In an effort to increase readership and bring you more to enjoy, we've asked Refuge's own paranormal romance writer to review books. No one knows better than the residents of Refuge what constitutes a good, believable paranormal romance. Let's give a warm welcome for Zena Wynn, and maybe while she's here we can convince her to talk about what she's working on....Meg

Thanks Meg for the opportunity to share with your readers the books I love to read. This week I want to talk about a book that was so good, I couldn't put it down. I'll give you the blurb and tell you my thoughts....Zena

Description

BEING BULLET PROOF SUCKS?LITERALLY

Once, Maya Black was a kick-ass cop patrolling the streets of L.A. She still keeps the city safe, but nowadays her bad guys of choice include demons, werewolves, and assorted nocturnal scum. Something Maya knows a thing or two about. She?s a vampire?and not thrilled about it. Payback meet bitch.

Adam Brody hopes Maya is as dangerous as they say she is. He needs her to help rescue his niece Cammie from a ruthless band of vamps, and he?s willing to pay?in blood. Trusting her is another matter. Adam has never met a vampire who doesn?t lie. Then again, he?s never met anyone like Maya, who fills him with a desperate need that ignites into explosive, no-holds-barred encounters?

Z's Thoughts

This was an outstanding book, beginning with the heroine's "death" to the very end when the bad guys were defeated. At first I was leery. The heroine is a female vampire and the hero a human male, or so I thought. Adam turned out to be a lot more than meets the eye. Living here in Refuge as I do, I should be used to men being more than they seem. My concerns that the heroine would be able to outrun, outmaneuver, and overpower him were unfounded. He more than held his own throughout.

If you want an enjoyable few hours of reading, get this book. But if you do, make sure you have plenty of uninterrupted time because you won't be able to put it down.

By Zena Wynn and daughter Brianna (in blue)

Okay, it wasn't a killer [you never know mom it could have been] but from the way my family and I reacted, you'd have thought it was. What I'm about to tell you is absolutely true, with no embellishments. 

I'd gone grocery shopping at Walmart with my kids, a mixed set of teenage twins. We'd just returned home and were unloading the car. My daughter, Bree, grabbed some bags and the keys and entered the house first. Brandon (my son) and I lagged behind a minute or two.

As we were entering the house, we met Bree at the door trying to run out. "There's a squirrel in the house," she said. The groceries were thrown on the floor from where she'd dropped them in her hasty retreat.

Brandon and I looked at each other, then cautiously looked around trying to spot the monstrous creature. Meanwhile, Bree had pushed past us and was outside peeping in the door. We crept forward, glancing from side to side, seeing nothing.

"Are you sure," I asked.

"Positive," she stated firmly.

Now my son is not one of those boys who played with bugs and other assorted creatures as a child. He's more likely to run and get me to come kill a spider than kill one himself, so he was more wary than I. He started looking under couches, knocking over chairs, and basically moving anything he thought might hide the little furry creature. He accomplished nothing but he did manage to startle a lizard that had found it's way into the house out of hiding.

"Maybe you saw a lizard," Brandon told his sister.

"It was not a lizard." Bree was emphatic in her denial. [I can't believe he insulted me! Like I don't know the difference between a squirrel and a lizard. ]

"Or a rat," he suggested.

I frowned, looking carefully at the floor, not one bit happy about the possibility of a rat being in the house.

"It was NOT a rat. Rats don't have big, furry tails. I saw a squirrel," she reiterated.

Once again, Brandon and I shared a look. The message was clear. Bree was imagining things. [yeah, so now I'm crazy right?]  "Yeah, right," my son told his sister.

"I'm not crazy. I know what I saw!"

"Okay, I told her." We finished bringing in the groceries. The squirrel, if there was one, was gone.

For over a week, my son and I teased Bree about the "invisible" squirrel that had run her out the house. Brandon was still insisting that it was a lizard she saw. Bree remained firm in her conviction that there was a squirrel somewhere in the house. She didn't know where it went, but it was there.

One day, my oldest daughter called and asked if I could watch my two-year-old granddaughter. She was sick and couldn't go to daycare. I had time on the books and agreed. She dropped Jazz off that morning on the way to work.

We were having a yahoo author chat that day, so Jazz and I spent a lot of time in my room while I was on the computer, making forays into the kitchen for drinks and snacks. On one of my trips out the room, I came out and saw a squirrel. I don't know who was more surprised -- me or the squirrel. [I TOLD THEM!]

It went in one direction and I, the other. Unfortunately, it ran in my room.

It crashed around, looking for a way out before finally running out of the room and disappearing into thin air. Literally. I don't know where it went. I looked everywhere. I crept around like a blonde in a horror flick waiting for the boggy man to jump out at me.

Unable to stand the suspense anymore, I barricaded my grand and myself in the room and emailed for help. Does anyone know how to get a squirrel out of the house. Seriously. There's a squirrel in my house.

A lot of helpful advice resulted in my leaving a trail of nuts in an attempt to lure the creature out of hiding and out of my house. [Disclaimer: If I tell you it's a squirrel in the house believe me!]

When my oldest called to check on her daughter, I told her we were trapped in the room and why. She got a good laugh out of it. I didn't care. I may not have known where the squirrel was, but I knew where it wasn't.

We never did find the squirrel. For weeks friends would ask, "Y'all ever find that squirrel?"

The answer was and is no. It' been a year. I really, really hope it's gone.

Happy Valentine's Day 

Valentine's Day in Refuge can be pretty strange with so many of its residents looking for that special someone to love. The males outnumber the females almost three-to-one. Accordingly, the local businesses and Community Events Board came up with some pretty unique holiday ideas. 

The Cock-n- Bull announces its annual “If You Can't Find the One You're Meant to Love, Come Love On the One You're Can” party and dance. Single ladies drink free all night. Live music featuring The Lonesome Wolves. Come early to get a seat.  

The Refuge Community Center is having its annual Sadie Hawkins Dance. The female that shows up with the most dates wins a prize. Last year's prize was a 32" flat-screen TV and a year's supply of condoms, courtesy of Rexell Pharmacy.  

The Shift-n-Save announced a special on floral bouquets. Buy on get one half off. Don't worry about them running out. This year they double the supply after a brawl broke out in the gift section last year over the last box of chocolate and the single remaining red rose.  

Pastor Pete Berkley will hold a prayer vigil in the town park early Valentine’s Day morning for anyone searching for a mate. He and other local ministers will pray a special blessing asking God's favor and petitioning Him to send more single women to town. Last year was the first of its kind and three of our own found true mates, one under some very unusual circumstances.  

Lulu's Salon is having a 30% discount off of all services for both men and women. Come in quick. Slots are filing up fast. 

Noah's Ark Daycare announces extended hours for any parents who'd like to spend the evening together and need a sitter. Call Nora to make arrangements. 

The Book Nook is having a 50% off sale on Valentine’s Day cards, poetry books, and knick-knacks. Get them while they last.

*******BREAKING NEWS! *******BREAKING NEWS! ********BREAKING NEWS!********

This just in. In an unprecedented move, the Refuge Town Council, under the direction of the Mayor, has issued a Gag Order for town psychic, Zena Wynn, when it came to their attention that Ms. Wynn has been penning "erotic tell all" books under the guise of romantic fiction, featuring prominent residents of Refuge. She's been accused of Invasion of privacy. Charges are pending. 

When questioned, Ms. Wynn declined comment and referred us to her attorney, Rodney Davis, for an official statement.  Mr. Davis called the charges "ridiculous" and stated that the record will show that Ms. Wynn's works of fiction, which were inspired by a series of dreams and psychic visions, were submitted for publication months before the actual events occurred. In addition, Ms. Wynn's gift cannot be held against her. On behalf of his client, Mr. Davis is suing the City of Refuge for Defamation of Character and Violation of her First Amendment Rights. 

We interview one of the alleged victims, local resident Alex Wolfe and asked him his thoughts on the situation. He said, "I wished I'd known about her book before hand. It would have saved me a lot of worry and grief."  

We’ll be following this story closely as it unfolds.

It's January and you know what that means...HOCKEY SEASON -- Refuge style. 

Every winter the community's Olympic sized pool converts into an ice rink. This year is no exception. The Howler is pleased to present to you this season's team line up: 

The Flatfoots -- all human 

The Howl -- all wolf shifters 

The Roar -- all feline shifters 

The Misfits -- an intriguing mix of shifters including a bear shifter and two bird shifters 

**The Wi-See -- all psychic  

The Catdog -- wolf & feline shifter group 

**Last winter's returning champions despite complaints that the team's ability to predict what their opponent did before it happened gave them an unfair advantage. The judges ruled that the team's clairvoyant abilities were no different than a wolf's speed or a feline's agility. Since the psychics were on two legs and the shifters on four, they were allowed to use whatever talents they had at their disposal. It's rumored that this year a telekinetic has joined the team.

Each team consists of a minimum of 12 players. For those of you unfamiliar with the sport, here's a brief overview: 

• All shifters must play in their animal form 
• Humans wear metal cleats instead of ice skate and are allowed to use plastic hockey sticks 
• Tackling is allowed and even encouraged 
• Biting and holding still penalized 

As with any sport, the goal is to score by getting the puck into the opponent?s goal or net. Each team will play the other twice, before playoff eliminations began. Season winner gets bragging rights and possession of the trophy for a year. 

New this season: 

• In addition to the red and blue lines, a fly zone instituted (fly zone added for the bird shifters) 
• Smaller holes in the net (in an attempt to keep the feline shifters from getting tangled inside) 
• Nikolai Taranosky, resident vampire, will referee. 
• The Mayor will be the Official Scorer 

Still needed:

• Linesmen 
• Goal judges

   

Parents be aware, after the unfortunate incident last year, spectators will no longer be allowed to sit along the rim of the pool, especially behind the goals.

Note: Randy's doing much better and his wife reports that his vision is finally clearing. If you'll remember, Randy was hit in the forehead with the puck last season, fell into the rink, got tangled up into the net and had to be cut out. The knot on his forehead remains.

*** SPECIAL HOLIDAY EDITION ***

Every year, the town square transforms itself into a Winter Wonderland for the Christmas season, and this year was no exception. On the first Saturday in December, residents gathered for the traditional decorating of the park and Christmas tree. 

This year the tree was a twenty-footer, decorated in shades of red, gold, and silver -- as voted by the town the previous year. It sported Christmas ornaments made and hand painted by the elementary school children. The lights were untangled and strung by the men's club and for the finale, Pop Hawkeye, local bird shifter, hanged the star. 

Hugh Mosely, the only one large enough to fit the suit without padding played Santa Claus. Children lined up around the block to sit on his lap and recite to him their wish list, some of which was quite lengthy while the middle school band favored us with favored holiday classics. The highlight of the evening, besides the lighting of the tree, was the annual rendition of Jingle Bells performed by barking dogs, or should we say howling wolves?

In the north corner of the square, the Living Nativity was assembled. Last year, the stable animals -- a cow, some goats, a donkey, horse, and a few chickens -- had some rather interesting additions, namely a wolf, a panther, and a bear (when Santa's Shop closed for the day). The newly acquired animals were the result of a question being submitted by a preschooler, who was over heard asking why shifters weren't in the stable that night. Didn't Jesus love shifters, too? 

Father Flannigan was overheard vehemently objecting to the additions. "It just not  scriptural," he protested. "Why, if we're going to toss out any attempt at historical accuracy, we might as well go whole hog and be totally diverse, including all races and ethnicities in the cast," he added sarcastically. "Jesus loves people of all colors, races, and ethnicities, but no one expects to see them present at His birth. " 

Well, this year in honor of Father Flanigan's suggestion: the baby Jesus is black; his mother Mary is Hispanic; his father Joseph is Italian; the three wise men -- ahem, excuse me -- the three magi consist of one male American Indian, an Asian male, and a Chinese female; and the shepards were a mixture of men and women. The stable had to be enlarged to accommodate the crew.  

Those in the know anxiously awaited his reaction when Father Flanigan came around to offer the Christmas blessing. He said not a word, but he was seen sipping from a little silver flask before, during, and immediately after the blessing before he promptly disappeared. The organizers were overheard speculating what changes they could make next year "in the interest of diversity."

All in all, this year's Winter Wonderland was as wonderful as ever.

Town Notes

In the town hall meeting Friday, the issue of the upgrade to the medical emergency clinic equipments was once again discussed. Residents are still divided. Some believe that having modern, medical equipment worthy of a top-notch hospital will encourage unwanted strangers to come to town seeking medical attention here rather than the hospital in Colbyville. Others debate the necessity of such fancy equipment when most residents heal easily and are rarely sick. There is yet another small contingent that feels it is in the town's best interest to have the equipment on the off chance that it's needed, rather risk life rushing down the mountain to the nearest emergency room.

Alex Wolfe brought the argument to a halt when he announced that Raven Incorporated was awarded the grant they'd petitioned for and the machinery had already been purchased, awaiting delivery. The town council had also approved the hiring of more staff, including another doctor who will arrive shortly. There were some grumbles but the matter was considered settled.

Did You Know?

Refuge, a town noted for its dislike of strangers, has a new resident. A one Mary Elizabeth Brown.  She?ll be working for Kiesha Morgan in her new store as the manager, although residents might understandably be confused since she?s seen most often waitressing in Moe?s diner. Ms. Brown was heard stating that she?d soon be posting ads here in the Howler announcing positions open for you job seekers.

Around Town

• It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Ms. Emma Sinclair, widow of Ned Sinclair.  A memorial service will be held at the Refuge Community church Saturday at 1:00 p.m.  Her son has made arrangements with the funeral home to have her body shipped back to Washington D.C. where he resides. Ms. Emma, as she was affectionately known, will be sorely missed.

• The movies for this weeks showing at the drive-in will be the new movie Twilight, a teenage vampire love story based on best selling author Stephanie Meyer?s series by the same name, and Madagascar II.  The dollar matinee showing The Long Shots. Speaking of the drive-in, the owners would like to announce that henceforth only customers in vehicles will be allowed. No more four-legged creatures. Any youth caught sneaking into the movies will be escorted out by Animal Control and detained until their parents come to ransom them. Hopefully before City personnel decides to spay them.

Town Notes

• Today's monthly meeting of the Town Commission was canceled to allow time for tempers to cool. Last month's meeting got out of hand as members argued the necessity of a garbage tax to defray the cost of waste management. It degenerated further when CM Abigail Winters was overheard telling CM Hiram Walker that his momma should have done the town a service and neutered his father BEFORE Hiram was born. Sheriff Rome Barrio had to separate the two and radio deputies to come and escort them home.
• The District School Board once again shot down proposals to expand Refuge's elementary school to include grades six through eight. Lack of funds to hire teachers was cited as reason.

Did You Know?

Alex Wolfe, Refuge's own doctor/veterinarian, announced his engagement last week, breaking many a heart as this imminently eligible bachelor was taken off of the market. The bride-to-be, a Ms. Kiesha Morgan, new to the area, arrived in what some are calling some very "mysterious" circumstances. Be that as it may, her arrival is good news for Refuge's residents.

Ms. Morgan announced plans to open a business right here in town. Ms. Maybel confirmed that the deed has been filed and Ms. Morgan is the new owner of the old hardware store that closed a few years back. Permits have been filed and renovations will be underway shortly.

While it is unfortunate to see another good man snatched from under our very noses, I think we can all appreciate the future employment opportunities this -- dare I say? -- happy event is bringing to pass.

Around Town

• Hugh Mosely, owner of Eat at Moe's, announced he is once again accepting applications for servers. Apply in person.
• Shift-N-Save is having a "Buy one get one Free" sale on canned vegetables.

Police Beat

Sam Aikens was arrested last night for Disturbing the Peace and Drunk and Disorderliness. Seems he tied one on and after leaving the Cock & Bull was seen standing outside Ms. Susie Tolbert?s house in the buff singing "Love Me Tender" to the owner's pit bull, Daisy. Daisy's resulting howls had neighbors calling the police.