Comic Review: Spell on Wheels issue #1 from Dark Horse Comics

SPELL ON WHEELS #1

Writer: Kate Leth
Artist: Megan Levens
Colorist: Marissa Louise
Cover Artist: Ming Doyle
Genre: Crime, Fantasy
October 19, 2016
Dark Horse Comics

Format: FC, 32 pages; Miniseries
Price: $3.99
UPC: 7 61568 00083 2 00111
Kate Leth and Megan Levens team up for a magical new series!

Three young witches are robbed of their magical items, and they’ll have to hit the road to track down the mysterious thief before he does any damage to—or with—their possessions.

* Supernatural meets Buffy and The Craft!

Spell on Wheels is a new comic series from Dark Horse. Three witch friends are robbed of some magical stuff. They head out to track down their items that have been sold on a black market auction site. They don't know who broke in or why, but they intend on finding out. What the women don't know is that there is someone more powerful behind the theft. The reader knows a little bit more info about this mysterious person than the women, but not much.

Jolene (27 years old), Claire (26 years old) and the newest addition to their group Andy (23 years old) are three witches living together. The comic opens with someone breaking into their home while they are working at a festival doing tattoos and tarot readings. The reader is given their names, ages and magical abilities. We get an idea about each woman's personality and the group dynamic.

I like the three women, for the most part. I find characters like Claire a little annoying, the nervous Nelly type. The story makes a few jumps in logic that leave me scratching my head, but it might be cleared up in the next issue. Overall an entertaining read. The artwork is clean and bright.

3.5 "magical" Sheep

SharonS

Comic Review: Neil Gaiman's Troll Bridge HC from Dark Horse Comics

NEIL GAIMAN’S TROLL BRIDGE HC
Writer: Neil Gaiman, Colleen Doran
Artist: Colleen Doran
Cover Artist: Colleen Doran
Genre: Horror, Fantasy
October 05, 2016
Dark Horse Comics

Format: FC, 64 pages; HC, 6.5” x 10”
Price: $14.99
Age range: 16
PREVIEW
From the mind of master storyteller Neil Gaiman!

Young Jack’s world was full of ghosts and ghouls, but one monster—a ravenous and hideous troll—would haunt him long into manhood. As the beast sups upon a lifetime of Jack’s fear and regret, Jack must find the courage within himself to face the fiend once and for all!

* Beautifully adapted by Colleen Doran (The Sandman, Stan Lee’sAmazing Fantastic Incredible: A Marvelous Memoir)!

* A gorgeous new addition to your Gaiman library!

Colleen Doran's artwork brings Gaiman's poignant fairy tale, Troll Bridge, to life.

Troll Bridge is a short story that appeared in Gaiman's short story collection Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fictions and Illusions. You can find the whole story online on some sites. It is the story of a young boy, Jack, with a big imagination and a lot of fear. He meets the troll and begs to live longer. He ends up coming back to the troll at different stages of his life. Asking for more time before the troll "eats his life."

There are different interpretations when it comes to what the troll is or represents. Is he real or just a manifestation of Jack's fear. It is a poignant tale and gives the reader much to think about.

Dark Horse Comics brings Troll Bridge to life in a hardcover graphic novel with artwork by Colleen Doran. The artist created beautiful illustrations and turned it into the fairy tale it was meant to be...I mean, the main character's name is Jack...

5 "trip-trapping" Sheep

SharonS

Alpha Male Diner featuring Dalir’s Salvation by Nina Crespo + Giveaway

Welcome to the Alpha Male Diner. My name is Nina, and I’m your server tonight. I’ve got a booth in the corner for you. Have a seat.

Were you partying at the club up the street? Thane’s Redemption was playing tonight? Oh, I love them. Yeah. I know. All that man candy on stage turned the place into sugar-rush central. Thane caught your eye? Sorry ladies, Mr. Hot-Ass-Scorching-Twelve is taken. Celine’s a lucky girl.

You heard Reid was off the market, too? Yep. It’s true. Lauren scooped him up about six months ago. They are so cute together it’s sickening. I also heard they’re freaky as hell. One of my friends is a bartender at the club. She caught them backstage in the supply closet. If what she says is true about what he’s packing, all I can say is DAMN!!

Sorry. How rude of me. You need menus. Dessert is catching your eye? May I recommend Dalir’s Salvation.

Dalir: Ancient Warrior

Recipe created by Nina Crespo

Dalir’s Salvation, Book 3, The Song Series

Main ingredients:
*Over six feet of tall, bronzed and delicious
*A whole lot of arrogance and confidence
*An equal amount of immortality
*A heaping spoonful of royal privilege

Spices and flavorings
*A liberal dash of time traveler
*A splash of mind reader
*Generously laced with loyal protector
*Sprinkled with a quest to save humankind from destruction
*Topped with a mighty, kick-ass sword

Mix the main ingredients to the consistency of defined, muscular perfection. Stir in spices and flavorings to heighten anticipation. Do everything possible to heat it up and make the sword rise. Consuming this alpha male delight is all about state of mind. This dish demands your unapologetic enjoyment for the ultimate in exquisite, erotic pleasure. Enjoy!

Taste Test 

“It’s so fresh and delicious. You have to taste it.” Ari sucked and licked her fingers.

“You’re right.” Dalir’s husky tone stroked over her like a caress and pulled her straight into his gaze. “I think I will.”

During their time together, she’d witnessed many expressions pass over his face. This one, a look of pure, unadulterated desire, took her breath away.

He glided his hands around her waist. His light touch intensified anticipation. The chunk of pineapple she held almost slipped out of her grasp.

Dalir leaned in and caught it. His warm tongue slid the piece of fruit farther into his mouth. His teeth gently grazed her fingertips.

She breathed in his spicy scent mixed in with the pineapple and gave into wrapping her arms around him.

He tightened his hold. As Dalir guided her down, he teased the seam of her mouth with his tongue.

Slow, soft, beautifully agonizing kisses brought sighs. Anticipation left her dying a little inside, starving for so much more. She demanded it from him with faster, more insistent strokes of her tongue.

Dalir caressed her from waist to hip. He brought her forward to meet the press of his hardened length against her belly.

Heat flashed over her. The heavy ache of her breasts, along with the pulling between her thighs, became unbearable. She tugged at his shirt, straining the cloth at the seams, impatient for it to go.

He gently pushed her hands away and took it off.

Finally seeing skin, Ari pressed kisses to Dalir’s chest. His heart beat faster and harder against her lips. She licked his warm, salty skin and his beaded nipple. Groaning, Dalir nudged her down until she lay underneath him. The smell of crushed grass filled the air.

In between heated kisses, they stripped away more clothing.

Her shirt was the last piece to go. She lifted her arms to make it easier for him to pull it over her head. He stopped just short of dragging it past her wrists.

She squirmed, trying to break from his hold. “What are you doing?” He chuckled, and puffs of air blew over her breast. “Having breakfast.” As he wound the fabric tighter around her wrists, he flicked his tongue, rapidly across her nipple. Sensation spiraled down to her core. He lifted away, still holding her bound arms with one hand, while he reached above them to the tree stump with the other.
She inflicted her own torture, nipping his chest and soothing away the bite with her tongue. He rewarded her efforts with a hissed out a breath. The uncut pineapple fell to the ground.

“Dalir?”

He gave her a grin filled with wicked intentions. “I enjoy everything in this garden, but I think you’re going to be my favorite.”

Dalir's Salvation

by Nina Crespo

September 27th 2016

by Lyrical Press

ebook, 224 pages

To be with the man of her dreams, she’ll have to face her worst nightmares…

Ari is looking to live a normal life. But after she hits her head, normal is no longer an option. A mysterious, rugged man appears, whom only she can see… each night he fulfills her fantasies and leaves her begging for more. She’s sure he’s a figment of her imagination—until she finds out the hard way that he’s all too real. Now, to truly be with him, Ari will have to embrace the parts of herself she’s been desperately keeping at bay.

Dalir’s been burned by love before, yet he can’t resist Ari’s beauty and charm. And all it takes is one kiss to spark nights of passion. But there’s danger on the horizon that only Dalir and his friends in the band Thane’s Redemption can deal with. And the longer he stays with Ari, the greater the peril to them both. Will the two of them be strong enough to fight for their newfound love—and their lives?

About the Author:

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Nina Crespo lives in Florida where she indulges in her favorite passions—the beach, kickboxing, a good glass of wine, and dancing. Her lifelong addiction to romance began in her teens while on a “borrowing spree” in her older sister’s bedroom where she discovered her first romance novel. Curiosity about people and places, including what’s beyond the stars, fuels her writer’s imagination. Indulge in her sensual contemporary stories and steamy paranormal tales to feed your own addiction for love, romance, and happily ever after.
Need Nina?

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Spotlight/Excerpt: Wolf on Board by Heather Long + Giveaway

WOLF ON BOARD 
by Heather Long
Series: Wolves of Willow Bend
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Independent
Format: Digital
Meet Jake Danes of Hudson River, Lone Wolf, avid gamer, extreme sports enthusiast, and surfer. He’s spent the last two years roaming free, exploring the world and escaping the dark place his pack had become after betrayal and murder tore them apart. Sure life has changed at home, but Jake’s having way too much fun to return. Riding the waves in Monterrey, and living out of a van…it’s the prefect life, one he never wants to give up no matter how many calls he’s fielding from his big brother…then he catches her scent.

Mimi Chase wanted one perfect year. One year away from pack politics and her mother’s matchmaking efforts. Ever since her big brother settled into mating with a healer, Mimi’s mom seems to have gone into overtime in throwing her at every eligible male in the pack. Choosing to roam seemed the best option, and California an ideal location to get away from everything pack related. Her plans for art classes, yoga on the beach, maybe a cooking lesson or two while living a hippy dippy lifestyle are all she cares about…until another worlf butts into her every activity - doesn’t he know the rules?

Lone Wolves aren’t supposed to form relationships, so why doesn’t he catch a hint? Worse, why isn’t she working harder to make sure he does?

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Read an Excerpt from WOLF ON BOARD

Mimi grabbed a blanket and her yoga mat from the back of her Mini Cooper. She loved the tiny little vehicle. No matter how often her brother scoffed at the minute size of the car, she didn’t care. It was perfect for her. Compact, like she was, and capable of great speeds—just like her. Locking it up, she glanced east at the rising sun and smiled. It was a little after six in the morning and she’d already had a bit of a run, a lovely cup of hot tea with lemon and ginger to cleanse her system, and she would enjoy the full sunrise and rolling surf with her yoga.

Pausing, she took a deep breath of the salt flavored air. She loved the way the beach smelled. Warm sand. Cool water. Brine. Fish. Birds. Even the coconut oil favored by some of the sunbathers and honest sweat from those running on the paths—they all combined to soothe her soul. Tucking the rolled blanket and yoga mat beneath her arm, she closed the hatch on the car and pivoted to walk toward the beach.

A hint of wolf on the breeze had her pausing to scan the area. Other than a handful of vehicles in the lot, and a couple of runners jogging farther away, she didn’t see anyone. Still, she tested the scent once more. It was faint, as though diluted by the breeze and time. She tracked it all the way to a dilapidated Volkswagen van. It reminded her of the Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo without the paint job.

The scent of wolf grew stronger. The van had to belong to whomever the wolf was, but the lack of fresh markers told her while his scent lingered, he wasn’t present. Adjusting her grip on the rolled blanket and mat, she circled away from the van and continued toward the beach all the while reminding herself that other Lone Wolves may choose to wander California for the same reason she did. No one claimed the beautiful state…well at least not this far north. The closest pack to her location was Sutter Butte, but she’d never heard any word of them taking an interest in the beaches.

Then again, she didn’t talk to a lot of people about the political geography of packs. If it’s all the same, I’d prefer not to encounter any of them. They have a bad rap and I’m on a journey of serenity, and self-discovery…and totally avoiding Mother’s matchmaking. The little voice at the end sounded way too much like her brother Owen’s, and she giggled. Owen, at least, had been sympathetic to her cause when she’d told him and Mason why she wanted to take the time to study in the Golden State.

Her mother’s habit of making pro and con lists for all of the pack’s current eligible bachelors had been bad enough, but when she’d talked to Gillian about potential mates in Hudson River and began colluding with Claudia Buckley about Delta Crescent, Mimi wanted out.

It was so bad, she’d actually asked Owen to get Gillian pregnant just to distract their mother. The silence on his end of the phone had been priceless, followed by peals of laughter from Gillian. Fortunately, her desperation had communicated itself well enough and he’d endorsed her request. Mason made her promise to return at the end of one year, even if she was enjoying herself, and she would be free to return to her studies after, if that was her desire.

Mason is the bomb. She hopped over the rocks to land on the sand and began to stroll in search of a spot that would speak to her. Not only had her alpha understood her dilemma and sympathized with it, he didn’t chastise her for the need to stretch herself beyond the confines of pack and parental expectation. Mimi’s skills for tracking had earned her high marks growing up, and more than one offer from the Hunters to apprentice. It made sense—both her father and her brother were Hunters. Even her two younger brothers were well on the way toward Hunter apprenticeships. Felicity had zero interest in the Hunter parts of their DNA, she preferred her flowers and cultivation, working closely with Tiffany Huston. Still, Mimi didn’t share her sister’s interest in horticulture or her mother’s desire to educate their young or her father and brothers’ drive to protect the pack.

She was…not sure who I am, which is why I am doing this. The year away from her mother served two purposes; she could take some classes and test her areas of interest from art to acting to writing. She could study yoga and find some serenity. Maybe even figure out who she was, because wasn’t that the whole point of a roam? Most wolves took time to roam the country; some even went around the world.

Murphy had done that and came home with a mate. Mimi grimaced. She loved Murphy, but really, could she have not brought home some gorgeous Italian and mated him with all the requisite gossip? It had Mimi’s mother nudging her to consider a year abroad in…where else? Italy. Shaking her head, she paused on a perfectly smooth area of sand and spread her blanket before unrolling her yoga mat in the center.

Closing her eyes, she took several deep breaths. Inhaling calm, and exhaling the stress. Her mother was in Willow Bend. Mimi was in California. No ridiculous blind dates or not-so-casual meetings with eligible bachelors. Thank God Dylan mated before her mother got it into her head to throw Mimi at every male who came along, she’d actually had a crush on Dylan and he definitely fell into the category of eligible before Chrystal.

Growling, she opened her eyes and glared at the water. She was hardly alone on the beach. Laughter drifted towards her from where the surfers made their way toward deeper water, or where some sat astride their boards waiting for the water to come in. She was supposed to be letting go of her anxiety and not stressing about her mother, mating, or any of a dozen other issues being so far away from the pack could rouse in her.

She’d been in California for three weeks. Three gloriously wonderful, and peaceful weeks. This morning marked a full forty-eight hours since her mother’s last phone call. As loathe, as she was to hurt her feelings, Mimi couldn’t help but be relieved that distance had finally done what she hadn’t been able to manage.

Her mother was quiet.

So hush… Telling herself repeatedly didn’t silence the nagging internal monologue. Mindful of her surroundings, she quieted her growl and concentrated on her breathing. Mountain pose let her stretch her hands toward the sky and raise her face to the breeze. It elongated her spine and let her stretch the muscles from her hamstrings to her deltoids. The wind caressed her face and tousled her hair and batted away the riot of thoughts invading her mind.

From mountain she went to tree pose and rested her right foot against the side of her left knee. Her muscles quivered at first, but gradually she relaxed into the sturdiness. Like the tree she emulated, she let the woes of her mother’s romantic aspirations blow past her. The steadiness bolstered her confidence.

Warrior pose drew away the last curtain and let her mind relax. Her wolf stretched within her, their hearing seeming to sharpen as they noticed the increase of traffic beyond, the crash of water against the shore, and the call of birds overhead. Wolf and woman catalogued the sounds as she pushed her body, identifying any potential threats or lack thereof and remaining mindful.

By the time she drifted into a graceful downward dog, she’d relaxed her breathing and banished her anxiety. Curling her toes, she concentrated on feeling the wholeness of the position, the hinging arch of her hips and the warmth of the sand beneath the mat and blanket.

From triangle pose to seated twists to bridges, she pushed her body to achieve perfect serenity while maintaining her sense of being in the present. The sun warmed her as it continued a steady rise, and she basked in the rays as they heated her skin. When she finally settled into a lotus pose, she let her mind drift, as though flotsam upon the waves before her.

The world withdrew, leaving her alone with the lapping water, humming cars, and screech of seagulls…then water dripped on her. The icy sensation of splashing drops was cold against her skin. Though there had been no call for rain in the forecast, she fought to hold onto her sense of inner peace and deepened her breathing…only to inhale a lungful of coconut and brine mingling with the green scent of dewy sea grass atop the sand dunes with slivers of mint and…

Mimi jerked her eyes open and stared into the blue eyes of the wolf squatting right in front of her. His long, straggly hair clung wetly to his face and shoulders. The wet suit left little of his physique to the imagination, and he canted his head as though trying to figure her out. This close, however, she couldn’t miss a single nuance of his expression or the drops of water sliding off of him to splash wetly against her legs.

How the hell had he approached her so stealthily that she hadn’t sensed or scented him before he dripped on her?

Worse…who was he and what did he want?

“Hey, gorgeous,” he said, as though aware of her racing her thoughts. “What brings a sexy little wolf like you to my stretch of beach?” A slow grin spread his mouth wide, and her stomach did a little flip flop. He was gorgeous and damn if he didn’t know it.

Just what she needed…a hot, sexy wolf who was most assuredly male and made her wolf stand up to take notice. Ignoring her animal’s very natural curiosity, she narrowed her eyes. “I was enjoying a quiet morning. Now go away.”

One thing about having Owen for a brother, she wasn’t helpless, even if she was tiny. Closing her eyes again, she forced her muscles to relax and prayed he’d take the direction well, even as she prepared for the worst.

DESERT WOLF Cassius, Alpha of Sutter Butte, leads the most ruthless and dangerous pack in the United States. A pack comprised of misfits who didn’t fit in their previous packs, cast offs discarded by their packs and forgotten wolves who rose to create a pack more than a century before it utter defiance of the order of the day. Sometimes pitiless and cruel, he wants more for his people than a yearly bloodbath as they fight for a new place, a better spot in the pecking order. To change his pack, means to change himself and he will find rebellion on all sides, not the least of which is his own defiant heart.

Sovvan Stark, Omega of Delta Crescent, lives a cherished, beloved life in the center of her pack, a delicate and hard won balance. Though she is not the only Omega, she is the most experienced with the tremors of pack upset when power shifts from Alpha to Alpha. When her Alpha approaches her about Sutter Butte’s request, Sovvan considers the matter for several long months. While she might hold within her the key to helping the Sutter Butte Alpha, the undertaking could very well kill her.

Accompanied by a single Hound, Sovvan begins a journey to help Cassius rebuild the foundation of his pack, but first she will have to transform him…

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SNOW WOLFRanae is the youngest of the Buckleys, and the only girl amongst three powerful male siblings. Her restlessness and dominant nature has affected every relationship within Willow Bend, not to mention testing the patience of her Alpha. Apprenticeship to the Hunters fed her desire for a purpose. When her Alpha and eldest brother ask her to undertake a mission to the Yukon territory, she’s thrilled at the opportunity for a real chance to be useful. Clashing with the Alpha was the last thing she expected on the dangerous assignment.

The oldest Alpha in the U.S. packs, lives a gray existence. The loss of his mate so many decades before wears away at him, until he doesn’t give a damn about anything. The problems of the other packs are not his, and he prefers to be left to his isolation. The arrival of the Chief Enforcer annoys him, but it is the wolf traveling with him who wakes the predator in Diesel. The scent of mate clings to her, but she rejects his overtures and challenges him on every level.

War may be coming for the Yukon, but Diesel’s battle is very personal…

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About the Author:
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National bestselling author, Heather Long, likes long walks in the park, science fiction, superheroes, Marines, and men who aren’t douche bags. Her books are filled with heroes and heroines tangled in romance as hot as Texas summertime. From paranormal historical westerns to contemporary military romance, Heather might switch genres, but one thing is true in all of her stories—her characters drive the books. When she’s not wrangling her menagerie of animals, she devotes her time to family and friends she considers family. She believes if you like your heroes so real you could lick the grit off their chest, and your heroines so likable, you’re sure you’ve been friends with women just like them, you’ll enjoy her worlds as much as she does.


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Spotlight: Saloon Opens at Five (The Rifle Chronicles Vol 1) by Jason Gilbert + giveaway

Saloon Opens at Five (The Rifle Chronicles Book 1)

by Jason Gilbert
June 7, 2016
145 pages
Jack "The Rifle" McMurtry is a whiskey-drinking witch hunter known for his custom firearms and killer headshot.

Join Rifle, Meryl, Arnie, and Stella against their greatest foe yet...the mysterious Talon.

Short Story collection:
Rifle's Reunion
Broken Truce
Blood Curse
Rally and Ride
Secrets and Sacrifices

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About the Author:

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Jason is a reviewer of all things B-Movie and under. He runs a blog on Wordpress called Fail-Flix, and also has a book published called "Bad Movie Beware!", which is a compilation of over 100 reviews off the site. Jason also writes a Weird Western series called "The Rifle Chronicles." Both publications can be found in the Kindle Store on Amazon, while Jason can usually be found in front of his computer writing or playing video games when his brain just can't do it anymore for the night! He loves horror, cooking, and brainstorming new ways to drive his family crazy!

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print copy of the steampunk fantasy Western:
Saloon Opens at Five

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