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Monday, April 30, 2012

Sheep Comic Review: The Order of Dagonet + giveaway

The Order of Dagonet
Written by Jeremy Whitley
Art by Jason Strutz
26 pages. Full color.



I met Jeremy at Mysticon this year and he kindly gave me some comics from his small press Firetower Studios. Firetower is based in my home state of NC and in the same city where I lived most my life. One comic, Princeless, was a fabulously funny new take on the fairytale princess which I reviewed here recently. He also gave me the first 3 issues of The Order of Dagonet (signed!) to review and then pass onto some lucky reader.

First, a little history lesson from the back of the first issue. The Order of the Dagonet was created by King Edward VIII to honor outstanding achievements in fields related to entertainment. It was meant in fun as a reference to Sir Dagonet, a jester King Arthur knighted as a joke. Technically all the modern day knighted celebrities carry the same responsibilities and rights as knights of England and could be called upon to protect the Monarchy at any time. That idea formed the basis for this comic book series.

The series starts out with all the mythological faerie creatures of England being released and deciding to take England back because man has mistreated England. A call goes out, from Merlin none the less, for the Knights of England to come to her rescue. Only instead of the mounted warriors Merlin was expecting, he gets the knights of the Order of Dagonet. In this first issue we meet quite a few eccentric characters based on real life personalities. There is an aging rock star by the name of Dizzy Clairborne, an extremely popular children’s author (of those boy wizard books) named Gene Everyman, and a washed-up actor who does sci-fi B-movies, along with a few other characters.

The writing is what really makes this comic series; it is both clever and funny. One of my favorite scenes is in issue #3 when the band of knights, along with an American bookstore sales lady (who is one of my favorite characters,) are trying to fly into England to help and find out they are being re-routed to Wales.

Laverne: “I don’t understand, what’s going on?
Gene: “You’re not British enough to fully understand, but I’ll try to explain. There are two great horrors in the British world. One is that someday we will become part of Europe and no longer be able to look with disdain on the rest of the continent. The other is Wales.”
Laverne: “Come on now, it can’t be that bad. You ever been to South Carolina?”

The story moves at a pretty good pace as it flips between all the main characters' storylines until they all meet up in issue #3 to head to England.

The artwork is a little strange compared to what I am used to in comics. It looks like pastel or chalk drawings, and sometimes is seems a little messy looking. Once I got used to it, though, I think it adds character and sets the comic apart from others in a good way.
that is Laverne by the way
I enjoyed the smart humor and playfulness of this series. If you are looking for something a little different give this one a try. Below are the blurbs for the first three comics and links to check it out and buy and at only $.99 for a digital copy. You can even read the first issue digitally for free! It is a win-win for youJ On top of that I have print editions of the first 3 issues for one commenter.

4 “mythological mayhem” Sheep





SharonS (edited by BAK)


Issue #1
When the mythological faerie creatures of England return to wreak havoc on modern day England, the call goes out to our only hope: the Knights of England. Unfortunately, it's the Order of Dagonet that answers the call. A special order of knights created just for the entertainers of England, these actors, authors and rockstars must face the faerie invasion to save the world. Heaven help us all.

Free digital issue


Issue #2:
Exeunt All: Our knights have been called, but if they're going to save us, they have to get to England first...and it may require calling in a few favors. Our famous British author must hitch a ride in the American south. Our aged B-movie actor must begrudgingly borrow a plane from a certain rhinestone clad British pop-star. Worst of all, our heavy metal actor must get through a metal detector.
$.99 digital copy


Issue #3:
Merry Ole England: As Dizzy finally triumphs over the metal detector, Tottington and Emerald find themselves diverted from Heathrow and forced to face the horrors of Essex...on foot! If that weren't terrifying enough, there are centaurs. And these half-man half-beasts are all fanboy for a certain aging green clad British pop-star. However, nothing compares to the horrors which await Neil Everyman and his new friend LaVerne. Skymall will be the least of their torments!
$.99 digital copy


All Print issues $4.00


Jason Strutz - Art - Jason Strutz is an illustrator of comics and stories, likes dinosaurs, evil scientists, robots, and medium walks on beach. The Order of Dagonet is his ongoing series with writer Jeremy Whitley, he works on Globworld with Action Lab Comics, and does illustration and comics series for Bullspec Magazine, and yet he wants more.
Check out daily webcomics including The Order of Dagonet at www.FiretowerStudios.com and Jason's other work at www.StrutzIllustration.com.







Jeremy Whitley - Writer
email-twitter
A graduate of The University of North Carolina with a BA in English and Creative Writing, Jeremy lives with his wife Alicia and daughter Zuri in Raleigh, NC. He's a big fan of movies, video games, comics, and literature.
He is currently the writer and co-creator of two comics: "The Order of Dagonet" with Illustrator Jason Strutz and "Princeless" with Illustrator M. Goodwin in conjunction with Action Lab Comics. He and Jason are also in the middle of their run of four comics featured in "Bull Spec" magazine. That comic is titled "The Long Lives of Heroes". Other project include a short story titled "A Crisis of Purpose" for the superhero anthology "No More Heroes" published by Library of the Living Dead Press, as well as the ongoing "Make Your Own Comic" series.
He has a number of other projects in development, including another project with Action Lab, several web-comics for this very site, and a few other scripts for original stories he's kicking around.
GIVE AWAY!
International
I have the first 3 issues (signed) to give to someone. Leave your contact info and tell me your favorite British export- real or fictional <G>
Contest ends: May 7

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Sheep Movie Review: The Raven directed by James McTeigue

The Raven, directed by James McTeigue, stars John Cusack, Luke Evans, Brendan Gleeson and Alice Eve. While I left the movie entertained and enjoyed parts of the film, the major plot holes and tedious accents left me disillusioned overall.

Plot:
The macabre and lurid tales of Edgar Allan Poe are vividly brought to life - and death - in this stylish, gothic thriller starring John Cusack as the infamous author. When a madman begins committing horrific murders inspired by Poe's darkest works, a young Baltimore detective (Luke Evans) joins forces with Poe in a quest to get inside the killer's mind in order to stop him from making every one of Poe's brutal stories a blood chilling reality. A deadly game of cat and mouse ensues, which escalates when Poe's love (Alice Eve) becomes the next target.

From the beginning this film establishes itself as a work of fiction, with whimsical balls and over-the-top killings taking place in 19th century Boston. While the dark cinematography and impressive attire help build a believable baseline, there's definitely something essential missing: story! The killings are interesting and gruesome, but the dialog leading up to and directly after the slayings are unbearable to sit through at times. Poe as a character needed a little more development and a lot less manic ramblings in pubs. I adore John Cusack and I know he acted to the best of his ability on this one and possibly there's not much you can do with a script that goes nowhere.

Putting all the issues I had with plot and goofy dialog aside, let me say that I was thoroughly impressed with a few things in this film. First and foremost was Luke Evans, who just looked amazing on screen. The man's got some talent and proves that if given the chance there will be no issues with his ability to take on a leading role. Acting aside he's just gorgeous to look at, I could stare all day at the prime cut of beef! Second was actress Alice Eve, who some readers may know from the funny flick She's Out of My League. Alice doesn't play the typical airhead damsel in distress, no no this gal's got some chops on her and the beauty to back it up. I'm looking forward to seeing more of her in coming films as well.

Getting to the climatic ending I don't want to spoil anything but I will say that I was able to guess who the real killer was, which I always hate! Keep me guessing, people! The Raven reminded me a lot of movies like V for Vendetta and Sherlock Holmes but it is definitely nowhere near the same level of quality. Middle of the road movie for me, trust me folks I WANTED to get behind this one so much more then I did. Fans of the previously stated films might find this enjoyable, but even then that's a pretty big maybe.

Getting 2 and 1/2 'professor Plum in the kitchen with the meat cleaver' Sheep
KD

Sheep Book Review: Chosen by Sin by Virna DePaul

Chosen by Sin, by Virna DePaul, is the third installment in her Paranormal Romance Suspense saga Para-Ops. After a stellar start with book one, Chosen by Blood, I expected a lot more then I ended up getting this time around.

Plot:
Five years after the Second Civil War ends, humans and Otherborn—humanlike creatures with superhuman DNA—still struggle for peace. To ensure the continued rights of both, the FBI forms a Para-Ops team with a unique set of skills.

An elite Para-Ops team, a wounded alpha werebeast bent on revenge, and a female vampire trying to save her adoptive dragon-shifter family.

Can they stop a group of rebel shape-shifters hoping to unleash every demon in hell?

Half-Werewolf Dex Hunt takes center stage in the latest edition to the Para-Ops saga, and I liked him in previous stories as the dude who just didn't care about anyone but himself. He's a psychiatrists wet dream! But as our sexy lead...he left me hanging.

Disowned as a young child by his grandfather, the leader of the werewolves, Dex grows up in an abusive foster care system which ultimately shapes his personality into adulthood. Unfortunately I've encountered this backstory for characters countless times before and with nothing new or interesting brought to the table I felt ho-hum about Dex. Aside from his usual werewolf tendencies Dex is all over the emo map, one second he loves you and next he can't stand you. It's the push-me-pull-you syndrome and I got bored and annoyed quickly with the constant back and forth.

Jesmina is a vampire doctor, living with her adopted family of Dragon shifters who actually end up being a lot more intriguing than the main couple. Jes starts out the story as one saucy lady who doesn't mind getting a little freaky to get what she needs from a male. But as the story goes on she becomes boring and clingy, hanging on to every word Dex says and blowing things way out of proportion. Jealousy and lie upon lie do not endear this gal to my heart, and on top of it all she's been told countless times not to continue with her intensive research. Does she listen? No, she just keeps on truckin' down the tracks like a freak show crazy train.

If any story ever felt like a soap opera of epic proportions it was this one. Gateways to other dimensions, family betrayal, serums and potions, plus baby daddy drama, and let's not forget some good old-fashioned demon possession that would give any DiMera (that's from Days of Our Lives) a run for their money. I honestly was waiting for John Black and Marlena to just pop into the story. The whole thing was a mish-mash of cluster-frelled situations and overused scenarios that needed to end so new dialog could take place. Sure the sex was great, but come on give me a rockin story to go with it!

The plot as a whole was insanely confusing with so many different characters popping in and out I was left wondering just what the heck happened. The split focus on so many different characters who will probably end up having their own stories was just down right annoying. I truly dig this author and would like to stand up for her work but unfortunately I can't this time. I also can not in my right mind (or crazy mind) recommend any one to read this book. Now, do NOT take just my word on this please go out and see what other reviewers are saying.

Getting 1 'somebody call the witch dr. to see just what he said' Sheep
KD

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Sheep Interview: Jackie Gamber Sela Blog Tour + Give Away


check out Jackie's theme music! Excellent choice
We have a really cool author here today. She writes about dragons! Her recently released YA Fantasy Sela, book #2 in the Leland Dragon series, is getting great reviews. Check out her theme music and hold onto your pants; we talk about her books, touching old things and dragon poop! I know, right? So please welcome black sheep loving Jackie Gamber! Stick around because Seventh Star Press is offering 3 winner's some awesome prizes, including a print copy and I Smell Sheep will give sheep swag including winners choice from the sheep store!

Sharon: Do you smell that? It is the flock welcoming you! Don’t worry you get used to it after a while. Grab a moonpie and some kool-aid and take a seat on the dragon throne; we brought it in just for you.
Jackie: Thank you, it’s very comfy. For the record, I love farm animals. I come from a farming heritage, and I always wanted one of everything that lives in a barn. Especially sheep.
Sharon: Flattery will get you everywhere *passes dragon tiara to Jackie*

Sharon: For all our readers who don’t know about your YA fantasy series The Leland Dragons, could you tell us a little about it?
Jackie: Sure! In Leland Province, dragons and humans once worked together, a pretty symbiotic relationship, sharing land and fighting wars together. But that was a long time ago, and now dragons and humans fear each other. Resent each other. And in particular, recent months have brought a drought to Leland, and her farmlands are all but dying. Book One, REDHEART, is the story of Kallon Redheart, and Riza Diantus, a dragon and human that manage to connect among the danger, superstition and political morass of their time. Book Two, SELA, is the continuing story of the second generation in Leland, and the ever-present threat of war.
Sharon: Same characters or new ones?
Jackie: SELA has the cast of the same characters, as well as some new ones.

Sharon: Book 2, Sela, just released. Do readers need to read the first book, Redheart before Sela?
Jackie:I’m one of those sticklers in my own reading that must read a series starting with book one. I have a few “Book Two”s on my bookshelf I haven’t started reading yet because of that. But! Life is a complicated thing, and not everyone gets their hands on a series from the beginning right away. So I did write SELA with that in mind. I’ve had readers say they read SELA first and enjoyed it as a fully-fleshed story unto itself, and then went back to read REDHEART. Totally doable. But of course, the spoilers are pretty magnificent that way, so I’d suggest reading them in order.
Katie: I'm exactly the same about reading in order! We understand.

Katie: Game of Thrones is a huge hit right now, both in book and tv, do these types of shows help top fuel your creative fire?
Jackie:It depends. I don’t actually watch a lot of tv because there are only so many hours in a day, and I’m not always up to date on the current hits. And for a book (or tv show, or movie) to jazz me up, it has to be pretty well done, and hit me at a time between projects when I can give it my full attention and appreciate it.
I will say, though, that any time a writer (of books or screenplays) finds success, I’m so happy for them! This is a brutal business. Making one’s way is a challenge, and any success of a fellow writer trickles that positive energy out to all of us.

Sharon: How many books do you have planned for this series, and has the story deviated from your original idea?
Jackie: So far, the story is on track to my original conception of it! I’ve always envisioned it as a three-part series, and so my intentions are to have Book Three be the last.


Sharon: Do you already have another series waiting in the wings? Can you share? 
Jackie: Waiting in the wings! Great pun. I don’t have a series of books planned, but I’m working on a steampunk fantasy novel now. Also, my husband and I have established Allotrope Media, a movie studio, to produce short films as tie-ins to my writing projects. Many of the shorts will be a series to follow, with novels or a novella as the fully disclosed story ending. We’d like to get our fans and friends involved in the storytelling as well, with ways to vote and participate in works-in-progress.

Sharon:  Writing fantasy involves an incredible amount of world building. In the beginning did you plan out everything so you wouldn’t get lost or do you let the story take you where it goes?
Jackie: I did both. Once I had cemented the world in my mind, and had characters populating that world with wants, dreams, and hopes, I let the story take me along with it. One of the drawbacks to that is coming to a place in the story that’s a surprise, even to me. If I let a character get in too much trouble, how do I get them back out? On the other hand, that’s exactly the fun of writing, too.

Katie: If you had the chance to ride on a dragon where would you go?
Jackie: If I had a chance to ride a dragon, I would swing over to Europe. England, as a first stop. I’ve always wanted to run my hands over buildings older than the U.S. as a country. To walk down streets Charles Dickens once walked, and to see the view from a knoll in the English countryside.
Katie: On the back of a dragon no less!
Sharon: I went to London back in college and went to the pub where he would go and write J
Jackie: Color me jealous! I guess that would be green.

Sharon: Why did you choose to write a dragon YA instead of an adult?
Jackie: I wouldn’t say I actually chose to write YA. In the early days, I didn’t even realize that’s how it would be classified. I was just writing from the heart, and exploring things from a character who is searching for his place in the world. His reason for living. Kallon Redheart’s personal struggles are set against a society that he doesn’t understand, and doesn’t want to be part of, directly. I think it’s a universal struggle of mankind, but is most keenly felt in our YA generation, and so is closely identified with that reading group.

Sharon: Is there romance in this series?
Jackie: Romantic tension abounds! Subtle, in places, where the characters call for that. More overt for others. But romantic interest is a strong drive in most our real life stories, and so it’s a natural (and interesting!) element to fiction, I think.
Sharon: smut love makes the world go round, right Katie?
Katie: Oh, for sure! Smut love makes all things just go round and round…
Jackie: Romantic tension, you guys. The series is YA, after all!

Sharon:  You lecture about writing at high schools. What is the most helpful advice you try to give these kids?
Jackie: One thing I try to press into artistic minds (including the mind of my own kids) is to KEEP DOING what you’re driven to do, designed to do, whether it’s writing or fine art, or graphic/digital works. Even when people don’t “get” it. Even when others might discourage or mock. When we repress our own work, we lose a part of ourselves, and that’s not doing anyone any good. Keep writing. Keep practicing. Keep reading. Even if it’s only for the pleasure of it, it’s still valuable time.

Sharon: Okay, now it is time to get personal! If every time you walked into a room theme music/song played. What would yours be?
Jackie: Ooooh. Do I get to choose the theme song? Or do I get stuck with something just appropo? Are there any songs about being a doofus?
If I get to choose, I’d pick “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield. I remind myself every day that:
"Today is where your book beginsThe rest is still unwritten"
Sharon: nice choice…

Sharon:  This is a very important question I have been pondering about dragons. How come in books and movies no one ever runs across a big pile of dragon poop? You know it has to be huge! Do dragons poop mid-air like birds?
Jackie: That’s a great question. Would you believe I’ve discussed this with my family? Like that scene in “Jurassic Park” where the paleontologist is trying to figure out why one of the dinosaurs is sick. She slides on a latex glove as long as her arm.
From talking about the delicate subject with dragons I know, my understanding is that they are careful about their droppings from survival instinct, much like a cat buries their scent. So lobbing from mid-air is out of the question. Except, perhaps, aiming at their worst enemies.
Sharon: I can buy that theory…wouldn’t it be cool if it had magical powers, like makes you look younger if you bathed in it?
Katie: *gags*
Jackie: I guess I’d rather rest in a field that’s been fertilized with it, rather than make direct contact.

Sharon: What in nature do you find breath-taking?
Jackie: Mountains. Shaggy, rumpled mountains covered in trees, and draped with fog as delicate as grandma’s Irish lace. I adore the Smokies, and I would live there in a heartbeat. Except I might not get any writing done, because I’d just stare at them all day.
Sharon: No kidding?! I have lived in NC my whole life and right now I live about 1.5 hours’ drive Boone, NC. I absolutely love the mountains too. I drive the Blue Ridge Parkway every so often just to rejuvenate my soul.
Jackie: Egads, jealous again! I’ve been to Asheville, and felt as though I was stepping into a dream land. So beautiful.

Katie: Something you MUST do before you die is….
Jackie: See the Grand Canyon. Haven’t made it that far west, yet. And, of course, see Europe.
Sharon: that’s right; you want to run your hands over old stuff. Just don’t touch any old people they might not understand
Katie: I can think of some old dudes that might understand just fine. *winks*
Sharon: *gags*

Time for a little Rapid Fire!

Sharon: tadpoles or frogs?
Jackie: Both!

Katie: Draco or Toothless?
Jackie: Draco, seriously.
Katie: Well, Toothless is too freakin cute!

Sharon: hiking boots or sandals?
Jackie: Hiking boots. To get me closer to those mountains.

Katie: Willow or Labyrinth?
Jackie: Yikes, toughie. Willow.
Sharon: I am not sure I could pick either…

Sharon: Coke or Pepsi (and yes, you have to pick…it is a moral imperative)
Jackie: Diet Cherry Pepsi? Does that count?
Sharon: why yes, yes it does! *fist pump*
Katie: Pfft. Whatever. Not like I care. *starts crying in lap*

Katie: You'll never take me alive! or King Kong ain’t got *beep* on me! ?
Jackie: You’ll never take me alive!

Sharon: math in your head or on your fingers?
Jackie: Fingers.
Sharon: I am a finger counter too

Katie: Boat payment or Sports car payment?
Jackie: Had a boat payment once. We sold it!

Sharon: The Terminator or Jason Voorhees?
Jackie: Terminator.

Katie: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us today Jackie, would you like to add anything before we wrap?
Jackie: Come and find me on the web, and keep an eye out for Book Three of the Leland Dragon Series and other exciting projects I’ve got going on. I try to make it easy on people. Here are all my addresses:
For more information about Jackie and her mosaic mind, visit
http://www.jackiegamber.com
And meet Jackie elsewhere on the world wide web at:

Check out the other sites hosting Jackie's Sela blog tour
through Seventh Star Press here






~~~GIVE AWAY~~~
First place: print copy Sela + set of Sela Art cards and bookmark (US/CAN only) + Your choice from the Sheep store!
two runners-up: ebook set of Redheart and Sela (INT) + Sheep swag packs
*all prizes come with Kool-Aid
 and zombie hunting license.
Sheep Store Swag (no you can't have Baaart)
To Enter: 
1. leave a way to contact you
2. If dragon poop had magical powers, would you bath in it?
*as always, followers of the flock get double entries -mention how you follow

Friday, April 27, 2012

Sheep Comic Review: Prototype 2 Digital Comic book mini-series

Genre: Science-Fiction, Horror, Action/Adventure


I don’t play video games, but I freaking love video game commercials because they are like moving comic books. And not just any comic books; total chaos, bloodshed, and general bad-assery comics, which I am quite partial to. The game Prototype 2 comes out April 24 and to bridge the first game to this one Dan Jolley (lead writer for Prototype 2) is releasing 3 digitally exclusive two-part stories.

The protagonist from the first game is Alex Mercer, a shapeshifting badass who goes around killing people who have been infected by a virus called Blacklight that turns them into murdering monsters in Manhattan, NY. The infected area, called the red zone, is absolute chaos and filled with rampaging monsters. The yellow zone is a quarantine line made by the military but it's no picnic there either, and then there is the green zone where life is normal. The new game introduced a new protagonist named Sergeant James Heller who is bent on vengeance, including killing Alex Mercer.

PROTOTYPE 2 #1, #2: THE ANCHOR, PART 1, 2
14 pages Ages 16+
Writer: Dan Jolley
Artist: Paco Diaz
Colorist: Michael Atiyeh
The first set of comic is The Anchor part 1 and 2. We meet Alex one year after the Blacklight virus hit NY. He is traveling the world looking for good in humanity and himself. I knew nothing about the games before reading this, but it is everything I love about action comics with a dark anti-hero. Mercer has awesome abilities knows how to slice and dice, oh and he is really hot too. Anyway, both parts are only 14 pages, but you get a complete story in narration form from Alex and some vivid artwork. I was entertained and looking forward to the next installment.

PROTOTYPE 2 #3, #4: THE SURVIVORS PART 1, 2
14 pages Ages 16+
Writer: Dan Jolley
Artist: Chris Staggs
Colorist: Michael Atiyeh
The second set is The Survivors part 1 and 2. This one is from the POV of a NYC police detective trying to escape the red zone with two others so he can find his wife who was in the green zone. It gives you an idea of what atrocities the military and scientists involved in Blacklight are responsible for. These two are also told mostly in narration form like The Anchor. Again you get a good story but there is a different artist involved with this set. The artwork is just as good, but a little darker than The Anchor.

PROTOTYPE 2 #5, #6: THE LABYRINTH PART 1, 2
14 pages Ages 16+
Writer: Dan Jolley
Penciller: Victor Drujiniu
Inker: Jonas Trintade
Colorist: Michael Atiyeh
The last set is called The Labyrinth part 1 and 2 and this is where we meet the hero of Prototype 2, Sergeant James Heller, before things go very wrong in his life. There is no narration in this one, only dialogue. We learn a group called Blackwatch is doing some unorthodox recruiting and we learn something about Heller’s moral character. I really like this guy and you will be pulling for him. This set also has a new artist whose work very closely matched the work of the artist for The Survivors. However it has the same good writing as the other comics.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed these 6 comics even though I knew nothing about the game. I would like to see a full-length comic series about these characters in the future and suggest everyone check them out.

5 Sheep




SharonS (edited by BAK)


Thursday, April 26, 2012

Sheep Book Review: Kiss of the Vampire by Cynthia Garner

Kiss of the Vampire, by Cynthia Garner, is the first book in her Warriors of the Rift series. It's technically categorized as a PNR, but for me it felt much more like a crime drama with side characters that just happened to be a variety of different lore folk. Some bumps in dialog and a little laggy in parts but overall the story itself wasn't too bad for writer just breaking out.

Plot:
Once a generation, the rift between the paranormal world and the human world opens, allowing supernatural entities to cross. Vampire, demon, or shapeshifter, they can save the world-or send it spiraling into chaos.

Half-demon, half-human, Nix de la Fuente is accepted by neither and mistrusted by both. Determined to prove she's more human than not, she devotes herself to solving crimes between the world's mortals and its most unsavory undead. But her latest case brings her face to face with the one vampire she could never resist . . .

Called in to investigate a string of violent murders, special agent Tobias Caine isn't interested in rekindling his relationship with Nix. Yet one look and the vampire knows his need for her is as strong as ever. Once, their all-consuming passion nearly cost Nix her fragile hold on her humanity. Now, as their hunger for one another intensifies, exposing them to an unimaginable danger, it could cost them both their lives.

I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this book but I hope by the end of typing this review it will all somehow make sense. First off the author has a strong passion for crime drama, as I stated in the top of this review, and it's clear as day that she loves that genre. However, the author also has a passion for the things that go bump (or suck) in the night. She's taken creatures of the lore and given them her own unique interpretation. The characters in her story are actually beings that came through a rift (or portal) and took over the bodies of human host, most of whom were dead or dying. So yes, all the creatures are in fact "others" but are more like spirits possessing human bodies.

Some of these facts are given to the reader straight away but most are gradually revealed as the story gets going. While I don't know how I feel about the possession aspect it was definitely different and interesting. Now our main characters Tobias and Nix have some good and bad qualities going on as well. Tobias is a 200 year old vamp who came into the earth realm after chasing down a psycho killer that took out the vamp's rule. (Apparently you can only come to earth and cannot go back through the portal.) Tobias is written as a man who's got all the sexy vamp things going for him, he's supposed to be strong and arrogant (cause really what alpha vamp men aren't?) but for some reason I didn't really buy into it. I don't know if I could put my finger on the exact issue as to why...but I just didn't get a strong connection to him.

Nix on the other hand was pretty engaging for the most part. She was dumped by Tobias five years ago and now she's a lady on her own path, fighting a demon that lives inside her just waiting to pop its horns and cause mayhem. She's young, but the gal is pretty witty and funny at times. As her character develops and the sexual tension heats up between our main two she started to loose me. *SPOILER* I'm sorry but if some guy dumped me (even if it was for my own protection) and I was going on and on about how much that hurt and blah blah blah I would NOT hop right back into the sack with the dude and then go on to confess my undying love and affection for him. *END SPOILER* Nix needed to have a bit more balls for me. That being said, she grabbed my attention more then Tobias.

Things are definitely left wide open for the saga to continue and while I enjoyed aspects of this story I do not know if I would continue this one. Maybe I'm just not a big crime drama fan (expect for Castle and Murder She Wrote which btw was an amazing show) or maybe I just can't get over how my favorite lore friends are being coined. I'd say check around at other reviewers first and see for yourself.

Book two Secret of the Wolf hits shelfs June 26th 2012.

Getting 3 'office after hours' Sheep
KD