The Wild Side: Urban Fantasy with an Erotic Edge [Mass Market Paperback]

The Wild Side (2011) is a Fantasy anthology. It features stories of erotic adventure and various preternatural and magical creatures. It includes an introduction, ten short works, and the acknowledgments. The stories also have short bios and afterwords.

- Introduction by Mark L. Van Name tells the genesis of this anthology and the format.

- "Songs Sung Red" by Tanya Huff describes an encounter between Vicki and a siren.

- "Garden of the Night" by Gina Massel Castater involves a werewolf enforcer and a lady of the night.

- "For a Good Time, Call..." by Toni L. P. Kelner concerns a telephone witch and an incubus

- "Fine Print" by Diana Rowland relates the trials of the editor of an obscure fantasy magazine.

- "Unawares" by Sarah A. Hoyt deals with a student, vampires, and a psychic investigator.

- "Of Sex and Zombies" by Ticia Drake Isom considers a wedding between a human policeman and a fairy that is crashed by zombies.

- "Love Knot" by Dana Cameron presents a Fangborn woman with an object that is irresistible.

- "Beauty is a Witch" by John Lambshead follows the flight of a witch con artist.

- "The Long Dark Night of Diego Chan" by Mark L. Van Name takes Diego to a vampire club to save a friend.

- "Born Under a Bad Sign" by Caitlin Kittredge follows the Fall and rise of an angel.

- Acknowledgments by Mark L. Van Name thanks those who supported the editor in producing this work.

This book is a fine collection of Fantasy tales. The stories are a varied bunch, but each is interesting within itself. Maybe this book will lead to another work in the same vein.

Some stories draw from the authors's previously established works. Others are created from scratch. Some of these may have sequels.

Recommended for fans of these authors and anyone else who enjoys tales of paranormal romance and other erotic fantasies. Read and enjoy!

-Arthur W. Jordin

Ten short stories revolving around vampires, shifters, demons in the city.

Series: Songs Sung Red (Blood Books, 5.5??)

The Stories
Tanya Huff's Songs Sung Red creates a conflict between Vicki Nelson and Mike Celluci when a siren overpowers Vicki's human inclinations.

Vicki has been changed and is living with Mike.

Gina Massel-Castater's Careless of the Night was just too cute. Liz needs to feed her photographic habit and working for Armando gives her access to his studio equipment. A perfect habit, viewing people from behind a camera. She's invisible at her age and people never even notice her presence. One night, Liz is feeling more sociable and inadvertently begins the seduction of her boss.

I'd like to see more of Liz!

Toni L.P. Kelner's For a Good Time, Call . . . takes a twist on cell phones. And puts one in the eye to Maura's snotty sister Ennis! All the "gifted" witches in the Salem area are off on their retreat leaving the "pathetic" Maura behind to mind the store. Problems ensue when Maura responds to directions left by the man she assumes is one of their providers. Ooops...Herberto Rocha is definitely not whom she's expecting to see.

I hope she turns this into a series!

Diana Rowland's Fine Print is a good reminder to never let sex interfere with business! Jason certainly learns! His quick thinking "under fire" was most impressive. I must confess I'm wondering if he can get out of his particular contract if he reminds Rachel that she was never going to pressure him to put one of her stories in his magazine Black Magick Stories. . .

Scary and cleanly kinky . . .

Sarah A. Hoyt's Unawares takes a twist in its approach to vampire culture with a spatter of angel when Serena Reis wakes up to hazy memories and a warm body. One who is obviously deranged . . . in a sweet way.

I'd like to see this one as a series as well . . .

Ticia Drake Isom's Of Sex and Zombies was so cute at the beginning and then it turned right round. And in a twist that, really, I should'a foreseen. Isom certainly gave enough warning...! It's a wedding! Sylvie and Michael are getting married. There's just one little hitch. She's a fairy and he's human. And the fairies are grumbling. Loudly. It seems the zombies aren't too happy either when they crash the wedding and wreak havoc with Sylvie and Michael's future.

Nice work on this. Isom created a short story that introduced us to a good chunk of Sylvie's world and enough of Michael's that I want to know more. -Isom indicates at the end of her short that she is working on more stories.

Dana Cameron's Love Knot really twisted this subject line. At the museum where Justine works, a stranger brought in an artifact to learn more about it little realizing the guy couldn't wait to get this lust projector off his hands! Her short experience with it sends her running for Claudia. A vampire with a cool reputation who struggles with the artifact even as it proves Justine's decision.

John Lambshead's Beauty is a Witch was really good and very unexpected! I'm laughing again as I recall it for this review...! Poor Rosalynne. Used and abused . . . 'cause she got caught. She's just pissed off one too many people and . . . payback is a bitch! It'll certainly make you consider being polite . . .

Mark L. Van Name's Long Dark Night of Diego Chan has found me adding his name to my TBRs. We don't know what Diego Chan is, but we do know that he's loyal to his friends when he drops everything in response to a message from Barbara when she texts him for help. Her husband is missing and she has her suspicions about their supposed friend Matt. Very tricksy.

It's certainly a short course in how to disappear under the radar. I want to read more about Diego.

Caitlin Kittredge's Born Under a Bad Sign takes a twist on the fallen angel with a hint of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood when a whorehouse in 1952 Kansas is invaded by a quartet of killers--demons using human bodies. Maybe she shouldn't have ignored Death's warning, but this collision is helping her remember and she's damned if she'll let them win. Dang Kittredge has got a dark side . . .

The Cover
EEEEEKKK! This is one scary cover, but, then again, if you look at it another way...it reminds me of Jake and Neytiri from Avatar, although I'm sure Neytiri would scorn holding a gun nor would she would wearing so precisely inked a tattoo on her right bicep--the very sharp red and gold dragon.

The title . . . hmmm . . . well, I'd agree that some of the stories on are a bit on The Wild Side. Others are much tamer.

I loved Of Sex and Zombies and a few others were gold. There was also some dead weight, but it's an anthology so that's to be expected. But definitely worth the $10 just to read Of Sex and Zombies!