STAR STRUCK introduces Quinn Collins, reporter and co-owner of "Hollywood
Star", a struggling show business publication. When movie mogul Shane
King (who happens to be the son of Quinn's former lover) is murdered, Quinn
uses her reporting skills to help track down Shane's killer.

Quinn is an appealing heroine (in the tradition of another detective created by
Ms. Jacobs, Devon MacDonald). Her wonderfully wry observations about Hollywood
show that she is anything but star struck. I hope this is the beginning of
a new series!

Author Nancy Baker Jacobs has nailed the Hollywood scene in this page turner of a mystery. As a former resident of Hollyweird who worked in the Biz, I recognize all the elements of the culture and the people who seek their fame and fortune there. Ms. Jacobs writes with truth and humor in this first of many (I hope) Quinn Collins mysteries.

One cannot escape from barcode in his day-today life. Take a paste to brush your teeth in the early morning ( You are exposed to barcode!!) What is in it, we don't care, it is something like an art work for the product. There is something beyond than what it appears. This is what the book is about. How it penetrate deep in to society, and help the product identification in commerce, Industry, Retail, Distribution, Medical, Documents and others.

My question after reading this book is: How it helps scientific community in data encryption. Can any one send a FAX message with only barcodes which will be decoded using specialized software without data loss at the receing end( !!! Great Idea for patenting - That's what expected after reading any good book)

The answer is not far from reality.

I have never been the type who went for reading the adventures of werewolves & vampires, etc., but Nancy Collins Sonya Blue series was able to persuade me otherwise. I first read Sunglasses in college and found that not only did I like it, but could not put the book down. Sonya Blue is definitely nothing like that OTHER well known vampire writer's protagonist, LeWuss, I mean, well, you know who I mean...Sonya Blue is unlike any vampire you'll ever read about. In the first installment, we are introduced to a badass Sonya, and Nancy Collins has a way of making the reader care about this badass. Not only is the story compelling, but if you read the subsequent Sonya Blue books, you'll see that the character development meets and exceeds all expectations. I have read all four novels in the Sonya Blue collection and simply cannot say enough positive things about the series. My favorite book happens to be In the Blood, but the reader would be doing a great disservice to himself not to read the other books.

Although the synopsis as written here is actually the plot line to Nancy A. Collins' book "Wild Blood", "Sunglasses After Dark" is one the best vampire novels I've ever read. Sonja Blue is a very complex and sympathic character in the same manner as LeStat and like the early Anne Rice vampire novels, you find yourself getting mental impressions from the detailed story lines long after reading the book. This is definitely one to keep and read 2 or 3 times.

This book rocks. period. and about the film, bud, if you actually READ the book, you know that with today's cencorship problems, there is no way the film would be released in the US. on to the review! let me just say that if you love vampires, are strong of stomach, and don't get offended too easily, READ THIS BOOK! Our main character is Sonja Blue, a renegade vampire, vampire slayer, owner of Renfeilds, and prostitute (sometimes). This book was really graphic, as were the illustrations sometimes. but i must say that to this day it is my favorite book, a close second being The Long Hard Road Out Of Hell, by Marilyn Manson, but that's another story. The story aside, this book is extremely realistic, and doesn't balance it's weight on iffy situations. Sonja's extreme suberbness, wasn't just a fluke, as so many movies are clicheing so much, she was a mess up, the byproduct of her creator's uncarefulness. My friend showed me this book, and since then i have gotten two more people into Sonja Blue, and i hope i can get you in too. Beautiful book, stunning story, vampiric vixen, what more could a guy ask for?

Cemetery Dance has become THE leading publisher of horror fiction. They put out great books by famed horror authors, but also a great magazine of short stories and articles from the leaders of the horror field. This collection of short stories reunites some of the best stories to have been featured in the Cemetery Dance magazine. And although the second tome is a little less interesting than the first one (which held 2 AMAZING Jack Ketchum stories, a good Stephen King yarn and one of the most amazing stories I've read in years by author Gary Raiser), The Best Of Cemetery Dance Volume 2 still offers some great, chilling and, at times, disturbing stories.

This tome is more concerned with detective stories/ serial killer stories. Plainclothes and The Pattern are two of the best. One of the most interesting stories in this volume is Barry Hoffman's Trial By Fire, a twisted tale of revenge. Matthew Costello's Vacation is one of the most terrifying and twisted tale I've read in a long time. And Dick Laymon's Desert Pickup is a good little story with a neat twist.

But I was disappointed that the story by Poppy Z. Brite is only the prologue to her novel Lost Souls. And Melanie Tem's contribution is very disappointing - she is able to do much better than this.

Overall, this is a great book that any horror fan should get. I am a devoted fan of Cemetery Dance and this book only reminds me of why.

This is it, gang. BEST OF CEMETERY DANCE, when printed in hardcover, was the best anthology ever of short horror fiction, even outdoing DARK FORCES, DARK DESCENT, and even BEST OF WHISPERS and BEST OF SHADOWS. It's got everyone under the sun in horror. Unfortunately, it was such a big book that they had to split it into two volumes in paperback, of which this is the first. No matter -- both halves are absolutely essential, and nearly every story here is a winner. Reading this anthology is the best way to introduce yourself to the dozens of horror authors out there whom you're not currently reading.

Reviewer: ripperboy from San Francisco, CA USA This is it, gang. BEST OF CEMETERY DANCE, when printed in hardcover, was the best anthology ever of short horror fiction, even outdoing DARK FORCES, DARK DESCENT, and even BEST OF WHISPERS and BEST OF SHADOWS. It's got everyone under the sun in horror. Unfortunately, it was such a big book that they had to split it into two volumes in paperback, of which this is the first. No matter -- both halves are absolutely essential, and nearly every story here is a winner. Reading this anthology is the best way to introduce yourself to the dozens of horror authors out there whom you're not currently reading.

Not all vampire fanatics will sink their teeth into Sonja Blue. There isn't any romanticism attached to her lifestyle, there is no secret Brad Pitt with fangs fantasy world. Instead, Sonja Blue is the predator of vampires. She hunts people down, she rips them apart with her super-human strength, and then leaves them eviscerated on the floor. The tale is graphic enough to make my stomach turn.

The writing is well-done and unexpected. The author isn't afraid to kill off your favorite characters at inopertune times, because Sonja knows little loyalty or humanity. This book fleshes out her origins and offers insight into the minds of the older vampires.

Overall, it wasn't what I wanted. I was looking for romance, I was looking for scenes of beauty instead of constant scenes of painful death. I wanted a story of a human who became a vampire, not a human who became a monster.

Sonja Blue. The name sends shivers up my spine. This is THE BEST book I have ever read. Forget all about Anne Rice. This books got all that vampires truly are. This book made the punk vampire genre what it is today. I have read this book well over twelve times. I am on my thirteenth time and I am not yet tired of it. I have read it so many times the book has all but disentigrated. I highly suggest it to anyone who reads.

I first read this book on a road trip from TN to Colorado and it really helped to pass the time in Kansas. I tend to read fast, so I didn't really get to savor the things that make Sonja Blue who she really is. I don't think you can compare this vampire trilogy to any others..it's just a whole different (albeit wonderful) story to the classic vampire genre. The 2nd time I read this book I was a little older and once again went on a trip from TN to New Orleans and wow what a wonderful companion to have in your hotel room reading at night while Sonja Blue dumps her victims in a bayou just miles from where you are sleeping. Can't wait to read the next!

Avenue X is comprised of 13 short stories, some very good and other seemed very average. My favorite of the 13 was Avenue X. The following is a list of the short stories.

1. The Sign of the ASP- Cleopatra and the ruling of Egypt. How can she get power and keep power, with the help of a vampire.

2. Without Sin - 3. The one-eyed King- What happens to Robin Hood after he saves the castle and finds out he has and evil twin. Good story that has a lot of twists and turns...

4. Cavalerada- Bounty hunters in the old west finally meet their match.

5. Billy Fearless- Great story...From the day he could crawl Billy was always getting into trouble, and had no fear. Now he's going to stay in the haunted house in hope to claim the houses treasures and win the girl.

6. Firetruck no 5. -A private investigator hired to follow a millionaire's wife... What happens next, only time will tell.. 7. The thing from lovers lane-There's something in the mountain woods that's been there for a very long time. Now its on the loose and coming for the unexpected.

8. Vampire king of the gothic chicks- Wannabe Vampires watch out.. SONJA BLUE will get you..

9. Someone's in the Kitchen - Haunted rental house with a cook.

10. Furies in black leather- Things done in the past come back come back to get you.

11. The land of the reflected ones- Magic trick that backfires

12. Avenue X- What happens when a country girl moves to New York City... Great story that takes you through her changes from the soft to the very hard.

Overall a good books and a must for any Nancy Collins fan. Avenue X and the Sonja Blue stories were the top two stories.

This collection contains an excellent assortment of stories from one of the finest horror writers working today. Nancy Collins, best known for her Sonja Blue novels, is an extremely gifted writer. She possesses the rare ability to not just entertain but surprise the reader. To those that only know Nancy from her vampire novels, let this be your gateway into the many realms of her writing

The stories collected for this volume offer a nice selection of various genres. "The Sign of the Asp" transports you back in time to Ancient Egypt with an interesting twist on the story of Cleopatra. Nancy takes on the story of Jesus in "Without Sin". "Avenue X" is a gritty urban gothic tale. "Cavalerada" has a western flair. "Firetruck Truck No.5" is a detective story. I don't want to go into all the stories because I know some readers (like myself) like to be surprised. Let me just say that whatever your interest, from erotic horror to Southern gothic, Nancy has it covered. My favorite story would have to be "Billy Fearless", simply because I love a story with a punch line at the end.

The chemistry behind the two main characters Palmer and Sonja Blue is incredible. Both characters help each other get through their personal pain while going on a joyride through hell and back. This book is definitely a page turner for Sonja Blue fans.

This is an absolutely roaring high-paced page turner with the one and only Sonja Blue! Sonja is a vampire for the feminist within any female reader. This is no sultry seduction-artist kind of babe vampire; she's badder than bad, tough as nails mentally and physically, and yet has an admirable code of personal honor at her core.

I first met Sonja in "Sunglasses After Dark", which is excellent. "In the Blood" is even better! Vampire and private eye team up when Sonja meets Palmer, a P.I. with "the sight". Love and partnership build, blossom, and morph into various flavors as the action relentlessly continues. With Palmers help, Sonja continues her hunt for her roots - the vampire who callously created her, and her human parents as well.

A great vampire book, with a flavor all its own.

"The Big Book of Losers" is the ninth in the Big Book series from Paradox Press. This volume tells you about historically bad luck, from General Custer to the Edsel to Milli Vanilli. Reading this book, you can't lose! Just be glad you're not them!

I went to my local comics shop and saw the owner reading The Big Book of Losers. I asked to look at it, and I then know I must have it. The book is full of entertaining stories of people and bad ideas that were failures. It's quite entertaining reading the stories of people like the Dalton Gang, and Milli Vanilli, who deserve to be called losers. Unfortunately, some the people written about did not have the loser essence, but merely had some bad luck, or were held back by people who were more powerful and who were evil. These ones were not so funny. Overall, though, it is a good book, and worth reading

A fantastic book! I bought this for one of my sons for Christmas, along with several other more print-oriented books. I'm not a diehard fan of books in comic format, but as I reviewed this upon arrival I was delighted to discover the depth of information provided. The wide variety of characters, the great expanse of historical periods covered and the different "genres" of loser subjects proved much more entertaining than I expected when I bought this book. Consider this one of the classier bathroom readers for the entire family!

I remember buying this paperback at a Supermarket in Tampa, Florida during the sweltering August of 1996. I once heard that if you remember something it's important, and since I gave this book away to the library about a year ago, I can only talk about a couple of the stories that stayed with me. Probably me favorite two were "Loop" by Douglas E. Winter (I actually read that one in a dorm room in Austin, Texas) and "The End of It All" by Ed Gorman. I can't really comment on the rest.

"Loop" is crisp, concise writing--yet passionate. Winter tells the story of a lawyer who develops over the years an infatuation with an adult film actress. His intense details of American culture really bring to life this doomed "love story."

"The End of It All" reads like an NBC TV Movie of the Week--but with a more focused story and a much sharper edge; the writing is so economical I compare it to a newspaper article. Gorman's impartial and blunt matter-of-fact writing style really got me excited about the short story medium again. Reading this will shock you, and impress.

On a Saturday night this summer, or any summer, staying home and reading these two stories will be much more rewarding than even going to a movie. They are that entertaining, not to mention provocative.

A collection of dark fantasy exploring the relationship between sex and horror with contributions by prestigious authors renowned in the field. The quality of the stories is uneven and the volume includes a few excellent tales as well as some ordinary stuff. The book starts with a long-awaited brand new story by Stephen King ("Lunch at the Gotham Cafe'") The following tales are by Kathe Koja, who tells the life story of a sexually unsatiable ballerina and by british author Basil Copper ("Gleading blades") who provides a new, disquiteting atmosphere to the time-honored theme of the serial killer. In Ramsey Campbell's "Going under" the cellular phone becomes the instrument of modern horror while in the late Karl Edgar Wagner's "Locked away" the forbidden sexual fantasies of a long- dead woman come alive through an antique gold locket. In "The end of it all" Ed Gorman recreates the atmosphere of the "film noir" of the 40s , while Douglas Winter ("Loop") perfectly balances horror with the sad after-taste of unfullfilled love dreams.

I've had bad luck in the past with Horror anthologies, so I put off reading Dark Love for a few Years after purchasing it. I should have had more faith in the Editors, because this is a rock-solid book, with not a dud to be found.

The book starts off with Stephen King's "Lunch at the Gotham Cafe, where a man and his soon-to-be-ex-wife find themselves confronted with a demented Maitre d'. The story is good (As most King stories are), but I found it more comedic than it seems to have been intended to be. (The way the Maitre d' keeps screaming "EEEEEEE!!!!" just struck me as funny...)
From there, the late, great Michael O'Donaghue contributes "The Psycho", a crazed Gunman on the loose story with a great twist ending.
Next is Kathe Koja's "Pas de Deux", probably the most realistic story in the book. It wasn't really my cup of tea, but it was well-written, and it had its moments.
Basil Copper's "Bright Blades Gleaming" is waaaay too long, and I saw the end coming a mile off, but again, it was a well-told tale. It could have been better if it was shorter, though.
John Lutz offers "Hanson's Radio", a tale of urban neighbors getting on each others nerves that I, a former Bronx apartment dweller, totally related to.
David J. Schow's "Refrigerator Heaven" is a chilling (Pun intended) tale of Mob torture gone HORRIBLY wrong. This story stuck with me for a long time after I finished reading it.
Ro Erg, by Robert Weinberg, starts as a bit of credit-card fraud whimsey, and goes off into totally unexpected territory.
Ramsey Campbell's "Going Under" quite frankly reeked, and I won't devote any of my time to describing it. (I guess there WAS one dud...)
Stuart Kaminsky's "Hidden" is an absolute gem; One of the best short stories I've ever read. It concerns a young boy who slaughters his family and devises an ingenious method of hiding from the law. The ending revelation is an absolute stunner.
"Prism", by Wendy Webb, is a short about Multiple-Personality Disorder that puts you in the head of the narrator. Short, but well-done.
The late Richard Laymon contributes "The Maiden", a dark tale of teenage lust, revenge, and the Supernatural. After reading this story, I've become a Laymon fan, and I'm hard at work collecting all of his books. The Maiden was THAT good....
Flaming Carrot/Mystery Men creator Bob Burden pens the hilariously demented "You've Got Your Troubles, I've Got Mine"; I felt dirty for laughing, but it was just so damned funny...Who knew Burden could write prose? Good job, Bob! More fun than a Spider in diapers!
George C. Chesbro offers "Waco", a creepy look at the inside of the Koresh Compound in it's last moments, as they're visited by a sardonic Vulture claiming to be God himself...
John Peyton Cooke's "The Penitent" is an S&M story that strong-stomached readers will find enjoyable. (I loved it.)
Kathryn Ptacek takes road-rage to a new level in "Driven"; I didn't really care for the ending, though...
John Shirley's "Barbara" is an interesting heist-gone-bad tale.
"Hymenoptera", by Michael Blumlein, features a Fashion Designer becoming obsessed aith an 8-Foot long Wasp (!). Weird and pointless, but I liked it nonetheless....
"The End of It All", by Ed Gorman, is a tale of Lust, Incest, Murder, & Revenge. Would make a GREAT movie...
"Heat", by Lucy Taylor, is forgettable, but short, so at least she makes her sick point quickly.

Nancy A. Collins' "Thin Walls" will resonate with apartment dwellers everywhere.
Karl Edward Wagner's "Locked Away" is a fun psuedo-porn fantasy that made me chuckle more than a few times.
The book closes with Douglas E. Winter's "Loop", a tale of obsession taken to a WHOLE other level.

Dark Love is probably the BEST anthology I've even read. I highly recommend it.