New Releases by Nancy Baker

Uncaring Fae meddle with the lives of two human women, in this psychological dark fantasy by the author of The Night Inside. Generations ago, a dying empire made a deal with the Faerie Queen for their survival. Each year, the Sidiana, the ruler of the mountain city of Lushan, must travel to the high plateau to pay her people''s tribute and maintain their safety. But one year, the price is not paid. To satisfy the debt, Teresine, a former refugee slave turned advisor to the Sidiana, is forced to serve in the Faerie Queen''s court, a treacherous realm where mortals like Teresine are mere pawns in an eternal struggle for power. Years later, Teresine''s great-niece Lilit is eager to attend the trading fair that has sprung up around the tribute. She discovers that nothing at the fair—or with the fey—is what it seems, and what began as an adventure leads to unexpected consequences. Now she must delve into the secret of her great aunt''s past in the Faerie Court . . . in order to save her own future. "A very smart fantasy that does not draw the reader into the world of the fantastic but rather makes the fantastic real. . . . Cold Hillside is sure to please fans of fantasy but I would dare anyone to pick up this book and not enjoy it." — Examiner.com

In this classic vampire thriller, a serious, staid grad student embraces her darker side to escape her abductors—and a deadly conspiracy. Toronto graduate student Ardeth Alexander lives by her schedule. There is no room for excitement in between classes, papers, and research jobs. She is known for being responsible, dependable—and perhaps a little boring. But all that changes during a routine morning walk when she is abducted by two thugs. Blindfolded and taken to an abandoned asylum, Ardeth is horrified to learn the reason behind her kidnapping: she is meant to provide sustenance for a centuries-old vampire. Dimitri Rozokov has been asleep for ninety years and now finds himself pushed to insanity from torture and his hunger for blood. Breaking past his madness, Ardeth discovers the man within, and the nightly feeding sessions become less frightening and more sensuous. But she knows there are only two ways this ordeal will end for her. Desperate to escape, eager for revenge, and tempted by immortality, she boldly descends into the darkness . . . Previously published as Kiss of the Vampire "It''s almost impossible not to finish The Night Inside in one frenzied, chocolate donut munching sitting. It''s also impossible not to root for its feisty, feminist vampiress heroine." —Charles Busch, author of Vampire Lesbians of Sodom "Terrific. . . . The unrelenting tension between the monstrous and the human propels this unique tale of gripping suspense." —Katherine Ramsland, author of The Vampire Companion "In prose studded with passages of dark luster, Baker offers a truly original scenario." — Publishers Weekly "Baker has obviously thought about what surrendering to the dark side means that lifts this book up above the vast . . . morass of romantic vampire fiction." — Quill & Quire

In this sequel to The Night Inside, a vampire couple''s relationship is tested by the modern world as a mysterious stranger hunts them down. With a dark embrace from five-hundred-year-old vampire Dimitri Rozokov, Ardeth Alexander left behind her mortal life in Toronto. Now they are attempting to forge a new life in Banff, Alberta.—and They share an unspoken agreement not to feed on humans and hunt wild animals off the beaten paths of the national park instead. However, their new reality is far from easy, and elk blood can never fully satisfy their hunger. Angry and unhappy, Ardeth longs for the life she left behind and returns to Toronto. But the machinations of a century-old Japanese vampire soon reunite the couple. Once a feudal lord, now a yakuza boss, Sademori Fujiwara shares his extraordinary life story. It is a tale that can answer the questions of love, mortality, and morality threatening to tear Ardeth and Dimitri apart for good. But the price for those answers is dangerously high . . . "Baker writes about the vampires next door . . . they bicker over petty, everyday things. They are jealous when a partner flirts with someone. They worry about paying the rent . . . ''They''re Canadian,'' she says." — The Vancouver Sun "Baker evokes the various figures from Japanese culture familiar in the West—yakuza, samurai and medieval court ladies and their pillow books—but she goes beyond clichés and invests these characters with a solidity and poignancy that contrast sharply with the simpler Canadian horror of The Night Inside. This is a more contemplative offering." — Paragraph

A fairy tale with bite—vampire-style. “Don’t hold your breath waiting for Disney to film this very adult and erotic version of Beauty and the Beast.” —Winnipeg Free Press “Will you give me your blood to drink, though you die of it?” In an unexpected twist on a fairy tale, an artist goes into the wilderness to fulfill his father’s debt and finds himself the prisoner of a dangerously beautiful inhuman monster. “A Terrible Beauty is modern Canadian Gothic . . . Nancy Baker shows her mastery of the form—the mysterious letter, the journey into the wilderness, the shadows that hide from the flickering firelight—and her real affection for a good ol’ fashioned vampire yarn.” —The Telegraph Journal (Saint John) “Baker’s narrative is seductive and compelling. Like Rice, she transcends the horror genre.” —Province Showcase (Vancouver) “A polished and enchanting tale . . . It is, in a word, breathtaking.” —Ottawa Citizen “Baker’s prose is lush and sensual . . . she has a real gift for making the fantastic seem plausible and investing the mundane with eerie significance.” —Toronto Sun “A very interesting and unique take on Beauty and the Beast.” —SFFP Romance

Along with bar rooms and bordellos, there has hardly been a more male-focused institution in Texas history than the Texas Legislature. Yet the eighty-six women who have served there have made a mark on the institution through the legislation they have passed, much of which addresses their concerns as citizens who have been inadequately represented by male lawmakers. This first complete record of the women of the Texas Legislature places such well-known figures as Kay Bailey Hutchison, Sissy Farenthold, Barbara Jordan, Irma Rangel, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Susan Combs, and Judith Zaffirini in the context of their times and among the women and men with whom they served. Drawing on years of primary research and interviews, Nancy Baker Jones and Ruthe Winegarten offer concise biographies and profiles of all eighty-six women who have served or currently hold office in the Texas Legislature. The biographies describe the women lawmakers'' lives, campaign strategies, and legislative successes and defeats. Four introductory essays provide historical and cultural context for the biographies, which are arranged chronologically to give a sense of the passage of time, of relationships among and between women, and of the issues of their eras.

Murder goes on the road in this anthology of four novellas from top mystery writers. Includes Betty Webb''s "Desert Deceit," Terence Faherty''s "The First Proof," Nancy Baker Jacobs''s "Star Search," and Jonathan Harrington''s "Death on the Southwest Chief." Original.

Hollywood reporter Quinn Collins finds the body of a famous producer, dead of an apparent heroin overdose. Quinn discovers he was not a drug user, so while narrowing down the suspect list, Quinn soon finds herself digging up a ten-year-old murder and cover-up.

"Someone in the San Francisco Bay Area is using arson to murder new mothers in their homes, after apparently kidnapping their babies. California''s new arson czar, Susan Kim Delancey, takes on this baffling case that covers several county jurisdictions and soon finds herself warring on several fronts."--Back cover.

Minnesota nurse Ellen Merchand and her sister Claire have arranged for a house exchange with a San Francisco art dealer. What the sisters don''t know is that Herb Carmody plans to use the house exchange as an alibi for his wife''s murder. Then there is Sid Balzarian, a small-time criminal with plans to kidnap Jane Carmody.

Even though their financial future looked grim, Holly and Alex Sheridan had plenty to be happy about--they were in love, living the life they''d always wanted, and awaiting the birth of their first child. But all that changed with Alex''s private plane crased into the California coastline. Devastated, Holly devotes her time to getting ready for the baby, unaware that someone else is preparing for the birth as well.

Graduate student Ardeth Alexander is kidnapped, held hostage, and forced to nourish the vampire who shares her captivity, but she soon realizes that the vampire is her only hope for salvation

Young, in love, and eight months pregnant with her first child, Karin Seaton had everything she could ask for. But a tragic car accident that put Karin in a coma for weeks and left her husband and unborn baby dead brought it all to an end. Ready to give up on life, Karen suddenly discovers that her baby is alive--and has been stolen from her.

An oral history of the women who took part in the war effort on the home front.

Minneapolis elementary school teacher turned private eye Devon MacDonald is hired to help the victims of a romantic con man recover their money. She is soon tracking the man to Monterey, California, posing as a wealthy young widow.

First in a dynamic new detective series that introduces Minneapolis-based Devon MacDonald, an ex-teacher who''s lost her family and is now partners with a gruff, warm-hearted, obese Sam Sherman in his detective agency. A heroine who''s gutsy but no superwoman . . . a welcome addition to the genre.--Kirkus.

A step-by-step planning guide to help junior and senior high school students learn better, discussing such areas as motivation, goals, study environment, classroom behavior, and special projects.