New Wave: Image is Everything traces the evolution of the often neglected pop music genre, new wave. Using artists from Elvis Costello to Cyndi Lauper as illustrations, the book argues that new wave was among the first flowerings of postmodern theory in popular culture.

My name is Macy Kowalski. I'm a registered nurse, a pharmaceutical scientist, a founding member of the Detroit Police Department's barely-legal Shadow Squad, and a walking case study in 21st century man problems. I like things calm and orderly. I have a soft spot for people, so I spend my days developing a formula to help cancer patients escape their suffering. My research has caught the eye of some dangerous members of the self-medicating community, and now I have to make sure my plans aren't polluted by unsavory people who'd rather destroy me, my friends, and my city. By night I have a part-time partner and full-time guardian, Detective Jonas Rafe, fellow member of the Shadow Squad. He is as volatile and unpredictable as anything I've ever dealt with in a lab. I'm smart enough to protect myself when handling chemicals, but I'm still learning when it comes to him. He's sweet when his mouth is closed, but there's no way to prepare for when it opens. In time, his actions speak louder than his words, and though I vowed to never put my trust in another cop, he makes me want to take chances. He's the law, and he wants to protect me. They all do. But I'm neither as fragile nor as pure as he wants me to be. I'm a nerd with a gun fetish. I'm tired of observing, and it's time for me to be in on the action. When he finds out what I've been up to in Detroit after dark, our relationship is tested, loyalties are divided, and lives are put in jeopardy. When our team is under fire, Jonas will finally see the real me. When he does, will he see what he wants to see, or will he be the one who finally breaks me? My name is Macy Kowalski. I am a brawler.

My name is Venessa Cross. I'm a Detroit club DJ with issues. I know it, my friends know it, and even the enemy knows it. The problem is, now the Detroit Police Department knows it, too. I was wrong to think my nighttime activities would go unnoticed. Eventually I wound up on his radar. His name is Detective Black. He's huge, he's quiet and he really hates people. He's also the job. He lives it, believes in it, and is really good at enforcing it. At least he thought he was until I came on the scene. When he's assigned to protect me, he gets a taste of my world where I change his views on right and wrong. I make him question everything he stands for, and I hate myself for it. I'm not a normal girl. I'm a violent girl. I'm a girl on a mission. I'm a girl in love for the first time. I'm also terrified I'll ruin him. If you thought the streets of Detroit were brutal, try taking what's mine. I want my Detective and my vengeance, and I'm willing to take out anyone who stands in the way. Follow me and watch me do what the police can't: deliver punishment. My name is Venessa Cross. I am justice.