I picked this debut novel up because the author, Adrian Phoenix, and I know a lot of the same people. I know her, too, although primarily from running in the same crowd. And the book has been getting a little bit of buzz on various lists. I was a little unsure before I started – it’s a vampire novel, and one can only read so many vampire novels, right? But it’s different enough to feel fresh, and extremely well-crafted for a first novel. In fact, it was downright compelling. The characters stole it – the pacing and the story and the sense of place are all good, but the characters are the kind you want to know, wish you knew…anyway, I’ll let you read it without giving away much more. Sufficient to say I stayed up until 4:00 AM finishing it. I skipped some of my own writing time to finish it – and I almost never skip my writing time for anything except family.