Vancouver, Washington-Phoenix House Press has announced that Wilette Youkey, graphic designer and author of the Origin series, will be joining the imprint in the spring.  Her debut title, The Origin, tells the story of a superhero in modern day New York City: 


He may have super powers, but his is no hero's story...

For someone who has no idea how he acquired his special abilities, all Daniel wants is to live a simple, emotionally detached life. He has a quiet day job, a solo night job and no social life to speak of, and that's just the way he likes it.

That is until Olivia King, a woman from a past he'd rather leave behind, talks her way back into his life and he discovers that he is neither strong nor fast enough to fight off the attraction. Just when he finally accepts that she could be a permanent fixture in his life, Olivia disappears and he upends New York City to try and save the day.

But when being honorable doesn’t get him results, Daniel yields to the dark pull of his powers, committing unspeakable acts in order to rescue the only person he’s trusted with his secrets. And just when his life could not possibly get more complicated, a psychic delivers some damning news that will pit his own happiness against the safety of those around him.

Daniel has never considered himself a hero, but in the end, as he looks at the blood on his hands, he wonders if he isn’t the villain of the story after all.

About Wilette Youkey:

Wilette Youkey is a daydreamer who was born in the Philippines, raised in Australia, and is an American citizen. At the age of ten she penned a short story inspired by a Judy Blume novel and has been unable to stop writing since.

She has lived in four different continents and most recently lived in a 240-year-old castle in rural Germany. She now resides in California with her husband, two daughters, and a mini schnauzer.

Her stories are drawn from dreams, fantasies, music, and trips through airports. Apart from her lifelong affair with words, she also loves graphic design, singing in the shower, and working out.

If she were a comic book character, she would be called Shorty Smalls and would have the uncanny ability to do five things at once.


MJ Heiser, author and acquisitions editor at Phoenix House Press, issued this statement:
"We are overjoyed to welcome Wilette to the imprint.  Her talent for creating a sympathetic yet dark hero will impress her fans, and we are excited about her energy and vision for the series."

The Origin, book one of the series, is in the final stages of preparation for release, and a publishing date is coming soon.

Austin, Texas:  MJ Heiser, whose debut novel, Corona, was released to exceptional reviews on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, has announced that the sequel, Canticle, has been released through Phoenix House Press in cooperation with Literary Underground.  Canticle is now available for download on the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes and Noble Nook for the exceptional introductory price of $2.99.  

Canticle follows the story of Athena Falcon, a character introduced in Corona, as she undertakes her first mission as a newly-minted Traveller.  Despite her certainty that her calling is a duty and that there is no true heroism in the world, she is soon caught up in a plot to overthrow the peaceful land of Jaenrye.  She encounters a seer by the name of Pietr Von Gloring, a mysterious child, and a former legend in the Traveller order, and along the way, she learns a lot about the spirit of heroes, and, eventually, herself.

A print version of this edition is in the planning stage now.  Canticle is the second book in the series, The Chronicles of Jaenrye.  

MJ Heiser is the editor for Literary Underground and contributes her editing talents to the interactive blog fiction project, Choose or Die.  She resides in Austin, Texas, with her husband.

Austin, Texas:  MJ Heiser, whose debut novel, Corona, was released February 2010 by Canonbridge LLC to exceptional reviews on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, has announced a Special Edition re-release of the novel through Phoenix House Press in cooperation with Literary Underground.  Corona: Special Edition is now available for download on the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes and Noble Nook for the exceptional introductory price of $2.99.  

In the world of fantasy fiction, much has been written regarding the ability to travel between this world and a fantasy realm, but the travelers are usually children.  Corona is a re-imagining of this classic fairy tale; instead of children, for whom it is usually easy to adapt to the abrupt change, the journey between worlds is undertaken by full-grown adults who have lost their sense of wonder, either by loss of childhood fancies, by crushing disappointment, or by outright depravity.  These three adults hold the survival of an entire world in their hands:  Can they be the heroes they dreamed of being?

The Special Edition re-release includes a new prologue, expanded chapters, and a cleaner feel than the original book.  A print version of this edition is in the planning stage now.  Corona is the first book in the series, The Chronicles of Jaenrye.  The sequel is scheduled for release in 2011.

MJ Heiser is the editor for Literary Underground and contributes her editing talents to the interactive blog fiction project, Choose or Die.  She resides in Austin, Texas, with her husband.