OR: WARNING: NetGalley may be addictive, cause overexcitement and excessive reading.

by Lisa Wray, Harlequin PR Intern

If you love to read, review and blog, then NetGalley is a site you should definitely check out. In an attempt to better serve our growing list of digital review sites, Harlequin joined NetGalley in December 2009, an online service that helps us store and deliver electronic galleys (advanced proofs of the yet-to-be-printed text).

This allows us to get ARC’s (Advanced Reader Copies) into people’s hands in a fast, environmentally friendly way. The result: more bloggers and reviewers than ever before have access to our titles months before they are available in stores (usually 4-5 months in advance).

But wait, it gets better. You can create an account at NetGalley free of charge and soon be on your way to a reviewing heaven.

Here are 5 books that are creating a lot of buzz on NetGalley:

1. The Iron King – Julie Kagawa (Harlequin Teen)

2.  Shadow of the Vampire – Meagan Hatfield (HQN)

3. Your Best Body Now – Tosca Reno (Harlequin Non-Fiction)

4. My Soul to Keep – Rachel Vincent (Harlequin Teen)

5. The Oracle of Dating – Alison Van Diepen (Harlequin Teen)

Want to try out NetGalley but you’re not a reviewer?  Winter’s Passage by Julie Kagawa (the novella bridging The Iron Daughter and The Iron King), is available for free to download.

Here are some instructions on how to get started:

1. Make sure you have Adobe Digital Editions installed first – you can download it here (it’s free & quick): http://www.adobe.com/products/digitaleditions/

2. To request a Harlequin galley: Booksellers/librarians/bloggers/reviewers can register at www.NetGalley.com.  Registration is free.

3. Make sure to fill out your public bio and don’t forget to include a link to the site(s) you review for.

4. When you find a title you’d like to see, click the request button.  Based on the information provided in your bio, you will be approved or declined, and you will be notified through email.

5. Members have the option to download PDF versions to their computer, read the titles on their Kindle, iPhone, or Sony Reader (click here to see all compatible e-readers), and search within galleys (like “search inside the book” on Amazon).

Everyone has heard of the Big Bad Wolf.

Wolves have always fascinated me, and when I needed an unstoppable villain in my Iron Fey e-novella, Winter’s Passage, the Big Bad Wolf was the perfect fit.  Savage, unstoppable, and relentless, he tracks protagonists Ash and Meghan through the lands of the Winter Fey, never far behind, until the final confrontation at the very end.  But how do you stop a creature that is supposedly immortal?

In nursery rhymes, in fairy tales, in ancient myth and legend, there has not been a more consummate villain than the lone hunter with the burning eyes and eerie howl who stalks the woods, looking to devour you.  When the full moon hangs in the sky, his legend comes to life. He terrorized Red Riding Hood, destroyed the homes of the 3 Little Pigs, taught the boy who cried “Wolf” a hard lesson, and casts his shadow over every werewolf tale in history.

In more modern fantasy, the wolf has taken on a nobler role, playing the rugged, misunderstood hero, fierce and protective and intensely loyal to his pack.  But he still embodies all that we admire and fear about wolves: the wildness, the mystery, the savage nature lurking just below the surface.  He will always be a predator, aloof and unpredictable, and we will always fear him on some emotional level.

There is no denying that his stories have been everywhere since the dawn of time.  But what if all those stories and myths and fairy tales gave him power, made him stronger with every telling?  Made him immortal?

What if he was hunting you?

Winter’s Passage was a lot of fun to write, and I hope I captured the spirit of the Big Bad Wolf in all his savage, mysterious glory.  The e-novella bridges the gap between The Iron King and the second book of the Iron Fey series, The Iron Daughter (coming August 2010).  So if your blood is up and you’re feeling a little wild, I hope you’ll download Winter’s Passage and enjoy cheering for the bad guy as much as I did.

Thanks so much!

Julie Kagawa

Editor’s Note: Julie’s brand new bridge in the Iron Fey series, Winter’s Passage, is available for FREE now at the eHarlequin eBookstore until July 31st.

by Lora Jaggassar, eHarlequin.com Bookstore Manager

It’s no surprise that I absolutely love this time of year! I love the decorations. I love all the goodies. And I love buying presents!

But the holiday season can be taxing on the purse strings. That’s why I’m also a sucker for a great sale! Whether I’m buying for others, or perhaps sneaking in that extra gift for myself, saving money is always good!

I’m so happy to announce…(drum roll, please)…our annual 12 Deals of Christmas event (for big savings!)

We have a new deal every day, starting from December 1 to 12! We’ll be giving out exclusive coupons, special discounts on books by some of our bestselling authors, and an amazing sale in our eBook Store!

But I don’t want to ruin the surprise. So come back to eHarlequin every day and find out what the big deal is about!

(And if you would like an e-mail reminder, sign up for our Holiday Highlights e-mail before December 11 and we’ll send you the deals directly to your inbox!)

by Jason Pinter, author of the Henry Parker series

Hey Harlequin Readers!

It’s a thrill to introduce you to my brand new eBook release THE HUNTERS. For those of you who have read previous books in my Henry Parker series, I think you’ll enjoy how this never-before-published eBook fleshes out characters you’ve grown to love while whetting your appetite for my biggest thriller yet – THE DARKNESS.

For those of you who haven’t read my books yet (what are you waiting for?!?!?), THE HUNTERS gives you a taste, a whiff, a glance at a world that I believe you’ll want to come back to again and again.

So where does THE DARKNESS fit into my series? Well, just last month MIRA released THE FURY, the fourth book in my Henry Parker series, but the first in a two-part epic that I feel is the best work I’ve ever done.

In THE FURY, Henry Parker finds out that there is a deep, dark skeleton in his family’s closet: a brother he never knew existed. And when Henry begins to investigate the murder of his estranged brother, he uncovers a conspiracy over two decades in the making. This two-part story concludes with the publication of THE DARKNESS on November 24 – and in between THE FURY and THE DARKNESS there is one night. One night in which two ruthless killers follow a deadly agenda, which will enable their plan to begin at sunrise.

Now, if you’re like me, the hours from sunset to sunrise are peaceful. Relaxing. But not in this eBook. In THE HUNTERS, you’ll see just how much drama, murder and mayhem can be packed into just one night. You’ll see Henry Parker preparing to chase the story of his life. You’ll see Jack O’Donnell, disgraced legend and Henry’s idol, hoping to save his legacy with one last hurrah. And you’ll see two killers with a plan that, if pulled off successfully, will turn New York City into a war zone.

I hope you enjoy THE HUNTERS, and I hope it encourages you to pick up a copy of THE DARKNESS on November 24th. Just remember, a lot can happen in one night. But you’ll have to read it for yourself to find out just how dark things can get…

Happy reading,
Jason Pinter

P.S. For more information on these books and other books in my Henry Parker series, visit my website at www.jasonpinter.com

Download your free copy of THE HUNTERS at the Harlequin eBook Store. ~ the Harlequin Digital team