Halloween 2012: Top 5 spooky reads

GUEST article author: Beth Evers


Looking for something to read to get you in the Halloween mood? Do you prefer vampires, witches, weres, or just a good ghost story? Here are a few of my favorite tales...



“Greywalker”
by Kat Richardson

PI Harper Blaine sees a strange shift in clientele in Richardson's dizzy urban fantasy debut. After being dead for two minutes as a result of a clobbering by an angry perp, Harper discovers icky side effects complicate her Seattle life in unexpected ways—she sees ghosts and attracts otherworldly business as she pops in and out of a shadowy overlapping world.

Author's official website: katrichardson.com

“Moon Called”
by Patricia Briggs

Mercy Thompson's life is not exactly normal. Her next-door neighbor is a werewolf. Her former boss is a gremlin. And she's fixing a VW bus for a vampire. But then, Mercy isn't exactly normal herself.

Author's official website: patriciabriggs.com

“Dead Witch Walking”
by Kim Harrison

The underground population of witches, vampires, werewolves — creatures of dreams and nightmares — has lived beside humans for centuries, hiding their powers. But after a genetically engineered virus wipes out a large part of humanity, many of the "Inderlanders" reveal themselves, changing everything.

Author's official website: kimharrison.net

“Some Girls Bite”
by Chloe Neill

Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it was Merit’s. She was doing fine until a rogue vampire attacked her. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker and this one decided the best way to save her life was to make her the walking undead.

Author's official website: chloeneil.com

“Kitty and the Midnight Hour”
by Carrie Vaughn

Kitty Norville is a midnight-shift DJ for a Denver radio station and a werewolf in the closet. Her new late-night advice show for the supernaturally disadvantaged is a raging success, but it’s Kitty who can use some help. With one sexy werewolf-hunter and a few homicidal undead on her tail, Kitty may have bitten off more than she can chew.

Author's official website: carrievaughn.com

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Torchwood: Miracle Day - The New World - TVReview

GUEST article author: Beth Evers


"With all the extra people, resources are finite. It’s said that in four month's time, the human race will cease to be viable."

Torchwood is back, bigger and better than ever! Convicted pedophile/murderer, Oswald Danes (Bill Pullman) is scheduled to die by lethal injection. This fails, and we see that something strange is happening across the world. "Someone changed the rules. Miracles got easy." No one has died, anywhere. People still get sick or injured, but no deaths.

Much of this first episode is set in Wales, and we see where Gwen (Eve Myles), Rhys (Kai Owen) and baby Anwyn have been in hiding for the past 12 months. Torchwood no longer exists. Jack (John Barrowman) has disappeared, and all the rest are dead. The CIA gets involved and starts investigating Torchwood following an email sent at the same time of the last recorded death.

John Barrowman and Eve Myles

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There are some classic Russell T Davies scenes and definitely some funny tongue-in-cheek moments throughout this first episode. Miracle Day was well written, and set up future episodes nicely. It provided enough back story for new viewers, but was fast paced enough for existing fans. And the moment where Jack and Gwen see each other for the first time was a definite payoff. British fans needn’t worry that it has become too "American"; Torchwood: Miracle Day still has all of the charm and flavor that the previous series’ had.

It’s great to see old friends Barrowman, Myles, Owen, and Tom Price back on the screen. Their chemistry together is terrific. Pullman has aged and is über-creepy as the baddy. He is almost unrecognizable. I haven’t warmed yet to the CIA agents played by Mekhi Phifer and Alexa Havins, but their acting was good, and I think that they will be interesting players in the next episodes.

Definitely looking forward to episode two!

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