that.]

THEN complete your check out.

* We've now got all the covers on the entry page and added the separate new pages for Matters of the Blood, Euryale, and Best New Romantic Fantasy 2 (URLs mentioned above).
*A PDF of the infamous introduction to BEST NEW PARANORMAL ROMANCE has been added
(http://juno-books.com/Paranormal_Romance.pdf) as well as the sampler mentioned above.
*Earlier newsletters are now available on the "Maillist" (http://www.juno-books.com/maillist.html) page.
*The guidelines have been updated with current needs and to include the anthology information below (http://www.juno-books.com/guidelines.html).

WARRIOR WOMEN, edited by Paula Guran, will be an anthology of adventurous tales of fantastic females fighting for what they believe in and for those they love. *Previously published* short fiction about courageous women conquerors or defenders standing strong; thirsting for the glory of battle or fighting only because they must. Women warriors using magic, supernatural powers, the simplest weapons, or the highest technology to battle their foes. From Amazons to warrior princesses to space cadets -- strong women who meet the challenge of fighting the good fight.

Please make suggestions of stories you have read or submit your own previously published work.

Email editor@juno-books.com.

This time we had more than a dozen entries in our trivia contest! We had only one entry with all the right answers -- Amy McCullough! Amy wins two free books and fame as the very first Juno Books Prizewinner! (Amy, I emailed you last week, but seem to have no reply. If you read this, email me!)

The question that fouled most folks up was #2. In fact, we had four people reply with Janelle Taylor's MOONDUST AND MADNESS and two with Johanna Lindsey's WARRIOR'S WOMAN. We based our answer on research by Cynthia Ward (and Jayne Anne Krentz's email to Cindy). We may be wrong, but that was the answer we had hermetically sealed in our Ziploc Answer Baggie, so we'll stick with it.

The Answers (and the Questions):

1) In Bram Stoker's Dracula Lucy tells Mina in a letter that she was proposed to by three men in one day. Name them.
Dr. Seward
Quincey P. Morris
Arthur Holmwood

2) Name the first futuristic romance:
"Sweet Starfire" by Jayne Anne Krentz (1986)

3) What kind of stuffed animals does Anita Blake collect?
Penguins

4) Kim Harrison is a pseudonym for ____?
Dawn Cook

5) What was the first book published by Harlequin's Luna imprint?
Mercedes Lackey launched the LUNA line in January 2004 with her book, The Fairy Godmother

6) Which of Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse novels won an Anthony Award?
Dead Until Dark, won the Anthony Award for Best Paperback Mystery in 2001

This time we'll concentrate more on fantasy.

1) What was the first fantasy fiction magazine and what year did it first appear?
2) This 1858 novel by a Scottish author is often cited as the first fantasy novel intended for an adult readership.
3) Who was Gertrude Barrows Bennett
4) Who created Jirel of Joiry, what was the first story featuring her, and where did it appear?
5) Who was the first woman to win a Hugo? For what work?
6) Swordspoint: A Melodrama of Manners by Ellen Kushner is considered an exemplar of what subgenre of fantasy?

Novel submissions through March 21 should have received replies. I've read past that date and sent some replies, but generally, if you submitted before that date and have not heard from me, please email as I may never have gotten or misplaced your submission.

"In fantasy stories we learn to understand the differences of others, we learn compassion for those things we cannot fathom, we learn the importance of keeping our sense of wonder. The strange worlds that exist in the pages of fantastic literature teach us a tolerance of other people and places and engender an openness toward new experience. Fantasy puts the world into perspective in a way that 'realistic' literature rarely does. It is not so much an escape from the here-and-now as an expansion of each reader's horizons." -- Jane Yolen