Odd Stuff was my very first book back in 2010, published initially by Sapphire Blue Publishing. I wrote the book backwards, literally. I knew how it ended, wrote that scene, and worked my way back to the beginning. I've never written another book this way and that's a fact I'm terribly happy about since it wasn't a terribly comfortable way to tell a story. This world is and will always be one of my favorites and it has some awesome dedicated fans (*waves at Odd Series fans*)
Odd Wolf is written in a way to be accessible to those who read the first two books and those who haven't yet joined the party. That said, here's a few Odd Series facts for those new to the world:
Top Five Odd Series Facts
5. The Odd Series is set in Ashtabula, Ohio, a small town that used to be big.
Long ago, when shipping was pretty important to everyone, Ashtabula was a major port city. Things were shipped in from the Atlantic Ocean, brought inland via the Great Lakes until the ships reached the Ashtabula Harbor. So, the harbor had everything a sailor just off the water might need--whore houses, fancy hotels, great dining, a lovely lift bridge and what remained became what is now known as the historic Harbor District. History left behind an area with a faded grandeur, an almost scenic history and seemed the perfect setting for a paranormal world to hide. On cobbled alleyways, under gargoyle laden eaves, my monsters roam through snowstorms and sunshiney beach days...just like everyone else here.
4. Odd Stuff is the name of a store selling metaphysical and mystical goodies.
Run by a local witch, Mia, Odd Stuff is more than a store. It is a way of life. Mia has many friends in various other circles of the magical world--from wolves, to sirens, to creatures that no one can even name, she is like a bridge uniting all things the humans don't know exist. Janie is her best friend from high school, recently divorced, who moved in with Mia for a while with her daughter, Vickie. I'm not even going to get into all the adventures they've already had (since it took me two couple hundred page long books to begin telling them in the first place) however I will say that Janie has a penchant for getting into mischief and has a hard time in the love department. Dara also knew Mia from back in school, although she was a year ahead of Janie and Mia so she wasn't besties or anything. They help out where they can, tossing virtual duct tape on lots of mystical leaks, so it didn't surprise me when Dara headed over to Odd Stuff for help in Odd Wolf. (PS. Yes, this means that fans of Janie and crew will get to see everyone, if briefly, in the new book. Chance is...cranky, to say the least, and I got a kick out of seeing the gang through someone else's eyes for this story.)
3. Fairies aren't nice.
In this particular series, most of the fairies we've met are dicks. Like, they aren't nice at ALL. I'm sure some are, but we haven't really met any. You won't hear a peep from them in Dara's story since none of the fae have a burning desire to get mixed up in wolf business, but they're out there. Being dicks.
2. Vampires can be a little arrogant.
But, hey, wouldn't you be if you were super hot, had a really long lifespan and could move way faster than most anyone? Vance, leader of the local blood-sucking residents, also isn't a big fan of wolves, so we don't see much of the vamps in this book. But again...they're out there. Being arrogant. We don't hold it against them most days, but hey, the wolves aren't getting I heart Vamps t-shirts anytime soon.
1. The Witches are pretty badass, actually.
Like one of them is the maiden of the circle of the dawn and she's going to school to become an architect. She's also a stripper and has outstanding boobs, but everyone has to make a living, right? In this series, we've seen witches use simple table sugar to cast spells that stopped baddies in their tracks. We've seen witches cure the nearly dead, witches sneezing spells...
The witches have a lot going on. Lucky for Dara, she's on the witches' good side. Which explains how she could just bip over to Odd Stuff and ask for Mia to do her a solid. No matter how badass anyone is in this world, however, there's always someone with just a hair more power...
Don't even get me started on Chance. *sigh*
Well, that was your quickie intro to the world. For those of you who've been hanging out with me in this magic-filled playground for a few books now, welcome back! Shit is about to hit the fan. For those of you new to the Harbor, welcome. Pull up a chair. Maybe grab a raincoat, cuz stuff is about to get a little Odd...
The
man, however, long ago conquered the beast, so Lynwood simply looked at her
again. With a blink, her wolf peered out at him and he hit his knees before he
realized he planned to move. The impact of knees on brick jarred him and seemed
to give him a tiny measure of his mind back.
Enough
so, he recognized the alpha in the alley wasn’t the man by the dumpster. As he
gazed up at her, he saw her lips curl into a feral smile. “That’s better, don’t
you think?”
Her
voice shivered over him, rich and ripe with her power, and he trembled before
dropping his chin to his chest. “Unexpected is the word I’d use.” With her
power still gliding over him with an invisible weight, he caved and his palms
hit the cold grit of wet bricks. His arms trembled as the wolf longed to drop
and show belly, an outward recognition of her utter dominance.
“Your
name,” she demanded.
More
of her strength rippled over him until he did collapse, looking at her shoes in
frustration. “Lynwood Pierce. Look, about trespassing on your pack property…”
He
didn’t get to finish. The man’s boot rammed between his ribs. The kick alone
wasn’t enough to silence him, but combined with her power, the blow left him
blinking back tears and grinding his teeth together.
“I
think we’ll go someplace more private to talk, if that is okay with you,
Lynwood.”
Although
she’d phrased it as a question, he understood the lady alpha issued a command.
What
disturbed him most, however, wasn’t her decision. It was the fact his wolf
didn’t mind following any orders she might give—something he’d sworn never to
do again.
