Ahoy sea dogs an’ land lubbers! Another excitin’ weekend comes t’ a close, an’ we be havin’ another stash.

First things first–we be havin’ a winner!

The winner of Seduce Me at Sunrise, concluding our Lisa Kleypas week, is….

NAJEEBAH!

Email us (thebooksmugglers AT hotmail DOT com) wi’ yer address as soon as possible t’ claim yer prize, ya scurvy cur! (We be speakin’ like seafarin’ heartys on accoun’ o’ o’ National Talk Like A Pirate Day–yeah, it was over a week ago, but we missed it and wanted to play)

Ok enough with the pirate speak. Our Lisa Kleypas week has now officially ended, and we were so very happy to have her here. Lisa, thank you for your words, for your awesome comments, and most of all, for your work that has touched the lives of many across the world.

In other news…

New Releases

September 30th is a big, break the bank day. Some eagerly anticipated new releases:

First and foremost, the new Neil Gaiman has us rabidly salivating, eager to get our greedy little paws on The Graveyard Book. Here’s the synopsis:

Bod is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place-he’s the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians’ time as well as their timely ghostly teachings-like the ability to Fade.

Can a boy raised by ghosts face the wonders and terrors of the worlds of both the living and the dead? And then there are things like ghouls that aren’t really one thing or the other.

This chilling tale is Neil Gaiman’s first full-length novel for middle-grade readers since the internationally bestselling and universally acclaimed Coraline. Like Coraline, this book is sure to enchant and surprise young readers as well as Neil Gaiman’s legion of adult fans.

Already receiving rave reviews from the likes of Joe Hill, Peter S. Beagle, and Holly Black–combined with our own weakness for everything Gaiman–we Smugglers are chomping at the bit!

Richelle Mead’s latest installment to her Succubus series also is in stores this week.

Some days, a girl just can’t catch a break…

…especially when the girl in question is Georgina Kincaid, a shape-shifting succubus who gets her energy from seducing men. First there’s her relationship with gorgeous bestselling writer Seth Mortensen, which is unsatisfying on a number of levels. It’s not just that they can’t have sex in case Georgina inadvertently kills him (generally a turn-off for most guys). Lately, even spending time together is a challenge. Seth’s obsessed with finishing his latest novel, and Georgina’s under demonic orders to mentor the new (and surprisingly inept) succubus on the block.

Then there are the dreams. Someone, or something, is preying on Georgina at night, draining her energy, and supplying eerie visions of her future. Georgina seeks answers from Dante, a dream interpreter with ties to the underworld, but his flirtatious charm only leaves her more confused—especially as the situation with Seth reaches crisis point. Now Georgina faces a double challenge—rein in her out-of-control love life, and go toe-to-toe with an enemy capable of wreaking serious havoc among mankind. Otherwise, Georgina, and the entire mortal world, may never sleep easy again…

What’s more is, we’ll be having a Richelle-A-Palooza here at the Book Smugglers next week, including a Q&A with the popular author! More details to follow in the next stash.

This Week:

Monday Minis!

On Monday we’ll do a quick rundown of two new miniseries’ we enjoyed–Ana will talk about Lost in Austen, a quirky retelling/re-imagining of Pride and Prejudice; Thea will talk about N., a graphic adaptation of Stephen King’s previously unpublished story.

On Tuesday Ana will have an early review of the anthology, The Magical Christmas Cat, with stories from many notable authors, including Ana’s girl crush Nalini Singh!

Wednesday, get ready for another early Powerpuff review as Ana and Katie take on Hex Appeal by Linda Wisdom, book 2 in her Hex series. Stay tuned for a giveaway opportunity!

After Heather’s excellent week of Steampunk over at The Galaxy Express, Thea will be reviewing Clockwork Heart by Dru Pagliassotti (quite possibly one of Thea’s favorite reads of 2008).

And, to close out the week, Thea will have an early review of Anya Bast’s eagerly anticipated novel, The Chosen Sin.

Hope you all have a lovely Sunday! Until next time…