Red-Headed Stepchild

Red-Headed Stepchild (Sabina Kane #1)
by Jaye Wells

In a world where being of mixed-blood is a major liability, Sabina doesn’t really fit in. And being an assassin – the only profession fit for an outcast – doesn’t help matters. But she’s never brought her work home. Until now.

Her latest mission is uncomfortably complex, and threatens the fragile peace between the vampire and mage races. As Sabina scrambles to figure out which side she’s on, she uncovers a tangled political web, some nasty facts about her family and some unexpected new talents. Any of these things could be worryingly life-changing, but together, they could be fatal …

This time, it’s personal.

I love when I finish a book craving the next in the series. That’s how things go with Jaye Wells’ Red-Headed Stepchild.

Sabina is Half Vamp and Half Mage. This is a very exciting, well-written book with a fresh new outlook on vampires. The vampires are descended from Lilith's affair with Cain, so in addition to Lilith's blood thirst, all vampires also have inherited Cain's red hair (god marked Cain with red hair after he murdered Abel) and inability to go out in sunlight.

The book is full of action. Through the book Sabina learns that the things she thought were truth were all lies and she must decide what is true and who to trust.

This book goes into my favorite books list. This is a really good book as soon as I am done writing this review I am going to start reading book two... The Mage in Black.

Succubus Blues

Succubus Blues (Georgina Kincaid #1)
by Richelle Mead

When it comes to jobs in hell, being a succubus seems pretty glamorous. A girl can be anything she wants, the wardrobe is killer, and mortal men will do anything just for a touch. Granted, they often pay with their souls, but why get technical?

But Seattle succubus Georgina Kincaid's life is far less exotic. Her boss is a middle-management demon with a thing for John Cusack movies. Her immortal best friends haven't stopped teasing her about the time she shape-shifted into the Demon Goddess getup complete with whip and wings. And she can't have a decent date without sucking away part of the guy's life. At least there's her day job at a local bookstore--free books; all the white chocolate mochas she can drink; and easy access to bestselling, sexy writer, Seth Mortensen, aka He Whom She Would Give Anything to Touch but Can't.

But dreaming about Seth will have to wait. Something wicked is at work in Seattle's demon underground. And for once, all of her hot charms and drop-dead one-liners won't help because Georgina's about to discover there are some creatures out there that both heaven and hell want to deny...

“Sometimes you wake up from a dream. Sometimes you wake up in a dream. And sometimes, every once in a while, you wake up in someone else's dream. ”

“Love is rarely flawless,” Carter pointed out. “Humans delude themselves by thinking it has to be. It is the imperfection that makes love perfect.”

“Statistics show that most mortals sell their souls for five reasons: sex, money, power, revenge, and love. In that order.”

Near the end of the book this book actually made me have tears in my eyes. The book is that good.

Midnight's Daughter

Midnight's Daughter (Dorina Basarab #1)
by Karen Chance

"My least favorite dead guy had his feet up on my desk.  I hate that.  His boots were probably cleaner than my blotter, but still.  It showed a lack of respect"

Dorina Basarab is a dhampir-half human, half vampire. Subject to uncontrollable rages, most dhampirs live very short, very violent lives. So far Dory has managed to maintain her sanity by unleashing her anger on those demons and vampires who deserve killing.

Now Dory's vampire father has come back into her life. Her Uncle Dracula (yes, the Dracula), infamous even among vampires for his cruelty and murderous ways, has escaped his prison. And her father wants Dory to work with gorgeous master vampire Louis-Cesare to put him back there.

Vampires and dhampirs are mortal enemies, and Dory prefers to work alone. But Dracula is the only thing on Earth that truly scares her, so when Dory has to go up against him, she'll take all the help she can get…

People who like the Cassie Palmer series will definitely love Dorina Basarab too. This series includes characters from the Cassandra Palmer series so they tie into one another I recommend reading the cassandra palmer series first so you know all the characters. Warning once you start this book you will not be able to put it down.

To read sample chapters from Midnight's Daughter http://www.karenchance.com/midnight.html

Oh the joys of living in this area

Oh the joys of living in this area...the house is starting to smell like shit because of all the manure being spread on the fields outside and they aren't even near done spreading yet.

You know you are from Lancaster County PA if.....

Your idea of Chicken Pot Pie has nothing to do with a pie and you can't figure out why people might think it would.

Your driving lessons involved learning to avoid horse droppings.

You know at least 5 euphemisms for animal manure and at least 4 of them involve food.

You know how to cook, but not without butter.

You've ever missed school for the first day of deer season... but didn't get in trouble.

The following words mean something to you: Fire Hall Wedding, Chicken and Waffle Dinner, Fire-police, Wooly Bear, Whoopie Pie

You spend at least 30 minutes every summer day complaining about New Jersey drivers.

You don't understand why people would ever want to see the Amish.

The local Post Office used to be a single-family home and they close between noon and 1 for lunch.

You have ever ended a sentence with "a while".

You do not giggle when you see the following signs: Lititz, Intercourse, Blue Ball, Bird-in-Hand

You cannot buy beer and wine from the same store.

Park City has nothing to do with skiing for you.

Agnes 1972 means something to you and you can tell stories about it.

You pronounce Lancaster in "Burt Lancaster" differently from Lancaster in "Lancaster, PA".

You personally know many people with the name: Lapp, Lantz, Stoltzfus (or Stoltzfoos), Zimmerman, Zook

Iced Tea for you is sweeter than Pepsi.

You know someone who repairs gasoline-powered lawn mowers, but is forbidden to own one.

You think Fasnacht Day and Groundhog day are national holidays.

You know that eggs are either white or brown... and you have a preference.

You think the Mississippi is just a tad wider than the Susquehanna.

You know who James Buchanan was.

You can pronounce "Ephrata."

You don't have to be told what Shoo Fly Pie is.

You go to the store when the milk is "all".

You think orange traffic cones are the natural foliage surrounding Route 30.

You have an uncontrollable urge to buy bread and milk when you hear the word, "snow."

You know the only way to make good fastnachts is to cook them in LARD.

You live within two miles of a plant that makes potato chips, corn chips, pretzels, candy or ice cream or that packages turkeys, beans or bologna.

You do things "once," as in, "I'll go check in the back room once."

You can stop along the road to buy fruit, vegetables or crafts on the "honor system."

YOUR turkey has "filling," not "stuffing" and most certainly NOT "dressing."

You know that chicken corn soup from a firehouse is the most perfect food on earth.

You say things like, "Outen the lights," "I'm calling off today" and "They're calling for snow."

You've heard of distelfinks and hex signs.

Red Beet Eggs makes your list of top ten favorite foods.

You pronounce "Suite" as SUIT, not SWEET.

You say you're going out to the shed "AWHILE," instead of "FOR AWHILE."

You only buy your beer and soda by the case.

You think the roads in any other state are smooth.

You know the Penn State cheer. (WE ARE...PENN STATE!)

Hearing horses clopping down a paved street doesn't bring you to the window to see what's going on outside.

You prefer Hershey's chocolate to Godiva.

You consider Pittsburgh to be "out west," and you know the fastest way to Philly is the Turnpike.

School closings due to snow take the radio stations half an hour to finish because just about every town has its own school district.

When someone says 1972, you think, "Agnes," and when someone says 1979, you think, "TMI."

You call sloppy joes "barbecue."

You think Medium Rare equals Well Done.

When it snows, they put cinders on the roads instead of sand.

You only own three spices: salt, pepper and ketchup.

You have ten favorite recipes for venison.

Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.

The local paper covers National and International headlines on one page, but requires six pages for local sports.

You think the start of deer hunting is a national holiday.

You remember fondly days of youth known as, "Snow Days."

Words like: gumband, buggie, hoagie, chipped beef, scrapple, actually mean something to you.

The verb "to be" is useless: "Does Fido need out?"

You know what a Turkey Hill is . . .
. . . and you've ditched school to hang out there.
. . . and they're the only place that sells your favorite beverage.


You've corrected all the errors while watching Witness. (The movie)

"Dinner" and "supper" are different concepts entirely.

You reocognize "Twin Kiss" and "Freez and Frizz," knowing that Dairy Queen is a pale imitation.

Dutch Wonderland is neither Dutch nor much of a Wonderland.

WGAL is the source of all local celebrities and they create quite a stir when they shop in the supermarket.

The Green Dragon ain't no Chinese restaurant.

Three words: Red Beet Eggs.

You say the correct pronunciation LANG-kist-er instead of the mispronounced Lan-CAST-er, and LEB-en-in instead of the equally incorrect Leb-a-NON.

You can give directions to Intercourse with a straight face.

Know that Wilkes-Barre is pronounced "Wilks Berry."

Can pronounce "Knoebels."

Can pronounce (or spell) "Schuylkill."

Live for summer, when street fairs signal the beginning of funnel cake season.

You know the expression, "Hey naw! Watchya dewin'?"

You ask the waitress for "dippy ecks" for breakfast.

You refer to putrid animal manure smells as "Guud Country Air"

You've never referred to Philadelphia as anything but "Philly." And New Jersey has always been "Jersey."

You refer to Pennsylvania as "PA" (pronounced Peeay).

You know what a "State Store" is, and your out of state friends find it incredulous that you can't purchase liquor at the mini-mart.

You not only have heard of Birch Beer, but you know it comes in several colors: Red, White, Brown, Gold

The Sweet Scent of Blood

The Sweet Scent of Blood
A Spellcrackers Novel
by Suzanne McLeod

Genevieve Taylor is a Sidhe-one of the noble fae-and she's unusual, even in a London where celebrity vampires, eccentric goblins, and scheming lesser fae mix freely with humanity. Genny is a rising star at Spellcrackers.com, where she finds the M' in magic - and that invariably leads to mischief, malice and - too often - murder. Spellcrackers.com is affiliated to the Witch Council, whose ancient tenets prohibit any contact with vampires. Genny also works as a volunteer at a clinic which treats victims of vampire attacks. Then there's her extra-curricular activity, extracting vulnerable fae lured by the local fang gangs. Genny certainly doesn't wants any closer involvement with the vampire community. But when Mr October, one of the hot calendar pin-up vamps, is accused of violently murdering his girlfriend, Genny's called on to repay an old debt and prove his innocence. And that means consorting with some of the sexiest vamps in London!

She is fae but reading the book she talks with a brownie about when she was little. Her one nanny used to lock her in a hole durring the day while her father slept. One time the nanny accidently left her in past sunset. Her father woke and found her in there. It wasn't until she got older she realized her father probably killed the nanny. Her father is a vamp.

She can also absorb magic. That is not something that normal fae can do.

This book is really good. By page 34 I was completely addicted to the book.

Suzanne McLeod is a very good writer and I look forward to continuing to read her books.

Mindscan

This novel is set in 2045, at a time when it has become possible to scan and store one's brain into a new, virtually indestructible android body.

Jake Sullivan has a hereditary, potentially terminal disease. He lives his life in a state of utmost care so as not to trigger it, and knows that he, like his father, will probably die a young man. So when he hears about a new process, called mindscanning, he is intrigued. Immortex claims to be able to make a scan of your brain and duplicate your mind in an artificial body. The new body, the new you, will become the primary you, while the old you will live out the rest of your days in a luxury resort on the moon. The process, however, results in two Jake Sullivans. Flesh-and-blood Jake must renounce all ties to his earthly existence and live out the rest of his days in a deluxe retirement village on the dark side of the moon.

As a mindscan, Jake can finally face a future without the fear of imminent death. And he finds love with another mindscan, Karen.

But things begin to get complicated when Karen’s son sues for his inheritance, claiming that the mindscan is not his mother, his mother is actually dead, and he and his children are entitled to inherit. Now, the future of mindscans’ rights is on the line, as the question is raised: what does it mean to be a human being? To be an individual? What is it that makes us who we are?

The original version of Jake, consigned to die on the far side of the moon, has taken hostages there, demanding the return of his rights of person-hood. In the courtroom and on the lunar surface, the future of uploaded humanity hangs in the balance.

Mindscan speculates on the ethics of bio-technology, the nature of consciousness, and the meaning of life. In Sawyer's future socially liberal Canada contrasts sharply with the fundamental Christian-controlled USA.

This is a really good book. I loved it. Once I picked it up and got into the story I did not want to put it down. It was so good.

Mark of the Demon

Mark of the Demon (Kara Gillian #1)
by Diana Rowland


Cop and conjurer of demons, she's a woman in danger of losing control—to a power that could kill....

Why me? Why now? That’s what Beaulac, Louisiana, detective Kara Gillian was asking herself when an angelic creature named Rhyzkahl unexpectedly appeared during a routine summoning. Kara was hoping to use her occult skills to catch a serial killer, but never had she conjured anything like this unearthly beautiful and unspeakably powerful being whose very touch set off exquisite new dimensions of pleasure. But can she enlist his aid in helping her stop a killer who’s already claimed the lives—and souls—of thirteen people? And should she? The Symbol Man is a nightmare that the city thought had ended three years ago. Now he’s back for an encore and leaving every indication on the flesh of his victims that he, too, is well versed in demonic lore.

Kara may be the only cop on Beaulac’s small force able to stop the killer, but it is her first homicide case. Yet with Rhyzkahl haunting her dreams, and a handsome yet disapproving FBI agent dogging her waking footsteps, she may be in way over her head...

This book is amazing. It just blew me away. It was so good. I didn't expected it to be this good. I was shocked and amazed. I picked up this book to read because goodreads had it as a suggestion of a book that I might enjoy. I more then enjoyed it ... I loved it.

The story is really good. Trying to figure out who the bad guy is and who it isn't... I am so glad that I read this book. It is the type of book that I can keep on my bookshelf and read again.

Fever

"My philosophy is pretty simple-any day nobody’s trying to kill me is a good day in my book. I haven’t had many good days lately."



MacKayla Lane’s life is good. She has great friends, a decent job, and a car that breaks down only every other week or so. In other words, she’s your perfectly ordinary twenty-first-century woman. Or so she thinks…until something extraordinary happens.

When her sister is murdered, leaving a single clue to her death–a cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone–Mac journeys to Ireland in search of answers. The quest to find her sister’s killer draws her into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems, where good and evil wear the same treacherously seductive mask. She is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn how to handle a power she had no idea she possessed–a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae….

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister’s death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho, a man with no past and only mockery for a future. As she begins to close in on the truth, the ruthless Vlane–an alpha Fae–closes in on her. And as the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac’s true mission becomes clear: find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book–because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control of the very fabric of both worlds in their hands.

I am in LOVE with this series!

Karen Marie Moning builds her fairy world on Irish lore and I think succeeds in it.

Barrons is a fascinating character, and the author did an excellent job of keeping us guessing as to who (or what) he is, and how the reluctant and wary partnership between he and Mac will develop. Just what is Barrons? Is he really human? Is he fae? Is he really good? Is he bad?

It is a series
1. Darkfever: The Fever Series
2. Bloodfever (Fever, #2)
3. Faefever (Fever, #3)
4. Dreamfever (Fever, #4)
5. Shadowfever (Fever, #5)

Also an added note....Karen Marie Moning is planning on writing 5 more Fever books :)

Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Guilty Pleasures Ultimate Collection

Two of my favorite things combined - Anita Blake and graphic novels. What's not to love?

Fusing mythology and horror in a story loaded with mystery, action and romance, New York Times bestselling author Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake novels take place in a world where vampires, werewolves and other creatures of nightmare have been declared legal citizens of the United States. Anita Blake is an "animator" - a profession that involves raising the dead for a living. She is also known as a fearsome hunter of criminal vampires, and she moonlights by investigating cases outside the jurisdiction of conventional police. But as Anita gains the attention of the vampire masters in her hometown of St. Louis, she also risks revealing an intriguing secret about herself - the source of her unusual strength and power.

I've read all of the Anita Blake series. I love the books. I loved getting my hands on this. I love the artwork in the graphic novels. The graphic novel follows the story line in the book version of Guilty Pleasures but the amazing artwork makes it even better this time around.

Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated

Movie Review by Barrydadof3: Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated




I bought this movie with high hopes. I love everything done by Romero concerning the Living Dead. I love the movie Night of the Living Dead. I love Animations. This movie had everything going for me to love and squeal with utter joy as I watched the movie.  But this left me catching z's

That being said.

This movie isn't some random artists/animators each taking a scene and telling the night of the living dead story. This movie isn't  a bunch of animators who  got in to a room and created a cohesive project that looks like it belongs together from start to finish.

What this is ....is more of a art show. Individual pieces of comic book pages, movie clips, animation, art work, Legos, Furbies, sock puppets and various other media styles pasted together to the soundtrack, allowing for each "artists" individual style. You would have no problem lining the items up in a gallery and starting from start to finish accomplish the same effect of what was done for this dvd. While some of the pieces left me in awe of their style most of the rest of the pieces were lacking or down right and utterly disappointing.  What really disappointed me was some of the animation looks as though it was done in MS Paint and some of the extremely bad work becomes pixilated on the screen. That was just plain bad animation.

From a Artist point of view this movie has it all and would be well worth your time to watch. The variety of mediums and styles may even inspire you to create your own movie or project. You would appreciate what the overall concept of the movie is

From and Living Dead fan point of view you could find interest in some of the scenes and even find some great reason to hail it as one of the better re-makes of a classic but in the end a remake with some redeeming qualities is all it is.

For the average movie watcher. I really don't see any value honestly. It not seamless. It is at the time all over the place. Maybe for the occasional person with ADD might enjoy it.. But, in the end you will have the feeling...... What the hell did I just watch?

For Me. This will sit on my shelf as part of the numerous Living Dead movies ever made. To me it will be a collection item that I probably will never watch again. This movie will be a testament to the anthology of Romero and Romero inspired films that should be allowed to stay buried and not rise again from its grave.

Wile E. Coyote

The Death Cure

The Death Cure is the third and final book in the Maze Runner Series. I loved Maze Runner and Scorch Trials.

Thomas knows that Wicked can't be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they've collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It's up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test.

What Wicked doesn't know is that something's happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can't believe a word of what Wicked says.

The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine.
Will anyone survive the Death Cure?

There is so much I would love to say about the book but it would be full of spoilers so all I will say is this is a really great series and you should read all three books.

Glow

A breathtaking Georgia-mountain epic about the complex bond of mothers and daughters across a century.
In the autumn of 1941, Amelia J. McGee, a young woman of Cherokee and Scotch-Irish descent, and an outspoken pamphleteer for the NAACP, hastily sends her daughter, Ella, alone on a bus home to Georgia in the middle of the night-a desperate action that is met with dire consequences when the child encounters two drifters and is left for dead on the side of the road.

Ella awakens to find herself in the homestead of Willie Mae Cotton, a wise hoodoo practitioner and former slave, and her partner, Mary-Mary Freeborn, tucked deep in the Takatoka forest. As Ella begins to heal, the legacies of her lineage are revealed.

"Glow" transports us from Washington, D.C., on the brink of World War II to 1836 and into the mountain coves of Hopewell County, Georgia, full of ghosts both real and imagined. Illuminating the tragedy of human frailty, the power of friendship and hope, and the fiercest of all human bonds-mother love-this stunning debut will appeal to readers of both Sue Monk Kidd's "The Secret Life of Bees" and Amy Green's "Bloodroot."

 I received this book for free through Goodreads First-reads. Expected date for book to hit the stores is March 19, 2012.

Glow is Jessica Maria Tuccelli's first novel.

You experience the story through a couple of characters.

It can be frustrating to keep all the people straight. It is very nice that there is a family tree at the beginning of the book to help keep things straight.

This book is historical fiction. 

I give it 3 out of 5 stars

Greywalker

Greywalker (Greywalker #1)
by Kat Richardson


Harper Blaine was your average small-time PI until a savage assault left her dead for two minutes.

When Harper comes to in the hospital, she begins to feel strange. She sees weird shapes and a foggy grey mist.

Harper's death has made you a Greywalker. She is able to move between our world and the one where things go bump in the night... a world of vampires, ghosts, magic, witches, and necromancers.

I have to say the use of pagers made the book seem out of date. I mean who uses pagers? It is a texting/cellphone world....pagers???

Fans of Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake may enjoy this book. It is a milder and less graphic book then Anita Blake but it is good. I think fans of Buffy and Charmed are two other groups who will love this.

This is an urban-fantasy book and not a paranormal-romance. It is a crime and mystery book too.

Suggested readers: older teen and up

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars

Island of Shadows

Island of Shadows (Seekers: Return to the Wild #1)
by Erin Hunter


Toklo, Lusa, and Kallik begin the long journey home alone with Yakone, a polar bear. On their journey they meet Nanulak who is half polar bear and half grizzly bear. They run into humans and near fatal accidents.

The Warriors and Seekers books are wonderful. I would recommend them to any animal lover. I am surprised that the books have not yet been made into movies.

My 5th grader is looking forward to reading this book. She loves Erin Hunter's books.

Suggested Readers ages 10 and up

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars

*I received this book for free through Goodreads First-reads*

Snow White, Blood Red

An excellent collection of modern fairy tales!

Once upon a time, fairy tales
were for children . . . But no longer.

You hold in your hands a volume of wonders -- magical tales of trolls and ogres, of bewitched princesses and kingdoms accursed, penned by some of the most acclaimed fantasists of our day. But these are not bedtime stories designed to usher an innocent child gently into a realm of dreams. These are stories that bite -- lush and erotic, often dark and disturbing mystical journeys through a phantasmagoric landscape of distinctly adult sensibilities . . . where there is no such thing as "happily ever after."

Highly recommended for fans of erotica, horror and dark fantasy, this collection of original short stories revises well-known fairy tales for the adult reader. Many take place in contemporary settings and feature strong sexual and/or horror themes.

Mercedes Thompson Series

This is a must read series! This series just gets better and better with each book.

The Mercedes Thompson Series is a series of urban fantasy novels written by Patricia Briggs that follow the adventures of Mercedes (Mercy) Thompson, a Native American shapeshifter who was raised by Werewolves. The series is set in the Tri-Cities area of Washington state in a world in which Werewolves and certain types of the fae have been forced to reveal themselves to the public. The series follows Mercy, a VW mechanic by trade, as she learns her true nature and is caught up in the affairs of the local werewolf pack, led by Adam, the Alpha who lives next door, and the local vampire seethe, a member of which she has befriended.

Mercedes (Mercy) Thompson/Hauptman, the daughter of a Blackfeet Indian and a white teenage mother. Mercy is a mechanic and a "walker"—a Native American shapeshifter who transforms into a coyote, sees the spirits of the dead, and has an inborn resistance to most magic (vampire or otherwise). She bought her moderately-successful and beloved auto repair shop from Zee, a member of the fae who is glamoured to appear as an old man, who was forced to reveal himself to the public.

Adam Hauptman, the Alpha of the Tri-Cities werewolf pack. He lives next door to Mercy, and at the opening of the series, they have a playfully antagonistic relationship. Adam operates a well-known security firm and is divorced with one child; a teenage daughter named Jesse. It's eventually revealed that, in order for Mercy to live in the Tri-Cities without danger from the local pack, Adam claimed her as his mate in name only prior to the beginning of the series, though his feelings had always been more than friendly... apparently even during his unsuccessful marriage. Adam is a dominant wolf, and fourth in line for the title of the Marrok. He is described as having an aura of power and sophistication, as well as being "hot".

Jesse Hauptman, Adam's teenage daughter. She, at the beginning of the series, divides her time equally between Adam's ex-wife, and Adam, though by the end of the fourth novel, "Bone Crossed", she becomes a permanent resident. Jesse is a very outgoing and optimistic girl with a tendency to dye her hair unusual shades to receive a reaction from her father.

Stefan Uccello, a vampire who is also Mercy's friend. He owns a VW bus decorated like the Mystery Machine from Scooby-Doo (despite the canonical Mystery Machine being a Chevy van). Stefan was alive during Renaissance Italy and is known as the "Soldier" amongst other vampires. Stefan remains the only vampire searching for an alternative food source to human blood. His feelings for Mercy are a point of conflict in the series, though he shows great affection to her at various points in the series.

Samuel Cornick, Son of the Marrok, who knew Mercy while she was growing up and tried to marry her when she was only sixteen. He comes to live with her, but their on-again, off-again romantic relationship is one of the early core elements of the series. He has graduated from medical school various times and works at Kennewick General Hospital.

Bran Cornick, The Marrok, is the Alpha werewolf of all the werewolf packs in North America. He took Mercy in when she was a toddler and helped raise her. It is because of him and Mercy's foster parents that she knows more about werewolves than she has to.

Zee, aka Siebold Adelbertsmiter (Adelbertkrieger), is the fae who previously owned the garage Mercy runs. He is a Metallzauber (though he calls himself a "Gremlin"), a fae with an affinity for metals. He moved to the United States from Germany long before the term "gremlin" came into being.

Darryl, a werewolf who is Adam's second in the pack and mated to a werewolf named Aurielle. He is a mixture African American and Chinese bloodlines, and a lead scientist at a research center.

Warren, a homosexual werewolf (who is dating Kyle, a well-known divorce attorney) and one of Mercy's closest friends. He is also Adam's third in the pack.

Ben, a werewolf exiled from London for being a suspect in a series of brutal rapes that placed unwanted and unneeded attention on the London pack. Adam accepted him into his pack, and he was soon initiated as an official member of the Tri-Cities pack. Ben is described briefly in "Moon Called" and "Blood Bound" as being a sexist character. It was only later in the series that we discover that he was abused as a child, which could possibly be the cause of his prejudice against women. By the end of the third novel, "Iron Kissed", Ben proves to be a different person than he portrays, and confides in Adam about how he wants to be friends with Mercy, but doesn't know how to, as she is female.

Kyle Brooks, a human and the best divorce attorney in North America. Kyle is one of Mercy's closest friends as well as Warren's boyfriend.

The books are:
1 Moon Called (2006)
2 Blood Bound (2007)
3 Iron Kissed (2008)
4 Bone Crossed (2009)
5 Silver Borne (2010)
6 River Marked (2011)

Number 7, which is not yet titled it coming out 2013

The Scent of Shadows

The Scent of Shadows (Signs of the Zodiac #1)
by Vicki Pettersson


“He didn’t look dangerous, not at first glance. Still a girl can never be too careful on a blind date, and that’s why I’d insisted Mr Sand meet me in a popular steakhouse nestled in a casino dead center on the Las Vegas Strip.”

The First Sign of the Zodiac

The main character is Joanna Archer, the eldest daughter of one of the richest men on the planet.

When she was sixteen, Joanna Archer was brutally assaulted and left to die in the Nevada desert.

By rights, she should be dead.

Now a photographer by day, she prowls a different Las Vegas after sunset – a grim, secret Sin City where Light battles Shadow – seeking answers to whom or what she really is … and revenge for the horrors she was forced to endure.

But the nightmare is just beginning – for the demons are hunting Joanna, and the powerful Shadows want her for their own.

I am a werewolf.

The sun is setting on our eyelids, so listen to the cadence above my ribcage

something wicked lies here. dormant.

beating the shit out of my insides just to remind me that it’s there.

I am a werewolf.

I walk into the daylight with scratches that came from the darkness of my pores

but I swear, I never wanted to die.

I was 14 years old, barely breasted this thin wrist kiss to kitchen knife on my yellow bedspread with white flowers, no red flowers, no blood,

because it was just a kitchen knife

and I was just seeing how thick the stubborn skin was.

the second was a lady’s razor

the third was an exacto-knife

the fourth was a box cutter, which to this day I still have- it is rusted.

Like ofelia I am attracted to water,

blue handle, red blade,

I have thrown it away twice.

Sent its demons to slice its shadows

waiting until I missed it –the rip- I missed it.

Most people see box cutters and think airplanes, think failed security, think rectangles and pentagons.

Me? I just see red lines like lipstick.

more addictive than cocaine; This is dependence.

Stripped of pipes and filters I am captivated by straight strokes and sharp edges.

My father has been dry for fourteen years, and he tells me,

“An alcoholic is always an alcoholic, and sober is just another word for thirsty.”

my hands are too thirsty to admit on paper the last time I etched regret into my leg because the blade is still in me, this sickness is still in me,

and everyday it calls to me to open up and let it breathe.

I have felt it dancing like the devil in the belt felt metal kissing tissue

howled temptation into my scars when the moon was blackened out

carved “I am better than this” on the inside of my thighs and in the morning the scars just read “Weakness.”

My own fingers are abusive.

So shoot me with a silver bullet,

hold my hands away from their victim.

I do not have layers of eyeliner and teen angst.

I am not a little girl just looking to get looked at.

I do not walk down the street, or across it. I just live there.

This is like breathing in pine pitch.

It’s like the shower water is gasoline and you’re playing with matches.

It’s like looking through a stack of needles for a piece of daylight.

It’s like saying it’s a rusty nail, saying it’s barbed wire, saying it’s a cat scratch-

it’s telling your mother it was an accident.

It’s not doing the one thing you want to when you know it only hurts yourself, so why the hell not?

When all you want to do is break like bones, and go into the drawer that isn’t ever opened anymore.

I am not looking for pity. I have baskets full.

A am not looking for attention, there is a reason you don’t see any scars.

I think it’s sick that this remedy requires something to be broken

veins enclosed with red fencing.

I do not believe the band-aids are healing.

They are just another layer.

This is just another way of feeling.”