FERAL NIGHTS by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick, 2013, 2014). Ages 14-up. Also published by Walker Books (U.K.) and Walker Australia and New Zealand.
Fans of the Tantalize quartet will thrill to see werepossum Clyde and other favorite secondary characters — plus all-new ones — take to the fore in book one of an all-new series.
When sexy, free-spirited werecat Yoshi tracks his sister, Ruby, to Austin, he discovers that she is not only MIA, but also the key suspect in a murder investigation. Meanwhile, werepossum Clyde and human Aimee have set out to do a little detective work of their own, sworn to avenge the brutal killing of werearmadillo pal Travis.
When all three seekers are snared in an underground kidnapping ring, they end up on a remote island inhabited by an unusual (even by shifter standards) species. The island harbors a grim secret and were-predator and were-prey must join forces in a fight to escape alive.
A wry, high-action entry in an exciting series.
Read an excerpt of FERAL NIGHTS from Candlewick Press.
Audio Edition Voice Actors:
Learn more about FERAL CURSE (Book 2)(Candlewick, 2014) and FERAL PRIDE (Book 3)(Candlewick, 2015). The FERAL trilogy is a spin-off of the TANTALIZE series.
Three of Cynthia Leitich Smith’s short stories—“Cat Calls,” “Cupid’s Beaux” and “Haunted Love”—are also set in the TANTALIZE-FERAL universe. “Cat Calls” and “Haunted Love” are available as free ebooks.
Order FERAL NIGHTS by Cynthia Leitich Smith. Depending on the title, Cynthia’s books may be found from Native bookstores like Birchbark Books and Native Arts and Red Planet Books and Comics, her local independent BookPeople in Austin, other terrific Texas bookstores like Blue Willow Bookshop and Brazos Bookstore, retail sites supporting indie bookstores like BookShop (Affiliate), IndieBound and Libro.fm (audio books), brick-and-mortar chains like Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million, and online retailer Amazon.com (Author Central).
- Diverse-Owned Bookstores You Can Support Right Now by Alaina Leary from We Need Diverse Books.
- Writers’ League of Texas Award
- Featured Title, Texas Book Festival
“Smith’s blend of supernatural suspense, campy humor, and romantic tension is addictive; allusions to both pop culture (‘Thriller,’ Monty Python) and literature (THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU, THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME) add to the fun. Most satisfying of all, Aimee and especially unassuming, injured Clyde leave their sidekick roles behind to come into their own.” — The Horn Book
“Smith’s fantasy smoothly switches between the three protagonists’ perspectives, while expertly blending the mythical and the modern. The story’s sharp banter and edgy plot make for an entertaining and clever story about loyalty and reconciling differences.” — Publishers Weekly
“sexy, fast-paced…ending that satisfies and should win her many new fans.” — Booklist
“…dialogue that sparkles with wit, filled with both literary and pop-culture references. (‘You’re saying that you and my sister perform exorcisms on vomiting children with rotating heads?’)…playful, smart tone.” — Kirkus Reviews
“The world building of were-creatures and other supernatural beings in this urban fantasy is so strong, readers will be seeing shapeshifters all around them. Descriptions of the ‘normal’ above-ground versus the unsavory underground our heroes get caught in parallels nicely with the reality of different worlds existing next to us but invisible to us.” — Bay Views (the review journal of The Association of Children’s Librarians of Northern California)
Actors Interview: Todd Haberkorn, Amy McFadden, Cristina Panfilio & Nick Podehl of the FERAL Series from Cynsations. PEEK from Nick:
“I loved the bravery and growth that Clyde showed throughout this story. He goes from dorky and seemingly weak to strong and more sure of himself without losing who he is inside.”
Media release and Q&A Interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith from Candlewick Press.
TANTALIZE and FERAL Series Research Bibliographies
Shop Sanguini’s at CafePress for TANTALIZE-FERAL verse T-shirts, hats, mugs, posters & more.
Illustrator Interview: Gene Brenek on the Logo for Sanguini’s in the TANTALIZE-FERAL series from Cynsations. SEE ALSO Illustrator Interview: Gene Brenek on Images of Cynthia Leitich Smith’s ETERNAL from Cynsations. PEEK:
“Certainly what separated the dead from the undead restaurants was the vampire mythology. So I started brainstorming and writing down anything that came to mind when I thought about vampires.”
Cynthia has published short stories set in the TANTALIZE-FERAL series universe.
“Cat Calls” first appeared in SIDESHOW: TEN ORIGINAL TALES OF FREAKS, ILLUSIONISTS, AND OTHER MATTERS ODD AND MAGIC, edited by Deborah Noyes (Candlewick, 2009). It is available as a free e-book.
“Haunted Love” appears in IMMORTAL: LOVE STORIES WITH BITE, edited by P.C. Cast (BenBella, 2008). It is also available as a free e-book.
“Cupid’s Beaux” appears in THINGS I’LL NEVER SAY: STORIES OF OUR SECRET SELVES, edited by Ann Angel (Candlewick, 2015).