Bywater Books is pleased to announce our Winter New Releases, featuring a brilliant new Sid Rubin YA mystery from Stefani Deoul, a lyrical romantic fairy tale from Anna Burke, a fresh new romance from Rachel Spangler, and a powerful Charlie Mack mystery/thriller from Cheryl A. Head.
Zero Sum Game by Stefani Deoul
To break out of parental jail, Sid, Jimmy, Imani, Ari and Vikram enter a school robotics competition. But just as things get interesting, Vik learns that his super-star status and hard-won trophies from the frantic online game Contagion have been stolen.
“Faut pas toucher mes amis. You do not mess with my friends.”
Watching Vik fall apart, Sid is determined to track down the trophy thief, no matter how much late-night gaming and sleuthing it takes. Sid and the gang join newcomer Ze to chase ghosts and trawl dungeons in a frenzied race against time to save not just Vik’s bevy of stolen gaming goods, but also the life of a teenage gamer held hostage.
Available from Bywater Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and fabulous independent bookstores everywhere on December 12, 2018.
“Hooray for Sid Rubin! Brave, witty and brainy, our teenage adventurer takes us on a techno-caper in the darker corners of cutthroat online gaming, challenging her smarts and her heart.” –ANN APTAKER, author of the award-winning Cantor Gold crime series
“Readers who fell in love with Sid in her first outing (On a LARP), will cement that relationship in Zero Sum Game. Sid is back with her unique cadre of friends for yet another technological thrill ride. Deoul never talks down to her audience, especially when in the techo-realm of things—but it is the heart and soul of her characters that will truly capture readers. Populated with much diversity, this series is perfect for our newest generation of “woke” teens.” —KRISTOPHER ZGORSKI, BOLO Books
On a cold day deep in the heart of winter, Rowan’s father returns from an ill-fated hunting trip bearing a single, white rose. The rose is followed by the Huntress, a figure out of legend. Tall, cruel, and achingly beautiful, she brings Rowan back with her to a mountain fastness populated solely by the creatures of the hunt. Rowan, who once scorned the villagers for their superstitions, now finds herself at the heart of a curse with roots as deep as the mountains, ruled by an old magic that is as insidious as the scent of the winter rose. Torn between her family loyalties, the guilty relief of escaping her betrothal to the charming but arrogant Avery Lockland, and her complicated feelings for the Huntress, Rowan must find a way to break the curse before it destroys everything she loves. There is only one problem: if she can find a way to lift the curse, she will have to return to the life she left behind. And the only thing more unbearable than endless winter is facing a lifetime of springs without the Huntress.
Available from Bywater Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and fabulous independent bookstores everywhere on January 29, 2019.
“Thoroughly gratifying, Thorn is a perennial escape fantasy tangled up with a call to adventure.” —FOREWORD REVIEWS
“Breathtaking! Burke’s writing is as raw and beautiful as the Huntress’s enchanted winter.” —KARELIA STETZ-WATERS, author of Forgive Me If I’ve Told You This Before
Full English by Rachel Spangler
After a publicly humiliating divorce, best-selling author Emma Volant runs away to the English seaside village of Amberwick. She wants nothing more than to surrender to her broken heart in peace and in private. Bartender Brogan McKay, has built a comfortable life by never overreaching. Part-time jobs and short-term flings have always been good enough, but when she meets her beautiful and wounded new neighbor, Brogan realizes Emma has the potential to wreck the carefully controlled expectations she uses to protect her heart. Despite their growing friendship and attraction, both Emma and Brogan are in firm agreement that neither of them is in a position to look for love. But how long can they fight their fears and desires as the events and the townspeople around them all conspire to create a full English love story?
Available from Bywater Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and fabulous independent bookstores everywhere on February 12, 2019.
“Ms. Spangler’s characters are deep and multidimensional.” —CURVE
“Spangler’s novels are filled with endearing characters, interesting plot turns, and vivid descriptions. Her readers feel immersed in the worlds of her novels from start to finish.” —THE OBSERVER
Catch Me When I’m Falling by Cheryl A. Head
Someone is murdering the homeless in Detroit’s Cass Corridor—by immolation. These horrific crimes wouldn’t require an investigation by Charlie Mack and her crack team investigators, except one of the burned bodies is her mother’s friend. There’s a lot wrong with this case: the police won’t admit a serial killer is on the loose, drug trafficking intersects with the deaths, and a rogue cop is involved. The timing also couldn’t be worse—Charlie and Mandy are finally moving in together. This case becomes the most difficult of Charlie’s career when she transforms herself into a street person, and mixes with the corridor’s gangs, do-gooders, and the down-and-out to uncover evidence the police can’t continue to ignore.
Available from Bywater Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and fabulous independent bookstores everywhere on March 19, 2019.
“Mack, who is a black cis lesbian, stands out as a truly intersectional character in crime fiction.” —JOHN COPENHAVER, The Lambda Literary Review
“From her old school titles to the ripped from today’s headlines, Cheryl Head blends the old and the new into this outstanding Charlie Mack Motown Mystery Series.” —PENNY MICKELBURY, award-winning author and playwright
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