New Releases 6/28/16

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Paperbacks

Bombs Away: The Hot War by Harry Turtledove

In his acclaimed novels of alternate history, Harry Turtledove has scrutinized the twisted soul of the twentieth century, from the forces that set World War I in motion to the rise of fascism in the decades that followed. Now, this masterly storyteller turns his eyes to the aftermath of World War II and asks: In an era of nuclear posturing, what if the Cold War had suddenly turned hot?

Bombs Away begins with President Harry Truman in desperate consultation with General Douglas MacArthur, whose control of the ground war in Korea has slipped disastrously away. MacArthur recognizes a stark reality: The U.S. military has been cut to the bone after victory over the Nazis—while China and the USSR have built up their forces. The only way to stop the Communist surge into the Korean Peninsula and save thousands of American lives is through a nuclear attack. MacArthur advocates a strike on Chinese targets in Manchuria. In actual history, Truman rejected his general’s advice; here, he does not. The miscalculation turns into a disaster when Truman fails to foresee Russia’s reaction.

Almost instantly, Stalin strikes U.S. allies in Europe and Great Britain. As the shock waves settle, the two superpowers are caught in a horrifying face-off. Will they attack each other directly with nuclear weapons? What countries will be caught in between?

The fateful global drama plays out through the experiences of ordinary people—from a British barmaid to a Ukrainian war veteran to a desperate American soldier alone behind enemy lines in Korea. For them, as well as Truman, Mao, and Stalin, the whole world has become a battleground. Strategic strikes lead to massive movements of ground troops. Cities are destroyed, economies ravaged. And on a planet under siege, the sounds and sights of nuclear bombs become a grim harbinger of a new reality: the struggle to survive man’s greatest madness.

One Year After by William R. Forstchen

Months before publication, William R. Forstchen’s One Second After was cited on the floor of Congress as a book all Americans should read. This thrilling follow-up to that smash hit begins one year after One Second After ends, two years since nuclear weapons were detonated above the United States and brought America to its knees. After months of suffering starvation, war, and countless deaths, the survivors of Black Mountain, North Carolina, are beginning to recover technology and supplies they had once taken for granted. When a “federal administrator” arrives in a nearby city, they dare to hope that a new national government is finally emerging.

Progress is halted when the young men and women in the community are drafted into the “Army of National Recovery.” Town administrator John Matherson and the people of Black Mountain protest vehemently. But “the New Regime” is already tyrannizing one nearby community, and it seems that Matherson’s friends and neighbors will be next.

The Unnaturalists by Tiffany Trent

In an alternate London where magical creatures are preserved in a museum, two people find themselves caught in a web of intrigue, deception, and danger.

Vespa Nyx wants nothing more than to spend the rest of her life cataloging Unnatural creatures in her father’s museum, but the requirement to become a lady and find a husband is looming large. Syrus Reed’s Tinker family has always served and revered the Unnaturals from afar, but when his family is captured to be refinery slaves, he finds that his fate may be bound up with Vespa’s—and with the Unnaturals.

As the danger grows, Vespa and Syrus find themselves in a tightening web of deception and intrigue. At stake may be the fate of New London—and the world.

E-Books

Traumphysik: A Tor.Com Original by Monica Byrne

A brilliant young physicist, alone on a Pacific atoll during World War II, begins to chronicle the laws of motion that govern her dreams.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

To readers, authors and publishers...

Is your story going to be published in time for the next New Releases? Contact us at ahwupdate at gmail dot com.  We are looking for works of alternate history, counterfactual history, steampunk, historical fantasy, time travel or anything that warps history beyond our understanding.

* * *

Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update, a blogger for Amazing Stories, a volunteer interviewer for SFFWorld and a Sidewise Awards for Alternate History judge. When not exploring alternate timelines he enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana and prepares for the day when travel between parallel universes becomes a reality. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and YouTube. Learn how you can support his alternate history projects on Patreon.

New Releases 8/14/12

New week...new stories...new ways to lose your cash.

New hardcovers and e-books

The Unnaturalists by Tiffany Trent

Description from Amazon.

In an alternate London where magical creatures are preserved in a museum, two teens find themselves caught in a web of intrigue, deception, and danger.

Vespa Nyx wants nothing more than to spend the rest of her life cataloging Unnatural creatures in her father’s museum, but as she gets older, the requirement to become a lady and find a husband is looming large. Syrus Reed’s Tinker family has always served and revered the Unnaturals from afar, but when his family is captured to be refinery slaves, he finds that his fate may be bound up with Vespa’s—and with the Unnaturals.

As the danger grows, Vespa and Syrus find themselves in a tightening web of deception and intrigue. At stake may be the fate of New London—and the world.

New e-books

His Majesty's Dictator by Alexander Rooksmoor

Description from Amazon.

Britain under military dictatorship.

With independence for India, British colonial police officer, Charles Naylor returns to Britain to take up the house left to him in his uncle’s will. Naylor awakes, however, not in a Britain recovering from the Second World War, but one where Britain was defeated in the First World War. It is a country in the grip of a home-grown dictatorship: generals run the government, the streets are patrolled by military police and the fields farmed by indentured workers. Charles is condemned as a mad man but then drawn into the movement fighting for democracy as a figurehead. Whilst evading the authorities bent on killing him, Charles Naylor has to decide which path he will take and tread a fine line between those seeking change by peaceful means and those increasingly insistent on change through violence.

This fictional novel is written by Alexander Rooksmoor, author of a successful series of collections analysing different ‘what if?’s in history. In this book, he explores what the impact of such a change would be on the lives of individuals and the choices they would be forced to make. Conjuring up a world which is similar to ours but with significant differences, Rooksmoor shows the challenges faced by a man escaping from the authorities, trying to advance the cause of freedom and decide which is the correct route to take to the future, both his own and Britain’s.

The Voyage of the Neptune by Richard Senate

Description from Amazon.

It is a novel of the Spanish-American war set in 1898. It features the same cast as the Novel "Flight of the Hercules" and deals with a plot for England to join Spain in her war against the USA--and reduce American plans to become a great power. There are chases, spies, balloon and a mysterious submarine called "The Neptune"--did she sink the USS Maine? Done is a "Steam Punk Style" it weaves history and fiction into a tale that would even make Jules Vern proud.

New short stories

Hell's Disciples (The Misgivings of the Vampire Lucius Lafayette) by Sylynt Storme

Description from Amazon.

In the summer of 1976, Son of Sam starts his rampage. Many didn't believe him that it was his neighbor's dog who instructed him to go on his murderous shootings.

Lucius Lafayette, vampire and werewolf slayer, does believe him. But he thinks it is not a dog so much as a pack of werewolves who go by the name of Hell's Disciples who are instructing David Berkowitz to go on a killing spree.

Werewolves are hell bent on destroying humanity, and Lucius, though no saint is our only hope. But he can't even keep peace in his own family, almost killing his own son Cage.

These Hell's Disciples' werewolves are violent, strong and unrepentant. Has Lucius bitten off more than he can chew going into a den of 13 Lobison?

Love in the Time of the Dead by Rob Callahan

Description from Amazon.

A journalist assigned to cover the Occupy movement gets more than he bargained for when he meets a weary, weathered protester claiming to be the sole survivor of a little-known zombie conspiracy. Exclusively for the Kindle.

To fans, authors and publishers...

Do you want to see your work given a shout out on our New Releases segment? Contact Mitro at ahwupdate at gmail dot com.  We are looking for works of alternate history, counterfactual history, steampunk, historical fantasy, time travel or anything that warps history beyond our understanding.

* * *

Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update, a volunteer editor for Alt Hist and a contributor to Just Below the Law. His fiction can be found at Echelon Press, Jake's Monthly and his own writing blog. When not writing he works as an attorney and enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana.