The Cage by Jason Brannon

Cryptozoology is the study of animals that are believed to have existed but have not been seen in any recordable manner. But what if these animals do exist? What would it take to find them, to catch them? What kind of a man would one have to be in order to devote his life to such an unusual and dangerous pursuit?

In the novel The Cage by Jason Brannon we are introduced to such an individual. Captain Jack Omaha is the guiding blight behind a traveling freak show made up of all sorts of animals that are not supposed to exist. He’s a modern day Indiana Jones but with a wicked smile and a fumbling lack of ethics. Unlike the typical carnival act, in Captain Jack’s show the creatures are very real and very deadly. Omaha should know. He risked life and limb to catch them all with his own two hands and often at great personal loss.

While trying to strike a deal with an established zoo in the town of Crowley’s Point a huge lighting storm crashes the meeting. Thunderous waves of rain and wind break open the freak show caravan allowing all of Omaha’s worst cryptids to escape. Within minutes the crowded public zoo is lurking with new inhabitants capable of feasting on or freeing their trapped animal brethren. A bloodbath of chaos ensues as Omaha and the park’s manager Kinston Owens try desperately to restore order. Unfortunately for them all some of these unstudied beasts are much smarter than anything any hunter has ever seen.

Right from the moment the first creature is described it’s almost impossible to not want to find out what happens next. Characters like Captain Omaha and Kingston Owens put you in the position of sometimes rooting for the men and sometimes hoping the creatures will eat them. The story is simple and easy to follow with the slightest twists existing within tactical positions that allow the action to continue unabated.

Some books are just plain fun to read. The Cage is equipped with its own unique brand of carnage. Should Jason Brannon come out with another thriller I will be one of the first in line with a ticket in hand eagerly waiting to see the show.

The Cage. Author: Jason Brannon, Publisher: Black Death Books (2007), ISBN-10: 0976791498, 236pgs, $14.99

Confessions of a Corporate Slut

How difficult is it to traverse the corporate world? Author Jacqueline Gum knows first hand. In her debut novel, Confessions of a Corporate Slut, we experience the arduous journey of Roberta, a scrappy chick from a broken family who is forced to become self-sufficient at an early age. Prospects for a prosperous future seem grim until she lands a job selling restaurant equipment.

Being one of the few women in the industry is hardly a hamper on her natural charisma, so instead of folding to the male dominated culture, she uses her femininity as a sales tool. Roberta ignores the whining dictates of college stricken feminists, and instead of demanding equal pay, she beats her male counterparts on the race up the corporate ladder.

While the climb itself is impressive and educational, it's the detour that starts the real story. Roberta meets a young man named John Wendell, who has inherited a large sum of money and decided to pour it into the family business. Wendell Industries fast becomes the purpose of his life, while Roberta becomes the love of his life. Herein lies the dilemma.

Roberta wants to be in love. She wants to be a loving wife and mother of his children, but John wants something more. In times of corporate crisis, he seeks her counsel. In times of intimacy, he pushes her aside. Roberta tries to be everything he could possibly need, but it's never enough. As the years pass his insecurities are used against her like weapons, attacking her self-esteem and confidence.

She cows to his every demand, accepting expensive gifts and events as consolation prizes, but none of it can make up for the cruelties he submits her to. She knows someday soon a bitter divorce is inevitable, but a deep sense of denial keeps her from standing in natural defiance as this merciless juggernaut comes barreling down on top of her.

Confessions of a Corporate Slut is a brilliant re-telling of a successful corporate woman who smashed glass ceilings at every turn, only to give it all up for the man she loved. Based on real life events, this novel reads like a biography and is brimming with deeply emotional content. The author might have paved a pathway to the top, but it was through her painful mistakes that she will help so many to grasp what she herself was unable to attain.

As America's business world is steadily flooding with ambitious women, Jacqueline's lessons will no doubt multiply in value. This is a must read for any young vixen who is considering a corporate career and a great book for those who have loved and lost in our age of greed and power.