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Table of Contents
Cynthia Penn's Bookshelf
Girl's Guide To Hunting & Kissing: Harlequin Blaze No 108
Joanne Rock
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373791127 $4.50 256 pages
The second of the Single in South Beach series! Recommended. In her first series for
Harlequin,
author Joanne Rock captures the vibrancy of Miami Beach with her own inexhaustible
flair for
scintillating romance. The first novel of the Single in South Beach series introduces the
hedonistic
Club Paradise and the creative women who run it. A wildly successful resort for couples,
Club
Paradise received an overall when its male owners absconded with the profits. Each of
the women
owners had a connection to those who nearly bankrupted the resort, and have worked
together to
turn it into a lush, provocative, uninhibited playground for singles. Their goal is a fat
bottom line
and sweet financial revenge. None of the women expect to find love! Attorney Jackson
Taggart
looks for a woman with the perfect mouth, finding it on Summer Farnsworth. Deftly
avoiding
clich‚ pickup lines, Jackson captures her imagination with a clever use of a cell phone
and divine
temptation. Jackson knows Summer's secret fantasy will do anything to get his girl.
Indeed,
Summer makes Jackson easily forget the controversy that dogs his every step thanks to
father.
She might not be a politician's perfect pick, but he is willing to risk his carefully starched
shirts for
her. Jackson risks his political career for her even as Summer prefers bad boys with
tattoos. As
Club Paradise's ambiance coordinator, Summer has created a sensual paradise
culminating with a
room that is straight out of a bordello. Her bustier and pink braids may not match the
proper
image Jackson usually pursues, but her fiery personality draws him irresistibly. While
they are
wildly attracted to each other, however, Jackson and Summer are truly proof that
opposites
attract, and soon they are attracting controversy as well. The wildly successful
introduction to this
series, SEX & THE SINGLE GIRL receives a perfect encore with GIRL'S GUIDE TO
HUNTING AND KISSING. Jackson's outrageously ingenious method of meeting and
pursuing
Summer cannot fail to charm readers even as the sensuality between them sparkles.
Richly
developed characterizations spring to life, complete with a background dripping with
decadence
and sin. A marvelous read, GIRL'S GUIDE TO HUNTING & KISSING comes very
highly
recommended. Be sure to watch for the next installment, Harlequin Temptation ONE
NAUGHTY
NIGHT.
Sex & the Single Girl: Harlequin Blaze No 104
Joanne Rock
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373791089 $4.50 256 pages
A lavishly sensual experience! Recommended. In her first series for Harlequin, author
Joanne
Rock captures the vibrancy of Miami Beach with her own inexhaustible flair for
scintillating
romance. The first novel of the Single in South Beach series introduces the hedonistic
Club
Paradise and the creative women who run it. A wildly successful resort for couples, Club
Paradise
received an overall when its male owners absconded with the profits. Each of the women
owners
had a connection to those who nearly bankrupted the resort, and have worked together to
turn it
into a lush, provocative, uninhibited playground for singles. Their goal is a fat bottom
line and
sweet financial revenge. None of the women expect to find love! FBI agent Aiden
Maddock
arrives at Club Paradise intending to investigate the scandal that rocked it the previous
year.
Unfortunately, he was also the same agent in charge of Brianne Wolcott's stepfather's
investigation ten years ago. Brianne was barely an adult then, and the investigation was
devastating. She is now a much different woman who would prefer to leave her past
behind.
Unfortuately, her step-father was Aidan's recurring nemesis and the first case Aiden had
ever
worked. The fact that he still remains free spurs Aiden's interest in Club Paradise and
Brianne.
Brianne might have been na‹ve enough ten years ago to trust Aiden, but now she has
attitude and
verve. But Aiden is determined to not let her sexy looks deter him from this career
breaking
investigation. Brianne is equally determined to not let this hunky investigator get to her.
He might
think she is her now ex-step-father's puppet, but she is her own woman and hell bent on
success.
Aiden becomes a regular guest at the club and sexual tension escalates, especially as he
becomes
certain she is hiding something. Author Joanne Rock pens a sensual feast with SEX &
THE
SINGLE GIRL. An extraordinary introduction to a promising series, SEX & THE
SINGLE
GIRL is Rock at her best with scintillating dialogue, a brisk pace, and hard hitting
sensuality. Her
own years of living at Miami Beach bring the area alive with a vivacious celebration of
night life
and fascinating characters. SEX & THE SINGLE GIRL comes very highly recommended.
Be
sure to watch for next month's installment, GIRL'S GUIDE TO HUNTING AND
KISSING.
Prognosis: A Baby? Maybe: American Romance No 978
Jacqueline Diamond
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373169787 $4.75 256 pages
Recommended. Heather Rourke resents the arrival of Doctors Circle's newest staff
addition.
Everyone knows she should have been in line next for the job but no one knows that is
not the
reason for her resentment. Only Doctor Jason Carmichael knows that they met at a
convention
more than a year ago and would have made love if he had not passed out. The humiliating
experience has haunted her, but she does not realize that Jason does not remember
exactly what
happened that night. Jason knows that Heather has a secret. When he learns that she has a
baby at
home about the right age for their purported liaison, Jason becomes determined to find a
way to
spend time with his daughter. But he does not know how to orchestrate things without
scaring
Heather off. Eventually the truth will come out. Either Heather had his baby or she is
keeping a
darker secret. Author Jacqueline Diamond pens an entrancing story with PROGNOSIS: A
BABY? MAYBE. Jason's inability to remember the events of fifteen months ago leads to
the
marvelous of conundrums, and Heather's determination to protect her heart and her
privacy offers
him no respite. Indeed, Jason's arrogance meets its match in Heather's protectiveness of
her
privacy. As they struggle with mutual attractions the sparks fly - and clash. A wonderful
afternoon's read, PROGNOSIS: A BABY? MAYBE comes very highly
recommended.
Their Baby Bond: Silhouette Special Edition No 1588
Karen Rose Smith
Silhouette
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373245882 $4.75 256 pages
Enchanting! Recommended. Victoria Phillips eagerly anticipates the birth of her baby,
even if she
is not carrying the child. Instead, a pregnant teen has agreed to allow Victoria to adopt
her child.
With the expected day less than a month away, Victoria prepares a nursery, inviting a
contractor
to provide a bid. She never expects Jake Galeno to show up. Years ago he took her to her
senior
prom and she has never completely gotten over her teen crush. But the years have not
necessarily
been kind to him. For reasons he refuses to reveal, Jake has traded his gun for a hammer.
But this
a job he best finish quickly if he wants to put an end to sleepless nights, vivid dreams and
a hungry
need for Tori. She is a forever kind of girl and with a baby coming certainly would want a
wild
fling, which is all that he has to offer. Albuquerque saw to that when he was still on the
force.
Indeed, Jake believes that he has been broken into a thousand pieces and his is a solitary
road.
Author Karen Rose Smith brings her enchanting gift for weaving memorable romance to
THEIR
BABY BOND. Smith does not shy away from tackling the most challenging of emotional
situations, which presents her tales an opportunity for poignancy and healing that has
become her
trademark. Certainly, THEIR BABY BOND showcases this gift with an unwed mother
and a hero
with a painful secret. Add this one to you keeper shelf. THEIR BABY BOND comes very
highly
recommended.
Wedding's Widow: Cassidy McCabe Mystery, 7Th.
Alex Matthews
Intrigue Press
PO Box 102004 1310 S. Washington St., Denver, CO 80210
ISBN 1890768499 $24.95 224 pages
Winner of WordWeaving Award for Excellence (for a series). Despite her misgivings,
Cassidy
McCabe agrees to attend client Claire Linden's wedding. Claire had divorced an abusive
husband
and found new love in the three years she had been seeing Cassidy. But her fianc‚ seems
a bit too
good to be true. Tragically, Cassidy and husband reporter Zach Moran do not celebrate
Claire's
wedding but witness the groom's murder. Just as the couple begins to speak their vows a
shot
rings out. Max dies in his bride's arms. Having previously heard of Cassidy and Zach's
sleuthing
abilities, Claire appeals to Cassidy for their assistance. She wants them to investigate
what
appears to a professional hit. Soon they learn of a multitude of suspects who might want
Max
dead. Worse, their questions lead to a stalker who threatens Cassidy's life. In the seventh
Cassidy
McCabe mystery WEDDING'S WIDOW, author Alex Matthews once again proves her
excellence at creating well constructed mystery and a cast of characters readers cannot
help but
love. The irrepressible cat Starshine makes her appearance with feline grace and Cassidy's
marvelous grandmother likewise lends zest to the tale. As Cassidy and Zach's relationship
matures, the inevitable strains of daily living take a toll even as their affection binds them
tightly.
Their teamwork as investigators continues to strengthen as well. Moreover, the antagonist
proves
to be a bit of conundrum, making it hard to hate such a likeable fellow. With the rich
nuances and
subtle paradoxes that make life such a marvelous challenge, we award the Cassidy
McCabe
Mystery Series the WORDWEAVING AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE.
A Baby...Maybe / How To Hunt a Husband: Duets 108
Bonnie Tucker and Holly Jacobs
Harlequin Retail
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373441746 $5.99 377 pages
Recommended. In the last Harlequin Duets, authors Bonnie Tucker and Holly Jacob team
up for
amusing comedy. Readers who have treasured such entertaining reads will be pleased to
learn that
Duets are becoming a new product line called Flipside, offering individual, longer titles.
Certainly
Tucker and Jacobs capture the flair and spirit that made Duets such a huge success. A
BABY MAYBE? By Bonnie Tucker: Meddlesome mothers arrange a bet as whose
daughter
will marry first. But Cara wants no part of this competition to the altar, especially when
her
mother picks the date and begins to arrange the ceremony without a groom in sight. So
Cara flees
town on her spring break, only to decide that what she really needs a baby. But the man
who is as
the sperm bank does not exactly offer the exact product this hopeful mother needs. Or
does he? A
rollicking rollercoaster ride filled with unexpected twists and hilarity! The seamless blend
of this
story into the subsequent one by Holly Jacobs adds the unity of theme that characterizes
the best
of Duets. HOW TO HUNT A HUSBAND by Holly Jacobs: Readers who enjoyed the
Harlequin
Duet The Great Bridal Escape/How to Catch a Groom by Bonnie Tucker and Holly
Jacobs will
recall Mary Kathryn's sister Shannon O'Malley. Now featured in her own story, Shannon
endures
the pressure to find a husband since her sister ran off with the best man and left her
groom at the
altar. Now her mother intends to win the bet that will land her at the altar despite her
reticence to
marry. Nate also wants to avoid the altar, and suggests that he and Shannon team up to
get rid of
the wedding planners. She presents herself as a stripper and he presents himself as a biker
to their
respective families. But the plan backfires when each attempts to keep their emotions and
desire in
check. An hilarious read that will keep the reader in stitches, HOW TO HUNT A
HUSBAND
showcases Jacobs at her outrageous best.
Montana Twins: American Romance No 984
Charlotte Maclay
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373169841 $4.75 256 pages
Recommended. Sheriff Eric Oakes Stunned is stunned by the news that he is a father. He
did not
even know that he had a sister until the social worker informed him of her death, and of
the twins
he was about to inherit. That is, if he can rectify his single status. Eric had always wanted
children, but this is totally unexpected. After his mother had abandoned him at the age of
ten, she
had had another family. Her daughter was also eventually relegated to the foster care
system,
becoming the foster sister Laura Cavendish, who has been raising the twin babies since
their
mother's death. Laura also loves the children, and is reticent about giving them up. As
difficult as
giving the children up is, however, she will fulfill her foster sister's wishes, if Eric
complies with
her wishes as well and gets married. So when Eric advertises for a wife who lives up to
Laura's
expectations, he is destined to fail. That is, unless he convinces Laura to marry him
instead.
Although Eric is convinced that he cannot love, he has many lessons to learn from his
new family,
especially Laura, who believes herself unworthy to be loved. Author Charlotte Maclay
pens a
tender story of self acceptance in MONTANA TWINS. Neither Laura nor Eric seeks out
the
biological father, thereby underscoring their own potential losses. Unfortunately, that
casual
disregard may bother some readers. Nevertheless, both Laura and Eric are damaged, each
believing that they are incapable and unworthy of the love the other offers. Their
unexpected
passion brings them to understand the profound depths of emotion they are capable of,
allowing
their characters to grow convincingly. However, Laura's determination to cling to the
belief that
she is unworthy of love because she defines her worth by her ability to bear children can
be a bit
wearisome. On the other hand, Eric's struggles and her transformation lend the novel a
wonderful
poignancy. MONTANA TWINS comes recommended.
He Said Yes
Patricia Waddell
Zebra Books
Kensington Publishing Corp.
850 Third Avenue, New York NY 10022
ISBN 0821775006 $5.99 320 pages
Recommended. Marshall Hanley Bedford, Marquis of Waltham, looks forward to settling
his
family comfortably so he can one day marry. In the meantime, a mistress could easily
meet his
needs. But a simple seamstress captures his imagination and throws his plans, his future
and his
reputation into a tizzy. He intends to make Evelyn Dennsworth his mistress. Then she
stands
unjustly accused of theft, and Marshall feels compelled to come to her rescue. He hires a
lawyer
and has her released from prison under his protection until her innocence can be proven.
In the
meantime, Marshall sets Evelyn up in her own house. Despite tantalizing kisses, Evelyn
makes it
clear that she will never become his mistress. However, she does become his stepmother's
assistant. During the days, Evelyn's influence draws Lady Waltham out of her deep
mourning and
helps her to live again. Nights Evelyn spends in Marshall's arms as his lover. Then
horribly, she
accused of theft once again. Author Patricia Waddell begins a wonderful new series with
the
Gentleman's Club. These fast paced Victorian romances begin with HE SAID YES, to be
followed by February 2004's release of HE SAID NO. In HE SAID YES, author Waddell
once
again demonstrates her gift for matching a strong, intelligent, determined heroine with a
strong,
honorable, and extremely passionate hero. Indeed, Marshall and Evelyn's unconventional
verve
and remarkable honesty cannot help but capture reader's hearts. Moreover, their story
absolutely
sparkles, striking just the perfect note between tender and passionate, impossible and
believable.
Secondary characters are likewise believable, lending the novel wonderful depth. HE
SAID YES
comes very highly recommended.
Shadow Crossing
Catherine Spangler
Leisure Love Spell
Dorchester Publishing
276 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10001
ISBN 0505525240 $5.99 351 pages
Recommended. There was a time when Celie Cameron smuggled contraband all over the
quadrant, surviving by wit and bravado. Now with Shielders safely settled in a new
quadrant,
questions of inequality and poverty seem to be solved. That is, until Celie takes an illegal
shipment
to the planet of Joba. The government certainly has failed to eliminate poverty and need
on this
desolate planet. And when she tries to make her delivery, things go dangerously wrong.
Shocking
discoveries once rocked Rurick and shook the foundation of his beliefs when he realized
the
failure of the Interstellar Council to uphold the life quality codes they established.
Poverty and
disease are rampant, and he intends to do what he can to help the planet of Altair. Indeed,
he fears
how many might die before he can bring much needed supplies. Then gunfire forces
Celie, her
assistant Raven, his robot, and himself to retreat to Rurick's ship, leaving Celie's ship
behind. Celie
soon finds herself intrigued by the robot that seems almost human, especially when she
learns of
his pleasure programming. But she and Rurick both have secrets and one is that Rurick
dare not
reveal his true identity. Author Catherine Spangler's gift for memorable futuristic
romance
absolutely sparkles in SHADOW CROSSINGS. While it works just as well as a
standalone,
SHADOW CROSSING takes its part in the series of books about Shielders with aplomb.
As
always, Spangler populates her universe with characters readers come to love. Celie and
Rurick
share a powerful passion even as they work at cross purposes. Seemingly insurmountable
differences present challenges they most overcome. Secondary plots likewise dazzle,
especially
with the return of fan favorites from previous novels. An absolute reading pleasure,
SHADOW
CROSSING comes very highly recommended.
A Baby By Christmas: Superromance No 1167
Linda Warren
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373711670 $5.25 304 pages
Recommended. During her six months of marriage to Jake, Elise failed to consider the
effect of
having her deceased husband's picture by the bedside, or the effect of her emphasis on
procreation
at the expense of all of else. But when Jake suddenly discovers that he is the father of a
special
needs child, the very foundations of their marriage prove to be made of sand. She is not
ready to
be the mother of someone else's child. He is not prepared to give up his son. Only the fact
that
Jake cannot gain custody of his child without being married forces both he and Elise to
confront
their deepest feelings. Truthfully, somewhere along the way a marriage formed for the
purpose of
having a child had brought unexpected love. But due to the new stresses of their lives,
now it has
brought unexpected heart ache. But mutual love and love for a special child might just be
enough
to bring this unexpected family together by Christmas. Linda Warren pens a
heartwarming tale of
second chances in A BABY BY CHRISTMAS. She deftly exploits one of the best
benefits of
writing for the Superromance line by bringing together mature characters under unusual
circumstances. Certainly they discover new love, but not through the traditional plot
devices.
Instead, she creates a masterfully fresh plot and wonderful, yet wounded, characters that
discover
marvelous possibilities. With such a wonderful storyline, readers will easily forgive a
child that is
rather too precocious for his circumstances. A wonderful read that belongs the keeper
shelf, A
BABY BY CHRISTMAS comes very highly recommended.
One Naughty Night: Harlequin Temptation No 951
Joanne Rock
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373691513 $4.25 224 pages
The third of the Single in South Beach series! Recommended. In her first series for
Harlequin,
author Joanne Rock captures the vibrancy of Miami Beach with her own inexhaustible
flair for
scintillating romance. The first novel of the Single in south Beach series introduces the
hedonistic
Club Paradise and the creative women who run it. A wildly successful resort for couples,
Club
Paradise received an overall when its male owners absconded with the profits. Now
owned by a
group of women, Club Paradise has been transformed into a lush, provocative,
uninhibited
playground for singles. But it is not the kind of place a girl like Esmeralda Giles might
usually be
found. Esme arrives at Club Paradise to meet a blind date orchestrated by her neighbor
who has
an eligible nephew. Her neighbor paid for a room at the club as well. Believing that her
faulty
judgment has led to her stint of bad luck, including loosing her job and her car, Esme is
determined to do everything opposite of what her instinct might dictate. Otherwise she
would
never have gone on a blind date. When the woman stands out in a room full of outrageous
outfits
and do-me heels, Renzo Cesare decides to intervene. When he learns that Esme intends to
meet a
blind date, he steps in, not correcting his identity until he is certain she had safely made it
to his
room. Entranced by Esme, however, Renzo will have to work hard to find his way to her
good
graces. The third installment of the Single in South Beach series, ONE NAUGHTY
NIGHT
combines the success of this series with the ongoing delightful Harlequin Temptation's
The Wrong
Bed Series for outrageous fun. Author Joanne Rock's seductive prose consistently weaves
a spell
of romance and titillation that readers find irresistible. Esme and Renzo might meet under
unorthodox conditions, but they discover wildly sensual exquisite temptation. ONE
NAUGHTY
NIGHT comes very highly recommended. Be sure to watch for February's release of the
next
Single in South Beach series, when VALENTINE VIXEN is packaged with Stephanie
Bond's
CLUB CUPID.
Listen to the Shadows
Joan Hall Hovey
Wings ePress, Inc.
403 Wallace Court, Richmond, KY 40475
e-Book ISBN 1590882377 Retail $7.50
Paperback ISBN 1590887190 Retail $15.95 296 pages
Recommended. Written with the finesse and grace of a master, Joan Hall Hovey's first
novel,
LISTEN To THE SHADOWS, is an engrossing tale of fear and danger certain to keep the
reader
awake, turning pages long after bed time, and listening carefully to everything around
them. A
man without a conscious stalks artist Katie Summers. She hasn't seen him, but she senses
his
presence. A tingling on the back of the neck, a flicker out of the corner of the eye, and an
instinctual awareness of danger are her only warnings. Stood up by her date late one
night, Katie
leaves the restaurant alone to drive through a storm to her remote country home. She
doesn't
notice the headlights following her. But when she does glance in the rearview mirror, the
sight of
a dead man's sightless blue eyes staring back at her results in a nearly fatal accident. She
doesn't
know, as she lies unconscious and bleeding, with her car crushed by a telephone pole,
that her
stalker lurks close by, watching. After four days in a coma, Katie awakens in the hospital.
There
she meets Dr Johnathan Shea, a sexy, vibrant, man carrying a heavy load of guilt over the
loss of a
young patient. A romantic interest develops, spiced by fierce attraction, sexy intrigue and
danger.
But the question remains as to whether he will be enough to protect Katie from a
madman. Joan is
a powerful new voice in the world of suspense and mystery. Her tight plot,
well-developed
characters and originality will satisfy the reader's craving for tension and danger. I
certainly look
forward to more novels by the promising author with great eagerness.
Chill Waters
Joan Hovey
Wings ePress, Inc.
403 Wallace Court, Richmond, KY 40475
eBook ISBN-- $6.00
Paperback ISBN -- $11.95 274 pages
Evil stalks the unsuspecting --Recommended. Memories of idyllic summers spent with
her
grandmother motivate Rachael to buy the house in Jenny's Cove. Tired of the arguments
and
silences, she had tried to breath fire back into the dying embers of her marriage, only to
discover
her husband warming someone else's bed. Now at age forty-five and in the process of a
divorce,
Rachael longs for the simplicity of her childhood. Iris Brandt recognizes the arrival of
evil, chilled
by the malevolent energy that follows Rachael. The practical, no nonsense proprietress of
local
gas station feels compelled to warn her. Indeed, Iris would be correct, because from the
moment
of Rachael's arrival, a man watches. He has already killed, and mercilessly will do so
again. And
his stalking of Rachael has only just begun. Author Joan Hovey creates a taut thriller in
CHILL
WATERS. Woven with an uncanny magic, CHILL WATERS is rich in sensory imagery
and
dense with the darkness that lies in the heart of a madman. Hovey creates a rich cast of
characters,
each uniquely realized and memorable. At age forty-five, heroine Rachael provides a
refreshingly
mature viewpoint who still manages to grow and change with the flow of the novel. She
has
raised her children and fled a failed marriage to take control of her life only to confront a
madman.
With believable vulnerabilities and strengths, Rachael's innate goodness sharply
juxtaposes the
man who stalks her. Indeed, Hovey's masterful narrative style sweeps the reader into a
dangerous
world where danger masquerades as friend, and evil stalks the unsuspecting. CHILL
WATERS
comes very highly recommended.
Christmas at Shadow Creek: Harlequin Superromance No 1165
Roxanne Rustand
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373711654 $5.25 304 pages
Recommended. Two years ago Johanna Weston tragically lost her newborn son Hunter.
Now
divorced, she seeks healing working at the Enchantment Pediatric Clinic before restarting
her
career in California with the position she dreamed of while in medical school. Her soft
heart leads
the purchase of Galahad, a lame gelding. When Galahad escapes his pen, Johanna meets
neighbor
Ben Carson, the owner of Shadow Creek Ranch. Despite his better judgment, Ben was
intrigued
by Johanna from first sight. But he forsook his dreams of love and marriage when three
years ago
the woman he loved left him. Now he needs to concentrate in his ranch and raising their
horses.
There just is not enough time for anything else, no matter how enchanting his new
neighbor might
be. Good thing he has his priorities straight, or his interest might lead to trouble.
Enchantment,
New Mexico brings healing in Roxanne Rustand's CHRISTMAS AT SHADOW CREEK.
Fans of
the Birthplace series will be charmed by this beautiful tale about second chances. Both
Johanna
and Ben bear wounds from their past, but once they let their guard down, they discover
the power
of love to heal. A lovely tale whose beauty transcends the holiday season, CHRISTMAS
AT
SHADOW CREEK comes very highly recommended.
The Tiger & the Tomb
Bonnie Vanak
Leisure Books
Dorchester Publishing Co, Inc.
276 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10001
ISBN 0843952997 $5.99 352 pages
Recommended. In 1893 an arranged marriage pairs Lady Katherine Smithfield with an
Egyptian
family friend known as Nazim. Despite her dual English and Egyptian heritage, Katherine
only
fulfills the marriage contract because it was her mother's dying wish. Besides, her scarred
left
cheek assures a dearth of marriage proposals. The scar was left by tiger cub in her youth.
Now
her father is in danger. Unless she can steal a treasure map from a man known as Ramses,
her
father is bound for jail for a crime he did not commit. Her blackmailer assures her that
her father
will not survive the experience. Ramses deplores his half-English heritage. Like his
sacred totem,
Ramses is fierce and relentless as a tiger when he stalks something he wants, and he
wants the
mysterious woman for a night of passion before he signs his marriage agreement. Like his
ancestors, as a Guardian of the Ages (those sworn to protect his sheikh), Ramses is a
warrior
sworn to sacred bonds of trust. Once he marries his English bride, he will take the name
Nazim
and must remain faithful to his wife to ensure an heir to carry forth his family's sacred
trust. When
they meet, both Katherine and Ramses experience an overwhelming chemistry, even
though
neither knows the identity of the one they are sworn to marry or that their missions put
them at
cross purposes. Bonnie Vanak weaves a captivating tale of love and intrigue in THE
TIGER &
THE TOMB. The sequel to THE FALCON AND THE DOVE, Both Katherine and
Rames suffer
from deep inner torment that finds love's remarkable power of healing. Vanak displays
impressive
flair for capturing the atmosphere of ancient Egypt, lending the exotic past a vivid
presence that
lingers with the reader long after the last page is turned. With a remarkable blend of
eroticism,
adventure, and humor, THE TIGER & THE TOMB belongs on the historical romance
fan's
keeper shelf. THE TIGER & THE TOMB comes very highly recommended.
Trick Me,Treat Me: Harlequin Temptation No 948
Leslie Kelly
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373691483 $5.25 224 pages
Recommended. Author Jared Winchester has spent the last year researching the
Glanovsky serial
killer, and now he leaves behind frigid Russia for frigid Chicago. He has not had a
serious
relationship because most women cannot handle his career writing about horrific crime.
Certainly
no one has ever understood his fascination for the macabre. This weekend, however,
Jared looks
forward to his cousin Mick's murder weekend Halloween party to be held in his
hometown at The
Marsden Place. He assumes the identity of Miles Stone, a James Bond type stalking an
international arms dealer. Although she and her aunt had not planned to open The
Marsden Place
until after the New Year, its reputation leads them to open it for Halloween weekend.
Nearly
every room is booked, including space reserved by the local real estate agent Mick. Aunt
Hildy
capitalizes on her gangster past to add atmosphere to the place. Indeed, Aunt Hildy insists
that the
place is haunted and that she talks to ghosts. So when Jared arrives in character, he
assumes that
Gwen is simply a part of his cousin's event. And when her aunt whacks him over the head
with a
stalking full of pennies, amnesia lends its own remarkable twist to the weekend's events.
Author
Leslie Kelly's talent for penning tantalizing, sensual romance sparkles in TRICK ME,
TREAT
ME. The tricks are delightful and the treats are sinful when Jared and Gwen cross paths
in this
installment of The Wrong Bed series. In keeping with the Halloween theme, ghosts and a
haunted
house lend the novel a supernatural element, but there is nothing ghoulish in this
Halloween treat.
The scintillating heat between Jared and Gwen clearly reveals why Kelly has established
herself as
one of Harlequin reader's favorite authors. A fun treat suitable for any time of year,
TRICK ME,
TREAT ME comes very highly recommended.
Someone Like Him
Karen Kendall
Avon Books
HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street New York, NY USA 10022
ISBN 0060007230 $5.99 384 pages
Recommended. Lavender "Vinnie" Hart's boss fires her only fifty-nine minutes after
beginning her
new job. With a twelve-year-old brother who needs tuition money to worry over, Vinnie
desperately seeks a new position. After several disastrous interviews, Vinnie meets with
Nicholas
Wright who seeks someone to care for his newly acquired dog. A wealthy architect, Nick
knows
more about design then he does the care of a four footed animal -- especially when his
aunt
bequeaths a detailed journal including instructions for pedicures and sweaters for the dog
named
Daffodil. The pooch turns into a powerful matchmaker, but even she may not be enough
when the
intrepid ex-girlfriend Dana Dvorak attempts to rid Nick of both his dog and Vinnie.
Author Karen
Kendall has a gift for the turn of phrase in SOMEONE LIKE HIM. Prose reads like
poetry with
gems like "In the evening, she'd swear the smell of weariness hung in the air." Yet the
comedic
elements of the novel likewise sparkle with her original style that readers will treasure. A
wonderful cast of characters keeps the pages turning with outrageous and unexpected
antics.
Vinnie's self-conscious awareness of class issues weighs heavily in this otherwise light
hearted
romp, revealing unexpected depth of characterization. With Daffodil's antics keeping the
tone
light, SOMEONE LIKE HIM provides a delightful afternoon's read, coming very highly
recommended.
Sheikh Surrender: Harlequin Intrigue No 749
Jacueline Diamond
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373227493 $4.75 256 pages
Recommended. When his brother is murdered on an American's doorstep, Sheikh Zahad
of
Alqedasr arrives in the small California town to claim the body. The small
robbery-homicide
department fails to meet Zahad's expectations so he begins investigating himself, meeting
Jenny
Sanger in the process. She claims that an internet stalker has been leading strange men to
her door
for sex, and the Sheikh's brother was only the latest victim of the joke that had turned
tragically
deadly. Soon Zahad is convinced of Jenny's innocence in his brother's murder. But that
only leads
to more questions. With a background in security, Zahad lingers for a few days staying
with
Jennifer until his brother's body is released. But with threats to his claim to rule at home,
Zahad
will quickly have to choose between the American and his country. Worse, the murder is
still out
there and they are both in danger. Author Jacqueline Diamond pens an unexpected tale of
stalking, intrigue and love in SHEIKH SURRENDER. The novel surpasses this reviewer's
expectations with its unique twist on internet stalking and its deadly results. Jennifer
proves to be
a strong heroine with the maturity of a divorce and a child to add her convincing maturity
and
responsibility. Zahad is likewise a pleasure with his roguish ways and exotic background.
A quick
read that will warm the cold winter nights, SHEIKH SURRENDER comes very highly
recommended.
Sheikh Surrender: Harlequin Intrigue No 749
Jacueline Diamond
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373227493 $4.75 256 pages
Recommended. When his brother is murdered on an American's doorstep, Sheikh Zahad
of
Alqedasr arrives in the small California town to claim the body. The small
robbery-homicide
department fails to meet Zahad's expectations so he begins investigating himself, meeting
Jenny
Sanger in the process. She claims that an internet stalker has been leading strange men to
her door
for sex, and the Sheikh's brother was only the latest victim of the joke that had turned
tragically
deadly. Soon Zahad is convinced of Jenny's innocence in his brother's murder. But that
only leads
to more questions. With a background in security, Zahad lingers for a few days staying
with
Jennifer until his brother's body is released. But with threats to his claim to rule at home,
Zahad
will quickly have to choose between the American and his country. Worse, the murder is
still out
there and they are both in danger. Author Jacqueline Diamond pens an unexpected tale of
stalking, intrigue and love in SHEIKH SURRENDER. The novel surpasses this reviewer's
expectations with its unique twist on internet stalking and its deadly results. Jennifer
proves to be
a strong heroine with the maturity of a divorce and a child to add her convincing maturity
and
responsibility. Zahad is likewise a pleasure with his roguish ways and exotic background.
A quick
read that will warm the cold winter nights, SHEIKH SURRENDER comes very highly
recommended.
Flash Point
Metsy Hingle
Mira Books
225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9
ISBN 1551667142 $6.50 384 pages
Recommended. A chance picking up of a newspaper transforms New York photographer
Kelly
Santos life when she returns to New Orleans after Sister Grace dies. The nun had been
the only
loving influence in her life while she grew up in St. Anne's orphanage. Indeed, Sister
Grace had
given Kelly her first camera, thereby changing how she sees the world. The distance of
the camera
from its subject reflects Kelly's own struggles to live in a world where her psychic
abilities have
always ostracized her. Touching the newspaper brings about a viewing of the chain
events that
lead to murder. Kelly reports her knowledge to the local police who scoff at her
information; that
is, until a victim surfaces that meets her exact description. The police suspect Kelly of
committing
the murder except for Jack Callaghan, who has previous experience with Kelly's gifts.
Further,
when Kelly touches Sister Grace's rosary, she realized the nun had been murdered as
well. Little
does she suspect that she herself may have been the link between the murders and that
she is in
terrible danger. Fans of author Metsy Hingle will recognize her remarkable gift for
creating
gripping tales of romance against a richly realized New Orleans background. Once again
Hingle
demonstrates her marvelous talent in FLASH POINT as the city aptly frames Kelly's
psychic gift.
The pace of the plot moves quickly, despite its circular path revisits the crimes through
Kelly's
skills. Kelly and Jack develop a tender romance even as danger throws them ever closer
together.
Furthermore, combining the elements of a police procedural with the paranormal results
in a
gripping tale readers will find impossible to put down. FLASH POINT comes very highly
recommended.
The Mudlark
Delle Jacobs
AweStruck E-Books
2458 Cherry Street, Dubuque, IA 52001
ISBN 1587494191,1587494213
eBook/Multiple Formats
Downloads $4.75 138 pages
Recommended. Tristan Trowbridge receives his first impression of Izzy Daventry
immediately
after her emersion in a local creek. He does not know that she has just rescued a kitten
from
certain death, but he does know that the mud-streaked girl manages to share the filth with
his
pristine white uniform. Such an improbable beginning can only lead to an equally
challenging
relationship when their fathers attempt to arrange their marriage. Years of planning
culminate in
their fathers' marriage arrangement. Izzy, however, wants to marry her beloved Donald.
She takes
Tristan aside and quickly learns he has his own marriage wishes. So they reach an
agreement that
will satisfy their fathers of their complicity even as they arrange to elope with their
intendeds.
However, somewhere between performance and scheming, Tristan and Izzy are going to
learn
that they cannot choose where love might lead. A delightful tale, MUDLARK rises above
the
usual conventions of Regency romance to present a tale with refreshing twists. Delle
Jacobs
successful creates willful, strong characters who maintain proper proprietary even as they
manage
unexpected schemes within the plot. Izzy's sassy spirit and her witty repartee with Tristan
will
keep readers amused until the last page is turned. MUDLARK comes very highly
recommended.
Tides of Autumn
Pamela Johnson
Echelon Press
P.O. Box 1084, Crowley, TX 76036
Ebook (May 2003) ISBN# 1590801571
Paper (September 2003) ISBN# 159080158X
$4.00 Download
$5.50 3.5" Floppy diskette
$8.00 CD-ROM in Collector DVD Case
$10.79 Paperback
Captivating! Recommended. After twenty-two years of marriage, widow Darci
Cunnigham begins
her new life on Mackinac Island hoping to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming an
author. Still
grieving, Darci longs for the healing the island provides, little suspecting the danger that
lurks
nearby. Meanwhile, she learns to live again when she meets photojournalist Tyler
Landston. Tyler
comes to Mackinack Island to capture images of its residents for his employers who are
writing a
book. Accustomed to moving throughout the world, Tyler has never had a desire to settle
in one
place. But when he meets Darci, Tyler finds himself longing for more than his rolling
stone ways.
Unfortunately, his inability to talk about the past makes him look terribly suspicious and
causes a
rift between himself and Darci. One of the greatest pleasures of small presses is the
refreshingly
"real" stories one encounters. Imperfect, older heroines who love and grieve and gain
second
chances provide the depth and maturity many readers seek in their heroines. Certainly
author
Pamela Johnson understands the need for unconventional heroines as shown in this first
book of
the Shores of Mackinac Series. TIDES OF AUTUMN captures the poignancy of loss and
the
promise of new beginnings even as danger lurks only a moment away. Johnson's ability to
create a
place replete with magic and rich in nuance makes TIDES OF AUTUMN come very
highly
recommended.
Femme Fatale
Doranna Durgin, Virginia Kantra, Meredith Fletcher
Silhouette
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373218508 $6.50 384 pages
Flirty, sexy, powerful heroines! Series romance finally achieves powerful heroines who
approach
living and loving with style and verve in the FEMME FATALE anthology. Rather than
using tears
revealing their femininity, these heroines rely on their abilities and their intelligence to
express
their feminine side. These heroines work for a top-secret agency called StonyMan Farm
in this
series of connected missions which keeps the heart pounding, the blood pumping, and the
heroes
guessing. In Shaken and Stirred, British agent Bethany Riggs finds herself framed for
murder and
running from the CIA when a Russian informant dies. The Russian woman had been
betrayed by
her terrorist lover, and sought both safety and revenge by coming to Beth. Instead, the
informant
found herself at the wrong end of sniper's rifle. Now MI-6 Agent Jason Chandler believes
Beth
killed the Russian, and follows the British spy through the streets of Cape Town in
pursuit of the
computer keycard to the terrorist's computer system. Beth and Jason find themselves at
cross
purposes even as they seek the same goals. A fast paced plot and pulsating chemistry
keeps the
story lively even as their chemistry really turns up the heat. Beth and Jason are evenly
matched for
wit and drive, allowing them both extraordinarily strong parts in the story. While the first
story
I've read by Doranna Durgin, it certainly will not be the last! In The Get-Away Girl,
Kylee Swain
uses her career as a stuntwoman as cover for her covert work for Stony Man. Stony Man
assigns
Kylee to obtain the computer of a programmer with connections to an international
terrorist.
Accustomed to life on the edge, Kylee still finds herself surprised when a sniper attempts
to kill
her while filming a stunt driving a car. An Australian mercenary and former CIA agent,
Mick
Stone is the programmer's bodyguard and has no intention of allowing Kylee fulfill her
mission,
whatever it might be. As these powerful characters clash, the result is fascinating spin on
a
traditional storyline. Kylee's career as a stuntwoman adds zest to this tale as she controls
dangerous and deadly situations with finesse. Mick's Australian flair adds a touch of the
exotic,
even if occasionally overdone, resulting in a sexy hero worthy of Kylee's style. Author
Meredith
Fletcher's flair for creating tense situations and unexpected danger results in a memorable
tale. In
End Game, Victoria Grayson works undercover in the Cayman Islands trying to bring
down a
powerful drug lord. Her assignment forces her to cross paths with a former contact, DEA
Agent
Bishop Tyler, who knows her under a very different cover. As staid as Victoria is
flamboyant,
Bishop determinedly works toward closing a case of his own. Fans of Virginia Kantra
will
recognize her characteristic flair for witty dialogue and scintillating chemistry. While her
tale is
flavored by more conventions of serial romance, she successfully skirts the temptation to
allow
her heroine tearful recollections of the past. Instead, Victoria emerges with the strength
her name
suggests. Powerfully rendered, the heroines of FEMME FATALE lend the product line a
remarkable freshness and unsurpassed dynamism. FEMME FATALE is an outstanding
anthology
that comes very highly recommended. If this anthology recommends their new series of
intriguing
tales with tough heroines entitled Bombshells, then it should be a tremendous
success.
Cynthia Penn
Reviewer
Diana's Bookshelf
Trumpet Of The Unicorn
E. D. Detetcheverrie
iUniverse
2021 Pine Lake Road, Suite 100 Lincoln NE 68512
www.iuniverse.com
ISBN: 0595191282 $13.95 173 pgs
New species are discovered all the time in the wild. Occasionally new species are found
via
archeology as well. Sometimes there are claims that a species that was formerly thought
of as a
myth has been dug up. What is so special about the discovery at the dig outside of
Snakebite?
That is what Geoffery McKenna is going to find out in E. D. Detetcheverrie's Trumpet Of
The
Unicorn.
Geoffery is a veterinary student in New York and loves what he does. He is right at home
with
the animals and his lovely superior Lillian McQueen, who also happens to be his lover.
When she
tells him that she needs him to go to Montana, to an archeological dig and pose as her
assistant,
until she can arrive the next day, he goes, despite the fact that he knows absolutely
nothing about
paleontology.
Of course, when he arrives, things go just as he knew they would. Everyone knows right
off the
bat that he has absolutely no idea what he is doing. Thankfully, he has arrived at a very
exciting
time and that should take the eye of scrutiny off of him long enough for Lillian to arrive,
or so he
hopes. It seems that they have discovered a new species; perhaps even a unicorn and now
they are
waiting on Dr. McQueen to come and verify the find. In the interim things start to get
dodgy, the
dig is tampered with, people get hurt and no one is above suspicion, the natives who's
land this is,
other parties who maybe interested in the value of the find, fellow member of the
archeology team
and even Geoffrey himself.
Trumpet Of The Unicorn is a fast paced who done it mystery, where thieves and
murderers could
be in a neighboring town or as close as sleeping in tent next to you. I was absolutely
clueless
regarding who was responsible for the attempted thefts and murders, until the author
revealed it
to me.
This work was a page-turner filled with a cast of realistically composed characters, who
each
came to life as the story unfolded. The story is so enthralling that the reader feels as if
they are
there at the site, with dust blowing and ruthless thieves stalking the night.
I recommend The Trumpet Of The Unicorn to anyone who likes a good plot driven
mystery with
strong characters, as well as anyone who appreciates a well-crafted story.
The Hand I've Been Dealt
A. P. Fuchs
iUniverse
2021 Pine Lake Road, Suite 100 Lincoln NE 68512
www.iuniverse.com
ISBN: 0595299768 $12.95 99 pgs
I am not one to read poetry. In fact, I generally avoid it like the plague. However, I so
thoroughly
enjoyed Fuchs first novel, A Stranger Dead, that I decided I would give these poems an
honest
read. I am glad I did.
There are a lot of emotions one experiences in life. Perhaps the most intense is love.
Often when
we love someone in a deep and passionate way, just because the relationship ends doesn't
necessarily mean the love ends. It is poems of this type of intense, lingering love that the
reader
will find in The Hand I've Been Dealt by author A. P. Fuchs.
The works in this book are the writings of 'the best friend,' 'the good guy' and as always,
the one
who always has faith that the one he loves, loves him as well, no matter what his mind
says.
Though the theme seems to be the same throughout, the range of emotion and experiences
is
wide, making each verse special.
There are also streams of thought, which are unique in that they are written just as a
thought
might play out in your head. Often I wished to reach out to the author and just let him
know that
the hurt and emptiness will pass and love will find him, again. Of course, coming from
me, that
means this work can reach even the most cold hearted of people, I was even cheering for
the
good-guy.
Just a few of the poems that I found especially moving were: She's The Kind Of Girl, I
Thought
and I Fell. The emotions in these poems touched me deeply.
It is my recommendation that this book be read slowly and each poem or stream be
allowed to
take full meaning. The words and emotions the author has skillfully penned in each word
will
move anyone with even a small semblance of a heart.
For more information please visit www.apfuchs.com
The House of the Temple
Brian Lumley
Endeavor Press
1515 Hickory Wood Drive, Annapolis, Maryland 21401
www.endeavorpress.net
ISBN# signed limited edition 0972865632
ISBN# signed lettered edition 0972865624
116 pgs Hardcover Limited $45.00, Lettered $150.00
The reading of the last will and testament of a dearly departed is never an easy thing to go
through. True, sometimes you find out you are to be the recipient of jewelry, money,
houses, and
cars; sometimes items which have only sentimental value, but it rarely makes the passing
any
easier for friends and family members. However, in The House of the Temple by author
Brian
Lumley, the late Uncle of the main character John McGilchrist, left a will of a different
kind.
John was not having a good go of things when he was contacted regarding his uncles
passing. In
fact, he had just relocated to New York, three months earlier, hoping to leave many of his
worries
behind. With his friend Carl accompanying him, he returns to his family's home in
Scotland. A
home, he can scarcely remember, except for the pool.
He must meet a specific condition in accordance with the will. However odd that
condition may
seem, it is nowhere near as bizarre and horrifying as what John and Carl will face should
they stay
at 'Temple House.' Will John decipher what the family curse was? Why the bizarre
request from
his uncle? What is it about the pool that caused it to stay in his mind, despite the fact
neither he,
nor any of his family, were swimmers? You'll just have to read to find out.
In addition to having the wonderful Cthulhu style feature story, the readers are granted a
bonus
short story, a humorous yet chilling dimensional tale, Swamped, also by Brian
Lumley.
Lumley is a master of genre fiction, someone I always expect great things from each time
I open
one of his books. I have never been let down, and The House of the Temple is spot on.
He not
only sets the bar in the horror genre, but also raises it with each new release; his tone and
style
haunting in ways that only he is capable. No fiction collection is complete without
Lumley, and no
Lumley collection is complete without The House of the Temple. This is classy, chilling,
and
above all else, must read horror.
Note on the publisher: This is the first novelette published by Endeavor press I have read,
although it is the second in their novelette series, and as a new small press, I was utterly
amazed
by the line up of authors. Even more impressive than that, is the quality of their product.
These
signed limited edition works will no doubt be a treasure for many collectors. Now is the
time to
get in on this series before it is too late, and you find yourself resorting to eBay: as if
anyone
would get rid of one of theses babies. I expect to continue seeing great things from this
new press
in the future.
Real Ghosts, Restless Spirits, and Haunted Places
Brad Steiger
Visible Ink Press
43311 Joy Road #414 Canton, MI 48187
www.visibleink.com
ISBN# 1578591465 $24.95 615 pgs
Could that shadow in the corner be more than just a shadow? Was it really just a kid
knocking on
the door and running away? Is it the house only settling? Publicly we tend to write of
strange
occurrences as imagination, or as having a good explanation that we are just not aware of
yet.
However, when we are alone or in like-minded company, it seems to be human nature to
wonder
about the possibility of ghosts and spirits. Some people even make a career out of ghost
hunting
and/or paranormal investigation. Brad Steiger, author of Real Ghosts, Restless Spirits,
and
Haunted Places, brings the insight of nearly fifty years as a paranormal researcher to the
topic. As
well as, his experience of actually living in a haunted old farmhouse, adding an
authenticity to his
writing that many other research books of this type lack.
This is actually the most extensive accounting of true stories that I have ever seen. This
all-encompassing work is a compilation of true first person accounts of haunting and
phenomenon
surrounding ghosts and spirits. Dividing the book into thirty chapters and including 125
photographs, makes the information easy to handle, regardless of if you want to read the
entire
work, or are just interested in one particular type of occurrence. Either way, the division
makes it
a perfect reference, or captivating read.
At first, you may be thinking why is there so many chapters, but then you begin to see
just what
an astounding collection Steiger has compiled. It covers a plethora of area hauntings such
as,
haunted houses, apartments, churches, cemeteries, mansions, plantations, and burial
grounds. His
work also breaks the types of occurrence down into categories such as, glowing entities,
poltergeists, attacking shadow beings, possessions, animal ghost, and several more.
The stories are haunting, no pun intended, and their being true makes it even more
disturbing.
Even though ghosts and haunting has always been a fascination of mine, I still had to read
this
with all the lights on, and there were several occasions where I had to stop and allow the
chills to
pass.
If you are an enthusiast, just curious, or perhaps just love to read ghost stories, you
cannot miss
out on Real Ghosts, Restless Spirits, and Haunted Places. Without this extensive,
fascinating,
definitive book on hauntings, no paranormal collection will be complete.
The Haunted Queen Mary
Robert James Wlodarski and Anne Powell Wlodarski
G-Host Publishing
8701 Lava Place West Hills, California 91304
Phone/Fax 818-340-6676
ISBN# 0964908859 $13.95 106 pgs
When people think of the Queen Mary, generally they think of a stately liner that held the
record
of fastest transatlantic crossing. Perhaps it is even remembered as a war vessel by many.
Of
course, any liner that traveled over thirty years cannot be without incidence. With
incidence
comes the potential for haunting. It is the haunting of the Queen Mary that authors Robert
James
Wlodarski and Anne Powell Wlodarski cover in their book, The Haunted Queen
Mary.
First the readers are given the fascinating history of the luxurious ocean liner, from her
early years
1936-1939, the war years 1940-1946, straight to her post war years 1947-1967. The
authors give
an idea of what it would have been like to take a first class trip or perhaps to be among
the
crowded service men being transported.
With a general concept of the history now the authors share with the readers the liners
haunted
history. There are several ghost stories shared of the most predominantly, seen or felt,
entities.
There are stories sent in from guests, who stayed the night on the liner, which is now
converted
into a hotel, as well as stories from visitors who took the walking ghost tour. There is
even a
transcript of a s‚ance held aboard the ship in 1987. To close there are stories of more
recent
occurrences.
In addition to the ghostly information, there is also helpful information in case you do
happen to
have an experience to help you make the most of it, and a form to record it on as
well.
The Haunted Queen Mary is a wonderful guide that everyone in search of a ghost story
should
pick up. If you are planning to stay on the Queen Mary, I recommend you read the book
first, as
it will enhance your over all experience. I have never personally been aboard, but after
reading the
book it is now on my list of places that I must go. Perhaps after you've read the book you
too will
visit the Queen Mary in search of a ghostly sighting of your own.
A Magical Journal
Von Braschler And Mari Coryell
Phoenix Publishing Inc.
P.O. Box 3829, Blaine, WA 98231
www.phoenixpublishing.com
Individuals- 1-800-326-0804
Bookstores, etc.- 1-800-593-9673
Internet - Amazon.com
ISBN# 0919345700 $24.95 254 pgs
Anytime I undergo anything new I start a new journal. When I was growing up, the best
confidant
I had was myself, via my journal. Of course, over the years I have used many things as a
journal,
from a stapled together stack of paper to a fully locking diary. What I am trying to say is
that
journals are as special to a person as they make them. A Magical Journal has the potential
to be a
very special tool for readers.
Let me start at the beginning and I think you will agree. The cover of this book is
beautiful, rich
blue with a silver moon and stars, and there are also stars along the spine as well. When I
held the
book in my hands, I could not resist the urge to run my fingers over the rich texture.
Opening the book you will find, Seventeen chapters on natural magic. Whereas I would
normally
call these instructional chapters, I think chapters of guidance, is more suited. These
chapters give
the readers just enough guidance so that they can form their own personal relationship
with the
earth and all of her gifts. They also gently guide the reader to their own personal
experience with
magic and spirituality.
Beyond those chapters the reader will find places to make journal entries. In each month
there are
several meditation and activities to help you along the way, as well as information
regarding
moons and special days of the year.
A Magical Journal is a thoughtful introduction into magical journaling, which allows the
individual
to stay individual in their approach to spirituality and magic. Authors Von Braschler And
Mari
Coryell, have offered a great deal of expertise, and done so in a way that makes this
journal
perfect for anyone, be it their first spiritual quest or not.
I recommend this guide/journal to anyone who is seeking to find a spiritual path or who is
seeking
to deepen their spiritual life and connection to nature. The beauty of the book will make it
great
gift and a treasured keepsake. Although it will be hard to part with, perhaps they should
be sold in
pairs.
Blood Canticle
Anne Rice
Knopf
www.aaknopf.com
ISBN# 037541200X $25.95 306 pgs
When I think of vampires, I think of a nasty horrid creature with a grotesque appearance
that
stalks the nights, killing humans. When I think of Anne Rice's vampires, I think of Lestat,
sexy,
witty, sophisticated, bad boy vampires. Vampires who faces inner struggles and are
drawn to
humans for reasons other than sustenance, as the famous vampire Lestat does in this, the
latest
and supposed last, of the Anne Rice vampire chronicles, Blood Canticle.
I'll be honest with you, I haven't read Anne Rice since The Vampire Armand, and I picked
up this
book with mixed expectations. I was pleased to see that Rice is back on her game,
perhaps better
than ever.
Lestat over the years has become much more reader friendly and apparently a little softer
as well.
In Blood Canticle, the reader finds him with Quinn Blackwood and Mona Mayfair, his
newest
children. Mona and Quinn are as vibrant as any charters I've seen, with lovely attributes
and great
charisma. Added to this cast is Rowan Mayfair, who seems to have seriously caught the
attention
of Lestat, in a way no person has before, and also her stunning human husband, Michael
Curry.
With the cast in place, Anne Rice tells a tale where it seems everyone has a ghost in their
closet,
very often literally. The mixing of the Vampires with the Mayfair Witches lends itself to
some very
spectacular character interaction, and some heated emotions.
The story is tight, crisp and very face paced. It is a highly character driven story that had
me
griping the cover waiting to see what would happen next. I know what you are thinking. I
know
what I have said in the past; things change, as do writing styles. This book is filled with
action,
dialogue, intense situations and only the right amount of narrative.
Blood Canticle is a novel that will please and delight, all Anne Rice fans, even those who
have
fallen to the wayside, as well as readers who are new to The Vampire Chronicles. The
lovely thing
about Blood Canticle is it can be enjoyed even if the reader has never read and of the
other books
in the related series, Vampire or Witches.
Anne Rice has created a gothic style novel that is sure to please lovers of vampires as
well as
lovers of a great story. If it truly is the last of the Vampire Chronicles, at least it is one
you can
really sink your teeth into and drink deep of the words told by an author that hasn't lost
her
bite.
The 13 Colonies
Robert Shuster
Sevenacide
www.sevenacide.com
ISBN# 0970698925 $10.00 83 pgs
If you've been reading genre fiction as long as I have, then you know by now we should
have a
robot in each house or inhabit other planets. In The 13 Colonies by Robert Shuster, the
reader will
find thirteen tales that explore the 'what if' of inhabiting other planets, or beings making
their way
to Earth.
I am not sure if the author intended it as such, but each of the stories is not only
entertaining, it
also has a moral.
A Primitive Race, is about the tendency man has for arrogance; it is applied when a crew
lands on
a new planet to discovery it inhabited already by a 'primitive' race.
What a Deal! Is a very old theme, buyers beware, with a fun new sci-fi twist.
The Native Feast, my favorite story in the collection, is about compromise, and cultural
differences.
The Last Earthling is a haunting tale, about standing behind ones decisions.
The First Born reminds readers things aren't always as they may seem.
Survival of the Species, reminds us that when survival is at stake, no relationship is
sacred.
Knee High By the 4th of July is a harsh reminder that sometimes rules, are actually there
for our
own good!
Goodbye to Earth, presents a hard situation. Would you stay or leave or even care at all,
when the
day comes for the Earth to pass?
Escape From Planet X, I have always said, if they harm none leave them be. Perhaps I
need to
rethink that.
Eenie Meenie, sacrifice is often necessary for the good of all, so long as it is fair.
Animal Vegetable or Mineral is the question at hand, and that is all I am saying.
Almost Perfect proves yet again that 'almost' just isn't good enough, except in horseshoes
and
hand grenades.
A Delicate Balance, is an exceptional choice to close with, as it serves as a firm reminder,
that
history does repeat itself, when we don't learn from the past.
You may notice I have barely given any description of the tales included and I have a
reason for
that. To set up stories that are written in this manner is to give away all of the fun. This is
a
snappy little collection of old style sci-fi presented in fast paced short tales. Whether you
are
looking for reading that is just good fun or something a little deeper, you will find it
here.
Re-Configuration Heroes from Outerspace
Olga Altstatt
Xlibris
1-888-795-4274
www.xlibris.com
ISBN# 1413425631 $17.84 191 pgs
Humans only use a small percentage of their brains. This is a much-debated myth; the
percent we
use is estimated at around 10 to 100 percent. I do however agree that humans do not take
advantage of all the abilities they are capable of when it comes to thought processes. Ever
wonder
what would happen if we, humans, were to use our brains to their fullest capacity?
Perhaps we
would use the common sense we all have to know better than to destroy both our bodies
and our
environment. That is the basic premise of Re-Configuration Heroes from outerspace, by
Olga
Altstatt.
Five college students, Oleg, Tina, Tom, Lena and Jack, from various parts of the earth,
met at a
beach in Europe and decide to go to a party together. At the party, they do what today's
fun
loving young adults typically do, live it up. After consuming too much alcohol, which
was laced
with drugs, they find themselves near death. While they lay on the ground unconscious,
aliens take
them aboard their ship and head for Galaxy 575-X. The students undergo procedures to
increase
their brain function and it is soon decided that the fate of mankind rests on them.
Unfortunately,
due to adjustments to environments, they cannot go back to earth themselves and
therefore they
are cloned. The clones are then instructed on what they need to do-for now.
This is a fascinating fantasy geared toward young adults. It delicately, yet with high
moral points,
touches on the matters that are faced by today's young people. The unique thing I found
was that
the message was full and clear, yet so was the story, nether overpowering the other.
Altstatt has chosen a hard audience to write for, but I feel she has done so in a way that
will
capture and hold the attention of the young adult reading population, which is no small
feat.
If you know someone who seems to be struggling with the hard questions life throws our
way,
pick them up a copy of Re-Configuration Heroes from outerspace, by Olga Altstatt, it can
provide
them with hours of reading enjoyment, as well as guide them to do the right thing.
Condensed Chaos: An Introduction To Chaos Magic
Phil Hine
New Falcon Publications
1739 East Broadway Road #1-277 Tempe AZ 85282
www.newfalcon.com
ISBN# 156184117X $14.95 191 pgs
They say that as we grow up, something is lost due to the limitations we learn, first from
our
family unit and further, pounded home from society in general. Despite needing a degree
of
open-mindedness to practice magic in the first place, we still manage to apply
confinements on
ourselves, and it is the intent of Chaos Magic to strip away those boundaries.
All too often it is human nature to think that something can only be done one way and
that our
way must be right. Where does that leave those of us who do not wish to practice every
aspect of
any particular theology? It leaves us to invite in a little chaos, and then have the fortitude
to do
what works for us as an individual.
I have often wondered why it is, when someone has a great message, he or she will strap
it with a
title that right away turns off quite a few potential readers. I might hang for this, but I first
wondered that after reading the work of Anton LaVey, a very misunderstood man.
However,
after reading Chaos Magic, it hit me. As with most profound messages, they can sound
very
simplistic; the potential to be over the head of many readers is high. When a message
regarding
reducing limitations is misunderstood, the results can be horrible. By giving something a
name
such as 'chaos', the readers to whom the message would be lost are eliminated.
Author Phil Hine has taken away the double speak and laid Chaos out so that any who are
ready,
can begin their travel to illumination. Do you have the gumption to pave your own way
through
life and spirituality? If so, just read, ponder, and decide if Chaos Magic is for you. I invite
my
readers to apply the principles of Chaos magic not only to their magical dealings, but to
their daily
dealings as well. In a world where the only thing that limits us, are boundaries we have
accepted
an applied, it is high time we decided to push against those self-inflicted boundaries and
see what
our individual potential is.
If you have ever felt, there must be something other than the daily routine; perhaps you
just do
not feel satisfied with the level at which you exist. When you get ready to shed the
boundaries,
you are ready for Chaos Magic.
Post Modern Logic
Constantin Virgil Negoita
New Falcon Publications
1739 East Broadway Road #1-277 Tempe AZ 85282
www.newfalcon.com
ISBN# 1561841676 $16.95 253 pgs
With the amount of reading I do, it is very rare when I have to admit something was just
over my
head. In fairness to my readers and the author, I will give my best understanding of what I
read,
and hope that I am not too grossly off the mark.
In Post Modern Logic, Constantin Virgil Negoita traces the roots of the Anglo-American.
What
we have is a journal style recounting of findings and various conversations on this and
other
topics the author had with a myriad of scholars and associates. There is a myriad of
fascinating
historical points of reference, as well as theories on the effects of said points.
I dare not venture into the greater meaning of this work, less I risk sounding like fool.
And I
cannot judge a piece of work that was simply out of my area of expertise.
In giving a recommendation, I can see this as a great piece of work for a reader who is
highly
versed in history or whose philosophies are based with historical sciences. The target
audience
will love it. It just wasn't for me.
The Greatest Diet In The World
Dolly Dimples
Chateau Publishing, Inc.
PO Box 20432 Orlando, FL 32814
ISBN# 0884350029 $3.95 (subject to seller) 239 pgs
Now I know what you, my dear reader, may be thinking. Why are you Diana, you who
are such a
lovely woman, reading a diet book, and one published in 1975 no less? Well the answer
is quite
simple. I was asked to. Actually I am quite glad I did, as now I can bring this gem to your
attention.
Celesta Geyer, otherwise known as Dolly Dimples was a former 'circus fat lady', peaking
around
555 pounds. By today's standards that would be an average weight of a morbidly obese
person.
This makes her story not only still relevant, but also more pertinent in today's times, when
obesity
is increasingly common.
As she shares with the readers her life story, it becomes clear how a woman can, not only
reach
such weight, but also how she came to put herself on display in a sideshow. Despite all of
the talk
we have in today's time regarding discrimination, it seems to be politically correct to
discriminate
against large people. One can only imagine how horrid the treatment was for her, yet not
only was
she an excellent person, she used her 'problem' to secure a livelihood.
Thankfully, she had the love and support of her husband, along with the great will needed
to lose
enough weight to place herself in the Guinness book of world records. She was a
world-class
dieter and a world-class lady.
Anyone who is seeking inspiration, be it for dieting, or any other seemingly
insurmountable task,
can find it in the pages of The Greatest Diet in the World. A charming autobiography of a
classy
lady, regardless of size.
The Karma in Your Relationships
Karl Schlotterbeck
iUniverse
2021 Pine Lake Road, Suite 100 Lincoln NE 68512
www.iuniverse.com
ISBN: 0595261396 $12.95 127 pgs
Ever wonder why you always seem to be with the same type of person? Or perhaps why
you
always behave the same way in a given situation, no matter how hard you try to alter your
behavior. These questions and many more are addressed in Karl Schlotterbeck's The
Karma in
Your Relationships.
Often it is said, behavioral patterns we learn as children carry over into our adult life, and
no one
argues that belief. But some patterns just cannot be explained away so easily. So, where
then do
we learn this behavior? Using past life therapy, author Karl Schlotterbeck has found a
profound
and logical way to explain some of our patterns; his work filled with examples of how
our past
lives may bleed into our current life. What is more interesting is, if we can know what
caused this
pattern, we are able to then modify any unhealthy behavior. This is not to say that all of
our
patterns are unhealthy; sometimes it is just nice to know there are reasons for things, such
as what
is called love at first sight.
The book would be valuable even if it only showed readers how they could improve love
relationships but it goes further, also showing how reoccurring patterns in all of our
relationships,
and many situations as well, can all be related to an incident that occurred in a past
life.
What I think is of special interest is even if you don't believe in past lives, you can still
benefit
from this work since it encourages you to take a closer looks at your life and the way you
handle
yourself in many situations. I would think if each reader can address and change only one
unhealthy pattern, or perhaps discover why they love a person so strongly, then the book
has
served its purpose.
If for no other reason than self-appraisal, everyone should have a copy of The Karma in
Your
Relationships by Karl Schlotterbeck-I know I'm glad I have mine.
Living Your Past Lives
Karl Schlotterbeck
iUniverse
2021 Pine Lake Road, Suite 100 Lincoln NE 68512
www.iuniverse.com
ISBN: 0595258786 $22.95 309 pgs
When I think of peoples' interest in past lives, what generally comes to mind is the
wide-eyed
person wanting to know if they were a princess or lord in their last life, and sadly, that is
where
the exploration usually stops. Once people find out who or what they were, they are
satisfied with
that small bit of information. I can just hear you say, "But Diana, what else could we
possibly
need to know?" In the book Living Your Past Lives, Karl Schlotterbeck answers that
question.
Schlotterbeck has been using past life therapy in his psychology practice for over twenty
years,
and brings to this book his first hand experience, helping people break patterns, and
explains the
reasons why they behave the way they do.
When we think about our life, there are more than likely some things we do we really
can't
explain, or perhaps have tried to change, but it just seems instinctive. We could be doing
them
because of things that happened to us as children, or even in previous lives. When we
look at our
lives of yore, things we do now will make more sense, and we will better be able to
change
anything that is no longer appropriate for us now.
Moreover, what is the point of knowing? The point is this: to be informed gives us more
choices
about what we do, allowing us to begin to act rather than react. In addition, even if you
gain
nothing else, at least you will know why you do what you do.
Pick up your copy of Living Your Past Lives, and you too can begin to discover your
secret needs
and desires. Perhaps even receive a better understanding over what you need to be doing
in this
life as well as letting go of habits that no longer apply; and that's a good thing.
Natural Pet Healing
Von Braschler
Galde Press, Inc.
PO Box 460 Lakeville, Minnesota 55044
ISBN# 1931942072 $12.95 141 pgs
One of the hardest things we experience, is having to watch those close to us suffer.
Using a
healing touch is one way in which we can take an active role in easing our loved ones
pain. But
what of our beloved pets and plants?
I have never seen it before, nor did it occur to me that touch healing and other alternative
approaches, can be used on our pets as well. In Natural Pet Healing by Von Braschler,
readers are
shown how best to apply the principles of touch healing to pets as well as plants. Since
people and
animals react differently, this guide is highly necessary to have before attempting to apply
any
methods of healing to pets, even if you are already an adept healer. The author is a
trained energy
healer who specializes in working with animals, making this a work of love.
Anyone who is a lover of nature, especially animals has felt the deep connection that is
made
between a pet and it's human. There are small ways that pets communicate with us to help
us meet
their needs. What we often don't consider is that we can communicate with them on more
levels
than we may have been aware of. I am guilty of spoiling my pets and I am sure most with
a
connection to nature's creatures, are guilty as well. It is not something we would consider
changing. But what if you could be shown extra special ways to let your pet know you
love them,
or even to ease their suffering in times of pain?
Not only will you receive step by step instructions on how to use your hands and the
energy
within to help heal your pets; but you will also be given instructions and advice on how
to apply
many other techniques. These include, but are not limited to: Empathetic and Astral
healing,
projecting through forms, message techniques, crystals and other props, voice healing and
so
much more.
Throughout you will be treated to heartwarming stories, concerning the life experiences
of Von
Braschler as he has applied and succeeded with these practices. As an extra special
bonus, all the
personal profits from this work are to be donated to pet charities.
Natural Pet Healing is a must read for anyone who owns a pet. After you have read this
book, you
will be able to take your relationship with your animal companions to new and deeply
moving
levels.
Conversations with the Dream Mentor
Von Braschler
Llewellyn Publications
PO Box 64383, Dept. K728-5 St. Paul, MN 55164-0383
www.llewellyn.com
ISBN: 0738702501 $12.95 190 pgs
Dreams have always been thought to be something that is, for the most part, out of our
conscious
control. It has been accepted by many people that our dreams are ways for the
subconscious to
express itself, or even to send us messages. However, in many cultures, lucid dreaming
has been
practiced for a very long time, and in Conversations with the Dream Mentor by Von
Braschler,
readers can see via example the many benefits, such as what is needed to meet a
mentor.
What I think was neat was he also shared experiences in which he asked the wrong types
of
questions and the results he received when he did. This is valuable, because often when
dealing
with an otherworldly presence, one can lean toward doubt as to what they really need to
be
addressing.
There is more covered than the title would lead you to believe; for instance, some people
may not
realize how astral travel and lucid dreaming can often be one in the same. So in essence
the reader
is also receiving lessons on astral travel, lessons that your dream mentor will help guide
you
through. You are also being guided on how to keep a dream journal, give yourself
post-hypnotic
suggestions, and meditation skills, all of which are invaluable.
As with any topic, it is best to learn from someone who has first hand experience, and the
author
meets those criteria in spades. It is a joy to study with this master.
If you are ready to have your deepest most spiritual questions explored and answered,
gain insight
about yourself, and explore fascinating informative new realities, Conversations with the
Dream
Mentor by Von Braschler is a tool you should not be without in your library.
Animal Magick
D. J. Conway
Llewellyn
P.O. Box 64383, Dept K168-6, St. Paul, MN 55164-0383
www.llewellyn.com
ISBN# 1567181686 $14.95 277 pgs
Being blessed with a familiar who was willing to aid in my magical dealings was perhaps
one of
the most enriching experiences I have had. In fact, my life continues to be blessed by
various
animals on the physical, as well as the astral realm. A familiar can do so much more than
assist
you in actual workings of magic; they can be a wonderful friend and companion. So,
when you
are blessed with having a special creature join your life, how do you make the most of the
relationship? D. J. Conway knows and in Animal Magick she shares her knowledge and
expertise.
Even though I just took for granted that everyone knows what a familiar is, Conway does
not. In
part one, she goes into great detail regarding exactly what a familiar is and what it is not,
hopefully laying to rest the nasty beliefs that are held regarding people who work with
animals, as
well as the lovely animals themselves. She also instructs readers on how to attract a
familiar, and
later she takes it further, giving detailed templates of mediations one can use to attract or
communicate with specific types of familiars.
There is also a lovely chapter on friendship and how it relates to familiars. I suggest
readers look
over this brief, but important chapter several times. It is very important when approaching
any
familiar, be it physical or astral, to do so in a respectful manner, and come with love
versus
demand.
Once readers have been instructed on how to recognize the familiars, they may already
have or
attract new ones; Conway shares the history, myths, magical attributes, and chants for
several
different animals. I suggest reading through all of the animals, because even though you
may think
you would not want to work with a specific animal, you may find it to be the perfect
familiar for
you and your current situation.
When you are ready to fill your life with the blessing of a new friend, familiar and
mentor, you
should not be without, the thoughtful and experienced guidance provided in Animal
Magick by D.
J. Conway.
The Complete Node Book
Kevin Burk
Llewellyn Publications
PO Box 64383, Dept. K728-5 St. Paul, MN 55164-0383
www.llewellyn.com
ISBN: 0738703524 $15.95 224 pgs
There are numerous books on sun signs, moon signs, birth charts and the like. So many in
fact it
can be daunting. Some of these books touch briefly on the moon nodes and some do not
even
mention them at all. In The Complete Node Book by Kevin Burk readers are given an
in-depth
look into what nodes are and how they affect a chart.
What is a node? Nodes are not heavenly bodies. They are points on your birth chart
where the
orbit of the moon crosses the ecliptic. You may be wondering with all of the other points,
planets
and houses in a chart, why would we even need to explore the nodes. The answer quite
simply is
that your birth chart will not be complete without them. The nodes give light to our
spiritual
purpose, by showing the lessons we have mastered in this life and by showing how we
can use
these lessons to succeed in this life.
To understand this book the reader will need a firm grasp of basic astrology. I don't
recommend it
as a first book to read on the subject. However it should not be left out. I would
recommend
purchasing this book along with a basic astrology guide, such as Astrology:
Understanding the
Birth Chart also by Kevin Burk and published by Llewellyn, to give you the most
complete
training possible.
When you order this book you will be given an offer for a free birth chart and if you take
advantage of this offer, even a beginner can use the book to help understand what the
nodes in
their chart mean. Once you have a basic reference guide, this book will be necessary to
make a
complete and accurate analysis of birth charts.
If you are an experienced astrologer, this book will show you how to accurately read the
moon
nodes and give valuable insight to your clients, regarding the lessons of life. If you are
new to the
workings of astrology, I suggest you learn now the meanings of the moon nodes so that
even your
first chart will be understood with greater depth.
Professionals and dabblers alike will find The Complete Node Book an invaluable
addition to their
library. I know I am excited to know what the nodes in my chart represent.
The New Book of Magical Names
Phoenix McFarland
Llewellyn Publications
PO Box 64383, Dept. K728-5 St. Paul, MN 55164-0383
www.llewellyn.com
ISBN: 0738703958 $19.95 415 pgs
What is in a name? More than you may think. A bad choice could wreak all sorts of
horrid
experiences. However, a good choice is more than simply picking a pretty or popular
name, and
will do much more than just sound good when spoken. Throughout history there was
always a
great emphasis placed on names and the process involved in choosing one, because even
then it
was believed, a name held great power.
In The New Book of Magical Names, author Phoenix McFarland has given readers so
much more
than the average 'baby name' books ever do.
The opening section talks about the history of names, including how and why names were
chosen
at various points in history, and in various cultures. This section alone makes the book a
prized
possession. It is not hard to find the definition or even the origin of most names, but how
about
why names were selected, and the folklore behind certain names.
When choosing a name no matter why, child, pet, or even a magical name for yourself,
you can't
find a more complete list. Not only is it the only dictionary of non-Christian names in
print, but
also these names are arranged in a manner so that you can find exactly what you are
looking
for.
As a practitioner, I realize the difficulty involved in selecting a magic name that will be
indicative
of you, at that phase in your life. I no longer have to worry about that, because in this
book, there
are simple quizzes that will lead you to the right names.
For me personally, I can count at least seven different ways in which I will use this
resource book
in daily life. How many books in your library are that useful? The plethora of information
contained within the cover is so vast, that I have to tip my hat to the author. The amount
of
information she gathered is phenomenal, but then she went further and presented that
information
in a way to make it accessible and engaging.
No one should be without this utterly fascinating, highly informative, user-friendly book.
Pick up
your copy today and find out just what is in a name.
Crystal Awareness
Catherine Bowman
Llewellyn Publications
PO Box 64383, Dept. K728-5 St. Paul, MN 55164-0383
www.llewellyn.com
ISBN: 0875420583 $5.99 202 pgs
Most people are aware of what crystals are. In fact, there are a great number of people
who
understand, at least on a rudimentary level, that crystals can be of some benefit. However,
most
people are not aware of all they are capable of helping 'us' with. Catherine Bowman will
forever
change the way her readers look at one of nature's most powerful gifts, and Crystal
Awareness is
the method she will use to enlighten readers.
In Crystal Awareness readers will learn how to use crystals for spiritual growth and
healing,
physical healing and extra energy, protection and dream guidance among other things.
There is
information explaining the energy fields of crystals and how they interact with human
energy
fields. The author thoroughly explains the different forms and qualities crystals have and
how each
is effective and best used. There is invaluable information on how to care for, cleanse,
personalize
and charge crystals. There is also information on the possible side effects of working with
crystals.
There is so much information in this book that I could not possible list it all.
What the author has provided, is a book that is perfect for beginners and will be an
invaluable
reference even to those who are experienced with working with crystals. This is the first
guide
that should be read where crystal use is concerned. Once the instructions and concepts of
this
work have been grasped the reader will be ready to work with crystals in a safe and
beneficial
way. When the reader feels ready to move on to more in-depth instructions, this book will
have
given them a firm understanding of crystals and all that they are capable of.
When you are ready to work with one of the most beautiful and powerful gifts nature has
offered,
you are ready for Crystal Awareness. There is always room to make positive changes, or
perhaps
you know someone in your life that could benefit from crystal healing, no matter your
reason,
there is no guide as complete and easy to understand as Crystal Awareness. Pick up your
copy
today and experience new levels of spirituality and health.
Gems of the 7 Color Rays
William Stuber
Llewellyn Publications
PO Box 64383, Dept. K728-5 St. Paul, MN 55164-0383
www.llewellyn.com
ISBN: 1567186858 $24.95 466 pgs
The earth gives us a lot of gifts to aid in our survival and make daily life easier. Most of
these
gifts, such as food and water, are common knowledge taken advantage of by everyone,
yet there
are also gifts that we are aware of, but don't fully understand. It is the gift of gems that is
explored
in Gems of the 7 Color Rays, by William Stuber.
I am sure all of my readers know that gems can make beautiful jewelry. But I would be
willing to
wager that is where your experience with gems ends. People have recently become aware
of the
healing power in crystals and now Stuber shows his readers of the many inherent powers
found in
gemstones.
Not only will the reader benefit from the knowledge of what ability various gems possess,
they
will also gain awareness of how best to use that power. By that, I mean the best shape to
have,
where to lay the gem on their body, things of that nature.
So what can a gem do for you? If you learn the power of these wonderful tools, they can
be used
not only for healing, but also to gain attributes, increase spirituality, and change bad
habits just to
name a few. The plethora of things possible is astounding when used correctly and safely,
and
William Stuber has made not only his understanding, but also his experience with his
self-designed
classes, workshops and weekend retreats available in an easy to follow guide.
When thinking of gemstones, the saying of "more than just a pretty face" couldn't be any
truer,
and Gems of the 7 Color Rays will show you how to do so much more than adorn
yourself with
these beautiful stones. If you are ready to make changes, deep and lasting changes,
gemstones can
help and William Stuber can show you the way.
Kundalini for Beginners
Ravindra Kumar, Ph.D.
Llewellyn Publications
PO Box 64383, Dept. K728-5 St. Paul, MN 55164-0383
www.llewellyn.com
ISBN: 1567184359 $12.95 329 pgs
When I think of self-realization, the first thing that comes to mind is the teachings of
Krishna, on
whom I have written countless papers. Many consider the Mahabharata the greatest epic
ever
written, and there is good reason that not only it is, but Krishna's message as well, are
held so
dear since they both highlight the journey of the soul. The goal of our soul is to find it's
way back
to where it originated; to become one with everything, and this can be accomplished
through
Kundalini.
In Kundalini for Beginners author Ravindra Kumar, Ph.D., guides the reader through the
process
of self-realization. He teaches with easy to understand terms, how to Activate and play an
active
role in the ascent of Kundalini, which is creative cosmic energy experienced differently
by each
person. As this energy passes through each chakra, a new experience will occur. The
ultimate goal
is the loss of oneself as illumination allows you to become one with everything.
I absolutely am certain that I am oversimplifying this, which is why we have gifted
people such as
Dr. Kumar. When you are ready for a spiritual transformation the likes of nothing you
have
experienced before, Kundalini for Beginners can be your guide. In addition to showing
you the
how's and whys of your spiritual journey, this guide takes it a step further, even
discussing what
to expect after enlightenment. I found that a nice touch-as opposed to just showing you
the finish
line, the author actually walks across it with you.
When I read this guide, I could feel the author's passion, which translated into a very
engaging
read. Some guides have a tendency to become dry and wrought with 'doctor speak'
making it
almost impossible for a reader to follow along. That is not at all the case here. In fact,
readers will
be tempted to read this as a work of fiction. I implore you to take the time and allow each
passage, each message to thoroughly sink in.
In a time when material possession and self-love are dominant, Kundalini for Beginners
offers an
avenue of enlightenment to any one, who is in need of something deeper than what the
material
world has to offer.
Tarot of Mermaids
Lo Scarabeo
Llewellyn Publications
PO Box 64383, Dept. K728-5 St. Paul, MN 55164-0383
www.llewellyn.com
ISBN# 0738704148 $19.95 78 Cards with a 63-page instruction book, in five
languages
As soon as man was able to ponder the whys of life, he also began to create ways to
divine those
answers. One of the most well known ways today is via a tarot reading. When tarot first
made its
appearance, it wasn't made assessable to the general population; the meaning of the cards,
as well
as the layout used to conduct a reading, was passed down in close-knit groups. Things are
different now. Anyone can purchase a tarot deck from almost any store that sells books
and there
are an equal number of manuals, offering instructions on their use.
The biggest question people looking to start reading tarot face are what deck or decks to
use.
There are so many available, ranging from the basic and simple to elaborate. This is of
course a
very personal question, however, the Tarot of Mermaids will move anyone who has even
a remote
interest in the sea and its magical blessings.
Tarot of Mermaids is a beautiful deck. The thought that has gone into each card is so
easily
recognizable, even a novice reader can determine the meaning of the card with some
degree of
ease, just by studying the stunning artwork.
The instruction book is effortless to use and very clear in its presentation. It also includes
a
fascinating background/folklore of the sea creatures, lending additional insight on the
ones linked
to these cards.
This is a deck perfect for both beginners and adept readers alike. In fact, the cards are so
stunning
they would be just as perfect for meditative tools; one more reason, Tarot of Mermaids is
a must
have addition to your divination tools.
Witching Stones
M. A. Madigan & P. M. Richards
Llewellyn
P.O. Box 64383, Dept K168-6, St. Paul, MN 55164-0383
www.llewellyn.com
ISBN# 0738701947 $29.95, 35 Stones, 1 pouch and 157 pgs
Sometimes you can tell just by looking at something that you are holding something
special. That
is how I felt when I received the Witching Stones kit. This is one of those items where I
would
like to walk you through my experience from opening the book to casting the first
stone.
The box, as well as the book, is a handsome blend of deep reds, with pictures of the
stones. I put
the book aside and looked for the stones. They are unique in that they are not flat, nor are
they
perfectly symmetrical. They look like they would have had you made them yourself. The
symbols
on each stone are large and clear, making it easy for me to read, even without my glasses.
I say
stone because they are witching stones, the actual pieces are not made of stone. Often
times,
when you get a new deck, or set of divination tools, the first thing you have to do is run
out and
get, or make, a new bag. That is not the case here; with the witching stones a handsome
pouch is
already included. All one needs to do is embellish it, if so desired.
Now that you have your lovely new tools, what does one do to begin using them? Simply
open
the guidebook entitled, Symbols of the Craft. Inside the reader will be walked from
beginning to
end. There are even chants for cleansing and personalizing the stones, as well as
preparing and
dispersing your reading area. This is something that should be done with every divination
tool, but
is often left out of the instructions. After the reader has blessed the stones and made
themselves
familiar with them, the authors go over in detail four layouts to use when divining.
Before attempting a reading, it is my suggestion that you study the back end of the guide,
where
you will find the meanings of each stone, as well as how the position it lands in affects
that
meaning. The neat thing about this set is that it is easy to use, even for someone who is
new to his
or her craft. However, if you are knowledgeable in goddess/earth-based principles, the
symbols on
these stones will be very familiar to you and the ease, with which you master the
meanings of the
stones, will amaze you. This is a divination tool designed with the users in mind.
As if all of that was not enough to make this kit a unique and valuable addition to your
tools, you
can also use the stones to cast spells. There are sections with both simple and advanced
spells
already provided for the reader. Again with the symbols being so familiar, the user can
also easily
determine meanings and how best to use the stones in creating their own spells. I know I
will
personally create my own book of shadows, specifically for use with the stones.
Regardless of your preferred method of divination or spell casting techniques, you owe it
to
yourself to try the Witching Stones by M. A. Madigan & P. M. Richards. You will be
surprised
how comfortable you are using the stones. This kit is a must have for all practitioners.
Join me
today in the enhancement of our practice.
Tarot Companion
Tracy Porter
Llewellyn
P.O. Box 64383, Dept K168-6, St. Paul, MN 55164-0383
www.llewellyn.com
ISBN# 1567185746 $12.95 242 pgs
Nothing was ever more appropriately titled than Tarot Companion, as this is something
you will
want to keep with your cards and refer to often. What's the next step once a reader has
mastered
the tarot and feels comfortable with the basic meaning of the cards, as well as what each
card
means to them personally? Next is to take your knowledge further, growing from novice
to expert
with the guidance of Tracy Porter.
The book begins by retelling the basic universal meanings of each card. This is very
important
information the reader should have mastered before attempting to use the tarot in any
aspect other
than practicing. Then the reader is given a refresher course in the make up/structure of the
cards.
Again, if you are new to tarot, this information is invaluable and it should be committed
to
memory.
With the basics covered, now the book shifts to the lesser-known information that can be
gleamed
from the cards. Did you know the cards could also be telling you of a person whom you
will/have
encounter? Sometimes when a card comes up and the meaning doesn't seem to fit, it
might be
because we need to look at the card from a different perspective. Could it be telling you a
person
is coming into their life? Yes it could. You will also be shown what it means when a
certain
number appears a certain number of times, or when special numbers appear before or
after major
arcana cards. The reader is given information regarding how to read timelines in the
cards,
something most querents are very interested in knowing.
Something else we see a lot in the cards are certain pictures/items that have symbolic
meaning.
This guide will also give you a reference to these symbols. Numerology can also be
helpful in
giving a more accurate reading, and again, the author has shed light on what the numbers
may
mean in your spread. It is known astrology plays a part with the tarot, and after reading
this book,
you will be able to see just how easy it is to pick up, and use those correlations.
A few things you may not have realized are related to tarot can be very helpful and are
covered in
the guide: Cabala, I Ching, Runes, Color, and Chakras. Learning the meaning of each and
how it
relates to the cards will give the reader a deeper understanding of the cards and their
many
interpretations.
The appendix in this book is packed full of information such as, layouts, drawing cards
and
various things that should be noted before conducting a reading, and not overlooked.
When you are ready to take your skill of using the tarot to the next level, you will need
the Tarot
Companion. You will be amazed and surprised by the depth added to your understanding
of this
ancient art form as I was; I have no doubt.
I.M. Internet Message
Stephanie Simpson-Woods
Publish America
www.publishamerica.com
ISBN# 1413702287 $19.95 205 pgs
Since it's advent, the Internet has linked people to all manner of things; information on
just about
every topic you can think of, buying and selling all types of wares, both legal and
otherwise, and
talking to people all over the world spontaneously using what are called I.M.'s, or Instant
Messaging. However, in Stephanie Simpson-Woods debut novel, I.M., the Internet, is
used in a
unique way-as a means to fulfill a destiny.
Lily Wagoner is haunted in her sleep by dreams that are gradually growing increasingly
intense,
displaying a dark and frightening figure. By nature she is a loner and using the Internet as
a means
to try to exorcise the darkness of her mind, she finds a friend, Tristan, a seemingly
kindred spirit,
and soon spends what free time she has online chatting with her new pal. The bond she
develops
with him over several months of correspondence is strong, and she is excited and pleased
that
they arrange for a get-together, and for it to happen soon. In a cunning manner, she gets
her
friends to chaperone her rendezvous without them even being aware that she is, in
actuality, going
out for the sole purpose of meeting this stranger who she became so attached to.
More than just the bonds of friendship however draw Tristan to her, for he is more than
he
appears. After he finally meets her, he knows that he will fulfill both her own destiny and
help him
to fulfill the promise he made to her dying mother. She is his and nothing will get in his
way as he
claims her and her soul, making her into a child of the darkness, a vampire like
himself.
There is so much more at work here than what your initial thought might be as you read
this
captivating story. Once she invites Tristan into her world, her friends begin to disappear
at an
alarming rate and things really heat up. Eventually, her father is brought into the mix,
being forced
to face some old ghosts of his own as he tries to solve this puzzle before it is too late for
his
daughter.
I.M. is a modern vampire tale without the weigh of myth exploration as is so often the
case today.
The author has cut through all of the excess to bring to you a delightfully dark, highly
entertaining
tale of sinister destiny. This is the kind of novel that grips you from the first word and
takes you
for a fast paced ride, dropping you breathless and full of wonder at the conclusion. The
characterization is superb, with perfect detailing provided to the supporting cast allowing
you a
full picture of not only the main characters life, but every one around her as well. I should
also
add here that sexy and mysterious Tristan is my idea of a bad guy; Ms. Simpson-Woods
sure
knows how to make her female readers tingle with delight. This is a novel for all lovers of
horror,
with plenty of death, blood, betrayal, and evil to make us all smile a wicked little
smile.
I give my highest complements to Stephanie Simpson-Woods for creating an interesting
and
enjoyable vampire tale, which is not an easy task. A lot the time needed to fully become
one with
this novel because it is most definitely a page-turner that you won't want to put down.
After
reading this, the next time I'm on line, I wont be as quick to click on the accept button
when I get
an I.M.-unless it's Tristan that is.
INTERVIEW WITH STEPHANIE SIMPSON-WOODS
author of IM, review above
DB: When did you begin your relationship with horror? How did that flip from merely
watching
or reading, to writing as well?
SS-W: I was raised by my Dad and had a lot of time to myself, due to his work schedule.
I always
found myself manually switching channels on the T.V. (God, I feel old now) and
stopping on
something scary. I guess it started when I was four and hooked on Scooby Doo. I loved
ghosts
and monsters, etc. As I got older, I spent a lot of time watching horror. I remember when I
was
about 13, I came home from school everyday and popped in A Nightmare on Elm Street
4. I
watched it twice a day, for a month. When I wasn't messing with the VCR, I was
constantly
probing channels looking for horror, always stuck with some crazy, low budget 70's
horror film,
that was on TBS, or something and was cut to shit, but being so young, it still scared the
be-Jesus
out of me.
I always wondered, "what if ?" when a movie ended, or a book I was reading (mostly
John Saul)
came to a close. I developed my own ideas and started writing them down.
DB: Who are your favorite authors to read? Do you think they have added any influence
to the
unique voice you bring to your work?
SS-W: I adore John Saul and Stephen King. As most people know, I really enjoy new
authors,
because they are original and have so many new stories to tell. As for my own influences,
I've
never pictured myself as John Saul or Stephen King and although I dig their writing
lifestyle, I
don't think my writing is anything like theirs. I've always wanted to write for a living, I've
always
wanted to see my words between the cover of a book, but I can't say anyone's particular
writing
influenced me. I think it was just my love for the genre.
DB: Has being a published author lived up to your expectations? If not what was
different?
SS-W: Yes and no. Yes, I have a book out, a small group of fans, all of that jazz, but with
so
many people trying to make it in the horror genre, it's tough. That whole fantasy I had as
a child,
of writing a book and seeing 50+ copies lined up in bookstores was shot to hell, when I
first
started writing "I.M.". It's a long process and you have to be patient or extremely talented,
to be a
New York Time's bestseller with your first book. It takes a lot of work and horror is such
a hard
genre to conquer. I plan to continue climbing the hurdles, to be where I want to be:
everywhere.
DB: What gave you the idea to have the Internet so involved in the meeting of your
characters?
SS-W: The Internet is comfortable. People meet via the Internet more now than they do
on the
street. It's the "now". I wanted to write something more up to date, especially since most
vampire
books take place when a woman had to remove 4 layers of clothing, just to piss in a
bucket. I
wanted to write something people could really relate too. I wanted people to read it and
think
"Hey! I chatted with someone almost like him last night". The thought of people logging
on and
thinking about my book thrills me, plus it's a good warning. Be weary of who you meet
on the
Internet. There are a lot of freaks out there.
DB: Was there any reason you chose an old theme, Vampires? Do you think you brought
something new to the Mythos?
SS-W: Vampires are sexy, mysterious and dangerous. Men and women enjoy reading
about them
or watching them in movies because they have what a woman wants: charm, the ability to
seduce,
and are extremely violent, and I don't know a single man who isn't into some type of
violence. I'm
sure every mortal has wondered one time or another what it would be like to be a
vampire- to be
irresistible- all-powerful.
Yes. I definitely brought something new to the mythos. I doubt anyone has ever imagined
Count
Dracula chilling in his Castle with a cigarette and a laptop. And the book isn't just about a
malicious vamp seeking out someone on the Internet; there is much more to it. Picture
your Mom,
standing in front of you smiling, telling you they have just fixed you up with Mr. Right.
That in
itself is pretty scary.
DB: In Internet Message, I noticed the bad guy, Tristan, was the most intriguing
character. Was
he based on your husband? Or someone else you know?
SS-W: Grayson? No way. My husband wouldn't harm a fly. In fact, he won't even read
my stories.
He say's I'm ****ed in the head. I guess Tristan is a mix of old boyfriends who at the
time seemed
like perfect gentlemen, but turned out to be jerks. Tristan is based on that excitement you
feel
during the beginning of a relationship: the mystery of it all, the great sex, the right words
at the
right time, but we have all found out at some point that everything isn't between the
sheets.
DB: What are your thoughts on happy endings and the way modern culture has turned
horror into
fluff?
SS-W: Horror is such a frowned upon genre at this day and age. Due to all of the violence
this
world has experienced, people are trying to block out the violence, which is fiction,
because of
reality. The writing world has been dominated with love stories, diet and self help books,
literary
fiction, etc. Don't get me wrong, I'm not slamming this stuff; The Wizard of Oz is my
favorite
book of all time, but it pisses me off that people blame horror for violence and turn their
noses up
to it because they can't deal with reality. Horror has been around since the beginning of
time. You
can find it in Shakespeare, which they make you read in high school, but it's okay because
back in
William's day, horror hadn't been labeled. It was either drama or satire.
People fear horror, and not in the way we'd like them to. In order to keep the genre
thriving it's
been pressed, molded and glazed to appeal to EVERYONE, not just the true horror fans. I
mean
come on, do you think that sixteen-year-old girl making out with her boyfriend in the
back of the
theater with Brittany Spears lyrics coasting through her mind really LOVES horror? Hell
no! But
in order to sell tickets they have to at least try to interest her.
Yes, I dig a happy ending- of course a happy ending for me would to see people
screaming when
they left a theater because someone with real horror talent and appreciation didn't hold
back.
DB: Are you planning a sequel? If not what is next for you as a writer?
SS-W: I've got a lot going on. I just finished "Gloomy," my second novel, which for the
record
has nothing to do with "I.M." and I've started my third novel. I do plan on writing 2 more
installments of "I.M.," but that will be later. I want to give the first one some time to stew
and I
want people to view me as something more than an author who writes about
vampires.
DB: Tell me about you, what are your hobbies, favorite foods, etcetera?
SS-W: Hmmm, I'm dull. I'm married and have a son so I do the family thing- you know,
sing
along with the Wiggles, load my dishwasher every night, make sure a hefty amount of
fruit snacks
are accessible- etc. I read a lot, do book reviews, and watch occasional prime time T.V.,
most of
it on HBO. I love music, mostly older stuff like the Dead Kennedys and the Beastie Boys,
I can't
stomach this pop crap and "new" rock that's such the rage today. It all sounds the same to
me. I
can't tell Puddle of Mud from Disturbed.
Foods? I love seafood, Mexican and chocolate. I love the holidays because I can chug hot
chocolate by the gallons.
DB: Final thoughts, on the state of horror, your career and anything else you want to
share with
your readers?
SS_W: I will have you know that while I was replying to this interview a woman knocked
on my
door wanting to tell me about Jesus. Hahaha. I said no thanks and closed the door. I am a
Christian, but I have no denomination and I don't beat the Bible. I don't beat any of the
books on
my shelf.
Okay, for the people: Keep an eye out for January's Chtulhu Sex Magazine. I will be
loosing my
virginity to them with my story "The Bedroom Window". Also I have a short in the
upcoming
anthology "Raging Horrormones", which is due out sometime next year and hopefully
"Gloomy"
will be available next year as well. To get down with all of the mild hoop-la you can visit
my
recently re-vamped website at www.stephanisimpsonwoods.com
Diana Bennett
Reviewer
Kaveny's Bookshelf
This Month I am going to approach my Midwest Book Review feature in a slightly
different
manner. I still have a lot to say about our wonderful trip to The United Kingdom Nov
16th-Dec
2nd 2003, however I want to get to some book review right off the bat. As I have
mentioned
previously in a number of columns, I also review in a number of different venues most of
them
academic journals and from time to time I find a some books which I wish to share with a
broader
audience. Here are a few examples
Ordering Women's Lives: Penitential and Nunnery Rules in the Early Medieval West
Julie Ann Smith
Ashgate Publishing Company
ISBN: 1859282385 $74.95 246 p.
Ordering Women's Lives is an interesting book for a number of reasons. As a result it
may be
approached on several levels, depending on whether the focus of ones interest is
historical,
religions or textual. From a utopian standpoint, it is significant as a study of the
embodiment
operating rules and expectations within historical intentional communities, and larger
communities
as a whole. Both types of texts were used to prescribe women's behavior within abbeys
and other
religious centers, and the Penitentials Effected life both inside and outside the
cloisters.
Smith's central focus is on the reading of these works as textually embodied expectations
for
women. These early medieval religious texts were used by religious institutions to govern
the
day-to-day actions of women's lives. A range of religious texts used in this way included
the two
types that are the focus of Smith's study, penitentials and nunnery rules. Penitentials were
written
texts (usually small, portable handbooks), carried around by priests in early Medieval
Western
Europe. They were intended to facilitate the sacrament (or process) of confession. They
were
practical little books that ascribed types of penance, called tariffs which a priest would
assign for
various transgressions in order that the penitent might gain absolution from their sins.
Thus
making a good confession, and gaining salvation from eternal damnation, and thus being
made
whole with the community. Of course, these texts prescribed not only women's behavior,
but also
the behavior of all those who would interact with them.
Nunnery rules are a bit more narrow than penitentials because they deal with behavioral
expectations of an intentional community which in fact exist inside of the larger
community but is
by no means separated from it in either a spiritual, or for that matter, socially or economic
basis.
Ordering Women's Lives is an important contribution to both women's and Medieval
Studies, and
will also be of great interest to those engaged in studying the history of the book in early
Medieval
Western Europe.
It is also useful to those of interested in studying the evolution of church doctrine
prescribing the
behavior of both religious and secular women and to those examining the gradual
eradication of
pagan behaviors from the Christian West. Smith also documents carefully over the six
centuries of
her study the increasing process of constraint and personal isolation of members of the
communities is heightened by their isolation from the larger communities as a whole.
Julie Ann
Smith, a senior lecturer in School of History, Philosophy and Politics at Massey
University in New
Zealand. She is particularly qualified to produce this work, because she represents an
emerging
paradigm in scholarship. She has both the ability to deal directly these documents in their
original
form and at the same time build on other work that has been done in the area. But she
also
demonstrates the scholarly breadth that predisposes her to relate her findings to a broader
picture
of women in non-Roman Christian communities sin Wales, Ireland, Spain, England, and
France.
This is because her interests lie in medieval women's history, with broader interests in
medieval
social and cultural history. This background allows her to integrate her work into the
larger
picture of western European History and enhance our understanding of the role of
nunnery rules
and penitentials in defining institutional norms governing women's behavior in the early
middle
ages. At the same time she reveals a number of interesting insights into the transformation
from
pre-Christian to what has become known as Christian normative behavior from the sixth
through
the Twelfth Century.
In her own words, which set the course of the study in the introduction, Smith is able
(masterfully, I believe) to transcend what she sees as perhaps one of the saddest
limitations of
previous studies that focus on text as archeological artifact or as description, rather than
prescription, of behavior. To her, a text is not only an artifact, and a kind of information
object
but it is also an embodiment. She states:
"The texts around which the present study is developed are not merely documents; they
are also
processes of representation. Texts are more than simply words on pages and are not
merely
passive reflections of their contexts. They are objects that, through a purposive process of
representation and codification, construct what they inscribe. Representation here does
not simply
connote a mirroring of events or actions but is an active process of constructing meaning.
It is
through this process of construction of meaning that texts define and constrain legitimate
behaviors. In the case of the penitentials and nunnery rules, they did not merely reflect or
reproduce cultural rules; they actively instituted and endorsed them. (p. 1)."
While she refers to James C. Scott's naming of these texts as part of the 'transcript of
domination'
of male clergy, she identifies her insights into the transformation of preexisting kinship
systems so
that women's power was limited and reduced.
For the uninitiated, the book contains a wealth of information about the early church's
efforts to
alter, subvert or convert the behaviors of what she calls folci cultures into a more
Romanized
practice of religion. In discussing both types of texts used by priests and abbesses to cut
and
measure women's behavior in the establishment of an orthodoxy, she acknowledges that
early
discussions of women's behavior seem like an afterthought. Penitentials especially are
directed at a
range of transgressions and tariffs concerning men. Women's behavioral norms focus on
two
areas, sexuality and the practice of magic. While each of these areas of prescriptive codes
has
been studied in other venues, it is the cultural transformation of barbaric civilizations, and
the
burden put upon the women of these cultures, that are of particular interest. While Smith
devotes
one chapter each to the history and major authorship of common penitentials and nunnery
rules,
and, in the latter case, their relationship to encoding of transgressions, rules and tariffs for
use in
male intentional communities, even more interesting are her examinations of such topics
as Work
and Magic around issues of health care, birth control, abortion, and healing. She charts a
clear line
in the diminishing opportunities for women to exert power over these areas of their own
lives and
inscribes in this downward progression an intentionality on the part of organized
Christian
religion.
While one can come to this work for an overview of the two types of prescriptive texts,
one
comes away with a view of the unified, limiting, view of a good Christian life for women
both
inside and outside the confines of religious communities, and one that serves the church
far more
than it serves the women, children, and ultimately, communities, in which it was
practiced. I have
stated Smith's conclusions no more strongly than Smith herself when she says:
"The two groups of texts were produced over the same period of time, that is, their
moment of
inscription was embedded in the processes of negotiation between the Germanic peoples
of
Western Europe and the Church. The texts were not simply designed to condition and
constrain
the behavior of audiences but were also part of a more comprehensive project of
Christianisation
and imposition of clerical views of how the world should be." (p. 226). (But not
necessarily of
how it was).
One last aspect of this work which must not be over looked is the level of interest she is
able
sustain in the reader by her high level of narrative quality which is supported by
painstaking use of
evidence and sources which augment the flow of her narrative, rather than disrupt as is
sadly the
case with much scholarship now that economic constraints placed on academic
publishing, often
allow senior editors to see table of contents. Our only recommendation is that this study
be
brought out also in a trade edition, since we feel that it will generate a fairly broad level
of
interest. We would all like to see Julie Smith do a second volume in this study that would
continue through the first period of the Protestant Reformation in the same geographic
area of her
study.
Beowulf and the Critics: Medieval & Renaissance Texts & Studies, Vol. 248
J. R. R. Tolkien and Michael D. C. Drout
Medieval & Renaissance Texts & Studies
ISBN: 0866982906 $38.00 461 pages
When I originally requested a review copy of this book in my capacity as literary editor
of The
Midwest Book Review from Robert E. Bjork Director of the Arizona State University
Press he
was rightfully a bit skeptical of my request. He wondered if in fact the book would be of
interest
to the readership of The Midwest Book Review. Also I guess that I should have made my
request
for a review copy through more formal Channels, rather than shouting across the
Kalamazoo
International Medieval Congress Book Sellers Room "Can you score me a copy of
Drout's new
book." I feel it is very important and I have a couple of places I would like to review it.
Further
more. I have a gut feeling it is of interest to a general informed readership. My feeling
was also
informed because I had listened to a number of Michael Drout's conference presentations
which in
he demonstrated a kind of relentless intensity, a respect for his subject willingness not to
ignore
his audience in his presentation, three qualities which I do not find as often as I might in
the
academic world.
My gut feelings where also based on a premiss (perhaps even an axiom) that I have
developed as a
bookseller. I believe that well written and affordable scholarly books, particularly by or
about
J.R.R Tolkien. have a broader appeal than might be expected. broader than just the few
specialists
who might work in field professionally in Anglo Saxon, or even Modern English for that
matter.
This premiss (perhaps even an axiom) has developed over the last quarter of a century as
both a
bookseller and later academic critic specializing in books by our about J.R.R Tolkien in
the
process I have watched a number of important books reissued after being into consigned
to the
oblivion of the remainder table, Goodwill Stores, and in at least one case I rescued a
pristine 1965
three-volume Ace paperback set ( Now selling for more than $250.00 on ABE.Com, but
not by
me ) from the dumpster at an Associated University Women Booksale, and placed it in
the proper
hands at only a modest gain to myself. I am the bookseller that does not hoard anything. It
is sort
of a self defense thing because I have only a 305 square foot office, and my wife has
filled our
2200 square foot house with her books.
To develop this thought a further I am going to use a bit of space to report on a little
empirical
study I just completed on just a few Tolkien Items that have been resurrected from
publisher's
remainder status to be reissued. The remainder editions are now demanding collectors
price. Here
are examples of books I have owned sometimes hundred and even thousands of copies
prices
courtesy of ABE.Comhttp://www.abebooks.com Note that I did not list ISBNs in this
case
because I wanted to avoid confusion, or send folks running off on wild goose chases.
J. R. R. Tolkien and Christopher Tolkien [foreword and notes]
Pictures By J. R. R. Tolkien
Houghton Mifflin Co
Boston
Very good-. First American Edition. Fine hard cover Price $305.00
The Lost Road and Other Writings: Volume 5 of The History of Middle-Earth
J. R. R. Tolkien
Houghton Mifflin
Boston
Illustrated with maps. 455 pp Price $350.00
The Return of the Shadow - The History of the Lord of the Rings Part One
Edited by Christopher Tolkien
Houghton Mifflin Company
Boston
(8)+498pages. Publisher's cloth in dust wrappers. Near fine/fine $170.00
The Annotated Hobbit or There and Back Again
J. R. R. Tolkien
Illustrated By J. R. R. Tolkien Boston, MA.
Houghton Mifflin Company
ISBN: 0395476909. Jacket design by Michaela Sullivan $ 300.00
Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
J.R.R Tolkien
Edited by Humphrey Carpenter with the Assistance of Christopher Tolkien
George Allen and Unwin
London
With a ALS facsimile frontispiece $160.00
I think first editions of Beowulf and the Critics Michael D. C. Drout will be selling for
collectors
price within a couple years without having to even touch a remainder table because it is
fascinating and a well-written book which takes as through the process by which J.R.R
developed
his academic discipline defining essay the Monster and Critics in the early 1930s. It is
well written
because of Drout's nearly transparent style, and clear and informative supporting
annotations
which inform the reader but at the same time allows J.R.R Tolkien to speak in his own
voice. It is
also a history Anglo Saxon Literary Scholarship up the 1930s which if nothing else
establishes
that what we know as post-modernism (the treatment of a text as a cultural artifact, rather
than an
artistic creation was really a very old and wheezing horse even in the early 20th
Century.
The other aspect of the book which I love is the opportunity to hearing Tolkien speak in a
literary
and artistic voice which convince me over and over that the best writers also make the
best critic
and, that J.R.R. Tolkien was just an order of magnitude smarter than any of his
critics.
Stonehenge & Eighteen Days & Six Anglican Cathedrals
A few days before my wife and I left for our whirl wind eighteen day tour of The United
Kingdom
from Nov 15th, to Dec 2nd I mentioned to Father Kirby as we chatted after morning
prayer that a
major part of my agenda for the trip was to visit as many Anglican Cathedrals as was
reasonably
possible. I also mentioned to him that the Salisbury Cathedral holds a very special place
in my
heart, because amidst all of the beauty and the majesty of its 404-foot spire, standing
forty stories
tall, and nearly half the height of The Empire State Building. It still remains a working
church,
with an active congregation, which right along with its 800- year tradition has its own
simple
request for prayer book where you can enter people's names to be prayed for by their
congregation just like our own request for prayer book in Christ Church Anglican
Cathedral right
here in Eau Claire Wisconsin.
Father Kirby clued me in on one of his and his wife's Heather's favorite places in
Salisbury. He
told me it was really wonderful little teashop, with very exceptional candy which you
could find
by going left right after exiting the train station and walking about a block down the first
little
street that you came to. I saw Father Kirby after the 10:00 A. M. Service, last Sunday Dec
7th
and tried to tell him everything about our wonderful trip all at once. He asked me if I Had
made it
to the little Teashop he had recommended.
I smiled a bit sheepishly because (though my heart was filled with good intentions ) we
had not
made it to his favorite tea shop even though we did take the train from Oxford to
Salisbury the
morning of Dec 4th, arriving at about 12:45 on what our English friends would refer to as
a not
quite hard November day with a temperature of about 37 Degrees Fahrenheit and winds
gusting
between twenty and thirty miles per hour which gave the rain a very interesting vertical
slant and
slightly penetrating property.
The reason that we did not make Father Kirby's favorite teashop was that as I looked right
as my
wife Jan and I exited the Salisbury train station I saw a sign which directed me to the bus
to
Stonehenge, which was waiting with its motor idling. When I checked I found that the
bus ran
nearly year round and made a forty minute thirty mile round trip from the train station
with a
thirty minute stop over until three in the afternoon. What sold me on the project was that
the
driver's promise that they would let us out at Salisbury Cathedral on the way back which
was only
a short walk by English standards to the train station.
So without exactly calling a family council on the matter I bought two round trip tickets
to
Stonehenge grabbed my wife's hand and bolted for the bus. Confident that the down filled
all
weather heavy duty green arctic explorer's jacket that my wife Jan had bought for me last
Christmas was up to the task of a moderate late autumn day in South West England. Jan's
gear
was not quite so heavy duty, and the umbrella she brought kept blowing inside out when
we got
off the bus. Nevertheless Jan was a good solider and a good sport as we toured
Stonehenge,
including the gift shop in less than thirty minutes.
What did it feel like to be there? First being there articulates the world of difference
between
seeing a picture of Stonehenge or an image of it on The Internet and Stonehenge in real
time, real
time, real space, and real rain. Even the best computer monitors only measure twenty four
inches
diagonally, and worst of all present a flat and two dimensional image . Therefore as one
watches
the image of Stonehenge on a monitor, even with all of the possible enhancements the
video
images only very tepidly engages a couple of ones senses.
For example, the Salisbury Plain rolls like an inland sea as the ancient double decker bus
shake
rattles, rolls, and rumbles along the road leading to distant images of the great inarticulate
stone
circles. It makes one think of the old Donovan song from the late 60's First there is No
Mountain
then there is as stones slip in and out of view as the bus rolls and lurches along the bumpy
road.
You cannot comprehend Stonehenge without seeing it as part of the surrounding
countryside. As
ancient double decker bus draws closer it starts to register that these stones blue grey
stones and
glistening in the cold bright rain; some easily seven meters tall and weighing 40 tons
came from a
long way; were, to the best of our knowledge moved across this great rolling Salisbury
Plain,
Some of these stones were brought from as far away as Wales 137 miles away by only by
human
animal and mechanical power to tower mutely above us with the great open question why
we are
all we here.
A Minor Miracle.
Before we left from Oxford that morning my wife Jan at my assurance had trusted me
with a
major portion of our travel document which include our eight-day unlimited travel Brit
Rail
Passes and pass ports which I placed safely inside my leather pouch inside of a U.S.
priority mail
envelope along with several sheets of paper on I had printed out with the names of my
Monday
morning 10:00 A.M. study group and our clergy to add to Salisbury Cathedral request for
prayer
book, confident that was the safest place in the world for them.
The bus driver was as good as his and dropped us less than a block away from the
contemporary
sculpture garden which lead into the Salisbury Cathedral. The wind had its force by about
ten
miles an hour and Jan decided that she needed a little down time from me and made me
promise
that I would not bolt off in all directions at once without consulting her. She also said that
she
might want to do a little shopping in the town as I went about my business in the
Cathedral and
after a wonderful lunch in the tea shop we agreed to meet each other a little before
closing time at
the entrance. And she went off to shop and I went off to place my sheet of names in the
request
for prayer book and just be inside the Salisbury Cathedral. After I completed request
mission I
went off to sit inside the morning chapel for a half hour of quiet reflection just and after
about
twenty minutes Jan appeared and I thought suggested we go to the Chapter House which
houses
the Magna Carta one of the founding documents of Westren Democracy which was
imposed on
King John by his Barron's in 1212.
On the way back to The Chapter house we had to go past the request for prayer book and
I
noticed that on the stone ledge where I sat to take the requests for prayer sheets out of my
leather
pouch forty minutes before there sat a U.S. priority mail envelope which it turned out
contained a
major portion of our travel document's including our eight-day unlimited travel Brit Rail
Passes
and pass ports and had been sitting in broad daylight un attended for the last forty
minutes. I
admit that my hands shook a little bit as I tried to put it back into my leather pouch as if
nothing
had happened. End of Part One. Part Two: The Chapter House & The Magna Carta.
Most of us know from Junior High School Civics that the Magna Carta is one of the
founding
documents of Western Democracy, but how many of us know that one of its demands
was that
there be a single uniform size for a mug of beer through out all of England. I think that
one may
have come from one of the Yeomen at Arms rather than a Baron, but it seems to have
caught on
with the troops. I would like to borrow Barbra Tuchman's Title for her wonderful book A
Distant
Mirror: The Calamitous Fourteenth Century, and agree that sometimes it is only a bunch
of
distant reflections yet as my wife and I sat in the late afternoon gloom autumn Salisbury
Cathedral
which weirdly illuminated the beautiful stained glass windows as if from within I think
we both
found distant reflections of ourselves as past and present seemed to be lighted from
within.
Please Tune In Next Month I Have several more Cathedral and much more of The United
Kingdom to report on.
Philip Kaveny
Reviewer
Klausner's Bookshelf
No More Clueless Sex: 10 Secrets to a Sex Life That Works for Both of You
Gail Elizabeth Wyatt, Ph.D. and Lewis Wyatt Jr., M.D.
John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0471194859 $22.95, 211 pp.
Team Wyatt consists of two expert sex therapists that provide a powerful look at the ten
most
common sexual patterns that incapacitate couples. Each of the top ten is treated
separately in its
own chapter. Readers will find insight on possible patterns that are hurting more than just
their
sexual encounters, but also their relationship. The book provides sound advice on the
compatibility of partners, but though sex is the prime topic obviously, the material delves
into
each others' values, ethics, potential to care about the needs of someone else, and
criticality of
knowing yourself and to staying true to one's self. Using statistics and anecdotal stories,
the
Wyatts furbish a solid reference book that is easy to follow, offers other references to
further aid
the individual, and includes two assignments to enable focusing on the ten Wyatt rules
that will
insure a more complete sexual life. This is a strong self help book not just for those who
feel
troubled, but anyone who wants to keep the spice in their relationships.
Thou Shall Not Grill
Tamar Myers
NAL
ISBN 0451211158 $19.95, 240 pp.
It is a special time for the residents of Hernia, Pennsylvania, a small Amish and
Mennonite town
that is home to the PennDutch Bed and Board inn owned and operated by Magdalena
Pontulacca
Yoder. Hernia is celebrating its bicentennial anniversary and there is no room at the inn
because
people from all over country want to attend the events, especially the opening of the time
capsule
that was buried on Stucky Ridge during the 1904 centennial gala. Before the celebration
begins,
one of the guests at the inn, Buzzy Porter, is found murdered near Stucky Ridge by
runner by Ron
Humphrey. Magdalena is asked by her brother in law, chief of police Melvin Stoltzfus to
investigate and solve the murder while he is busy stumping for votes to be elected to the
state
legislature. Of course Magdalena makes inquiries and learns that many people believe the
key to a
treasure is in the time capsule and someone is willing to kill to get their hands on it. As
she
eliminates the suspects one by one she comes closer to a killer who will not hesitate to
shoot her if
she figures out his identity. Tamar Myers has a wicked sense of humor and she uses it in
various
conversations the heroine has with the suspects. Readers will find themselves crying tears
of
laughter. Long time fans of this series know that Magdalena is not hesitant about
expressing her
opinions nor is she above charging her guests for services they should not pay for and for
the first
time her guests call her on it and the results are shocking. THOU SHALL NOT GRILL is
a
mystery lover's delight.
Back Before Dark
Sharon Arms Doucet
NAL
ISBN: 0451211049 $12.95, 272 pp.
Frannie met JP years ago at a New Orleans music festival and surprisingly married him
not long
afterward. The Colorado resident relocated to Bayou Country. Over half her life spent
here, she
and JP they raised two children. After calling her father on his sixty-ninth birthday in
which he
sounded depressed, Frannie worries about him being alone. The next day she thinks
something
happened to him only to learn he committed suicide via carbon monoxide poisoning in
his garage.
Over the objections of her Los Angeles based brother, Frannie insists his body be buried
in
Tennessee where his sister still lives. As Frannie begins to uncover her dad's life to
understand
why he killed himself, she learns more about herself in the process, leaving JP to worry
about their
future together. BACK BEFORE DARK is an insightful look at the aftermath of suicide
on
survivors. The various family members react to the death differently, but all are affected.
Readers
especially see Frannie's external spin turn quite introspective as if she wonders if that is
all there is
in life. Though somber, Frannie makes the tale not turn maudlin as she deals with what
would
bring her personal satisfaction in this fine character study.
Lawless
Christopher Darden & Dick Lochte
NAL
ISBN 045121109X $24.95, 368 pp.
Mercer Early is a junior partner in the law firm of Carter and Hansborough, one of the
most
powerful and well respected companies on the west coast. After obtaining a not guilty
verdict for
his client, he is assigned a case involving a male LAPD officer who shot his male live-in
lover.
When Mercer goes to talk to his client, the man is incoherent and clearly not in his right
mind.
The victim is the District Attorney's godson so Mercer knows he has to have an awful
case. Two
other LAPD police officers have also killed their significant others sharing in common
paranoia,
incoherency and clearly not in their right minds. The three men are tied to a shoot out in
which a
police officer shot another cop who was ready to kill him. A black box was taken out of
the
victim's car and given to someone high up in the LAPD. Federal agents are also involved
in the
case and warn Mercer off which makes him only more determined to find out what is
going on
and exonerate his client. LAWLESS is one of the better conspiracy thrillers this reviewer
has read
in a long time and I have read a lot of them lately. It is hard to tell the heroes from the
villains
because both groups wear the label patriot and sincerely believe they behave in a
responsible
manner. Mercer is an honest, likeable person who believes in justice; his determination to
win his
client's freedom by trying to find a link to all the interested parties endears him further to
the
audience. Christopher Darden and Dick Lochte score big time with this exciting
investigative
thriller.
Texas Star
Elaine Barbieri
Leisure
ISBN: 0843951796 $6.99
Just prior to the Civil War, Cal Star left home, but upon receiving a strange cryptic note
returns
after an almost decade absence to the family ranch in Lowell, Texas. There he finds the
spread in
near ruin and his ailing father Buck inaccessible guarded by a she devil of a new wife
Celeste,
whom Cal never met before. Cal obtains work at the nearby ranch owned by widow Pru
Reynolds. Though the attraction is strong between them, Pru refuses to have anything to
do
between her and Cal beyond the chores she has employed him to perform on her spread.
As he
tries to break down Pru's barriers and get past Celeste's sentinel to see his father, Cal will
soon
become embroiled in dark family secrets that could destroy him if he is not careful.
Celeste's
married mother was willing to give up all for Buck, but instead was scorned in 1850 New
Orleans
by the handsome rogue. She has set in motion the destruction of the Star ranch, family,
and
especially the ailing patriarch. TEXAS STAR is a dark Reconstruction Era romance that
has the
key interactions effected by events prior to the Civil War. The story line is exciting on
several
levels. Cal and Pru make a nice couple, but readers will feel empathy towards Celeste,
who
though she is a vile villainess is also an innocent victim of what occurred two decades
earlier. Fans
will enjoy this complex tale of revenge and love in post war Texas.
A Will of Her Own
Winnie Griggs
Leisure
ISBN: 0843953020 $5.99
English aristocrat Will Trevaron comes to Virginia to escape from his oppressive martinet
grandfather and the rest of his snobbish family. However, American Maggie Carter has to
rescue
him almost from the moment he steps off the boat. Her Good Samaritan efforts lead to her
loss of
employment, but she manages to become caretaker to three small children. Eventually
Maggie
married her kind employer, but six years from when she rescued Will she is a debt ridden
widow
who lost her three beloved stepchildren to a relative. Will loves life in America so in
1830 when
he becomes the Marquess, he prefers to ignore the title, but breeding is too powerful.
When his
grandfather orders him home to marry and begat an heir, he reluctantly packs his bags.
However,
he sees a solution to his woes and that of Maggie who he still feels he owes. He offers her
a
marriage of convenience that will horrify his family to his satisfaction while saving her
from
poverty. He never expected to fall in love with her or her three wards, but he will do
WHATEVER IT TAKES for he knows WHAT MATTERS MOST in life and that is
gaining the
love of a woman who possesses A WILL OF HER OWN. Winnie Griggs provides readers
with a
captivating Anglo-American historical romance that brings to life the differences between
those of
the peerage and those from the "Savage Country". Though the children seem a bit to
precocious
with all that has happened to shatter their lives, early nineteenth century romance readers
will take
pleasure in reading this fine novel and SOMETHING MORE from talented Ms.
Griggs.
Wild Desire
Phoebe Conn
Leisure
ISBN: 0843953004 $5.99, 358 pp.
In 1870, though on his way to California to start over since his wife and son died two
years ago
from a fever, Jonathan Blair detours south from the Oklahoma Territory to Fort Worth
because
he feels his best friend Lawrence Bendalin needs him. Jonathan knows he will probably
run into
Lawrence's brother Lamar whom he detests for cowardice during the recent war. While
fighting
for the Confederacy, Lamar fled the battlefield leaving behind his severely wounded
sibling whom
Jonathan rescued. Welcomed by the extended Bendalin family except for Lamar,
Jonathan is
shocked to find he is attracted to the coward's intrepid daughter Eliza Kate. Used to her
independence having run the ranch while her father and uncle were at war, Eliza Kate
reciprocates
Jonathan's feelings including the fact that they want to reject the attraction. Everyone
expects her
to marry her father's whiskey selling business partner Fletcher Monroe but Eliza Kate and
Jonathan fall in love though family ties make it seem impossible for anything to come of
this.
WILD DESIRE is an action packed Reconstruction Era romance filled with complex post
American Civil War problems and traumas contained in different subplots that ultimately
tie
together through the relationship of the lead couple. Though Phoebe Conn is a highly
regarded,
deservedly so, experienced author, the novel tries to handle too many issues so that the
cast never
fully develops beyond a superficial level. Still Ms. Conn packs quite a wallop with her
panoramic
look at family, individual, and community problems.
Wild Highland Rose
Dee Davis
Leisure
ISBN: 0505525704 $5.99
Not quite comprehending what is happening to him, Cameron floats towards the light.
When he
regains consciousness, he has no memory of his past, but feels as if something is not right
due to a
recurring nightmare. He dreams of an automobile and a screaming woman, but in mid
fifteenth
century Scotland cars were not even a flicker of anyone's imagination. Cameron learns
that he is
married to Marjory as part of ending a clan feud, but she clearly detests him as his side
killed her
parents several years ago. Marjory knows that her spouse's recovery from the rockslide
accident
that buried and obviously killed him is miraculous because this prevented the genocide of
her clan
by his. However, she finds her husband radically changed as he cares what happens to
everyone
and he looks at her with desire, neither of which he displayed before the incident. She
wonders if
he really suffers from amnesia or if this is just another ploy. Yet he seems genuine as
Marjory
finds her worst nightmare has occurred: she loves her mate. Dee Davis displays the range
of her
talent as she switches sub-genres from her usual powerful romantic suspense tales to a
delightful
time travel novel. The key to the story line is Cameron who knows nothing seems right,
but
cannot fathom why. The reactions of everyone to his seemingly changed behavior as he is
suddenly considerate of others is fun to see play out. Readers will take much delight
observing the
bewildered cast especially his wife struggle to comprehend what is happening to
Cameron and
how to react to his radical transformation.
When We Touch
Shannon Drake
Zebra
ISBN: 0821775472 $6.99, 444 pp.
In the enlightened late nineteenth century, widow Maggie Graham learns from her Uncle
Angus
that she and her twin brother Justin are broke due to her sibling's gambling and that his
debt could
lead to Newgate if not paid off soon. Angus says that wealthy elderly Viscount Charles
Langdon
mentioned his interest in Maggie's welfare. He would make an ideal husband that would
eradicate
the Graham debt though her first reaction to her kind fianc‚ is that he looks more like a
corpse
than a living person. However, Langdon's nephew Jamie is appalled with the nuptials
between his
beloved great uncle and a gold digger who scandalized all by once marrying a commoner.
Though
attracted to his "aunt", he wonders if she is a deadly black widow as rumored when
Langdon dies.
As Jamie and Maggie become acquainted over what is best for Langdon's recalcitrant
daughter,
they also become embroiled in the Ripper case and end up falling into an unwanted love.
WHEN
WE TOUCH is an exciting Victorian romance that fans will appreciate due to its deep
look at the
late nineteenth century (especially female options) and a strong cast anchored by the lead
couple.
The story line is fast-paced with no one quite like they first appear. The Ripper subplot
adds
danger and a sense of the era so that the audience receives a powerful historical police
procedural
inside a charming romance between two combatants.
The Last to Die
Beverly Barton
Zebra
ISBN: 0821772163 $6.50, 416 pp.
In Cherokee Point, Tennessee, heir to a fortune Jamie Upton may be engaged but he still
plays the
field. One of his ladies is Jazzy Talbot, owner of Jazzy's Joint, a popular restaurant and
bar. She
knows she should stop seeing the philanderer, but so far has not cut the ties. However, a
third
party severs the connection when that person brutally kills Jamie. Most of the townsfolk
believe
that Jazzy killed her lover in a crime of passion because the evidence points towards
someone he
knew and trusted. However, Sheriff Butler and psychic Genny Madoc believe otherwise
though
they feel a woman committed the atrocity. Soon other murders follow and a frightened
prime
suspect Jazzy turns to her new bouncer, drifter Caleb McCord for protection, but neither
expected love to spring up between them. This sequel is an exciting serial killer romance
that
gains the attention of readers from the start as everyone will wonder who the red haired
killer is.
Jazzy and Caleb are a delightful duo; however, the return of Genny from THE FIFTH
VICTIM is
duel edged as fans will enjoy reading her latest visions but also wonder how many serial
killers
stalk Cherokee Point (population control?). Still THE LAST TO DIE is a terse thriller
that fans
will appreciate and wonder who will be AS GOOD AS DEAD when Jazzy's
doppelganger arrives
in Cherokee Point next November.
Absolutely Captivated
Kristine Grayson
Zebra
ISBN: 0821775979 $6.50, 384 pp.
Los Angeles based accountant Travers Kineally wants to refuse the entreaty of the three
dingbats
who suddenly haunt him. However, though he can say no to the frantic females, he
cannot deny
his eleven year old son Kyle who persuades him that the quintet should journey to Las
Vegas in
order to help the nutty threesome regain whatever they seemingly misplaced. Vegas based
private
investigator Zoe Sinclair figures she has seen it all in her century and half as a mage
especially
since becoming a sleuth. However, Zoe will soon learn she is a rookie when it comes to
life's
ironies. Her lesson is taught to her by her new clients, the three whacko Fates (Lachesis,
Atropos,
and Clitho) who have lost their enchanted status. To regain their former eminence the trio
must
locate a lost magical artifact. Protecting the three zanies from their millenniums of
enemies is a
full time job in of itself, but alas poor Zoe knows her fate and does not like it one iota
though she
finds the cynical Travers quite attractive. Fans of fantasy romances will find
ABSOLUTELY
CAPTIVATED SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE due to the return of the chaotic causing trio.
The lead
couple is a delightful pair with both suffering from skepticism amplified by love. Though
his son is
very precocious (he is only eleven) readers will be Completely Smitten by the amusing
antics of
the Three Fates.
Oxygen
John B. Olson
Randall Ingermanson
Bethany House
ISBN: 0764224425 $12.99 368 pp.
In 2013, NASA prepares the first manned mission to Mars: five months out; 18 months
on the
hostile angry red planet, and five months back. However, the four person crew is shook
when the
commander Josh Bennett abruptly resigns from the mission apparently due to something
the key
member Dr. Bob Kaganovski said in a psychological profile. Bob knows he lied about
always
obeying Josh's orders, but his friend is off the team and is replaced by a religious rookie,
microbiologist and ecologist Dr. Valkerie Jansen. The other two crew members also
resent the
change especially since Jansen does not hide that she is a devout Christian in a sea of
scientific
disbelievers. The Ares runs into problems from the start, but remains a go until in space a
bomb
destroys their power source. While everyone spins culpability on someone else,
OXYGEN will be
depleted before they arrive at their Martian base camp where air awaits them. Valkerie,
who has
gained a first hand understanding of the trials of Job, is the only who can save their lives
and she
depends on her deep religious convictions to guide her to a miracle. Anyone who thought
that a
Christian science fiction thriller is an oxymoron will change their minds with the
action-packed
OXYGEN. The story line combines classic Apollo 13-like life threatening troubles with
the
"savior's" deep religious beliefs. The superb story line enables the audience to understand
what
makes each of the prime players breath including the "fired" former mission commander.
Though
the launch occurs about half way into the novel, readers will take delight with the proof
that
religion and science (fiction) are not necessarily anathematic enemy combatants.
Adrenaline
John B. Olson
Bethany House
ISBN: 0764228196 $12.99, 348 pp.
Grant recipient post graduate biochemistry student James Parker is euphoric. Mouse 87,
suffering
from muscular dystrophy and barely able to move for several months, suddenly is running
around
like a marathon runner after an injection of adrenaline 355. However, when he calls his
mother
with the good news, he learns his sister Jenny, who suffers from the debilitating disease
like James
does, is back in the hospital with a very weak heart. However, something weird has
occurred. The
metal bars to the cage containing Mouse 87 have been bent and the test rodent escaped.
Still
feeling like he is on a natural high, James, wheelchair and all, rescues graduate student
Darcy
Williams from glass heads. His discovery excites the campus and medical community
bringing
hope to muscular dystrophy sufferers while James and Darcy fall in love. However, the
"Invisible
Man," leader of the glass heads wants this incredible find; he increases the assaults on the
campus
with the prime targets being James and Darcy. Fans will feel they are on ADRENALINE
with this
action-packed medical research thriller that never slows down until the bridge forms a
final
surprising coupling. The story line is at its best when it concentrates on James, Darcy and
his
sister. Jenny is a role model as never stopped believing that God will take care of her in
some
fashion. When the plot switches to the Invisible Man, it loses a bit of its momentum
though he is
the key to much of the adversarial moments. John B. Olson deftly provides sub-genre
fans with a
fabulous terse tale that will excite readers who will search for his co-authored Martian
works.
The Fifth Man
John B. Olson
Randall Ingermanson
Bethany House
ISBN: 0764227327 $12.99 361 pp.
The crew has reached its destination Mars after a harrowing near death space trip from
earth (see
OXYGEN). Now a new survival test begins with the crew trying to live on a planet that
makes
Antarctica seem like a sauna and no rescue flight possible. Nothing should be able to
survive in
this frozen inhabitant. The four member crew struggles with the harshness of life while
trying to
meet NASA's detailed expectations in which every nanosecond is booked. Meanwhile,
deeply
religious microbial ecologist Dr. Valkerie Jansen finds proof that life once existed on the
angry
red planet, but swears she has also seen a "fifth man" sabotaging their mission. No one
else has
seen this ET so Commander Dr. Bob Kaganovski worries that she is cracking up under
the strain.
Illness has hit the team too in what seems like a War of the Worlds reversal. Martian
madness
grips the crew, but is that why Bob cannot stop looking at Valkerie while they wonder if
infected,
can they go home? The second book in John B. Olson, and Randall Ingermanson
marvelous
Martian mission, THE FIFTH MAN, is a great Christian science fiction thriller that
enables the
audience to feel they are living on the frozen tundra along with the crew. The exhilarating
story
line hooks the reader on several levels including the obvious survival adventure and
whether THE
FIFTH MAN exists or is imagined and if the latter who is sabotaging their chances of
enduring
the severity. Fans will wonder if bacteria could live on this ice cold orb while applauding
the two
authors for once again proving that science and religion are compatible.
Arena
Karen Hancock
Bethany House
ISBN: 0764226312 $12.99 393 pp.
Callie Hayes earns a below living wage so when her friend Meg Riley needs moral
support to be a
guinea pig in a harmless psychology experiment, Callie reluctantly agrees. At the lab,
Callie
refuses to trek across a rat maze Arena. The prompter informs her that her only exit is by
staying
on the white road to the gate with her only help a field manual that is if you can
understand its
words for Meg is gone. In the Arena battle fatigued Pierce Andrews rescues Callie from
some
nasties. He tells her that he has wandered the Arena for five years with no salvation in
sight. Callie
and Pierce with a crew of misfits that think he is the Savior trek together praying they
reach the
salvation of the gate. Along the way they battle strange wild things like the evil Trogs. As
hopes
wanes, only the field manual gives them hope until they meet a seemingly pious
benefactor, who
brings them faith that with a Christian belief they can stay on the righteous path to the
gate.
ARENA is a great Christian science fiction allegory filled with detours, trials and
tribulations, and
twists that allows the reader to feel they are a member of the motley crew trying to gain
salvation.
The story line cleverly uses symbolism to represent Christian icons but does not hide
from
ugliness such as rape and other vividly vile descriptions of evil. The lead protagonists
seem real
especially as their feelings grow for one another. Even the Trogs seem genuine. Karen
Hancock
provides a powerful parable that will send the audience seeking other works such as her
tremendous fantasy with a message THE LIGHT OF EIDON.
Halos
Kristen Heitzmann
Bethany House
ISBN: 0764228269 $12.99 288 pp.
Since leaving Florida when her best friend, her septuagenarian boss, became so ill his
children
took custody of him, Alessi Moore desperately seeks a sign that there is hope for her.
When she
drives her fancy Mustang into Charity, Alessi thinks that a double omen of good has led
her here.
In Charity, she sees the halo encircle the sun and for the first time witnesses snow falling.
Alessi
feels she has arrived at where she belongs because only good things have occurred to her
whenever she has seen a halo. The small town scene looks majestic to Alessi until she
stops for
gas only to suddenly find that her convertible and everything she owns is stolen except
the
clothing she wears. Stunned and frightened by the setback in this bucolic environs, Alessi
begins
to doubt the halo magic. Alessi meets rare book store owner Steve Bennet who thinks she
is a con
artist pulling a "Pollyanna" stunt. However, he hires her to take care of his customers as
he
catalogues a new estate purchase. As she begins to break through his cynicism, they fall
in love,
but she becomes the unfortunate victim of a previous tragedy allowed to fester just as
Steve
declares he needs her forever. HALOS is a charming contemporary romance that is the
perfect
post holiday stuffer for those needing an inspirational lift from the January wintry blues.
The story
line focuses on the relationship and love between a Pollyanna Mary Poppins and a
Doubting
Thomas. Though a bit of suspense leads to the final "two" miracles, that feels out of place
for this
strong stirring "do you believe in miracles" romance.
18
Jan Burke
Pocket
ISBN 0743480511 $7.50, 480 pp.
Anyone who has not read a novel by the spectacular Jan Burke should try 18, an
anthology of
short stories that convey the wide range of her amazing talent. She writes contemporary,
historical, and paranormal with the narrator being of either gender, and is comfortable in
first or
third person. The commonality is that each story is well written and fascinating. Fans of
Bones
will want to read "Devotion" which showcases some of the same characters. After
Detective
Frank Harriman finds the murdered body of Victor Toller and learns his son is missing,
he calls
Ben Sheridan and asks him to do a search with his two SAR dogs Bingle and Bool. The
very
popular Irene Kelly stars in "A Fine Set of Teeth". Irene and her husband Frank give
musician
Buzz Sullivan a lift to his music gig. They stay to hear the performance only to be
awakened early
the next morning to find out the lead singer has been killed. In "MEA CULPA' a crippled
young
boy finds ways of protecting himself from his abusive step-father. However, when he
discovers
that the man is going to kill his mother, he must find a way to stop him. This intriguing
story has a
feel of Charles Dickens Victorian England even though it takes place in the United States.
Vampire lovers will want to read "The Haunting of Carrick Hollow", an atmospheric tale
that is
quite scary while ghost lovers will find "The Abbey Ghosts" actually enthralling. The
above is just
a sample to whet the appetite. Readers will find themselves totally immersed in each and
every
story.
Men in Black Dresses: A Quest for the Future among Wisdom-Makers of the Middle
East
Yvonne Seng, PhD
Pocket
ISBN: 074347726X $14.00, 287 pp
While on an Egyptian train Yvonne Seng met the revered black dressed Catholic Bishop
of
Asyout. He received a promise that she was to return one day especially if she wants to
"see the
future". Though confused by the bishop's pronouncement, Dr. Seng never followed up on
her
reluctant vow until fifteen years later in her DC home a vision propelled the cultural
historian that
it was time for her to complete her pledge she made to the holy man. Dr. Seng returned to
the
Middle East to interview the Bishop of Asyout and other holy "men in black dresses" to
learn
their perspective on the future of humanity in a shrinking but more hostile world. MEN
IN
BLACK DRESSES: A QUEST FOR THE FUTURE AMONG WISDOM-MAKERS OF
THE
MIDDLE EAST is the author's pilgrimage of misadventures and encounters with several
of the
leading religious thinkers of the area. Some never give interviews yet most provided Dr.
Seng
with their beliefs and pain as each one wants a world of peace with consideration of all
others.
Though clearly a personal and spiritual journey, this is an easy to read uplifting book that
shows
that at least the "Men in Black Dresses" believe in more than tolerance as each one wants
a
spiritual renewal in which everyone is revered. This is a strong inspirational account that
will
make readers reassess their attitudes.
Obsession
Katherine Sutcliffe
Pocket
ISBN: 0743411986 $6.99
To spite his odious grandma, Lord Trey Hawthorne is marrying "whore" Edwina Rhodes,
who
slept with his deceased grandfather. She is a wealthy widow and he needs cash. Trey has
never
recovered from the betrayal of his beloved Maria Ashton, a commoner nurse who helped
him heal
when he was ill, but she married someone else. At the ceremony, a woman objects saying
that
Trey was deceived by his grandma. Maria lives, but resides at Minson Asylum for the
Criminally
Insane. Trey leaves Edwinna at the altar and rushes to the asylum where he does not
recognize his
beloved until she hums the love melody he wrote "Maria's Song". He is shocked as his
beloved is
no better than an animal if she is even that well behaved. Still he takes her back to his
estate where
he tries to nurse her back to health through his love for her though everyone believes it is
too late
for them. Fans will relish this potent historical romance once they get over the shock that
a person
would destroy someone's life without blinking. The metamorphosis of Maria is interesting
to
observe as readers picture a kind gentle soul turned into a frightened trapped beast ready
to spring
at anyone before they can assault her. Trey is heroic, but a lifetime with someone who
fears,
distrusts, and ultimately wants to harm him is sacrificial, but can he really sustain his
OBSESSION over the long haul if she shows no progress. Katherine Sutcliffe provides a
powerful tale though the final twist seems an unnecessary cleansing of the blood (read
this strong
book to understand the comment).
Mannheim Steamroller Christmas: A Night Like No Other (Book & Music CD
Package)
Chip Davis
Pocket
ISBN: 0743480880 $19.95, 183 pp.
The blizzard hit awfully hard, but Evan Darling enjoys the spirit and "routines" of
Christmas
celebration so he plans to go out and get the tree. He asks his two children, nine year old
Daniel
and five year old Lily to join him, but they insist it is too cold and besides only "crazy"
dad enjoys
the sidebars of the holiday. They just want the gifts. Even his wife Jen baking for the
holiday
mentions the cold and the snow. Besides being hurt by their attitude, Evan feels his
family has lost
sight of the true meaning of Christmas. He tells them the tale of a ten year old lad who
also lost
his Yuletide way until something magical happened during another raging snowstorm.
Unlike his
family who only finds happiness in the gifts, this boy only found joy in music until a
magical snow
globe showed him the meaning of Christmas and the demeaning of Christmas greed. The
child set
out to save Christmas from all the avaricious people twisting the holiday for their own
means..
MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER CHRISTMAS: A NIGHT LIKE NO OTHER (BOOK &
MUSIC CD PACKAGE) is a fine holiday novel with delightful Christmas tunes on an
accompanying CD that the entire family will enjoy. Though obviously targeting small
children, the
story is fun and easy to share while the music adds a magical feel to this wondrous
inspirational
tale so adults will enjoy it with or without the preadolescent crowd to accompany
them.
The Accidental Duchess
Jessica Benson
Pocket
ISBN: 0743463862 $6.99
During the Napoleonic Wars, Gwen marries Lord Milburn the person she has been
betrothed to
since her birth. After the ceremony, she asks him what name she should use and he
replies Harry.
She is shocked to learn she married Lord Cambourne, Milburn's brother. Gwen wants to
know
why Harry agreed to this ploy, but his response leaves her in further doubt as he tells her
to talk to
her bossy mother. When she learns that her parents blackmailed Harry into marriage since
Milburn
had not returned home, Gwen is despondent. However, as the scenario becomes even
weirder
with the return of Milburn and the brothers swapping identities, she realizes that Harry
could not
be made to do anything he would not want to. Could he love her as she loves him? THE
ACCIDENTAL DUCHESS is a strange but entertaining Regency romance that will
remind
readers of the Importance of Being Ernest or perhaps As You Like It, but obviously in a
different
setting. The story line can become confusing as to which brother is which, but fans will
appreciate
the errors as they will be as bewildered as the heroine is and enjoy every moment of it.
Jessica
Benson provides a fun historical though concentrate or you will root for the wrong
brother to kiss
Gwen.
The Bar Mitzvah Murder
Lee Harris
Fawcett
ISBN 0449007294 $6.99, 272 pp.
Suburbanite Christine Bennett is delighted that her closest friends Hal and Mel Gross are
going to
visit Israel and their cousin is paying for it. Gabe is a wealthy fifty something year old
businessman
who wants to have his bar mitzvah in Jerusalem and is wealthy enough to fly his friends
and family
out there for the event. Chris, a former nun, is even more excited when her husband
NYPD
lieutenant Jack informs her they are going to Israel too. He will work with the Jerusalem
police on
a database. When they arrive at their destination, Mel informs Chris that Gabe was
injured and
was taken away in an ambulance but they can't find him. The next day his body is found
in the
Arab sector of Jerusalem and since the police are not making any progress on the case,
Mel asks
Chris to do some detecting. She discovers that the crime was carefully planned in one
country and
executed in another but whom and why eludes her. Not only has Lee Harris written
another
exciting amateur sleuth tale, she also has given her audience a fascinating travelogue of
interesting
sites and areas in Israel. In spite of the troubles in the area, readers will want to tour the
Holy
Land. THE BAR MITZVAH MURDER is so complex that nobody reading this book will
be able
to identify the person who set up the murder scenario until the author chooses to reveal
it.
The Choice
Marilyn Meredith
PageFree Publishing
ISBN: 1930252250 $12.95
Though the town is her deceased husband's home and he died eight years ago, Jessica
McGuire
raises her fourteen year old son Jonathan in Lawrenceville, California, at the foothills of
the
Sierra. Jessica serves as the town's resident deputy reporting to the Lupine County sheriff.
Most
of her work involves speeding and lesser offenses so that her superior never takes
anything she
does seriously even if she solved a murder last year. While jogging Jessica notices that
someone
desecrated the grave of an infant taking the remains with them. Later widower Pastor
David
Tanner informs her that an individual stole a valueless small cross from the church.
Finally, Letty
Burns tells Jessica that one of her beloved kids (goat that is) was abducted. Although her
boss
scoffs at her, Jessica and David believe firmly that a Satanist cult is doing the petty
crimes. When
a teen commits suicide and her son acts strange beyond raging hormones, Jessica wonders
if the
devil worshippers are hooked by what David describes as seemingly nice friendly people
by day.
This is an exhilarating police procedural that feels somewhat like an amateur sleuth cozy
because
the heroine, though she follows the book, lacks experience in investigations and her
partner is a
pastor. The trouble in Lawrenceville is cleverly constructed at a leisurely pace so that like
Sheriff
Boone, the audience thinks it is teen pranks. The fully developed characters bring to life
Lupine
County with the maxim that even small isolated rural areas have some of the problems
that
confront big cities. Sub-genre readers will find this is a fine choice as Marilyn Meredith
furbishes a
solid investigative tale.
Dark Enchantment
Karen Harbaugh
Dell
ISBN: 0553584219 $5.99
In 1659 Paris, Sir Jack Marstone rescues the muddied filthy Catherine de la Fer from
assailants.
She remembers little of her past, but he provides her a safe haven while she heals at least
physically. When she recovers from her injuries, he teaches her how to use a sword and
other
skills so she can defend herself. However, his kindness and nurturing cannot protect her
from the
nightmares she suffers from every evening. Jack realizes he must escort his ward to her
family and
betrothed, the vile Marquis de Bauvin, but is reluctant to do so. Instead he feels a need to
keep
Catherine safe, something he believes would not occur if he handed her over to the
Marquis,
rumored to be an evil sorcerer. As Jack and Catherine fall in a forbidden love, they know
that
soon they will have to confront the sorcerer who plans to use her to obtain her family's
supernatural powers that will enhance him to levels so superior to mankind they will
seem like
ants to be stepped on. Only Catherine the skilled swordswoman and her lover stand in his
way.
Showing the width of her talent (to the chagrin of her Regency devotees), Karen
Harbaugh
provides a strong paranormal romance that hooks the audience because the otherworldly
environs
seems so real in the author's mid seventeenth century Europe. The story line is the classic
good vs.
evil theme with the twist being that one of the good guys (gal in this case) is slated to be
the mate
of the malevolent menace. As she did with NIGHT FIRES, Ms. Harbaugh enchants her
audience
with a dark tale lightened by the goodness of love.
Slightly Tempted
Mary Balogh
Dell
ISBN: 0440241065 $5.99, 356 pp.
In 1815 Brussels, many English aristocrats arrive in the city to be near loved ones getting
ready to
fight against Napoleon who has returned to Paris. Also in town is thirty year old Austrian
Gervase
Ashford. At a party, Gervase finds himself attracted to eighteen years old Lady Morgan
Bedwyn,
but knows she is too young for him until he learns that she is the sister of Wulfric, a man
he hates
for making him flee England in shame nine years ago. He wonders if he can attain
vengeance
through the sister and plans to find out. Gervase displays wit and intelligence to Morgan,
who
finds him quite attracted from the first sensual waltz they shared. As they become
acquainted, he
keeps her safe when the French assault the city. As Morgan mourns her missing and
presumed
dead brother, she and Gervase fall in love. However, once Gervase's "Cherie" learns the
truth
about his original deception, will she ever be able to trust his vows of love again? The
fourth
Bedwyn Regency romance is an exhilarating tale that brings to life Western Europe
during the
final stages of Napoleon's comeback. The story line is loaded with action though it takes a
bit too
long to learn why Gervase detests his beloved's brother. Morgan is a young delight who
brings
out the best in everyone she meets. Sub-genre fans that have missed this series will be
more than
just slightly miffed at themselves as Mary Balogh has written fabulous tales worth
reading.
If She Should Die
Carlene Thompson
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312983131 $6.99, 432 pp.
In Winston, West Virginia, Christine Ireland manages the Prince Jewelry store owned by
lawyer
Ames Prince who took her and her mentally impaired brother Jeremy into his home when
their
parents died seven years ago. Deputy Sheriff Michael Winter informs Christine and Ames
that
they found the decomposed body of a teenage female wrapped inside a plastic. The
flooding of
the nearby Ohio River washed it ashore. Michael believes this is the body of Ames'
daughter Dara,
who vanished three years ago. Ames says this is impossible because Dara is in Arizona
sending
him letters. Jeremy finds Dara's diary hidden in a tree near the bridge where she
supposedly died.
In her journal Dara mentions that someone wants her dead. She says her prime man is
Rey, but
that she has two other lovers that she dubs S.C. and The Brian and is pregnant. All three
of her
lovers are angry at her, but one is stalking her. As Michael and Christine fall in love,
Ames
remains in denial though the evidence mounts that his daughter is dead. Someone tries to
kill
Christine while others related in some way to Dara are murdered. As expected from
Carlene
Thompson (see ALL FALL DOWN and SINCE YOU'VE BEEN GONE) IF SHE
SHOULD DIE
readers receive an exciting action-packed thriller. The story line is fast paced, but
contains a
strong cast especially the lead couple and several secondary players. Several short
flashbacks
enable the reader to understand Dara. Though the killer comes out of nowhere forcing a
lengthy
explanation of motives, suspense thriller fans will enjoy Ms. Thompson's fine novel.
An Antic Disposition
Alan Gordon
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312300964 $23.95, 304 pp.
In 1204 AD, Pope Innocent III declares the Fools' Guild as the most dangerous enemy
that the
Christian hierarchy faces, even more perilous than the Saracens, due to their subversive
mockery
of church hypocrisy. He sends an army of God to devastate the guild. Though they are
Fools,
these are not fools so they hide in the Black Forest (thankfully it is summer). The
members heed
the words of leader Father Gerald as he tells a morality tale from the annals of their
history that
explains why they must continue even though outlawed. Less than five decades ago in
Denmark,
three men were in a power struggle to claim the throne. As civil war explodes, another
claimant
patiently waits to usurp the throne. The Fools' Guild dispatches Terence to observe one of
the
contenders Duke Orvendil. Upon Terrence's arrival, Orvendil's son renames him Yorick.
Major
double crosses and murders become the norm as Danish blood flows freely and no one
trusts
anyone else. Fools like Theophilos, alas he knew Yorick well, was a key player as they
destroyed
some of the more vile pretenders and their followers. Still he wonders if back in 1157, he
and
Yorick crossed the line as he has hid his role and his ungainly heritage even from his
beloved
Claudia. AN ANTIC DISPOSITION uses a tale within a story to develop a deep morality
tale as
the prime story line though that is a flashback. That inner plot tells the excitingly "true"
story of
Shakespeare's' Hamlet. Alan Gordon may have written his best tale to date, which says a
lot as
this is one of the finest medieval series on the market today.
Murder on the Marmora
Conrad Allen
St. Martin's
ISBN 0312307918 $23.95, 288 pp.
After sailing on the maiden voyages of the Lusitania and Mauretania for the Cunard
Shipping
Company as in-house detectives, George Dillman and Genevieve now work for the
Peninsular and
Oriental Steam Navigation Company. They are sailing on the Marmora from England to
Australia
with a stop in Egypt. The purser on the ship Brian Kilhendry makes it clear to the duo
that he has
no use for them and thinks they are not needed as there is never crime on his ship. Shortly
after he
makes that proclamation, a woman sailing alone is robbed of her jewelry and money
while she is
out of the cabin. Other robberies follow and the victims are all women traveling without a
man to
protect them. While the two detectives are trying to help the victims, a man is murdered
but
nothing is missing from the room. The man was very well liked leaving Dillman and
Genevieve
desperate to find the criminals even if it puts them in danger. Anyone who loves to sail
the seven
seas will want to read MURDER ON THE MARMORA, a picturesque who-done-it that
will
make readers want to go on a cruise. Although much of the book is concentrated on the
mystery,
Genevieve is kept busy trying to evade her ex-fianc? on board with his new bride and
Dillman is
trying to discourage a young woman from chasing after him. The surprise ending is just
the icing
on the cake for one of Conrad Allen's best voyage mysteries.
After Havana
Charles Fleming
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312307489 $24.95, 336 pp.
In 1958 American expatriate Pete Deacon hides in Cuba from powerful mobsters and
business
moguls though he sees no difference between the two groups wanting to harm him. Pete
loves to
play the trumpet and misses his beloved Anita, lost as a byproduct of the IVORY COAST
fiasco.
His foes want a piece of his butt and own Anita but Pete knows there is nothing he can do
except
hide his body in Cuba and his mind with alcohol. To further disguise himself, Pete, who
has been
in Havana for three years, uses the name Sloan and plays a substitute at best trumpet, a
coronet,
as part of a jazz band at the Tropicana. However, as is the luck of Pete by any name,
Anita
escorted by tycoon Nick Calloway enters the Tropicana. Surprisingly, Nick cherishes
Anita
perhaps as much as Pete treasures her. When the rebels abduct Anita, a weird assortment
of allies
try to rescue her. However the hills are alive with the sound of treachery, hidden agendas,
and
double dealing led by American Fed Cardoso as an assassination plot to keep Batista in
power
unfolds. This is an exciting historical thriller that brings to life Cuba just prior to the
Castro
revolution. The story line is exciting, but it is the host of characters kept focused by Pete
that
makes the era seem so vividly alive. Fans will appreciate this amoral tale in which the
results mean
everything so double dealing is acceptable by almost every participant, which makes the
ethical
Pete seem sadly naive. Charles Fleming will have a difficult time keeping the quality as
high
AFTER HAVANA and the IVORY COAST.
Emma's Secret
Barbara Taylor Bradford
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312307020 $24.95, 496 pp.
Paula McGill Harte Amory Fairley O'Neill runs the Knightsbridge Store of her family's
chain. She
is pleased that her two daughters Linnet (from her first marriage) and Tessa (from her
second
marriage) work there because like she did she hopes they will take over management of
the
company as that is surely a family affair. Paula understands the pressure on the next
generation
even if they are three removed from the matriarchal legend, Emma Harte. Evan Hughes
arrives
from American seeking employment. She looks like a Harte descendent and so is hired.
When
Emma's great-grandson Gideon Harte, who works in the family newspaper business,
meets Evan,
he is very attracted to the Connecticut Yankee. However, the family becomes concerned
about
their potential relationship because Evan's grandmother was rumored to have a very close
relationship with the family. Over the last twenty-five years, four books including
EMMA'S
SECRET have chronicled the Harte foundation. However, as the novels have been
released, each
subsequent one seems to have less heart and more descriptions of frivolous details. Die
hard fans
of the author, series, or curious seekers (that is what kept this reviewer going) will want
to read
the latest, but for most readers this is a flat line and would be better off reading Barbara
Taylor
Bradford original novel A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE.
Some Kind of Wonderful
Maureen Child
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312987277 $5.99, 352 pp.
Carol Foster left Los Angeles to relocate in Christmas, California after a visit to the town
as she
has never tasted the holiday even as a child. Former LAPD cop Jack Reilly grew up in
Christmas
and hated the year long gimmick of a town. Though retired from law enforcement after a
tragedy,
he has returned to serve as a temporary sheriff as a favor to his friend. During her early
morning
run, Carol notices an infant abandoned by the town's year round Nativity Scene. She
takes the
baby with her and calls the law. Jack arrives and it is arranged for Carol to watch the
child until
the state can make arrangements. Meanwhile Jack rents a room from Carol so he can
move out of
his mother's home. As Carol lights up Jack's life, he still has doubts about relationships
after the
betrayal of his former spouse. However, he also worries as Carol has fallen in love with
him and
her little charge. This is an upbeat inspirational contemporary romance starring a bah
humbug
hero and a Mary Poppins heroine. The story line is perfect for the post holiday season as
the
Yuletide spirit should continue even after Christmas has been celebrated. Fans of a
moving tale
will cherish this "It's a Wonderful Life" tale.
The Killing of the Tinkers
Ken Bruns
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312304110 $22.95, 256 pp.
Jack Taylor left the GUARDS and Galway for London to sober up and redeem himself
while
starting over. Now a year later, he slinks back to Galway, but a pint keeps beckoning him
as his
old haunts call him until he finally surrenders to the siren of his favorite pub. He is
mentally lower
than he ever has been. The tinker Sweeper wants to engage Jack's services to stop the
serial killer
and mutilator of his gypsy clansmen. Sweeper informs a sober Jack (talk about Gypsy
luck rare
moment when Jack is not in his suds) that the Garda Siochana couldn't care less that a
few
Gypsies are dead. Reluctantly, Jack begins investigating as only he meanderingly can.
Jack finally
solves the twisted case only to capture the wrong person. Though Jack's alcohol problems
are
treated too lightly (a notch above Foster Brooks), his sleuthing is fun to follow as his path
is so
nonlinear, readers will believe he has no prayer of solving anything but his next drink.
When he is
not on the case his anti hero antics can become irritating. On the other hand, Ken Bruns
provides
a deep social message that detox most likely will fail if the person returns to the exact
environment that helped cause the addiction. THE KILLING OF THE TINKERS is a
solid
private investigative tale with just a few too many personal sidebars to gulp in one
drink.
Reap A Wild Harvest
Janis Harrison
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312322836 $23.95, 272 pp.
In River City, Missouri, florist Bretta Solomon prepares the floral arrangements for the
"wedding
of the year", at least in the narrow mind of the mother of the bride. What should be an
easy time
for Bretta is a primrose path to the nether world as nothing satisfies customer Evelyn
Montgomery who expects her daughter's nuptials to rank with that of Luke and Laura
from over a
decade ago. Meanwhile Dan and Natalie Parker, owners of Parker Wholesale
Greenhouse, host
their annual Customer Appreciation Day, but instead of a gala event Dan finds the corpse
of
Marnie Frazier in the midst of his greenhouse. Though estranged from her dad Dan,
Bretta joins
Sheriff Sid Hancock's investigation. Since a resolution would immensely serve him well
as he runs
for reelection, Sid welcomes the amateur who has had success solving the case of A
DEADLY
BOUQUET. As others die, Bretta uncovers lab assistant Marnie's research that targets her
dad's
greenhouse where apparently a rose is not a rose while the culprit targets Bretta. The
latest
Garden Mystery combines an amateur sleuth with a police procedural, but the opportunist
paid
professional sheriff is more the amateur while the fabulous amateur florist acts more the
experienced professional. The story line is superb because Janis Harrison lays out her
clues so that
the audience receives a delightful straight forward murder mystery with evidence
available for fans
to find while avoiding the wild weird meandering to fool the reader with an unnecessary
final
twist. Those who enjoy cracking the case as a partner to the heroine will step into the
garden.
Paranoia
Joseph Finder
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312319142 $24.95, 432 pp.
Adam Cassidy works rather poorly as a minor product-line manager at Wyatt Telecom.
When his
friend Jonesie retires, Adam impersonates the VP for Corporate Events and places an
order with
Meals of Splendor to cater a luncheon on the loading docks to rival what they did last
week for
the Salesman of the Year banquet. The gala continued past midnight when a security
guard heard
the band still playing. Adam anticipates being fired, but instead learns his extravagance
cost
$78,000 and if he prefers to avoid a stretch in the pen for embezzlement, he will become
a high
tech industrial spy. Adam reluctantly begins working for rival Trion Systems, but reports
insider
information to Wyatt Telecom Corporate Security. Once proud of his high ethical
standards,
Adam finds the people including the CEO at Trion treat him with dignity ripping his soul
further
asunder while he tries to gain knowledge about a quantum leap forward in technology
considered
as big as the first integrated circuit. Failure means jail; success means betrayal.
PARANOIA is a
superb thriller that grasps the reader into an all night stand because of the appealing
central
protagonist. Adam changes from a character similar to the heroic slacker of Office Space
to a
person struggling with his conscience lecturing him like a teacher haranguing a
misbehaving
student. While the suspense grows as to whether he will do it or not, Adam knows that
author
John C. Maxwell is right as There Is No Such Thing as Business Ethics being any
different than
just living and working according to the Golden Rule. He wonders how he can do that
without
paying the price of twenty years in prison.
The Post-Pregnancy Handbook
Sylvia Brown and Mary Dowd Struck, RN
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312316267 $14.95, 334 pp.
THE POST-PREGNANCY HANDBOOK provides a wide scope look at post-partum
issues that
mothers face in the first year following the birth of the child. The self help book came
about
because Ms. Brown found little guidance amidst the available but scattered literature as
her body
continued with the change process that pregnancy caused. The guide is a general help tool
on a
myriad of topics (this reviewer doubts any were left out or at least cannot think of any),
but by
attempting to be so comprehensive, depth is somewhat lacking. When I showed my
husband the
statistician some of the supporting numbers, he groused that the statistical support lacks
specificity making it unreliable as a source of information. Still this is an easy to follow
book and
appears comprehensive in terms of including all the issues (medical and societal). Used
correctly
as an all-purpose guide that needs follow-up with a personal professional, THE
POST-PREGNANCY HANDBOOK is a strong tome assisting the new momma with one
source
that furbishes possible answers to a host of questions and doubts.
In My Bedroom
Donna Hill
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312281935 $19.95, 272 pp.
Rayne Holland lives the perfect life. Her husband Paul adores her and their daughter
Desiree loves
her. On the professional front, her fourth film documentation is garnering all the awards.
However, inside the fa‡ade, Rayne hides a dark secret, a place where she mentally
vanishes when
she fears something. Neither Paul nor her best friend Gayle Davis realizes how Rayne
vanishes in
plain sight. On the drive home from her latest award, Rayne informs Paul that she knows
about
his affair with Gayle. She understands why he would look elsewhere though she is angry
at Gayle
for being promiscuous with her husband. As Paul insists he loves her, a head-on collision
occurs
that kills Paul and Desiree. Six months later Rayne totally hides inside herself with only
her sighs
telling her psychiatrist Dr. Pauline Dennis that she is listening to the world around her.
Pauline has
her own problems, but wants to help Rayne recover. Also at her side is Gayle who risks
her
marriage to aid her best friend, but the only emotion displayed by Rayne is hatred
towards her. IN
MY BEDROOM is a tremendous look at three people in varying stages of crippling
mental
prisons. Especially gripping to the audience is whether Rayne will leave her sanctuary
she has
parked her mind in. The lead trio rings true while the support cast including the deceased
Paul
enables the audience to look even deeper at predominantly Rayne, but to a lesser degree
Gayle
and Pauline. The angst level is beyond the stratosphere as readers feel the pain of the
prime
players and admire how Donna Hill invokes deep reactions from her audience.
To Make a Marriage
Cheryl Anne Porter
St. Martin's
ISBN: 031298281X $6.99, 384 pp.
In 1875 Savannah, Victoria Redmond was found in a comprised position with the wrong
person
so her wealthy upper crust family ships her to England to marry an aristocrat. Duke
Spencer
Whitfield is broke and at risk of losing his estate. He makes up his mind that he will wed
the
heiress. Victoria becomes pregnant rather quickly, but cynically Spencer doubts that the
child is
his. He informs his wife that if the infant fails to have his family birthmark, he will
divorce her and
send her back to Georgia with someone else's kid. When she learns her family is in
trouble,
Victoria flees for the states to help them and to forget the man she now loves who her
hurt her
very badly. He follows her across the Atlantic because his pride is hurt, but soon finds he
loves his
wife with the only way to prove it being recognizing the infant with or without his
birthmark. TO
MAKE A MARRIAGE is a fun Victorian romance though many modern day readers will
find
Spencer's position stiff and difficult though it fits the society he grew up in. Victoria is an
intrepid
heroine who knows her family needs her and though her spouse said to stay, she shows
the
temerity by ignoring him and venturing back to Georgia. Fans of the period will enjoy
Cheryl
Anne Porter's solid tale of two individuals who have nothing in common except love.
Lethal Risk
W.H. Watford
Pinnacle
ISBN: 0786015810 $6.99, 384 pp.
In Duvall, Louisiana, Dr. Jack Harris, working the night shift of the emergency room,
treats a
battered but tough teenage girl Shannon Willis. Before he can finish with her, a wounded
cop near
death arrives. Rural ER is limited so Jack tries to keep the officer alive so that he can be
air lifted
to New Orleans. The other cop Sergeant Gillis has wounds that are not life threatening.
Gillis
drafts Jack to serve as the coroner because the man who shot the cops is dead. The
deceased is
Jack's boss Doc Saban. Meanwhile Shannon fled during the chaos. Jack sees Shannon on
the
street. He buys her a meal and gets her a motel room. He promises to return in the
morning, but
the next day she is missing and the police suspect Jack had sex with her and killed her.
They
wonder if Jack is tied to Saban's apparent illegal activities and a narcotics ring that target
high
school students. Jack realizes he must prove his innocence because the circumstantial
evidence
allows the police to have no reason to look at anyone else. LETHAL RISK is an excellent
amateur sleuth tale that uses elements of a medical thriller (the spotlight on rural ER is
fascinating
as the bottom line is more important than saving lives) and police procedural (assume
guilty unless
proven innocent) as its underpinnings. The story line moves forward rather quickly from
the first
taste of ER bedlam to Jack learning a lesson about what happens to the good intentions of
a Good
Samaritan. Jack is the heart of a solid tale that fans will value highly.
Heart of the Betrayed
Angela Verdenius
Wings ePress
ISBN: 1590881958 $TBA
Dana the Reeka Warrior has issues with trust issue that goes soul deep. As a child she
watched
her father abandon Dana and her mother while their enemies were persecuting their race.
Her
"sisters" at arms saved her while her mother withered away without a man to nurture her.
When
needed, men leave so although Dana is not happy she is proud of her accomplishments,
Dana
vows that no male will own her heart. Garret the Daamen trader asks Dana to help rescue
his son
Rominac, a fool for love, probably enslaved in the Southlander sector. Garret met Dana
on a
previous mission when the skin ripping Reeka captured his heart, but he failed to obtain
her faith
in his loyalty. He plans to prove to his beloved Dana that he can be trusted to back her up
at all
times even with his life if needed on this dangerous mission. As he breaks down her
barriers
surrounding her heart one slow shedding at a time, he prays that he wins her and rescues
Rominac
without having to choose between them. This reviewer jumped on the Angela Verdenius
rocket
ship relatively late, but I am very glad I have joined the growing riders of this series. The
third
Heart and Soul novel, HEART OF THE BETRAYED, is a superb tale that combines a
classic
battle of the sexes (romance style) with a classic battle between the genders (sci fi style).
Interwoven into the plot is the rationale of why Dana does not trust men, which also
enables the
audience to learn more about the conflicting societies that make up the fantastic addicting
Verdenius universe where once one book is perused, the series becomes must
reading.
Soul of a Mercenary
Angela Verdenius
Wings ePress
ISBN: 1590888103 $TBA 453 pp.
Exonerated and no longer chased as an outlaw, Reya, a Reeka sisterhood warrior, remains
"haunted" by her mind dwelling entirely on her past though she can easily rationalize that
she
either killed or be killed. Unable to settle down like many of her sisters, Reya roams from
place to
place seeking inner solace, but only finds haunting nightmares of what she has done.
Daamen
trader Maverk loves Reya as he has since he first met her and she rejected him too many
years
ago. He would protect her with his life and desperately wants to ease the burden burying
Reya,
but she refuses to let him into her darkest secrets. Still, he follows her to the Outlaw
Sector
hoping to keep his beloved safe if she allows him to do so and be there if she ever lets go
of her
insanity and realizes she needs him. Whatever Reya does, Maverk plans to be there for
her even if
his love remains unrequited for eternity. The sequel to the delightful science fiction
romance
HEART OF AN OUTLAW is a tremendous tale in which the story line is vividly
summarized by
its title. Angela Verdenius delves deeply into the SOUL OF A MERCENARY so that
readers will
understand why Reya has trouble trusting and relying on people including the man who
actually
deep in the recesses of her black soul has started the flicker of light and hope. Though not
as
action-packed as the first tale, Ms. Verdenius displays her talent with a powerful
character study
in an otherworldly environs that will have the audience stunned and desiring the third
book in the
Verdenius Universe (see HEART OF THE BETRAYED).
Love Bites
Lynsay Sands
Love Spell
ISBN: 0505525534 $6.99
Morgue Dr. Rachel Garrett is coming down with the flu when the corpse of Etienne
Argeneau is
brought in for her to examine. The big man was shot, but soon gets up as bullets cannot
kill a
vampire. Rachel assumes that her fever is making her delirious. A few days later, Etienne
returns
dead again. This time when he recovers, his assailant is there too as he followed behind
the
transported "corpse" to the morgue. Etienne, who feels he owes Rachel, will do anything
to keep
her safe from the evil that has assaulted him. Besides which she has gotten inside his
blood. He
wonders if he should convert her as his eternal mate even though he knows vampires have
only
one chance to get the transformation right However, before he can decide to end three
centuries
of bachelorhood, the vile foe takes the choice out of his hands as Rachel is under assault.
Vampire
romance readers will love to tenderly bite the caring charming champion, who is simply a
nice
individual; Rachel is his delightful counterpart if she can "live" long enough to
permanently take
the role. The story line is entertaining on two levels. First there is the good vs. evil war
between
the hero and his vile obsessed foe (role reversal); and second is Etienne's dilemma of
bringing her
over or not. With this tale and SINGLE, WHITE VAMPIRE, Lynsay Sands has provided
a
unique vampiric family of nurturing considerate souls that readers will cherish.
Kissing Frogs
Laura Marie Altom
Love Spell
ISBN: 0505525682 $5.99
Scientists realize that frogs are the perfect barometer of the health of the environment for
if the
species has hearty skin, the quality of the surroundings is safe; on the other hand sickly
frogs mean
a deadly environs. Cotswold boarding school teacher Lucy Gordon knows she has come
along
way from her hometown of Springdale, Alabama to instruct the aristocracy in the
equivalent of
fifth grade biology. However, what she really wants is to find her own special frog
species to
make her father proud of her achievement. Lucy swerves her car to avoid a "bouncing
green
blob", but her tire blows. The green blob turns out to be a unique species of frog.
Euphoric, she
kisses her amphibian, only to find herself pinned under a muscular naked hunk. Lucy has
liberated
Welsh Prince Wolfe from a millennium old spell that turned him into a frog. He feels
obligated to
his rescuer and needs her to survive in this strange world. As they fall in love, Lucy
wonders if her
dream of universal acknowledgment of frog success is incompatible with her hunk while
also
wondering if his feelings are love or just gratitude. KISSING FROGS is a delightful
amusing
modernizing of the classic fairy tale, The Frog Prince. The story line is filled with fun
leaps and
frolics as author Laura Marie Altom plays this novel to bring joy and laughter to her
audience.
The prime romance is delectable because the lead couple is a fine duo struggling between
his
medieval outlook and her ambition and doubts. This reviewer anticipated Rocky and
Bullwinkle
to show up (they didn't) with this enjoyable version of Fractured Fairy Tales.
Relative Interest
Anita Bunkley
Kensington
ISBN 075820079X $24.00, 320 pp.
After returning from Africa, journalist Kira Forester returns home to find a letter from the
North
Carolina Division of Social Services waiting for her. The letter informs Kira that her six
year old
niece is no longer in foster care and is in the home of Ralph and Helen Roper waiting for
the
adoption to go through. The person handling the adoption Evan Conley, the owner of
Sheltering
Hearts Placement Agency, is the one to contact if she has any questions. When she finally
meets
with Evan, Kira is upset to learn that white people are adopting her niece. The color or
lack of
color of their skin adds guilt to Kira, who never tried to assume responsibility for her
niece
because she felt she wasn't suited at the time to be a full time mother. Evan persuades
Kira that a
trans-racial adoption can work if all parties are willing, which mean the Ropers and Kira
have to
put Vicky's needs first. Anita Bunkley addresses some very serious social issues while
entertaining
readers with a fascinating true-to-life storyline. The plot is fast-moving with plenty of
action while
the romance between Kira and Evan moves at a realistic pace. The story is told in the
third person
by all the major characters point of view so the audience will understand the motivations
of the
characters at all times. RELATIVE INTEREST is an unusually good relationship drama
with
powerful casting.
Pure Silk
Susan Johnson
Kensington
ISBN: 1575668092 $15.00, 352 pp.
In 1868 Northern Japan, the Otari clan loses the Civil War. When their leader is killed,
his
daughter Princess Tama flees the area dressed as a peasant boy with a plan to reach the
capital
and find passage to Europe to bring back her brother as the new clan chief. Tama reaches
Edo
where she sees American sea captain, Hugh Drummond enter a brothel. Tama forces the
geisha
Sunskoku to take her to see Hugh. For an exorbitant fee he agrees to take her to France
where
her brother lives. They need to reach Osaka to sail, but Sunskoku reports to Chief
Inspector
Hiroki who begins a massive manhunt. As Tama and Hugh defeat Hiroki's ninja, they also
make
love when they find a few days of sanctuary. They reach Osaka and sail to France where
she
hopes to persuade her reluctant brother to return to Japan and where she knows that her
tryst
with her beloved will end when his western lifestyle intercedes. PURE SILK is an
exhilarating east
meets west mid nineteenth century erotic romance that is at its best in Japan. When the
story
switches to France, it loses some energy with the meetings of his enervating ex-wife and
her
debilitating brother. Still fans of exciting historical romance that blends the XXX sex
scenes into
the tale and for the most part uses profanity in the right place will find Susan Johnson's
latest
purely delectable.
Dark Corner
Brandon Massey
Kensington
ISBN 0758202490 $14.00, 464 pp.
After the father he has never really known dies, David Hunter inherits a fortune. He
leaves his
Atlanta home and travels to Mason's Corner, Mississippi to move into his father's home,
hoping to
find out more about the man who was responsible for his birth in the town the man
obviously
loved. At first, David likes the small town and the people who live there but evil is
coming; David
will be called on to destroy it, just as his ancestor had done. After almost two centuries of
believing his father is dead, vampire Kyle Coiraut is on his way to Mason's Corner to
revive his
sire from the Deep Sleep. From the moment Kyle awakens Diallo from the Deep Sleep,
the master
vampire warrior from a pre blood bank age is determined to create a vampire army to take
over
the human world in revenge for the mortals that killed the only woman he ever loved.
Diallo is
determined to destroy David for it was his ancestor who almost killed the powerful
vampire but
he has an unexpected ally, a vampire who is as old as time, Kyle's mother. With skill and
much
luck, they might hopefully be victorious. Brandon Massey is destined to be one of
tomorrow's
superstars in the horror genre. His storytelling and characterizations are on a par with
Stephen
King, Dean Koontz and Peter Straub because he makes the audience believe what is
happening is
real. Hopefully DARK CORNER will have a sequel because the hero is too vibrant to be
confined
to only one novel as good as this one is.
Cereal Killer
G. A. McKevett
Kensington
ISBN 0758204582 $22.00, 256 pp.
Although she left Georgia to put some distance between her and her family, Savannah
Reid is the
quintessential Steel Magnolia, a true daughter of the south. After working for the San
Carmelita
Police Department for a few years and butting heads with her political superiors, she
quits,
operating her own Moonlight Magnolia Detective Agency. Her friend and former partner
are
having lunch in the park one day when he gets called to investigate a homicide that just
occurred.
Savannah tags alone when she realizes the victim is Caitlin Connor, a plus size model
who is
world renown. Not long after that, , another plus size model, is also found murdered and
left on
the side of the road to make it look as if she was run over by a car while jogging. Both
Caitlin and
Kameeka were working for the same advertising agency starring in a cereal commercial
so there is
a connection between the two models. When a third model is kidnapped, the agent who is
represented all three woman hires Savannah to find the perpetrator and try to find the
third victim
before she is found dead as well. Savannah, her police friend Dirk, and some other allies
work the
case before another death occurs. A full figured woman, Savannah Reid is comfortable in
her own
skin and doesn't let other people's opinions of her weight bother her. She can be tough,
sympathetic and bullheaded, all at the same time but readers will love her because she
cares about
her family, friends and people in general. CEREAL KILLER is an exciting hard to put
down
earthy private investigative tale.
I Love Rogues
Bertrice Small, Thea Devine, and Jane Bonander
Kensington
ISBN: 0758204191 $15.00, 352 pp.
"Zuleika and the Barbarian" by Bertrice Small. Princess Zuleika of Dariyabar spent her
life
expecting to wed her cousin Haroun, but he coldly informs her that since he no longer
needs her
as he will be the next sultan with her brothers dead, she will be given to the barbarian at
the gates.
Not even a wish with a genie could help the embattled Zuleika. Still rather than wait to
become
Amir Khan's gift, Zuleika offers the barbarian a sensual deal to save her people from his
horde and
her cousin's ruthlessness. "All the Secret Pleasures" by Thea Devine. Though their
respective
fathers wanted them married, Lady Corinna rejected her neighbor Simon Charlesworth to
wed an
older earl because his rank and wealth were at the level she expected of a spouse. By
1820
Corinna is a widow when she meets Simon for the first time in years, but this time he
plans to get
his beloved in his bed forever. "The Bedroom is Mine" by Jane Bonander. In 1880 Twin
Hearts,
California logging mogul Ross Benedict bets that he will never shave his beard off for a
woman.
His sister Sam arranges for homeless cook Lily Sawyer to stay in Ross' cabin. Soon Ross
and Lily
argue over who owns the bed before deciding to share it. The three battles of the boudoir
novellas
are well written with engaging lead characters even though the first two tales occasionally
allow
the sex scenes to forget there is the plot. Exotic romance fans will appreciate these fine
novellas.
Dark Dreams
Dominique Adair, Margaret Carter, Kit Tunstall
Ellora's Cave
ISBN: 1843603934 $14.50, 300 pp.
"Last Kiss" by Dominique Adair. At a party Elaine meets Count Alex Romanov, whom
she has
dreamed of for years but never met before. He believes Elaine is the reincarnation of his
lost love.
In a short period of time, they fall in love. However Elaine has not much time left on this
earth
unless Alex can find a way to keep her with him through eternity. "Last Kiss" is a very
graphic
and sensual erotic paranormal romance that enables the audience to feel the intensity of
feelings
between Alex and Elaine. "Night Flight" by Margaret Carter. To stop the steady reduction
in their
numbers, the vampire council instituted a breeding program using human DNA. Gillian,
who is
one quarter human, goes away with her friend Paul for the weekend. Paul is shocked
when he
sees her change. Once he recovers, they engage in a sexual marathon. Afterward Paul
wonders if
he is in love or is being hypnotized to feel that way. Margaret Carter has written a very
erotic
vampire novella that makes the species vampire seem veryreal. "Heart of Midnight" by
Kit
Tunstall Blind and unable to have children, her uncle and aunt sells Catriona to a brothel
in
Lasenbourg. The vampire Quintos rescues Catriona from a sadist on her first night. He
takes her
to his estate where she discovers he's a psychic vampire who feeds off emotions. She
wants him to
make her a vampire so she can regain her sight but he refuses, fearing that she'll leave him
once
she sees his scarred face. HEART OF MIDNIGHT is an erotic vampiric version of
Beauty and the
Beast.
Deep is the Night: Dark Fire
Denise A. Agnew
Ellora's Cave
ISBN: 1843605635 $15.99, 334 pp.
Needing freedom from the overwhelming expectations of her parents, Erin Greenway
moves from
Arizona to Pine Forest, Colorado, to become a librarian in the small town described to
her by her
best friend, who insists most locals believe in ghosts. Since it is Halloween, Erin and
another
librarian decorate the library for a children's spooky story hour. As she arrives at the
library, Erin
hears eerie noises and smells a nasty odor. She is thinking of yesterday's assault on a
woman when
the voices enter her mind. One sounds threatening while the other seems protectively
sexy.
Visiting Scot Lachlan Tavish is in town hunting the Ancient Vampire, who killed his
parents and
left him for dead. Lachlan believes that the vampire has staked out Erin and he plans to
keep her
safe though she distrusts his motives. Still, neither can resist the passion between them
and soon
make love. However, the malevolent blood sucker is coming for both of them and love is
not a
good emotion to have when one needs logic, and rational thought, items that have
abandoned
Erin and Lachlan. Fans of erotic vampire romances will gain great pleasure from Denise
Agnew's
fantastic DEEP IN THE NIGHT: DARK FIRE. The story line is action-packed as readers
anticipate a powerful final confrontation, but also is filled with an ardent romance so that
the
audience receives additional pleasure from the cleverly designed plot pulling in two
directions.
Erin and Lachlan are a delightful couple regardless of which vernacular they use and the
villain is
as vile a foe as one can imagine. Halloween is rarely as good as this tale is.
The Souvenir Countess
Joanna Nevins
Berkley
ISBN: 042519387X $5.99
1792 Paris remains an unsafe place for the aristocracy. Lady Alix de la Brou knows she
must flee,
but first searches for her missing mamam so that they can find sanctuary across the
Channel.
However, Alix instead finds herself in danger until visiting Englishman Rafe Harcourt
rescues her
from Madam Guillotine. To keep her reputation intact as they journey to England
together, they
marry though she is convinced she wed a commoner. In London, they separate and Alix
moves in
with her mother, who had previously escaped from France. Rafe missies his French
spouse and
wants her back, but she refuses to return to him saying he married her under false
pretenses by not
revealing he was an earl and only wed her to take her to safety in accordance with
acceptable
convention. Rafe has his work cut out as he courts his wife in an attempt to prove to her
he loves
her. Though the heroine is a charmer, her behavior at times seems odd (battle fatigue
syndrome
perhaps?); yet fans will still enjoy this French Revolution Era romance due to the
dysfunctional
loving relationship between the lead couple. Rafe is a delightful protagonist while fans
will feel
empathy towards Alix's plight of loving him, but not able to trust his motives. Fans will
enjoy
Joanna Nevins swift-paced sensational story that brings the time period alive on both
sides of the
Channel inside a fine historical romantic read.
Remember the Magic
Donna Fletcher
Berkley
ISBN: 0425193276 $5.99, 336 pp.
Five centuries ago the witch Sydney Wyrdd and Scottish clan chief Duncan fell in love,
but both
know the helplessness of a relationship as he must care for his people above his own
needs. She
flees into the future for his sake. Sydney helps Tempest the Ancient One regain her lost
love.
Feeling more than just gratitude, Tempest wants the same for Sydney. Tempest returns
Sydney
back in time to her beloved. However, though heartbroken and haunted by Sydney, who
vanished
thirteen years ago Duncan is expected to marry Eileen of clan Carron. That is until
Duncan and
Sydney see one another as his future bride arrives at his keep. They realize that they still
love one
another, but the problems that caused her to leave still remain and are compounded by the
alliance
the honorable Duncan has made through his upcoming marriage with clan Carron.
REMEMBER
THE MAGIC is an entertaining romantic fantasy that stars Sydney, a secondary player in
previous
tales, one who Donna Fletcher's fans have waited for to get her own chance at love. The
interesting story line hooks the audience as it seems impossible for the star-crossed duo to
find
happiness. The support cast, especially the magical beings (like Beatrice and Tempest)
and
Duncan's sister Gwen, augment the plot. Though Eileen pales compared to Sydney and
Gwen,
fans will appreciate Ms. Fletcher's magical charm.
Cold Target
Patricia Potter
Berkley
ISBN: 0425193861 $6.99, 432 pp.
After an intruder enters her home, Holly Mathews manages to kill him. However, she
realizes the
culprit needed help to break in as he disabled the security system by punching in the code
and had
the front door key. Concluding that her husband Randolph wants her dead, Holly flees
her home
taking their son Mikey with her. Holly relocates under the guise of a widow with a son
Harry (for
Potter), calling herself Elizabeth Baker in Brisbee, Arizona. Her dying mother informs
Meredith
Rawson that she has a half-sister, who she wants treated right by splitting a trust fund
between
them. Meredith confronts her father who is in denial. He, in turn, calls someone to warn
them
what occurred, but is told to fix it or else. Now someone wants Meredith dead with only
Detective Gage Gaynor, working a cold murder case that ties to her powerful family,
keeping her
safe. COLD TARGET is an exhilarating romantic suspense with ever increasing tension
as the
half-siblings who did not know the other existed are in danger from powerful interests.
Though
the climax seems shaky, the story line moves at full speed so that the audience has quite a
ride
while waiting to learn the truth. The romance takes a somewhat back seat, yet is not
neglected as
readers receive an entertaining action-packed thriller.
Personal Assets
Emma Holly
Berkley
ISBN: 0425193713 $14.00, 304 pp.
Nasty Evangeline Clouet was the driving force behind the success of elite Meilleurs Amis
Boutiques found around the world in spots for the jet setting rich and famous. However,
Evangeline pushed a lover too far and he killed her. The business is run by Evangeline's
boy toy
husband Philip Carmichael while her daughter Beatrix stays away preferring to paint. Bea
arrives
at the office and abruptly kisses her stunned stepfather Philip who she has loved since she
met him
as a teen. Soon she is under his desk playing with his wang as he listens to an accounting
report
that tells him the New York store is in trouble. Unable to resist Philip comes, but
afterward tries
to return to prim and proper. However, Bea knows she has the upper hand as he cannot
ignore
her lure. As they fall in love, a hostile takeover of the business occurs that places Bea
best friend
pulled between loyalty to her buddy and her lover, leading the takeover. Readers who
enjoy erotic
romance that does not wait to turn up the heat will appreciate this sex in the boardroom
just don't
read in a public place unless you want to be considered Meg Ryan in the restaurant scene
of When
Harry Met Sally. The story line is either boudoir but not always in the bedroom or at the
boutiques' offices though none of the key players except for Evangeline comes across as a
business barracuda. Fans will gain immense pleasure with this sex anywhere is
convenient
tale.
Hell's Gate
Susan Lancaster
Snosrap Publishing
ISBN: 0973035021 $12.95, 180 pp.
The visiting Canadian teacher provides an interesting lesson on the diverse culture of
British
Columbia. Afterward, best friends Kate Foster and Amanda Thompson debate the
reaction of the
Indians to the intrusion of Anglos along the River Fraser. Amanda feels empathy with the
beleaguered natives while Kate insists their reactions were irrational. Kate's bias disturbs
her
guardian angel Oscar the ostrich, but even more the In-Between Forces who decide she
needs a
lesson. They dispatch Kate, Amanda and Oscar back to 1858 New Caledonia (presently
British
Columbia). The two female teens receive help from kind locals and soon Kate's brother
James,
who is also Amanda's boyfriend, joins the girls. When they overhear a plot to attack the
locals in
order to steal gold, but place the blame on the Indians, they become involved. The trio
meets
Simon, the son of the Knife Band tribe chief and together the foursome tries to thwart an
odious
scheme that will harm many innocents even as Simon and Kate are attracted to one.
Though
targeting a young audience, adults and teens will enjoy this entertaining time travel tale
that
vividly focuses on mid nineteenth century British Columbia. The cast is wonderful
especially the
four heroes, Oscar and a couple of his colleagues. The story line is at its best when the
young
ladies venture around New Caledonia as the audience receives an exciting insightful look
into the
era. Occasional historical and preaching lectures slow down the tale, but fans will still
value this
delightful morality historical tale that cherishes diversity while seeking out other
adventures of the
trio (see THE DIAMOND TALISMAN).
The 37th Hour
Jodi Compton
Delacorte
ISBN: 0385337132 $21.95, 324 pp.
Minneapolis Police Detective Sarah Pribek, an expert on missing-person cases, worries
about her
partner, Genevieve Brown, whose mental collapse is understandable since her daughter
was
recently raped and murdered. The accused Royce "Shorty" Stewart is free due to a legal
technicality, which adds to Genevieve's stress due to a lack of justice providing her some
closure.
Sarah's husband, Police Detective Mike Shiloh, leaves for a four-month training class at
Quantico
with the FBI, but never arrives at his destination. Sarah investigates the disappearance
though her
peers and superiors believe Mike walked out on her after two months of marriage. Sarah
finds no
clues in her spouse's trek east or in his behavior just before his departure. She looks into
Mike's
past, but her inquiries lead to her Utah-based family while also bringing Genevieve back
among
the living assisting her on her quest. However, the long and winding road seems to have
one more
twist around the bend, but always returns to Minneapolis, but what will Sarah find at the
end of
this rainbow? THE 37TH HOUR is a great police procedural starring complex
protagonists who
in their way are as dark and foreboding as the odious Shorty is. The story line is solid,
intricate,
and deep as the audience follows a non-linear trail that makes for a deeper reading
experience.
Anyone who appreciates a powerful one sitting realistic investigative tale that contains
strong
convincing characters will want to read Jodi Compton's debut novel that in turn will lead
to
everyone hating this talented author for making novel writing seem so effortless.
101 Most Powerful Proverbs in the Bible
Steve and Lois Rabey and J. Stephen Lang
Warner
ISBN: 0446532150 $16.95, 236 pp.
The biblical Book of Proverbs is more of a values tome providing guidance on how to
live in
harmony in one's daily life. The 101 MOST POWERFUL PROVERBS IN THE BIBLE
looks at
particular proverbs chosen by the author as the most critical to adhere to in the
consideration of
others. The admired scripture adages provide guidance on a wide range of subjects that if
followed lead to a complete positive person helping one's family, religion, and
community, which
in turn helps the person become productive. Amazingly though from ancient writings,
these seem
apropos in the information age of corporate scandal, school massacres, suicide bombings,
and
weapons of mass destruction. Each of the chosen ones include anecdotes and essays by J.
Stephen
Lang that are intended to further provide deep yet simplistic morality instructions in a
modern
text. However, that is the strength and weakness of the book as some make sense and add
depth
while others seem inane and seemingly unrelated. When Mr. Lang enhances the proverb
with a
powerful essay, the book takes off; when he seems to be adding filler the tome falls flat.
Still
worth reading, the audience should follow those that logically add depth and skip over
those
don't.
License to Thrill
Lori Wilde
Warner
ISBN: 0446613665 $5.99, 353 pp.
Five years as a Vegas private detective Charlee Champagne fears little. However, one of
her two
phobias arrives at the Sikes Detective Agency when wealthy investment banker
CHARMED AND
DANGEROUS hunk Mason Gentry charges through the door. An irate Mason demands
to know
where his grandfather is. Apparently, he vanished with a half a million dollars in
embezzled funds.
Charlee has no idea what the crazed man is talking about, but he insists her partner
Maybelline
Sikes does. Though she has difficulty accepting her grandmother Maybelline would do
anything
nasty, Charlee takes Mason to Maybelline's home to see what they can learn. Not only is
she
surprisingly not there, but someone tries to kill them. As they follow the trail to Los
Angeles, the
banker and the sleuth fall in love, but first must insure their respective grandparent is safe
from
someone willing to kill to insure the real felon remains hidden. Private investigative
screwball
romance readers will be pleased with the Wilde LICENSE TO KILL. The story line is
part
amusement and part dangerous sleuthing with a gender reversal of roles. Charlee and
Mason are
delightful as opposites falling in love even as they follow the money to Hollywood. The
support
cast adds wackiness to the mix even those who seem upper crust straight elitists (his side
of
course) as fans will enjoy this jocular caper on the wild side.
Tempted
Pamela Britton
Warner
ISBN: 0446611301 $5.99, 336 pp.
Though he hoped to be different then his not so illustrious ancestors, Lord George
Alexander
Drummond feels he is just as much a rake as any of them. Still, Alex tries to avoid the
infamous
family label of "Wicked Wainridge" that has been worn by generations of his blood. Thus
in 1816
he joins Customs in an effort to decimate the Hollowbrook smugglers and because of his
family
reputation succeeds much greater than anyone could imagine. Smuggler Tobias Brown
wants
revenge, which he feels he can achieve when he reads an ad that Alex placed in the
papers seeking
to hire a nurse to care for his running wild child Gabby. Tobias sends his widowed
daughter Mary
Callahan to apply for the job. Though insolent and obviously not interested in this job,
Alex hires
Mary because of how well she handles out of control Gabby. Though Alex swore no
more trysts,
he and Mary fall in love. However, she is a mole in his household and he knows that
scandal will
earn him the all time worst reputation any family member ever had. TEMPTED is an
exciting
Regency romance starring several intriguing protagonists especially Mary, her father and
his
daughter. The lead couple is an odd duo, but in many ways fit the sub-genre rules
especially Alex.
The commoner Mary is refreshing as her independence and feistiness seems appropriate
for her
station in life. The story line contains a suspense subplot, but the novel clearly belongs to
the cast
as each in their way is TEMPTED beyond what is expected of any of them.
Have You Seen Her?
Karen Rose
Warner
ISBN: 0446612812 $5.99, 512 pp.
High Point, North Carolina is gripped with fear as a serial killer is in action. State Bureau
of
Investigation Agent Steven Thatcher vows to bring down this predator killing children.
He knows
first hand how parents feel as his preadolescent son Nicky was abducted, but fortunately
rescued
though six months later mental scars remain on the lad, his dad, and his teenage brother
Brad. He
takes a break from his obsession when Brad's chemistry teacher Dr. Jenna Marshall asks
to see
him. Brad's grades have collapsed and Jenna is worried about him. Jenna has other
problems with
threats from a wealthy father who demands she reinstate his failing son back on the
football team.
Still she finds she is attracted to Steven, who feels the same way. As they fall in love and
he tries
to uncover a killer with high level protection, a relationship seems impossible. Not only
have both
have suffered from previous relationships, his children remain traumatized by the
abduction.
Though there is too much angst coming from too many directions that overwhelms the
reader, but
once adjusted fans will appreciate this solid serial killer romance. The story line is driven
by the
cast not just the lead couple. The woes of Brad and Nicky as well as relatives of victims
like
Sheriff Braden pull readers into the tale as much as the stars do. Jenna is a delightful
ethical
protagonist while Steven shows how a big person can be gentle and kind contrasting to
the father
of the benched football hunk. HAVE YOU SEEN HER? will please sub-genre fans as
Karen Rose
provides a deep tale.
The Salt Roads
Nalo Hopkinson
Warner
ISBN: 0446533025 $22.95, 394 pp.
Early in the nineteenth century, on the French colonial Caribbean Island of Saint
Domingue, three
female slave women, led by Doctress Mer, inter a stillborn baby. During the burial
ceremony, they
pray to Ezili, the Afro-Caribbean Goddess of love and sex, to "use" the infant's "unused
vitality".
Mer knows first hand how Ezili resides inside them as the goddess lives within her to use
her
when needed for that is how she has the healing hands. Ezili employs other female
African or Afro
descendents as her channel. In the nineteenth century in Paris, Ezili lives inside mixed
blooded
Jeanne Duval, lover of poet Charles Baudelaire. In the fourth-century Nubian Meritet,
changes
from a prostitute to the founder of a religion when Ezili enters her. However, even
Goddess' have
fears that they will expire as Ezili worries will happen to her now that Jeanne' is dying
from
syphilis. Escape may be through Mer's prays, but at a moment when the Saint Domingue
slaves
seek freedom at any cost could still endanger the Goddess. Extremely complex in terms
of the
time paradox, Nalo Hopkinson shows why she is the leading fabulist of Afro-Caribbean
mythology, religion, and folk tales filled with Mojo today. The plot spans time and place
yet
seems so right though readers will struggle with non-linear events (string theory anyone)
connected via salt and the Goddess. The three women are fully developed, but
surprisingly in a
mystical sense so is Ezili. Nalo Hopkinson provides another winner with her insightful
look at
Afro-Caribbean mythos.
Wired
Robert L. Wise
Warner
ISBN: 0446691631 $13.95, 305 pp.
In 2022, the world abruptly changed for the worse when millions suddenly vanished.
Shock, fear,
and anger became the norm as violence gripped the survivors, if that is even an
appropriate word
for those who still lived on planet earth. Using advance technology, a police state that
makes
Orwell's 1984 look as simple as Ashcroft's 2004 take control of everyday life.
Additionally,
ruthless war lords lead lawless anarchists taking whatever they want as long as they stay
away
from the even more merciless ruling elite. In this world gone mad some good people still
try to
raise their family with positive values towards others. Graham and Jackie Peck are such a
couple
until the violence hits home when someone aimlessly killed his mother. As their son asks
questions
about his Grammy, the Pecks seek answers too. Why would God do this to a caring
kindhearted
innocent person like his mother and why was this family left behind? For answers they
turn to the
New Seekers, but that membership leads the Pecks to ponder more questions of what to
do
believe. This is an exciting end times thriller that makes a case that today's international
governments ,including a belief in the empire seeking of the United States sets the stage
for the
Anti-Christ to move into control. Aimed as a warning tale to Christians, WIRED is a solid
thriller
that fans of apocalypse now tales will appreciate though the leaps in political integration
seems
stretched. Still the audience will receive a wonderful tale due mostly to the stunned Pecks
wondering what they did wrong to be left behind.
Hope's Highway
Dorothy Garlock
Warner
ISBN: 0446690171 $12.00
In 1933 three men linked by their work as ice deliverymen agree to travel together
accompanied
by their families on Route 66 to California. Elmer Kinnard takes his adult daughter
Margie though
he detests her. Alvin Putnam, his wife Grace and their blind adult son Rusty are in
another vehicle.
Rounding out the party is Foley Luker, his new bride Sugar and his two teens from his
first wife
Jody and Mona. On the road they meet Brady Hoyt taking his five year old orphaned
niece Anna
Marie to her aunt to live. The road may be filled with hope, but it is a tedious and
dangerous trek.
Elmer is nasty to Marge and not much better with anyone else. Alvin is kind to all and his
wife
"adopts" Anna Marie as hers on the trip. Foley sees only Sugar and not how cruel she is
to his
children. Brady helps everyone, but struggles with doing the right thing for Anna Marie,
the
survivor of a family tragedy. As romance blooms between Mona and Rusty and between
Brady
and Marge, some will die on the trip while others will choose an alternate lifestyle than
the Golden
State fantasy when a new dream beckons. The sequel to MOTHER ROAD, HOPE'S
HIGHWAY,
is an engaging piece of Americana before the Interstate system. The ensemble cast each
has a
distinct personality though Elmer and Sugar are too negative with no redeeming quality
between
them; the rest of the road show characters display caring warm personalities with flaws
and
doubts that make them human. Once again Dorothy Garlock proves no one knows the
Depression
Era road rules like she does.
Talking Donkeys and Wheels on Fire: Bible Stories That Are Truly Bizarre
J. Stephen Lang
Warner
ISBN: 0446690678 $12.95, 231 pp.
This reviewer had no plans to read this inanely titled book, but fleetingly glanced at it
over coffee.
About an hour or so later, I finished a most entertaining biblical reference guide that is
aimed at
the younger set, but adults will enjoy it as testified by my spouse and adult son who
subsequently
read J. Stephen Lang's terrific work. The eighty-six stories come from the Old and New
testaments and provide an intriguing looks at people and events that hook the audience.
How can
one not be curious about the raven who fed Elijah, Cain's wife, the link between food and
religion,
and Jacob falling for a similar switcheroo to that he and his mother pulled on his father.
The
collection is easy to read, and quite entertaining while educating. Perhaps the only
objection by
this reviewer is portrayal of Isaac as possibly not being impacted by his near death
experience as a
sacrifice. Of the three founding Fathers, he is the sole introvert needing his wealthy dad
to find
him a woman and then it was his cousin. TALKING DONKEYS AND WHEELS ON
FIRE:
BIBLE STORIES THAT ARE TRULY BIZARRE is fun for the whole family.
Legends II
Robert Silverberg (editor)
Del Ray
ISBN 0345456440 $28.95, 656 pp.
LEGENDS II contains eleven novellas written by fantasy authors in the realms they
created that
in turn made them famous as these authors are instantly recognizable by the worlds they
have
fashioned. These include Robert Silverberg's Majipoor, A Song of Ice and Fire by
George R.R.
Martin, OTHERLAND by Tad Williams, Raymond E. Feist's Riftwar, Orson Scott Card's
Alvin
Maker and the American Gods by cult favorite Neil Gaiman. Toss in orbs by Robin
Hobbs,
Elizabeth Hayden, and other sub-genre who's who in a wonderful buffet and one can feast
for a
long time. For instance, Diana Gabaldon takes a minor character from her renowned
Outlander
series and makes him a star in his own mysteries as Lord John investigates murder by a
succubus
in the middle of war with the enemy surrounding him. No anthology about other realms
would be
complete without a story about Pern and Anne McCaffrey obliges with a plague sweeping
Pern
with the dragonriders teleporting from place to place and between times to inoculate
everyone.
Moreta, riding one of her weyr's queens and her dragon are lost between times and must
find a
way to come home. Readers will be delighted with the last story "Indomitable" a
Shannara story
in which Jair Ohnsford learns that his adventures are still happening though he thought he
could
retires once he burned the book of the Ildoch at Greymard. Unfortunately, he failed to
destroy a
page. LEGENDS II is a sampling of many of the magical worlds of fantasy.
Prince of Dreams
Nancy McKenzie
Del Rey
ISBN: 0345456505 $14.95, 432 pp.
The High King of Britain Markion sends his nephew Tristan to escort his newly betrothed
Princess Essylte, daughter of King Percival of Gwynedd, back to him so she can become
his High
Queen in Tintagel. The marriage is a political union of the two most powerful families on
the isles
and surely will lead to a lasting prosperous peace for all with their children ruling for
eternity.
When Tristan and Essylte meet, love at first sight flows between them. Both know their
duties to
their respective lieges and their people. To act on their feelings mean treason and possible
war.
However, the matters of the heart cannot be ignored that easily and soon Tristan and
Essylte will
have to decide between love or honor and duty. Nancy Mackenzie is already recognized
as the
Guinevere of Camelot tales and her latest PRINCE OF DREAMS will enhance that regal
reputation. The story line tells the legendary tale in a fresh, vivid plot that brings to life
the
Arthurian Age so that the audience will feel they are witnesses to a magical period. The
love
between the protagonists hooks the audience who prays for a happier ending than the
legend or
the ultimate star-crossed pair Romeo and Juliet. Ms. McKenzie has another winner that
fans will
read in one delightful sitting.
Time's Eye
Arthur C. Clarke & Stephen Baxter
Del Rey
ISBN 0345452488 $26.96 368 pp.
On March 24, 1895, journalists Josh and Ruddy are covering the British Presence in
India. It is
June 9th in 2037 and U.N. peacekeepers Casey, Abdikadir and Bisesa are running a
peacetime
flyover in Afghanistan. Also in 2037, the Soyuz craft has disengaged from the space
station and
Kolya, Musa and Sable are returning after a three month mission to Earth. A woman and
her child
from prehistory are foraging for food with their tribe when a glowing orb appears. All
these
people are ripped away from their own space time continuum and returned to an earth
that is
made up of bits and pieces of different eras. The Eyes continually watch their every
movement
and action especially when Genghis Kahn and Alexander The Great fight each other for
domination of this new world called Mir. TIME'S EYE is a fascinating work of science
fiction.
The concept is simple but the results of the Discontinuity the Eyes have caused are really
amazing.
Twenty-first century technology aids two great warlords who were previously alive
millennia ago
and millennia apart. The weather and geographical upheaval caused by this phenomenon
are
awesome and the authors make that point very clear. There is a sequel to this excellent
novel
coming soon that should tie up the deliberately dangling threads.
Coalescent
Stephen Baxter
Del Rey
ISBN: 0345457854 $25.95, 496 pp.
As the Kuiper Belt anomaly grips the planet, George Poole leaves London for Manchester
to sell
the house of his recently deceased father and split the profit with his Florida based decade
older
sister. Upon entering his dad's house (his mom died ten years ago), the memories of his
youth
flash by the now forty-five year old George until his world crumbles. George finds a
photograph
of two three year old children that look like fraternal twins standing in front of his family
home.
The male is George, but who is this female version of him? In post Roman Britannia,
Regina
misses her carefree youth that ended about the time the strange lights arose in the
heavens. She
travels to Rome where she establishes the Order that lives and prospers under the streets
of the
city even to George's time Almost two millennium later George learns that he not only
has a living
twin, but she was given to the Order over two score ago. He treks to Rome to find a
perfect hive
of evolved humans that plan to expand their web beyond the Roman underground.
COALESCENT, the first book in Stephen Baxter's Destiny's Children trilogy, is an
exciting
science fiction tale that uses social order to propel human evolution. The story line
alternates
between George in the present and Regina in the past. The clever modern day tale
provokes
thought on evolution and social conditioning. However, Regina's world fails to
materialize as it
feels more like an account than a visit. Still readers will appreciate this deep tale and look
forward
to further debate over the pros and cons of human COALESCENT.
Seduced By Moonlight
Laurell K. Hamilton
Ballantine
ISBN 034544356X $23.95, 366 pp.
When President Jefferson invited the fae to make their home in America on the condition
they
would not set themselves up as destroyers, they had no choice but to accept. No other
country
wanted them and to keep their cultural identity they gave up much of their powers. Now
the
courts of the Sealie and Unsealie are dying, with very few children born to carry on the
line.
Queen Andais of the Unsealie court has made her son and her niece compete for the
throne with
the first one to get pregnant or to get someone with child named the heir. Princess Merry
is
worried that even with her own harem she remains barren but also worries that her magic
is
growing in her and she doesn't know how to control it, a dangerous position to be in when
many
Sidhe want her dead. Many people think it's a dream come true to have a harem but the
princess
knows that some of the shallower men only want her to take the throne so they can share
in her
power. SEDUCED BY MOONLIGHT is a magical romantic fantasy that will charm
anyone who
reads it. There are many surprises concerning the heroine and the author brilliantly sets
the stage
for the storyline of the next book in the series. Laurell K. Hamilton remains one of this
reviewer's
top ten favorite authors, a slot she has held for years (but not as far back as the Jefferson
Presidency).
The Goddesses of Kitchen Avenue
Barbara Samuel
Ballantine
ISBN: 0345445694 $23.95
In Pueblo, Colorado after two decades of marriage, forty-six years old Trudy just
separated from
her husband Rick, who has a younger model. Her next door neighbor Roberta Williams
just lost
her spouse Edgar of over six decades as he recently died. Another neighbor Shandelle is a
wannabe author raising two children and a husband who wants her to forget her writing
foolishness. Her granddaughter thirty something six foot plus physical specimen Jade has
come
from California to stay with her grandmother. Jade's man is in jail, but soon she learns he
has
some other squeeze. Shandelle's brother-in-law takes Jade to a nearby gym because she
wants to
become a boxer as she once knocked out a male mugger with one punch. At the gym her
trainer is
Rueben Perry. As Jade and Rueben train together, they fall in love. Meanwhile Rick
pleads with
Trudy to take him back, Roberta adjusts to widowhood, and Shandelle begins writing her
book as
they all watch Jade fight professionally in the ring. This is an entertaining look at three
generations
of women each having a different type of male relationship problem. The story line
rotates
between the four females as each has a story to tell. Though profanity is used, it seems
apropos to
the situation and not used for shock value. Readers will find THE GODDESSES OF
KITCHEN
AVENUE charming and enjoyable as each one struggles with a personal crisis.
Out of Reach
Patricia Lewin
Ballantine
ISBN: 0345443209 $23.95
CIA Agent Erin Baker blames herself for what happened to her younger sister. When Erin
was
twelve, she was supposed to watch her eight year old sister Claire. Instead she was to
busy
playing and someone abducted Claire. A few years later Claire was found, but was not
the same
person. Now Claire resides in an institution while Erin and a family friend raise her niece
Janice.
As the news flashes about missing children, Erin notices an ice cream truck vendor doing
magic
tricks that causes a recall back to the day Claire was taken as the hands of the magician
seem the
same though the person looks different. When a new abduction occurs, she informs the
FBI Agent
in charge of the case Alec Donovan what she saw. He breaks the rules as he recognizes
that Erin
is more than just a passerby with a tenuous connection. Instead he adds her onto the
investigation
team that soon leads the duo to mixed feelings as love flourishes between them. A battle
against
an evil soul that has no qualms about stealing the innocent soon looms and love might not
be
enough to overcome the fiend. OUT OF REACH is an exciting police procedural
romance that
sub-genre fans will enjoy though the pit of the stomach will ache due to the abduction of
children.
The story line is fast-paced as Erin and Alec comb the country following up on clues.
Though
Claire's tale is not as clear as it needs to be to explain her further setback, fans will
appreciate this
entertaining serial kidnapper tale.
The Saints and Sinners of Okay County
Dayna Dunbar
Ballantine
ISBN: 0345460391 $23.95, 320 pp.
In 1976 Okay, Oklahoma during the annual Okay Czech Festival, Aletta Honor watches
the
parade when a woman comes up to her and says she glows. Aletta tells the stranger to
avoid the
highway. The next day the visitor returns to thank Aletta who saved her life
Aletta has personal problems to contend with since her husband Jimmy left her with no
money,
three kids, and pregnant. She always had the gift, but rarely used it. However, desperately
in need
of money she decides to start up a business as a Psychic Reader. As her reputation grows,
townsfolk especially her spouse are not sure what to make of Aletta, whose accuracy is
incredible.
That does not disturb her. However, by returning to her gift, the memories of what
happened to
her family two decades ago also flood her mind, but with a horror that she prefers to
ignore. Now
Aletta is regaining her life one mental step at a time. THE SAINTS AND SINNERS OF
OKAY
COUNTY is an engaging historical women's fiction (1976 feels so ancient due to the PC
and
other technological advances) tale that focuses predominantly on a person taking control
of their
life. The story line is at its best when it remains in the present (1976 that is); flashbacks to
Aletta's
childhood adds depth as to why she prefers not to use her gift, but also disrupts the
problems she
must face as an adult with children whose oldest is only fourteen. Dayna Dunbar writes a
solid
tale that readers will appreciate.
The Conspiracy Club
Jonathan Kellerman
Ballantine
ISBN: 0345452577 $26.95, 376 pp.
Six months may have passed since Jocelyn Banks was brutally murdered, but her lover
Dr. Jeremy
Carrier remains despondent as he knows first hand that time does not heal all wounds.
Though the
police remain convinced he is the prime suspect, a depressed Jeremy buries himself in his
work as
a psychiatrist at City Central Hospital because being alone is more difficult to cope with
than
working with emotionally crippled patients. However his antisocial misanthropic
behavior is
interrupted when colleague Dr. Arthur Chase hooks Jeremy to attend some social
functions of a
secret society. As Jeremy begins to come out of his emotional fog, he notices that other
women
have recently died in the same gruesome manner as his beloved. Clues begin appearing
for no
apparent reason. Realizing he must act alone as the police seem to be closing in on him as
the
serial killer, Jeremy begins investigating a cat and mouse terror game with someone
guiding him,
but is that someone the killer? More a combination conspiracy amateur sleuth tale than a
medical
thriller, Jonathan Kellerman's latest tale is an exciting story that hooks the audience the
moment
Dr. Chase breaks down the first of Jeremy's survival barriers. From that moment the story
line is
fast-paced filled with red herrings as everyone seems garbed in a masquerade (though not
the
same type of plot, this reviewer kept thinking of the List of Adrian Messenger). The
"conspiracy"
seems a bit odd and off kilter, but fans will value this exhilarating look at vengeance.
A Christmas Journey
Anne Perry
Ballantine
ISBN: 034546673X $15.95, 180 pp.
With the London season over, Lady Vespasia Cumming-Gould like most of her peers is
now
looking forward to the Christmas holidays. Vespasia's husband is abroad on business and
her
children remain in London while she attends a party at Applecross, home of friend
Omegus Jones.
Vespasia feels good about life in general, but hers in particular as she reflects that her
nation is
prospering in the peace of the middle of the century though rumors fly that war in the
Crimea is
imminent. However, at a gala, Vespasia's friend Isobel Alvie's behaves is rather spiteful
and nasty
especially towards widow Gwendolyn Kilmuir. The next day, Gwendolyn is found dead,
apparently having jumped off a bridge. Everyone blames the tragedy on acrimonious
Isobel due to
her cruel words so no one will talk to the "culprit" except Vespasia. A despondent
remorseful
Isobel accompanied by her only loyal friend Vespasia journey to Scotland to offer
sympathy to
Gwendolyn's mother where they will learn the truth behind the suicide and the true
meaning of
friendship. A CHRISTMAS JOURNEY may be a mid nineteenth century tale, but the
deep
messages remain valuable in today's society. The story line is kept from being light fluff
by a
strong cast especially the two lead women that brings to life the era yet also relates the
true
meaning of friendship "never fades" regardless. Fans of Anne Perry or just the time
period will
appreciate this charming holiday story.
Diary of a Teenage Girl: Road Trip
Melody Carlson
Multnomah
ISBN: 1590521420 $12.99
The Christian rock group Redemption is on its way to fame and glory when it signs a
major
contract and tour as the opening act for the highly regarded male group, Iron Cross. As
the trio
travels the road by bus, they will find trials and tribulations riding with them. Chloe, Allie
and
Laura soon find the grind of touring taking its toll on each one of them. Laura seems off
kilter,
turning introspectively moodier by the minute. Chloe looks like she is ready to bolt for
home
every time a crowd gathers around the trio though she finds some solace with Allie's mom
and her
Down's syndrome brother. However, the one in deepest troubled waters is Allie, whose
showing a
growing dependence on drugs that could destroy her career and end Redemption's dreams
of
success. The latest teenage girl novel, ROAD TRIP, is an engaging look at the troubles of
teen
life especially those under the spotlight of fame. The story line may be Chloe's diary, but
actually
is mostly told in third person narration between the key cast members as each suffers
from doubts
and woes that make them so human instead of preachy paragons. Melody Carlson
provides a
warm, but frank Christian teen tale that will provide plenty of enjoyment yet inspire
young and old
to more than just tolerate others. Anyone who has not read the previous novels of this
motivating
interesting series such as I AM CHLOE will, like this reviewer, want to obtain them.
Sisterchicks Do the Hula
Robin Jones Gunn
Multnomah
ISBN: 1590522265 $12.99
In 1983 at the University of California at Santa Barbara, when Hope's fianc? dumps her,
she turns
to her best friend Laurie for solace. Though they have no money Laurie decides they will
do the
Hula in Hawaii to help Hope overcome her broken heart. However as Hope recovers,
Laurie
meets widower father of two, artist Gabe, and marries him. They did not go on their
Hawaiian
vacation
Years later, living in Connecticut Hope is happily married to a high school coach and
raising three
teenage sons; Laurie is in California also happily married but her three daughters have
left the
nest. Laurie decides it is time to do the hula on their upcoming fortieth birthdays just a
few days
apart. Though pregnant, Hope agrees that it is time to pull out all the guns and loose the
superchicks on Hawaii. Can the fiftieth state survive the invasion of the superchicks? The
return
of these super sisterchicks is a fun sort of chick lit tale starring two forty year old women.
Laurie
and Hope make for a fine tale as their friendship is the way relationships should be and
their
spouses add love and depth. The antics of the dynamic duo bring to life a different look at
Hawaii
as if Lucy and Ethel (not Gidget) were tourists on vacation there. SISTERCHICKS DO
THE
HULA is a warm run on the beach.
Silver Eyes
Richard Wymes
Llumina Press
ISBN: 1932047913 $27.95, 158 pp.
In South Boston, defense attorney Marie Blackburn and her police officer spouse Taylor
rescue
their kidnapped seven year old niece Shaney. Taylor kills the abductor. A few days later,
Taylor
informs Marie they must hide as the kidnapper's cronies are coming to execute Shaney
and her
twin Sarah because they can identify them as the robbers of an armored truck containing
millions.
He also insists that he cannot trust his peers in blue as some mole inside tipped the bad
guys. The
extended family flees to isolated Birch Lake, Maine, but on the way two thugs try to kill
Marie,
her nieces, and their mom. They make it to the family home, but the thieves are coming
because
they need to silence the siblings whose special gifts of seeing have turned into a
nightmare. This is
an exciting thriller with a twist of an ending that will astonish most readers, but thinking
back over
the plot, Richard Wymes left clues for the reader to see what is coming (this reviewer
failed at the
obvious). Though one of the crazies to assault Marie and company seems too unstable for
the
pros coming after the women, the rest of the cast is solid especially the fears that the four
females
exude. Fans of terse action-packed thrillers with females in trouble story line will
appreciate
SILVER EYES, a fabulous thriller.
A Randall Returns
Judy Christenberry
Harlequin American
ISBN: 0373750048 $4.75, 248 pp.
Only his second cousin Bill Metzger could get police officer and former MP Mike Davis
to leave
Chicago for the former's hometown of Rawhide, Wyoming. Bill suffered a heart attack
that forced
him to retire as town sheriff, but before relocating to the warmth of Arizona, he insured
an
experience and skillful professional was chosen as his replacement. Jake Randall asked
Mike to
keep an eye on the house that his daughter is moving into when she returns to town.
When he
sees an SUV parked outside, he investigates and finds a thirty something woman inside.
When she
offers no identity, Mike arrests her only to learn she is the daughter, Dr. Caroline
Randall, home
for the first time in four years. Caroline explains to her mom she can never get pregnant
as a result
of the car accident. Now she is back amongst the happy meddling Randalls who will pity
her.
However, though a true blood, Caroline fails to understand her kin because they plan for
her to
marry the new sheriff as the Wyoming matchmakers get to work on two feisty victims.
Writing
the thousandth book for an imprint is quite an honor and means plenty of pressure. Judy
Christenberry proves she earned the privilege with a fine Randall "Brides for Brothers"
tale.
Though the twelfth novel in the Randall universe, the tale retains the Wyoming briskness
that will
please newcomers and fan followers. Though Caroline is to obdurately opposed to a
relationship,
the lead couple is a delightful pair while the usual matchmakers cause havoc as is their
want.
Readers will have a good time with the cast's antics pushing the Windy City expatriates
together.
Dr. Wonderful
Charlotte Douglas
Harlequin American
ISBN: 037375003X $4.75, 248 pp.
Schoolteacher Rebecca Warwick loves living on remote Warwick Mountain, North
Carolina near
the Tennessee border where as a single mother she raises her beloved four year old
daughter
Emily. Both Warwick females look forward to the return of grandfatherly Dr. Dwight
Peyseur
who resided with the duo while providing free medical care to those in the region for a
month last
summer. However, Dwight broke his wrist and cannot honor his annual sojourn into the
mountains. In his place comes West Coast's Dr, Wonderful Matt Tyler to provide medical
care.
Though attracted and knowing what their first handshake meant, Becca will do anything
to avoid
a scandal that could hurt her child; but she never expected her matchmaking advisor (her
beloved
deceased Granny) to push her to take him as a mate. As Becca and Matt begin to fall
love, he
knows his practice is in California, but is having the time of his life while she cannot
afford a
second disgrace that would ostracize Emily. Though the solution between California and
North
Carolina seems too simplistic, fans will enjoy this rural medical romance in which none
of the
mountain folks except for Emily trust Matt, but especially doubtful is Becca. The story
line is fun
because of the way the villagers skeptically react with disbelief to Matt, but also
showcases the
difficult issue of health care in remote regions. Charlotte Douglas provides a solid
contemporary
tale of second chances at contentment as well as love.
Picture Me Sexy
Rhonda Nelson
Harlequin Blaze
ISBN: 0373791194 $4.50, 249 pp.
Memphis lingerie queen Delaney Walker is renowned for her design of erotic lingerie,
but she has
always found her creations too sexy to wear herself. However, that changes when her
fianc?
Roger the banker jilts her. Delaney decides to go through with the boudoir photographs
that she
previously commissioned as a present for Roger. Photographer Sam Martelli knows that
whether
it is through the camera's eye or his own lens, Delaney heats up his insides. A
professional used to
taking pictures of scantily clad beautiful women, none have gotten into his gut and a
nameless
other place than Delaney has and she has not changed into that flimsy silk yet. He wants
her and
fate is on his side so that he has her for at least one night, but must persuade her that he
needs a
lifetime getting inside her drawers. Delaney seems an odd off kilter mix that readers will
accept as
eccentricity and readers will adore her almost as much as they will this sizzling romance.
Sam is a
delightful protagonist who sees his beloved as sexy without the need of the camera as his
"tripod"
proves when he pictures Delaney in and out of her creations. The heroine is a nice person
deserving better than Roger the dodger and hopefully she will see that Sam is the one.
The story
line is played for fun with hot sex that will toast the reader.
Just Between Us
Tori Carrington
Harlequin Blaze
ISBN: 0373791178 $4.50, 249 pp.
When Mallory Woodruff, Layla Hollister, Reilly Chudowski, and newspaper columnist
Jack
Daniels (no comment needed) became best friends, they agreed the one male was
off-limits.
However, Mallory and Jack stilled ended up in bed together that very night the pact was
struck.
Since then Mallory and Jack have been a hot item, but serendipitously hide their affair
from their
two buddies. Newspaper columnist Jack is tired of hiding how he feels towards Mallory.
He
knows he risks a lot as the sex is great and he loves her, but he needs their relationship to
come
out of dark bedrooms and into the light of friends. However, documentary director
Mallory feels
otherwise as she is contented with an illicit relationship that does not interfere with her
friendships
and her career while providing great sex. Jack and Mallory still generate more heat in
Southern
California than the sun, but are they heading to a supernova over whether to come out or
not?
JUST BETWEEN US fans of Team Carrington, this is an amusing torrid romance that
burns up
the sheets (of the novel as much as the boudoir). Mallory is an intriguing protagonist who
feels
commitment to the man she loves that she fears will cost her commitment to the career
that means
everything. Jack is heroic as he plays cat and mouse with his phobic beloved to show
there is
room for a permanent duet helping each other achieves their best artistic endeavor. This is
another
winner from one of the best writers of the sexy romance.
Under Fire
Jamie Denton
Harlequin Temptation
ISBN: 0373691505 $4.25, 219 pp.
At the Ivory Tuttle, Jana Linney drinks wine with her two best friends when she
confesses that
though she has had sex she has never had "one screaming orgasm". Her friends after their
initial
shock and pronouncement to the world or at least to the nearby pool tables challenge her
to
approach the nearby stud she has been admiring. More to shut them up and encouraged
by her
alcoholic buzz Jana picks up firefighter Ben Perry to share a one-night stand though she
has never
done anything remotely as brazen. The morning after Jana wants more as she finally
knows what
sex is all about. Ben agrees as he has had the best night of his life. However, she arrives
at the fire
station in her official capacity as an OSHA investigator looking into the death of one of
his peers.
He orders her to drop off the case because she is personally involved and let someone
else
investigate, but Jana refuses insisting they can keep the professional apart from the
personal. Ben
has doubts as he plans to heat up the sheets with Jana for a lifetime. Jana should have
distanced
herself from the investigation because of perceptions of bias by her making inquiries to
include the
man she loves even if she does everything correctly. That nit picking aside, the story line
is a
raging inferno with the OSHA subplot adding intrigue as an investigation not as a conflict
between the protagonists. Jamie Denton provides a torrid terrific ending to the Perry
brothers'
trilogy that readers who like it hot will appreciate.
It's All About Eve
Tracy Kelleher
Harlequin Temptation
ISBN: 0373691491 $4.25, 218 pp.
Grantham, New Jersey is probably the last place someone would to find a lingerie shop to
rival
Victoria's Secrets, but Eve Cantoro's place is hot an not just for the merchandise and the
constant
turnover of her sexy merchandise. She called the police when she realized someone is
stealing her
stock. As she explained to the almost drooling Detective Carter Moran she noticed that
red tap
pants were gone. Carter Moran tries to remain investigative cool, but he immediately
knows that
he wants to see Eve in and out of her stock. As they begin to see one another while she
models
her goods, the thievery begins to take more dangerous turns. Soon Carter and Eve are in
love, but
he has one secret that he must reveal to his Jersey Girl before they can seek a more
permanent
arrangement. Though the escalating threat to Eve seems an unnecessary and out of kilter,
an
exciting and intriguing sidebar that takes away from the more lighthearted prime premise,
readers
will enjoy this delightful romp due to the lead couple. Eve offers Carter the entire apple
tree even
as she struggles to understand that she is in love. Carter knows he must trust Eve with his
innermost secret because once he took that first bite he no longer could resist her lure
especially
when she modeled her lingerie for him. IT'S ALL ABOUT EVE is all about heated
amusing
fun.
The Road to Echo Point
Carrie Weaver
Harlequin SuperRomance
ISBN: 0373711735 $5.25, 299 pp.
Insurance claims manager Vi Davis tries to settle an auto claim with Bob Johnson when
he points
his shot gun at her. Vi drives too fast in her haste to fleeand hits a dog. A big man comes
out of
the nearby brush yelling at her. At wits end, she flees again this time the scene of the
accident. Not
long afterward, Vi is in front of Judge Tanner in the Echo Point, Arizona courtroom, who
rules
she must perform community service. She will replace the canine she injured as the
companion to
Alzheimer's victim Daisy Smith for the next six weeks. Vi's first encounter with
Alzheimer's leaves
her shaken and wondering what whether she needs a tetanus shot. However, soon Vi falls
in love
with her elderly companion and her adult son Ian, who was that big guy with the dog she
hit. Now
she wants to remain with him forever, but that means giving up on her chance at a
promotion that
has been her objective for a long time. The romance takes a back seat to the deep look at
how
crippling to the victim and her loved ones Alzheimer's is. Daisy is becoming dangerous to
herself,
her canine, and her nurturing son to the point that Ian is past the threshold of her needing
professional caretaking. The angst caused by whether Vi leaves or not seems shallow
compared to
Ian's dilemma of a nursing home or his home for his beloved mother. Anyone who has
had to face
this gut tearing issue will appreciate the scenario Carrie Weaver plunges her audience
into and by
the way there is a romance too.
Leaving Enchantment
C.J. Carmichael
Harlequin SuperRomance
ISBN: 0373711700 $5.25, 297 pp.
In Enchantment, New Mexico midwife Lydia Kane of The Birth Place realizes that the
birth is too
slow. She takes her patient Mary Davidson to Arroyo County Hospital. However, a
double
tragedy occurs anyway with a stillborn birth and a dead mother. Unable to cope, the
father races
out of the hospital only to die in a car crash. Though estranged from his sister,
editor-owner of
the Arroyo County Bulletin Nolan McKinnon has one more shocker. He learns that he is
the
guardian of his six year old niece Samantha. The Birth Place accountant Kim Sherman
knows how
unpopular she is among the staff, but does not care how anyone feels about her until she
hears her
mentor sobbing. Offering solace to septuagenarian Mary, she soon extends her heart to
the
stunned Sammy, which ultimately leads her to the child's Uncle Nolan. For someone who
was
proud of staying aloof, Kim falls in love with Nolan and Sammy, but knows her secrets
make
forever impossible. The tragedy that grips the audience at the beginning of the novel is
well
designed so that everyone involved including the reader feels it, but no one quite like
Samantha.
Fans will feel for her though Uncle Nolan does his best to ease her bewilderment even
while he
wonders why he and not his in-law's mom. Kim's metamorphosis is more difficult to
accept as her
demeanor goes from acrimonious loner to loving for the uncle and his niece as well as
empathy to
the shocked Mary. Kim's mysterious background adds suspense in an angst laden novel
that is at
its best when the Enchantment works its healing on those touched by the triple
tragedy.
A Woman Like Annie
Inglath Cooper
Harlequin SuperRomance
ISBN: 0373711743 $5.25, 298 pp.
Following a nasty divorce, Annie McCabe accompanied by her small son relocates to
Macon's
Point, Virginia with a population just over three thousand. She quickly falls in love with
the small
town and wants to give something back to the people who adopted her when she needed a
friend.
She ends up becoming the mayor. Corbin Manufacturing is shutting down the plant in
Macon's
Point. The loss of jobs will devastate and perhaps shut down the town. Desperate to save
Macon's
Point, Annie must persuade the owner Jack Corbin to reconsider his decision. When they
meet,
Annie concludes that Jack obstinately wants to end his ties to his hometown. She plans to
show
him how much Macon's Point meant and means to him, but neither expected a minor
distraction
like love to confuse the issue. Though simplifying the complexity of a one business town
losing its
economic base due to a shut down (think Flint, Michigan), fans will enjoy this
contemporary tale.
Like Jack, readers will find it difficult not getting caught up in the enthusiasm of the
heroine's
whirlwind sell. Fans will appreciate her efforts to save her adopted town of finding Jack
something to care about though she didn't think that it could ever be her and son.
Twisted: The Collected Stories of Jeffery Deaver
Jeffery Deaver
Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 0743260953 $24.95
Fans of the author and those who appreciate a wide range of suspense and mystery
thrillers will
appreciate this sixteen story collection. The tales run the gamut from historical
(Shakespeare) to
legal to ghostly to odious killers and finally to an original Lincoln Rhymes short story.
The
contributions are all well written so that readers will enjoy this anthology in which all the
offerings
contain Jeffrey Deaver's ability to keep the tension high, the action flowing, and the
suspense non
stop. Several though short in size live up to the title in that they have a twist or two that
will
surprise the audience who will admire Mr. Deaver's skills to do so in this format.
TWISTED:
THE COLLECTED STORIES OF JEFFERY DEAVER is a nice "Weekender" to spend
"Nocturne" time as Mr. Deaver provides a "Beautiful" "Christmas Present" to his fans
"For
Services Rendered" as loyal supporters.
Muletrain to Maggody
Joan Hess
Simon & Schuster
ISBN 0743226380 $23.00, 278 pp.
Three days before the Battle of Farbersville in Arkansas during the Civil War, there was a
skirmish in the small town of Maggody. The Stump County Historical Society has
obtained
funding to do a documentary on the battle thanks to the donation of the diary of one of
the men
who fought in that encounter. The diary goes on to say that the confederate troops were
carrying
gold to pay the soldiers, but when they concluded that they were going to lose, the
soldiers hid it
in a nearby cove. The townsfolk go crazy looking for the gold and Chief of Police Arly
Hanks has
her hands full keeping track of everybody. The treasurer of the historical society Wendell
thinks
he has a clue where the gold was hidden but he is more interested in his genealogical
studies than
a treasure hunt. Matters turn very serious when someone kills Wendell. Arly investigates
the
homicide with plethora of suspects available. A second killing occurs. Once Arly realizes
the two
homicides are linked, it is only a matter of time before she tracks down the killer. An Arly
Hanks
mystery is always a hoot and a holler and MULETRAIN TO MAGGODY is no different.
Despite
the seriousness of the murders, the storyline focuses on the gold hunt. The characters are
funny as
they try to outdo each other in searching for the gold while Arly has her hands full
keeping
everyone in line Joan Hess is in fine form as she produces another extra fine rural police
procedural.
The Grenadillo Box
Janet Gleeson
Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 0743246861 $25.00, 352 pp.
On January 1, 1775, master cabinetmaker Thomas Chippendale sends his apprentice
Nathaniel
Hopson to complete the installation of a library in the home of acrimonious Lord
Montfort. As is
the lot of the working class including wannabe artisans, Lord Montfort forces Nathaniel
to serve
as a footman at the dinner in which the lofty aristocrat shows off his lavish new
Chippendale
bookshelves. However, someone fires a shot and soon afterward once the chaos died
down,
Nathaniel discovers the corpse of Montfort. Though it appears that the man committed
suicide
perhaps over gambling debts he entailed that has ruined his family, Nathaniel believes
otherwise.
The weapon seems in the wrong place for killing oneself and bloody footprints lead to a
window.
Unable to resist, Nathaniel begins investigating at the crime scene seeking other
anomalies and
clues to who killed the odious lord. When he finds two more corpses on the estate,
Nathaniel
widens his inquiries with the encouragement of another aristocrat. Though much of the
cast seems
more like a blueprint than a blueblood, fans of Georgian mysteries will enjoy this
delightful tale
due to the antics of the lead protagonist. Using his mechanical skills and his artisan eye
for
balance, Nathaniel is the one complete player who keeps the tale moving forward and
focused.
The descriptions of life in the late eighteenth century England is as vivid as they come
perhaps
because of Janet Gleeson's knowledge of the era (see the author's nonfiction THE
ARCANUM)
that she cleverly imbues throughout the novel. The audience will appreciate THE
GRENADILLO
BOX and hopefully Ms. Gleeson will write additional Georgian investigative tales.
Hollywood Divorces
Jackie Collins
Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 0743216490 $26.00, 467 pp.
When Lola Sanchez was a teenage nobody hoping to be a Hollywood star she met her
movie star
hero Linc Blackwood, who seduced her and left her pregnant. Using an abortionist whose
office
was a back alley, Lola was left infertile. Now in her twenties she is married to an
oblivious tennis
pro and has become the hottest property in Hollywood, but though she wears a smiling
face,
inside she is angry and acrimonious. Lola insists that Linc star in her next vehicle because
she
plans to avenge what he did to her. Linc's wife English actress Shelby Cheney loves her
spouse
though she knows he cheats on her. She even rationalizes his negative behavior as caused
by his
parents' abuse and murder-suicide. Wife to rock star Jump "not related to Mick" Jagger,
teen
director writer sensation Cat Harrison is directing Shelby's latest work when she is not
struggling
with leading hunk Nick Logan trying to get her into bed. These three women have crossed
paths
with one another and with men who remain blind to anything but their own needs. Soon
one
person will understand what has happening and then the fireworks begin. HOLLYWOOD
DIVORCES is the typical trashy Jackie Collins tale that somehow is fun to read (sort of
like the
tabloids in a supermarket). The cast for the most part are not a likable group as they are
shallow
and egotistical except perhaps Shelby who seems naive. The story line is thin yet this
reviewer
cannot explain why, but once again Ms. Collins hooked me with her latest Hollywood
drama.
Kate Hannigan
Catherine Cookson
Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 0743237730 $25.00, 304 pp.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Fifteen Streets are filled with the hopeless
poor
with no expectations to escape the foulness of these slums. In this enervating world, an
energetic
innocent like Kate Hannigan has no chance for survival. To escape her abusive father,
teenage
Kate listened to the sweet con of John Herrington. When she becomes pregnant he drops
her as
yesterday's trash. Feeling a need to help the impoverished, wealthy Dr. Rodney Prince
provides
medical care to the residents of the Fifteen Streets. He helps Kate give birth and though
she insists
she prefers to die, he senses an inner strength and intelligence that makes her superior to
her
neighbors. As Rodney further compares lower class Kate to his blue-blooded hedonistic
wife,
Stella, he finds his upper crust sophisticated spouse lacking. Rodney wants to assist Kate
and her
out of wedlock daughter escape from the Fifteen Streets, but soon needs the two females
as much
as they need him as love blossoms between them. Though in some ways this novel feels
antiquated as society has become more accepting of single mothers and intolerant towards
irresponsible fathers, fans of the late great Catherine Cookson will enjoy this reprint. The
story
line provides a comparative look at the extremes of Edwardian England through the eyes
of
Rodney who has feet in both societies. Kate and Rodney are delightful protagonists, but
Stella is
so shallow she makes Hal seem like Mother Teresa. Still few authors can describe
poverty any
better than Ms. Cookson has and those of her fans who have not already will seek Annie's
story
told in KATE HANNIGAN'S GIRL.
Goodbye, Earl
Jo-Ann Mapson
Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0743224639 $24.00, 384 pp.
Five years ago, Beryl thought she and Earl were forever. However, now in Anchorage,
Beryl
knows he is going to leave her soon. Somehow the magic vanished. In California, Phoebe
raises
her five year old daughter by herself, makes a living from the nursery she inherited from
Aunt
Sadie, and fails to move past the death of her beloved. Newcomer Andrew makes her
very
nervous because he wants her. Nance and James still seem in love and have everything at
least in
the eyes of an outsider. However, both know what is missing from their perfect lives.
They want a
child, but all they have is miscarriages and a doctor warning for no more pregnancies. In
Arizona,
a dying David asks his friend Ness to help him see the ocean one last time. She moves
heaven and
earth to take him to California though her heart breaks to see how ill he is. They are
returning to
the farm where each found solace in the land and in Aunt Sadie's words of wisdom from
her
journal. As with the previous Bad Girl Creek novels (see BAD GIRL CREEK and
ALONG
CAME MARY), GOODBYE, EARL uses alternating chapters to tell the tales of the four
women
and other people in their lives. The story line provides a slice of Americana as each of the
protagonists deal with tragedy but is helped by the love of friends. Series fans will
appreciate the
return especially Aunt Sadie's sage advice that in this violent world remains simple but
worthy.
Jo-Ann Mapson provides a strong dose of mental hugging warmth.
Spear
Doug Hewitt
Sands
ISBN: 1590250133 $15.99, 253 pp.
Popular writer Sarah Love accompanied by her beloved father, an Alzheimer's victim,
relocates
from Wisconsin to Brighton, Virginia. At the store near her new home, Sarah runs into
control
freak CIA Agent Warren Capshaw, whom she met twelve years ago. They dated for a
month and
somehow they became engaged, but she broke it off. She flees the store as Warren
informs her
that she is "until death do us part". Later Sarah meets with GAO employee Derek Morton,
a long
time friend whom she secretly loves, to learn more about what his agency does for a
novel she is
writing. After leaving Derek, who had another appointment, a dying man falls at her side.
Soon
she receives official visits accusing her of espionage and finds her goldfish dead pinned
to a wall.
The CIA threatens her as the dead man apparently was selling secrets to the Asians.
Turning to
Derek for safety, they flee to his father's cabin as individuals claiming national security
come
looking to silence her; Warren seeks to claim her as a crushed tomato; and Project Spear
commences to cover questionable agency activities. SPEAR is an exhilarating
action-packed
espionage thriller that carries a message with its punch that government agencies will use
anything
including 9/11 to cover excesses, human rights violations, and burn the Bill of Rights if
that is
inconvenient. The cast is a powerful group except Warren who is so loony he distracts
from the
prime theme. The plot might seem stretched except the president did declare an American
citizen
on our soil as an enemy combatant without legal recourse which supports Doug Hewitt's
strong
cautionary tale in a one sitting exciting read.
Laelia
Ruth Miriam-Garnett
Atria
ISBN: 0743466306 $22.00, 224 pp.
In Peoria, the three fifty something Cates sisters are in matrimonial crisis as they share
the same
home with one another and their respective spouses. It is not the relationships between
the
siblings that have tired Rebecca, Claudia, and Gracelyn. It is the constant duty caring for
their
husbands as each Cates sibling is bone weary with obeying for worse all the time. Sadly,
the tired
trio looks forward to a future with their men in nursing homes. Following a head injury
Jake lost
his ability to think; alcohol consumption has destroyed Timothy; Bernard is dying from
bone
cancer. Though they have suffered trials and tribulations over the years of their marriages
that
would make Job react, the sisters did their Christian duty. Following the dispatching of
their male
losers, the Cates sisters blossom as well as Rebecca's successful LAELIA orchid-growing
business
has. Though free at last, they continue to be God-fearing Baptists though now they must
contend
with abusive misogynist Pastor Wilson, who condemns the trio as she devils. Fans of
engaging
contemporary character studies will appreciate this deep look at the graying of three
wonderful
African-American women. Though the story line switches gears from overwhelmed
providers to
ostracized exiles, Ruth-Miriam Garnett smoothly makes the switch. Still, the two subplots
deserved separate novels as Ms. Garnett provides tremendous depth to both, so much so
that the
audience never fully gains the full potential of either. Still, this gem of an author
furbishes a
powerful tale of middle age adults grasping with control of their lives that will hit home
to many
readers struggling with a similar generalized scenario.
The Black Violin
Maxence Fermine
Atria
ISBN: 0743456858 $16.00, 133 pp.
At five years old Johannes Karelsky heard a traveling gypsy perform in a violin and knew
that is
what he wanted to do. Two years later he is making the rounds of the late eighteenth
century
European courts receiving accolades as a great violinist though a child prodigy. Almost a
quarter
of a century later in 1796 Napoleon drafts Johannes to serve on the Italian front. He is
mortally
wounded during a battle, but instead of dying a mysterious woman gives comfort by
singing to
him though the night. Somehow that visit gives Johannes the will to live because she and
her
voice serve as a reminder that he still needs to compose the greatest opera ever. Johannes
remains
in Venice residing in the home of Erasmus, a maker of violins. When Johannes sees the
BLACK
VIOLIN he has a deep obsessive urge to play with this exquisite instrument, but Erasmus
warns
him to look and admire, but don't touch. Will he use the violin anyway; will the woman
who
rescued him on the battlefield return; and finally what about the most beautiful opera in
the world?
Though intriguing in terms of insight into the European Classical period of music, THE
BLACK
VIOLIN at times turns to syrupy in its bittersweet look at the Napoleonic Age in Italy.
The key
three characters are delightful in different ways so that fans of the period will appreciate
this
novella especially when it avoids the unnecessary sweetener.
The Thing About Men
Elizabeth Bevarly
Avon
ISBN: 0060509465 $6.99, 384 pp.
In Nashville Claire Willoughby hosts the extremely successful TV lifestyles and cooking
show
Simple Pleasures though she does not live like the persona she portrays. In actuality her
silent
partner, "assistant" Olive Tully is the creative force behind the show. Olive cannot deal
with
groups or having her name in the public light as she is extremely shy. Claire's attorney
informs her
that her number one fan died in an accident and that the woman named her as legal
guardian of
her infant Anabel. He also mentions that the only living relative is an Uncle Ramsey who
has
vanished. Hearing that Anabel could be under state care, Claire objects as she knows first
hand
the horror of the system. A hired sleuth finds Ramsey beaten up in a Nicaraguan bar. Not
long
afterward Ramsey arrives at Claire's home with a split lip, other bruises, torn clothing and
a
motorbike. Social worker Davis Webster arrives with Anabel. He takes one look at
Ramsey and
decides the infant stays with Claire. Ramsey threatens a court case, but instead cleans up
so he
can visit his niece. As he and Claire fall in love, she thinks he betrayed her trust by
exposing her
real homey lifestyle to her TV followers. Fans of contemporary romance will enjoy the
growing
relationships of the lead couple, a secondary pair, and the foursome with the infant.
However, the
emphasis on love makes the story line feel light as serious undertones involving
adoptions, state
managed care, and an extremely reticent individual appear almost important. Making
Ramsey
heroically "acceptable" subtracts from a delightful gender bender relationship. Still
readers will
appreciate this warm contemporary tale with love everywhere.
The Seduction of an English Lady
Cathy Maxwell
Avon
ISBN: 0060092971 $6.99, 384 pp.
In 1816 in the heart of England, war hero Colonel Colin Mandland proves to Lady
Rosalyn that
her cousin sold the home she has lived in for the past few years to him. Separately both
run off to
see the top local aristocrat in the area, Lord Loftus, to plead their case. Loftus sends for
solicitor
Shellsworth who reads the deed and states that Colin owns the property. Fearing time
away from
his favorite pastime hunting if Rosalyn has to leave because Loftus knows he will have to
then
escort his wife to London. By bringing class to events in the area, Rosalyn has enabled
Loftus to
stay home and hunt. He proposes that Colin and Rosalyn marry. To sweeten the pot, he
offers a
seat in the Commons to Colin; this angers the solicitor. However, it becomes moot as
Rosalyn
says no. Encouraged by Loftus and the support of his brother the vicar, Colin begins
courting the
lady who makes it clear that his blood lines are beneath hers. Still she cannot deny at least
to
herself that his kisses leave her desiring more. Surprisingly Colin finds that his goal of
knighthood
that he feels he earned during the Napoleonic War is no longer as important as winning
the hand
of the woman he now loves. THE SEDUCTION OF AN ENGLISH LADY is a fine
Regency
romance that fans will be grateful for due to a strong cast though some important
secondary
players seem too stereotyped. The lead couple is a delight as neither wanted the other
until that
first kiss, but neither will retreat from that initial stance as pride stands in the way of love.
Readers
will have a good time following Colin's pragmatic battlefield seduction that turns into a
shared
deep need for one another.
Seen by Moonlight
Kathleen Eschenburg
Avon
ISBN: 0380815680 $5.99, 416 pp.
In 1861 Virginia, Annabelle Hallston is unhappy that even in death her father has sold her
out to
pay his debts and those incurred by her two brothers. She accepts the deal between
Peyton
Kincaid and her deceased father only because she is worried about her younger sibling
Bo. Still
she adds a few stipulations as does Peyton's angry son Royce the other target. The two
will wed,
keep their marriage secret, and Royce demands Annabelle inherits all as he plans to
vanish out
west without any offspring. At the end of the Civil War, Royce returns home to fulfill one
of his
codas that he will give his wife one year to decide to divorce him. As he becomes better
acquainted with the intrepid Annabelle, Royce realizes he prays she will not send him
packing.
Annabelle also loves her husband, but knows his freedom is what he desires so plans to
let home
go even though that is the last thing she wants in life. Fans of American Civil War
romances will
appreciate this pleasant tale. The story line is well written though the animosity of the
hero
towards his father and the lead female's brother towards her husband is not clear for most
of the
tale although her sibling may resent his inability to offer any options. The characters
make the tale
as they bring to life the years just before, during, and just after the War Between the
States.
No Ordinary Groom
Gayle Callen
Avon
ISBN: 00605434949 $5.99, 384 pp.
In 1844 her dad informs that he secretly arranged for her to marry William Chadwick.
Jane is
upset because not only did he go behind her back, she does not want to wed anyone
especially
shallow William. Worse she wonders if her father sold her to keep a major customer
satisfied as
William buys commodities from her dad's estate. Actually William hides five years of
living
dangerous by working for her father overseas behind his "Lord" fa‡ade. He finds himself
attracted
to Jane and wants her to feel the same way. However, he pretends to be a nineteenth
century
foppish nerd because he fears to show her or anyone the real William; she and the Ton
might find
him lacking. Jane is falling love with the real William that she has seen too few glimpses
of
escaping from his mask. This is an engaging Victorian romance that will please fans of
the
sub-genre due to the delightful cast. The story line moves quickly forward as William
goes out of
his way to hide his real persona from Jane, who has conquered his heart, for fear of
rejection.
However, she knows he is NO ORDINARY GROOM, but wonders why he is hiding
from her.
Their relationship makes Gayle Callen's tale a fine reading experience.
Do Not Disturb
Christie Ridgeway
Avon
ISBN: 006009348X $5.99, 384 pp.
West Coast Magazine writer Angela Buchanan detests all the accolades bestowed on
Stephen
"Artist of the Heart" Whitney as a noble family values guru upon the man's death. Angela
knows
the real story behind Stephen and not the phony eulogies praising him. She was the
daughter he
ignored when he abandoned her mother years ago. Angela sells the idea of exposing the
real
Stephen. At the funeral in the Sur, California area, Angela meets her teenage half sister
for the
first time as well as the great man's wife, sister-in-law, and brother-in-law. Through the
help of
her editor, Angela gains access to the extended Whitney family over the objection of
brother-in-law Cooper Jones. However, as she begins to know each one, Angela finds that
she
genuinely has affection for them. Still she especially worries about falling in love with
attorney
Cooper Jones, who seems to want no part of her as he suspects she has a hidden agenda.
Though
the use of an emergency to propel relationships seems unnecessary, fans will enjoy this
strong
character study just bring your own coffee. The story line is well written providing the
audience a
deep look at key players especially Angela and Cooper, but also several secondary
players too.
Readers will take immense delight with this fine contemporary look beyond the public
image.
Married to the Viscount
Sabrina Jeffries
Avon
ISBN: 0060092149 $5.99, 384 pp.
In 1821 Viscount Spencer Law accompanied his brother Nat to Philadelphia where he
meets
attractive Abigail Mercer and her ailing father, owner of Mercer Medicinal Company. Nat
wants
to own half of Mercer Medicinal, but Spencer has some doubts yet promises to fund the
venture.
However, the Home office calls Spencer back to England so he leaves Nat behind in the
states. A
year later, Spencer waits for the arrival of Nat, who is late to his own engagement party to
lady
Evelina. However, instead of Nat's grand entrance, Abigail, in mourning due to her
beloved
father's death enters claiming to be Spencer's wife by proxy. Apparently, Nat forged
documents,
stole Abigail's dowry, and sat in for Spencer at a ceremony. Spencer, who had no plans to
marry
due to a war injury leaving him unable to produce children, sells Abigail with the idea of
a
marriage of convenience until they find his wastrel brother who is in hiding. Before
readers draw
negative conclusions about Nat, he paid for Abigail to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Thus he
is much
more complex than just the first brush con artist that he seems. Spencer is an intriguing
lead
protagonist firmly believing he has no future and that the heir must come from Nat.
Abigail is a
charmer who makes Spencer feels whole. Regency romance fans will have good feelings
towards
author Sabrina Jeffries for this enjoyable historical.
Justin Flowers and the Orb of Time
G.A. Mercer
PublishAmerica
ISBN: 1592865305 $19.95, 145 pp.
Teen Justin Flowers is his school's best sprinter and is confident he can win his event in
the
upcoming race. However, his youthful enthusiasm collapses when his best friend
linebacker Erik
Greiner suffers a broken leg needing surgery due to a series of misfortunate incidents
starting with
an errant pass from Justin. However, his teen optimism and angst ends when in his locker
Justin
finds a strange stick that looks like a totem pole model that one can tote. Later at home he
receives a letter claiming he is a Defender of History if he is willing to travel the time
stream.
Justin begins a journey like no other as he communicates in Italian with Leonardo Da
Vinci. With
the great Renaissance Man's help, Justin translates the time pole's Egyptian letters into
Italian and
learns he needs to continue his trek to the Ancient Nile. There he must claim the Orb of
Time
before the evil Raveler obtains it. Leonardo warns Justin to watch himself especially
since he
thinks he saw a lad looking through the window at the pole. JUSTIN FLOWERS AND
THE
ORB OF TIME targets the Harry Potter crowd with an exciting time travel tale of goodly
innocence vs. selfish malevolence. The story line is fun to follow from the moment Justin
begins
to learn he has a few additional problems besides puberty. The trips back in time seem
genuine
though readers must accept that a Defender of History acclimates to any era with no
major
discomfit or anachronistic thoughts. Pre teen fans of fantasy tales will want to accompany
Justin
on his trek back in time.
Revealing the Covenant
Rusty Van Reeves
PublishAmerica
ISBN: 1592867669 $19.95, 222 pp.
In Malibu, California, as a storm rages neurosurgeon Dr. Michael Preston drives home
with his
brother Matt following the latter's engagement party. Michael decides to pull over until
the
current torrent eases up, but before he can find a safe spot, an SUV swerves all over the
road
before hitting Michael's vehicle. Michael saves Matt's life, but he is paralyzed. The DUI
receives a
fine and some community service and goes on driving. Michael feels responsible though
he
logically knows better. Three years later, Stergis Braxton meets with Michael to bring
him on the
research team that is very close to finding a way to reverse spinal cord injuries. Obsessed
with a
cure, Michael agrees though he finds Stergis' paranoia strange. Michael cannot believe
the medical
community led by a powerful HMO and the American government would not want a
successful
cure, but then again the polio vaccine cost the industry billions. Soon Michael will learn
the truth
as the hired killers of the Consortium want him and Kayla Kilmer, daughter of the key
researcher,
dead at all costs. Though the chase is fun to follow, that subplot takes away from an
exhilarating
shocking medical thriller that never lets up until the final hoped for dash for safety.
Readers will
find it difficult to accept the premise that a major breakthrough would be thwarted by the
medical
big business government consortium Rusty Reeves makes a compelling case that proves
is the key
to this strong expos‚ tale. Sub-genre fans and anyone interested in conspiracies that the
public be
damned will want to read this well written tale.
Overtime
Brian Hill & Dee Powers
PublishAmerica
ISBN: 1592860230 $21.95
In the late 1960s, Brookstone, Wisconsin college football star Mark sent a letter to his
friend
quarterback Dan the day before he died in a car accident. Dan received the battered letter
two
decades after Mark mailed it. The letter will motivate him and his team against unsavory
opponents. Dan is the CEO of a multi-million dollar business that he made successful
applying the
same approach of gauging the odds that he used playing football. He also treats his
employees as
if they are his offensive line protecting him from opponents. His Chief Financial Officer,
Charlotte
Anne loves Dan. His best friend company attorney Mike believes he is the dependable
water boy,
but secretly loves Mark's former fianc‚e Kelly. She, blaming herself for Mark's death,
"married"
his ghost by dedicating her life to making sure Mark is remembered. The opponents are
venture
capitalist Gerald and investment-banker Terrance. They see an opportunity to steal the
company
and find a mole in Stuart, vice president of marketing. Meanwhile the Green Bay Packers
coach
tries to motivate his team to play with heart for the pride of a special city and heritage.
OVERTIME is a great relationship drama that uses a football team play to get out its
message
that real friendships enable an individual to overcome the seemingly impossible. The
storyline uses
football as a parable of life: that it is worth the risk to play one last time when friends and
family
serve as your offensive line. Though the bad dudes have no redeeming qualities, the good
guys
and the coach are well rounded characters turning this into more than just a simple novel
for
sports fans.
Microcosms
Edited by Gregory Benford
Daw
ISBN: 0756401712 $6.99, 320 pp.
Fans of movies like Fantastic Voyage or The Incredible Shrinking Man/Woman will
appreciate
this collection of thirteen tales set in a wide variety of microscopic realms. Each tale is
unique, but
share in common that the perspective of micro is in the eye of the beholder. Using
advances in
physics that make the previously mentioned movies seem dated; the anthology furbishes
the
audience with delightful tales that run the gamut from micro-creator to sentient atoms.
Besides
strong interesting tales, the key to the collection is that these tiny worlds seem real due to
physical
symmetry in their design, no mean feat for any contribution let alone a Baker's dozen.
Fans of
existing acceptable state of the science in their fiction will appreciate each contribution
that not
only provides effective insight into current theories and knowledge of inner space, but
also does
so within powerful tales that make these realms seem so real.
Mage of Clouds
S. L. Farrell
Daw Books
ISBN: 0756401690 $23.95 512 pp.
Twenty years have passed since Jenna MacEagan defeated her rivals to become the First
Holder
(see HOLDER OF LIGHTNING). She succeeded because she found the Lamh Shabbala
stone
that controls all the clochs. However, Jenna's enemies still lurk and are planning the
abduction of
Jenna's precious daughter Meriel by her Uncle Doyle, whose vow to do no harm to his
half-sister
ended when their mom died. Meriel's uncle is obsessed with obtaining the Lamh Shabbala
stone
that channels all magic. If it means the death of his niece and anyone else so that he gains
full
power, so be it as he believes he was the one not Jenna who should have been the First
Holder.
Jenna is stunned as she loves her daughter but fears the price of acceding to the demands
of her
sibling as there are no guarantees that Meriel will live or that the peace will hold She also
worries
about those loyal to her for she remembers what happened to her beloved. The second
book in the
"Cloudmages" series, MAGE OF CLOUDS, is a tremendous fantasy due to the dilemma
confronting the heroine of the first book. Though the story line focuses much on Meriel's
plight,
Jenna is the key ingredient as she struggles between the bigger good and her own micro
need;
either way someone will be hurt by her decision. Meriel is a solid character while her
uncle is
delightfully villainous. Fans of the first book, the author (in his variety of writing aliases),
and
fantasy aficionados will greatly value this powerful book that ignores the middle
syndrome with a
powerful plot and deep cast.
The Sun Sword
Michelle West
Daw
ISBN 0756401704 $7.99, 960 pp.
For almost two decades, the clans of the South and the kingdom of the North have been at
peace
but once again war is imminent. The armies of the North must join the battle or see their
kingdom
destroyed if the evil forces in the South win for they will surely want to rule the entire
world. The
forces of General Aflesio di Marente are aided in his lust for conquest by the minions of
the Lord
of the Night who wants his allies to win so he can have the same powers in the Kingdom
that he
does in his own dimension. Once a hostage in the North, Valedan Kai di'Leonne is the
leader in
charge of the armies who fight the forces of evil. He is able to rally ancient enemies like
the Clans
of Averdo and Lamberto to his banner. He also has powerful allies that have magic and
might be
able to counter that of The Lord of the Night. These allies include the evil one's daughter
and
Valedan's wife who found the powerful magical sword and put it in his hands. THE SUN
SWORD is a spellbinding sword and sorcery saga that has plenty of action but doesn't
stint on
character development. The forces of good and evil are clearly delineated but some of the
warriors on both sides behave in a manner that makes the reader think they may change
allegiances. There are many champions in Michelle West's epic fantasy series but it is
Valedan
who is neither Northern or Southern but a combination of both that is able to rally the
most
unlikely allies into one stalwart army.
Ain't She Sweet
Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Morrow
ISBN: 0066211247 $24.95, 400 pp.
In high school, Sugar Beth Carey and her Seawillows dominated the local scene treating
everyone
else with contempt. Among her victims was a young British teacher Colin Byrne, whose
career
she ruined. Years later Sugar Beth returns home having accomplished little in her life
except
regrets. She hopes to sell her deceased aunt's valuable painting done by renowned local
artist
Ceredon Ash. Sugar Beth is shocked at how well everyone has made it since she dumped
her
sweetheart Ryan when she left for U of Mississippi and a football star who is now her
ex-husband.
When she sees Colin she is sorry for what she did to him and is very attracted to him, but
he does
not trust her though he finds he desires her. Winnie Davis is running scared that her
spouse Ryan
still loves Sugar Beth. However, that does not matter to Sugar Beth as she now believes
you can
never go home as nothing remains the same. She wants Colin permanently in her life, but
believes
he could never forgive her though she hopes he lovingly deem her his forever honey.
AIN'T SHE
SWEET is an engaging relationship drama that focuses on whether a former teen pack
leader can
ever go home especially as a failure. The story line is character driven as the audience
understands
what makes key players tick, especially the fear that motivates the lead couple, the former
Seawillows, and the Davis duo. Though not much action occurs, to fans of tales that go
deep
inside the soul of its stars Susan Elizabeth Phillips provides a delightful read.
The Orion Protocol
Gary Tigerman
Morrow
ISBN: 0380976706 $23.95, 322 pp.
The new American president is still trying to comprehend the true reason for launching
Project
Orion, the so called strategic defense shield. At about the same time TV hostess of PBS's
award
winning Science Horizon Angela Browning receives a strange package containing
pictures of
archeological ruins on Mars sent by the lost Mars Observer probe that vanished in 1993.
Angela is
stone walled by government agencies as she tries to learn the truth about the photos.
Exasperated
Angela turns to moon walker Jake Deaver for help. Though he would prefer to remain
anonymous, Jake agrees to help the science reporter learn the truth about the alleged
ruins. They
soon find themselves in danger as they begin to unravel a cover-up much greater than
Roswell or
Spielberg imagined and the true reason for launching Project Orion. Science fiction
conspiracy
buffs will have a field day with Gary Tigerman's tale that cleverly intermingles real
events from the
past several decades with a major effort to "protect" people from the truth. The story line
jumps
back forth in time and geography more often than Sam Beckett leaped yet in some weird
way that
augments the conspiracy theory. The action never slows down as even the afterward
author's
notes hook the audience into believing that the White House regardless of party affiliation
knows
more than they let on so that believers will think Mr. Tigerman is a brilliant reporter
exposing the
truth while action thriller readers will say all's "welles" that ends well whether it is radio
or
TV.
Perfect Sax
Jerrilyn Farmer
Morrow
ISBN 0380978903 $22.95, 304 pp.
Maddie Bean's catering and events planning business is becoming very chic with the rich,
powerful and famous in Las Angeles and Hollywood. Her firm is catering an event to
raise funds
for the Woodburn School of Music so that gifted children who can't afford the fees can
obtain a
scholarship. The gala is a smashing success and Maddie is justifiably proud of her role in
the
affair. She leaves the affair with a couple who bought a one hundred thousand dollar
musical
instrument for their son. Maddie loaned her car to an employee who needs to get to her
boyfriend,
because to is despondent over her boyfriend failing to earn his dissertation. Maddie
arrives home
to find police surrounding her house. Her employee lies dead in her bedroom. Not much
time
passes before Maddie discovers her neighbor is murdered, an angry man who was upset
that
Maddie found his private papers lying in her street. She not only thinks the two deaths are
linked
but she believes someone is out to kill her as well but nobody will believe her, thinking
she is
overwrought and upset. Jerrilyn Farmer is a fabulous writer who has created one of the
most
delightful and charming amateur sleuth souls in the mystery world. The plot is fast-paced
and
action packed but the heart of this who-done-it lies with the characters and sorting out the
villains
from the heroes. PERFECT SAX has several sub-plots that make this tale all the more
fascinating,
especially someone stealing the valuable musical instrument.
Murder Walks the Plank
Carolyn Hart
Morrow
ISBN 0060004746 $23.95, 304 pp.
On the barrier island of Broward's Rock off the coast of South Carolina is the Death on
Demand
Mystery Bookstore owned and operated by Annie Darling. She is sponsoring a mystery
cruise
with the proceeds donated to the Island Literacy Fund. On the night of the cruise, things
are going
smoothly until Pamela Potts falls into the water. Annie's husband Max jumps into the
water to
rescue her but later the next morning it is announced she died. The sheriff feels that the
tragedy
was either an accident or suicide but Annie is positive it was murder for a number of
reasons.
Famous island mystery writer Emma Clyde believes that Pamela was hit on the head
because of
something she knew and when Annie looks into her activities, she learns that Pamela was
visiting
Meg Heath, a wealthy widow who didn't have long to live. Both Emma and Annie believe
these
deaths are linked as is the murder of a tourist found on a deserted part of the island. They
intend
to prove their theory or die trying. Every book featuring Max and Annie Darling is a
pleasure to
read but in MURDER WALKS THE PLANK Carolyn Hart even outdoes her usual great
work.
The mystery is so twisted with some many possible suspects and motives that readers will
have a
difficult time trying to figure out who the killer is leaving the audience with a big cerebral
puzzle
to solve...
The Far Side of the Stars
David Drake
Baen
ISBN: 074347158X $25.00, 436 pp.
The Republic of Cinnebar and the Alliance are at peace which means changing swords
into plows
and leaving some folks out of work as the war provided them employment. With his
warship the
Princess Cecile mothballed, Lieutenant Daniel Leary and Signals Officer Adele Mundy
are two of
those legendary heroes seeking jobs. So when Count Kimov and his wife Valentina
decide to hunt
for exotic prey in the Galactic North they buy the mothballed Princess Cecile and hire
Leary and
crew to escort them there. However, just because an armistice has been signed, peace is
not
everywhere. Soon Leary and company are struggling with deadly dragons and a
treacherous
Alliance battle fleet ready to destroy Cinnebar and kill anyone who might give away the
deceitful
plan of preemptive first strike. However, besides a star war at a level not seen before, it is
the
Oracle that frightens Leary the most. The Republic of Cinnebar tales are some of the best
space
opera novels in recent years. The latest one, THE FAR SIDE OF THE STARS, is a
delightful tale
that starts by showing what happens to old soldiers whose glory time looks over, but
quickly
spins into an action-packed, faster then the speed of light war of the worlds' tale. Leary is
a great
protagonist who is a fish out of water when peace exists throughout the galaxy, but in a
hostile
life threatening environs, his true grit is that he is the outer space John Wayne. David
Drake
entertains the troops with this wild ride.
There Will Be Dragons
John Ringo
Baen
ISBN: 0743471644 $25.00, 538 pp.
Humanity lives in a veritable Garden of Eden with disease and death conquered. Mankind
lives
almost like Gods in a Utopian Olympus controlled by the computer "Mother", who
monitors and
calculates probable outcomes. Mother realizes that there is a 99.9999915% chance that
the
humans will go to war as the council, who oversees her, is squabbling and there is a
17.347%
probability they will wipe out the species. However, Mother is not programmed to warn
humanity
or any other intelligent speices (machine or animal). The war causes massive destruction
with no
corner of the globe immune. In isolated Raven's Mill, smith and self proclaimed historian
Edmund
Talbot sees refugees seeking asylum while warlords assault anyone. Elves visit him to
help save
mankind, but it may be too late. Enemies from Edmund's past and new foes realize that to
conquer, they must eliminate Edmund first. He is the key for the 82.653% survival of the
species;
that is if he is not distracted by the fact that his daughter is out there as a perfect pawn to
destroy
him. Mother knows that without Edmund the survival odds are reversed. THERE WILL
BE
DRAGONS is an exciting blending of future science fiction with some fantasy elements
into a
delightful action-packed tale. The story line never slows down from the moment Mother
computes the odds in a mundane ho hum manner. The cast seems genuine whether they
are
"perfect" human, elf, other mythological creature, or man working the land. Still it is John
Ringo's
world that makes Paradise obtained and Paradise Lost seem credible that makes this fab
tale so
much fun. Fans will anxiously await sequels to ascertain whether humanity finds Paradise
Regained.
The Shadow Government
Ray Derby
iUniverse
ISBN: 0595234682 $14.95, 288 pp.
After an incident with US Senator McBride, Norm Shepard left the marines to become a
railroad
brakeman and fish in the Potomac. While heading to a spot to fish, he notices two other
fishermen, but when he walks past them, they shoot him in the back. He manages to
escape to the
nearby road where Major General McKay gets him to a hospital. McKay is concerned
where this
shooting occurred so he assigns long time civil servant Ross Chambers and his emergency
management team to investigate. Evelyn Pace and Jim Woods interview Norm; they
return to
their superior Ross with grave concerns that the two wannabe killers were monitoring
weather
conditions, which could mean an NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) attack on the
capital. While
Norm is recalled to active duty, the response team begins activation of Project Bluelight,
THE
SHADOW GOVERNMENT project to keep the government operational during a
crippling
emergency. However, first they must stop rogue terrorists from causing a pandemic
incident of
mass destruction. Though terrorists employ clever deadly ruses as they value life less than
radioactive waste, THE SHADOW GOVERNMENT highlights what is a major fear of
many
people: weapons of mass destruction (ask the President and his psychological advisors).
The story
line is a powerful thriller that looks at what a government can do to continue to lead even
when
calamity reaches biblical proportions. Though the small insets focusing on the terrorists
seem
more distracting than revealing, readers will feel they won the Triple Crown with Ray
Derby's
compelling tale of counterterrorism.
The Payback
Hilary Hawke
iUniverse
ISBN 0595005470 $12.95
Having just arrived from Bolivia, teenager Claudia Lopez accompanied by their baby
Juliana waits
in the Newark Airport for her husband Antonio to pick her up. Antonio had come to the
states
several months earlier. Margot Fortune assisted Claudia when she first landed at the
airport.
Having flown back and forth to Boston, Margot notices that the young foreigner and her
infant
remain where she left them eight hours ago. Margot takes the two lost souls with her.
When he
arrived stateside, Antonio was enticed by the easy money and fast lifestyle of a drug
dealer.
However, on the day he is supposed to meet his family at the airport he slowly awakens
from a
purple haze. He realizes that he failed to pick up Claudia and Juliana, but even worse he
lost a kilo
of cocaine. His employers want either the kilo, the money, or if not him, Claudia.
Surprisingly
THE PAYBACK is as much a deep character study as it is an action thriller. There are
plenty of
tense scenes that will elate the adrenaline seeker, but also the key three protagonists are
interesting and fully developed. Claudia is a young stranger in a strange land, but how
pathetic
and helpless is she? Antonio is a lost soul who too late understands the cost of his short
cuts.
Most intriguing is the Good Samaritan Margot, who is less than she appears (read the
book to
learn her agenda). Though the drug crowd is too easily stereotyped as predators and some
sub-plotting seem off kilter, fans of a fast-paced suspense thriller will receive plenty of
positive
PAYBACK from Hilary Hawke's exhilarating novel.
Frank E. Peretti Value Pack
Frank E. Peretti
Tyndale
ISBN: 0842386564 $18.97
"This Present Darkness". In Ashton, a doubting Thomas reporter and a troubled pastor
conclude
that their town is in the forefront of a holy war on earth. The side the tempted locals
choose will
have the edge. Fans of the forces of heaven vs. those of hell on battlefield earth with to
the victors
go the souls will appreciate this deep action-packed thriller. "Piercing the Darkness". In
Bacon's
Corner, a factory worker with a dark history hides from her past until otherworldly events
force
her to look back to what haunts her. Demon driven law suits have risen as accusations
and
counter charges resound throughout the town with child abuse as its focus. However, the
real war
is at the local Christian school between angels and demons over the souls of the residents.
This
"Darkness" sequel is another powerful angel-demon war on battlefield earth. "Prophet".
Although
his father constantly embarrassed the news anchor with his politically incorrect but
piously
principled beliefs; still he did not want his dad to die. To gain closure, the reporter needs
the truth
about the alleged accident, but that means breaking the first commandment of
broadcasting that
deception in support of a certain secular vision is required. Though radically different and
not
quite the action-packed thriller level of the two Darkness tales, this is a solid story
centering on
religious redemption at the cost of losing material possessions and reputation. These three
reprints
placed in one package focus on a war for the soul of people. Though biased against a left
wing
perspectives, the novels lead readers to reconsider their relationships with God, family,
and
community. This three in one set makes a delightful holiday gift.
An Image of Death
Libby Fischer Hellmann
Poisoned Pen Press
ISBN 1590581016 $22.95, 304 pp.
When the Soviet Union collapsed, honorable soldiers turned to stealing just to feed their
families.
When one of these veterans dies, his wife finds out his best friend betrayed him and she
doesn't
want anything to do with him even though his wife is her best friend. Over time, she
learns about
the diamond trade and earns enough money to support her family. She takes a vacation to
the
Grand Cayman Islands where she once again sees and rejects the man most responsible
for her
husband's death. She goes to the United States where her best friend is working as a
prostitute in
Chicago. Ellie Foreman, maker of industrial videos receives one in the mail that shows a
woman
waiting in a room and two naked men who come in and kill her. Ellie investigates the
woman's
death which leads to her being in a deserted construction site waiting to die at hands of
people
who believe she knows too much. The link between the Russian woman and the
videotape is the
beginning of a story of greed, corruption and money laundering by prominent citizens
(Russians
and others). Libby Fisher Hellmann is a fabulous raconteur who writes about people in
dire
circumstances doing the best they can to survive. AN IMAGE OF DEATH is an
entertaining
amateur sleuth novel inside a survivor thriller.
Hunter's Dance
Kathleen Hills
Poisoned Pen
ISBN 1590058094X $24.95, 328 pp.
The township of St. Adele in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is a great place to go
hunting. The
small town even has a Hunt Dance which everyone attends including Constable John
McIntire in
his official capacity. He doesn't expect any trouble until a fight breaks out between the
Chippewa
Indian Marvin Wall and visiting rich teen Bambi Morlen whose folks are living in the
members
only Shawanok fishing club. The next day Bambi's body is found in the attic of the
building where
the dance was held. His head was partially scalped; somebody drilled a hole in his head
and tied
his feet with cord. The constable and the sheriff both believe somebody wanted to cast
suspicion
on Marvin or his protective older brother Adam. To make the investigation more
complicated, the
victim's father is never around and his mother doesn't want to talk to the authorities. The
case is
bothering John so much that he is spending time that he doesn't have to looking for clues
that will
lead him to the killer. HUNTER'S DANCE is an interesting historical mystery set in the
mid
1950's during the tail end of the Korean "police action". The protagonist is an interesting
character who didn't want the job as town constable but was tricked into accepting it. He
can't
help the fact that when a murder happens, he immerses into the case with the sly prodding
of the
wily sheriff. Kathleen Hills is a talented author who writes a colorful tale with a sense of
time and
place.
The Stone of the Stars
Alison Baird
Aspect
ISBN 0446690989 $13.95, 400 pp.
On Great Island lives Ailia, a young woman who wants to go to the University on the
Continent.
Her parents, fearing for her safety refuse even after she won a scholarship until it looks
like King
Thalazor's going to invade the island in his search for the Star Stone. With that in his
possession
he believes he can conquer the entire world of Mera. When Ailia is allowed to enter the
university,
she meets Damion, a beautiful but troubled priest who's beginning to believe what he
thought
were myths were in fact truths. Damion meets Ana, a white witch. She believes that one
of the
students at the university, Lorelyn is the long awaited Tryna Lia whose destiny is to rid
her world
and the world of Eldiana where the lower benevolent gods fled after the Great Disaster of
Madrian. These three people and runaway slave Jomar travel to the world of Trynisia, a
land of
magical beings and untold wealth to look for the Star Stone and face an adversary who
believes
he knows how to get what he wants: the star stone and the Tryna Lia, the daughter of a
planetary
deity. Book one of the Dragon Throne series is everything a reader could want in a
fantasy book.
There are magical realms where fantastic creatures of legend actually live, a quest to be
performed
that must succeed if Tryna Lia is to defeat her enemy and claim her throne, and a
prophecy that
must be fulfilled by those brave enough to attempt it. Alison Baird is a bright new voice
in the
fantasy firmament.
A Yuletide Universe
Edited by Brian M. Thomsen
Aspect
ISBN: 0446691879 $12.95
This sixteen story collection runs the gamut of speculative fiction from fantasy to science
fiction
to horror. The tales are broken into four major categories with several entries in each one.
The
sections are Santa Shorts (this reviewer's personal favorite grouping), Santa Substitutes,
Variations on Holiday Theme, and Classic Tales of Christmas Science Fiction, Fantasy,
and
Whimsy. With one exception, the stories are all reprints from various publications
ranging as far
back as 1964. In fact two are from the first half of the twentieth century; two from the
1960s; two
from the 1970s; five from the 1980s; and four from the 1999s. The contributors are some
of the
best writers of fantasy, horror or science fiction around past and present. A YULETIDE
UNIVERSE is a strong anthology that will elate readers that enjoy a wide gamut of well
written
stories from the three genres or just appreciate holiday tales. Whether it is Baum, Harte,
Gaiman,
Ellison, or Barker etc. this is a sure shot stocking stuffer for those appreciate solid
seasonal
speculative stories.
Covenants
Barbara Karmazin
Atlantic Bridge
ISBN: 1931761744 $TBA
Needing to pay off her medical school bills, wannabe genetics research scientist Dr.
Bridget
O'Keefe signs a three contract to work at the Well Baby Clinic in Lacrimas, North
Carolina. Lilith
Harker takes the newcomer under her wing, providing Bridget with a guard dog and
introducing
the doctor to her family. That is part of her kin as she fails to present one of her two
brothers,
Nathaniel, who hides in plain sight from everyone. During a routine blood sample of
Lilith's
younger sibling Shiloh, Bridget's genetics expertise enables her to notice anomalies. She
forwards
a sample to her former teacher at Duke and soon everyone is interested in what appears to
be a
universal donor of artificial blood. Claiming a ruse, Bridget begins investigating this
genetic
oddity while forging a deep friendship with her mentor and falling in love with the
shadow man.
Combining deep complex relationships inside a terse medical romantic thriller, Barbara
Karmazin
provides her audience with a powerful tale of the impact of a welcomed outsider on a
closely knit
Southern family. Bridget is a great protagonist who struggles between a discovery that
feels to
her like betrayal and joining the group that has welcomed her as a full blooded member.
Besides
loving the name Lilith Harker, readers, who are unaware of Ms. Karmazin, need to obtain
this fine
book and DOWN CAME A BLACKBIRD as both are great novels.
Down Came a Blackbird
Barbara Karmazin
Atlantic Bridge
ISBN: 1931761043 $TBA 264 pages
Cait O'Keefe is the ultimate half-breed of literally star-crossed lovers. Her father was a
Sidhe, a
race that comes from a devastated planet. Her mother Briget O Keefes is a bigamist in
earth terms
having two husbands Nathanial & Shiloh Harker at the same time with both living with
her, but
that is the way of much of the Sidhe, who the natives have called fairies or leprechauns,
etc. Being
an empath, Cait knows how others feels and shares a mental telepathic link with her twin
brother
Kevin whose father is Shiloh and Cait's is Nathaniel. Cait decides to join an expedition to
an
asteroid that the astrophysicists believe is actually the remnants of an exploded planet
because she
believes this rock might contain clues to her solar heritage. Meanwhile, Cait takes charge
of her
dormant love life with two men she met at the lunar station who are also on the
expedition she has
joined. Soon this trio will have more than just sexual encounters to deal with, as a big
brother
corporation begins to exploit the miners and the asteroid. Cait is a fabulous lead
protagonist who
serves as the center of this delightful outer space science fiction fantasy. The
action-packed story
line is fun to follow especially as Cait goes on an excellent adventure that fans of science
fiction
with bit of a fairy tale twist will appreciate. This deep coming of age tale introduces the
Sidhe to
an appreciative audience who will believe in their existence and demand more such
novels (with
less emotional eavesdropping by the heroine during the erotic moments) perhaps back on
the
home planet prior to its destruction.
The Hit
Jere Hoar
Context
ISBN: 1893956342 $24.95, 292 pp.
Before Nam and wealthy Tom Morris, Kinnerly was Luke Carr's beloved. After Nam and
her
marriage to Morris, Kinnerly remains his passion upon his return to the back woods of
Mississippi. However, though they share illicit moments she claims only occurs when he
desires
sexual release. Luke knows all he has in the world is his bow and arrow and Adel the bird
dog.
Before Kinnerly reentered his life, Luke decided that Morris owes him for stealing her so
he plans
reparations by taking the wealthy man's art collection. However, his perfect crime fails to
consider
his need for Kinnerly, who claims abuse; nor the call for him, the Iceman, to perform a
hit no
different than the confirmed nineteen he killed as an LBJ grunt in Nam. However, the
simple hit
turns into a series of twisted fiascos as Luke struggles to hide the crime with more crimes.
This
Mississippi Noir could easily star McMurray and Stanwick as readers will enjoy the
classic
relationship between the disturbed vet and his femme fatale manipulator double crossing
him.
Through his first novel, Jere Hoar shows strong skills by writing an action-packed story
line done
in flashbacks using "notebooks" as chapters while Luke resides in a VA hospital driving
his
psychiatrist crazy. The cast is classic Noir and even the vividly descriptive rural setting
feels right
as this well written crime thriller should be a hit to sub-genre fans.
Devil's Brew
Keith Spence
Shadow Line
ISBN:0971287503 $24.95, 292pp.
Undercover Agent David Jourbet is the CIA's best with an over 95% success rate as
opposed to
the 80% agency norm. However, he confronts the Chief of Counterintelligence
Rutherford
Fairchild for sending him on a suicide mission that led to the deaths of innocents. David
also
knows that Rutherford sold out his country, but lacks proof. When Rutherford scoffs that
no one
would believe a field agent's accusations against him, David calmly kills him in his office.
CIA
Chief former Lieutenant General Garoway shocks David when he blithely informs him
that the
agency knew that Rutherford turned traitor. Worse David learns that his deadly last
assignment
was a setup because the profile said he would return to kill Rutherford, solving a CIA
embarrassment. The General gives David a choice of life in Leavenworth or working a
mission to
rescue agent Marlena Cory and stopping an Iraqi terrorist plot with anthrax and or a
nuclear
power plant. David, who jilted his fianc‚e Marlena, is off to Carolina where his cover is
lost
before he even lands at the airport. He struggles to save his beloved, stop terrorism that
could kill
thousands, and stay alive working with an ops officer he does not trust. Though the
current Iraqi
scenario makes some of the premises seem wrong, this action-packed thriller never slows
down
until the final twist occurs. The story line is 200 proof action with an intriguing look at
profiling
and the subtly of terrorism. Fans of spy vs. spy thrillers with the lives of innocents at
stake will
want to drink DEVIL'S BREW in one big gulp.
Liar's Market
Taylor Smith
Mira
ISBN: 0778320081 $23.95, 346 pp.
In the summer of 2001 in Hong Kong her darling tosses Victoria Kim Lee from the
terrace of
their twenty-eighth floor penthouse. Before leaving he kills her maid and the building's
doorman
too to insure there are no witnesses. In the spring of 2002 in London, someone
assassinates an
innocent American student Karen Ann Harmann. The visitor harmed no one, but died in a
hail of
bullets. In the summer of 2002, the CIA and the FBI interrogate Carrie McNeil over these
two
seemingly unrelated incidents and the disappearance of her spouse, Drummond CIA
London
bureau chief. Photos and other evidence prove Drum had an affair with Lee. Could Karen
Ann
who looks somewhat like the almost thirty year old Carrie been mistaken for Drum's
wife? The
CIA believes so and is near panic over what Drum will do next but not as much as they
are
concerned with how Carrie will react now that she knows he wants her dead. Though
Drum's
motives are not revealed until very late, LIAR'S MARKET is a terse political espionage
thriller
that hooks readers from the moment Lee is tossed off the terrace. The story line never
slows
down until the final cover-up funeral. Carrie is a fine character who is like a lion
protecting her
cub at all costs for she now fears her unmasked husband may harm their son though he
does not
appear to be a murder target of Drum. This is a solid thriller that showcases Taylor
Smith's ability
to hook her audience from start to finish.
The Trade
Shirley Palmer
Mira
ISBN: 1551667355 $23.95, 302 pp.
Thanks to the Santa Ana winds, the fires are winning and roads are closed in and around
Malibu.
A frantic Matt Lowell needs to get inside the dead zone to rescue his dog, Barney, but is
told that
no one enters. Still he feels he must try as Barney has no escape from his fiery prison
being locked
inside their home. However, on the final leg of his trek along the beach, Matt is stunned
to find a
still breathing abandoned newborn in the midst of the inferno, but to his everlasting
nightmare, the
infant dies before he can bring the girl to safety. Not long afterward, the police find the
dead body
of the baby's teenage mother covered with wildflowers. Obsessed as much as he was in
saving his
beloved canine and feeling a connection to the deceased baby Matt wants who killed
them
especially since the police thinks he murdered the mother. Matt begins his own inquiries.
He will
soon find that he opened up more than just Pandora's Box as the malevolent forces are
involved in
more than just the killings are so ruthless AND evil that even a Good Samaritan hero like
Matt
could be killed going after them. Though Matt seems a bit too perfect, suspense fans will
appreciate this terse thriller. The story line is action packed from the fires (out of the
headlines) to
the implied accusations to the amateur sleuth inquiries and finally to THE TRADE itself.
Greed is
the common theme and contrasts sharply to the hero who is goodness personified. Shirley
Palmer
is an expert storyteller whose tale is a study in contrasts.
Scent of a Killer
Christiane Heggan
Mira
ISBN: 0778320057 $6.50, 400 pp.
Photographer Jenna Meyerson is shocked when her ex-husband Adam Lear arrives at the
gallery
displaying an exhibit of her work "The Faces of New York". Adam feels that a former
client of
Jenna, the CEO of rival Faxel, did something illegal, and her pictures have the proof. She
mentions client confidentiality, but promises to think about it. The next day Jenna learns
from the
TV news that someone, probably a serial killer, murdered Adam in Central park. Jenna
does not
believe that Adam would venture into the park at night as he knew better plus she
remembers the
limping bum who seemed to follow them. She turns to their childhood friend Frank
Renaldi for
help but he is nasty to her. Frank knows he loved Jenna then and still does so he must
keep his
distance to keep his sanity. He must consider his teenage son's well being. Still Frank
begins
making inquiries and soon struggles to keep Jenna safe from unknown enemies and him.
This is an
exciting romantic suspense tale starring two delightful heroic champions who readers will
adore.
The story line is fast-paced even when introducing the players. The killer is brilliantly
described
while he hides his prime income making money through legitimate activates like a Time
Square
coffee shop. Though Adam's theory is not explained to readers or the heroine until late in
the tale,
fans will enjoy this terse thriller due a strong cast engaged in a cat and mouse survivor
war.
Something Deadly
Rachel Lee
Mira
ISBN: 0778320049 $6.50, 384 pp.
Veterinarian Markie Cross loves her living and working on the US Caribbean Island
Territory of
San Martin. Her dog Kato begins acting strange and many of the canines bark as if they
are
warning their owners to beware of something evil. Kato makes Markie take him out for a
walk
and stops at the house of a neighbor Carter Shippey. The healthy man suddenly died, but
medical
examiner Dr. Declan Quinn finds something strange with the corpse when he examines it.
The
man's bones dissolved turning to jelly. Not long afterward, his healthy wife succumbs too.
CDC is
called in as biohazard level 4 is provoked quarantining the island. No one knows what
could have
caused the deaths that defy logic. Others die too with only the dogs seemingly aware of
what is
going on. Soon Kato and Markie connect on some mystical level that allows them to
mentally
communicate and the human falls in love with her other male companion Declan, but will
those be
enough to stop a murderess released from beyond the grave. This tale is more a classic
style
horror tale, but contains medical thriller and romantic suspense elements that enhance the
plot.
The story line smoothly changes from a medical enigma into from the grave killer tale.
Though the
Kato-Markie connection adds a fascinating fantasy element that seems over the edge,
readers will
find SOMETHING DEADLY an interesting thriller.
Grave Concerns
Gwen Hunter
Mira
ISBN: 0778320065 $6.50, 384 pp.
In Dawkins County, South Carolina, Dr. Rhea Lynch hears the volley of bullets and goes
out to
see if she can help. Though she almost ended up being hurt in a crossfire that is not what
made
her reconsider her Good Samaritan efforts. The county coroner Dr. Anita Yarborough
was badly
hurt in the fray and Rhea has been drafted to temporarily serve as a deputy completing
the medical
examination of the murder of John Pendergrass by his foster son Wayne Geter, who
claims sexual
abuse and that his sister was sold to someone who will abuse her abuse. Rhea works
alongside
police captain Mark Stafford, a person she is in love with, but who abruptly ended their
relationship when he allegedly impregnated someone else. As Rhea learns more about the
case,
she finds out that other girls are missing, leading the FBI into the investigation. Soon
Rhea will
risk her life trying to bring down a sexual predator using, abusing, and killing young
females. In
her latest appearance (see DEADLY REMEDY), Rhea remains a delightful protagonist;
whose
refreshed with her new more bureaucratic role. That assignment also forces Rhea to deal
with
Mark. The story line is loaded with action as Rhea slowly becomes involved with
stopping a
sexual predator. Fans of the series will take pleasure in Rhea's latest medical romantic
thriller.
Truth or Dare
Jayne Ann Krentz
Putnam
ISBN 0399150730 $24.95, 416 pp.
After escaping from a mental institution and proving her sanity to the in-laws who
committed her,
Zoe is happy that she and private detective Ethan Thax discovered who really killed her
husband.
Both Zoe and Ethan decide to give their marriage of convenience a chance to become
something
deeper as they settle into domestic tranquility in Whispering Springs, Arizona. Zoe's
peace of
mind suffers a severe setback when she senses some disturbed psychic energy, the kind
that she
felt in the mental institution. While Zoe worries that she might be going crazy, her friend
Arcadia
who also lives in Whispering Springs finds herself in danger from the husband who once
tried to
kill her. She has something he wants and Grant will use any means to retrieve it. He
muddles the
works by making it look like Ethan is the target and if they don't discover the truth soon
Arcadia
will find herself in deadly danger. TRUTH OR DARE is Jayne Ann Krentz at her very
best. Her
quirky characters include a Feng Shui psychic interior decorator, a body guard that looks
like a
skeleton and two cute children who play matchmaker for their mother. They make this
work of
romantic suspense a delightful reading experience. There are three different couples and
several
sub-plots that lead into the main storyline that adds a sense of family to what is
essentially an
action oriented tale. Ms Krentz's talent continues to grow and change in amazing ways
that will
please fans of this talented author.
Divided In Death
J.D. Robb
Putnam
ISBN 0399151540 $23.95, 368 pp.
When she gets the pictures in the mail of her husband and best friend in bed together,
security
expert Reva Ewing goes over to the house where they are having their tryst to confront
them. She
breaks in and marches into the bedroom only to find them murdered. She is gassed by
someone in
the room and when she comes to she calls her mother who is Roarke's administrate
assistant.
Since he knows and likes both women, he asks his wife Lieutenant Eve Dallas of the
NYPSD to
take the primary lead on the case. When she arrives on the scene, she sees strange
anomalies and
thinks Reva was set up to take the fall. Although she has to arrest Reva based on the
circumstantial evidence, Eve doesn't stop looking for the real killer. This case is one of
Eve's
toughest because she has to deal with Homeland Security, double agents and techno
terrorists
while trying to convince Roarke not to do something that could destroy their marriage.
J.D.
Robb, also known as Nora Roberts, has written one of her best books in the Death series.
For the
first time in their marriage Eve and Roarke have a problem that neither can compromise
on and it
distracts Eve in her investigation, which is difficult enough because she is dealing with
Homeland
Security. There is plenty of action, enough fresh twists to keep the storyline fresh,
sizzling and a
moral dilemma that must be resolved to keep readers enthralled with this extraordinary
police
procedural romance.
Retreat, Hell
W.E.B. Griffin
Putnam
ISBN: 0399150811 $26.95, 512 pp.
By late September 1950, sent by General Douglas "El Supreme" MacArthur, the marines
make a
key landing on the Korean Peninsular. The General plans to send his forces across the
38th
parallel in order to repel the North Koreans beyond the Yalu River. Though he expects no
Chinese forces, he has USMC Major Ken "Killer" McCoy and his "lost" patrol seek
enemy
information. Meanwhile BG Pickering earns frequent flyer miles as he struggles to lessen
the
growing dispute between Commander-in-Chief Truman and ex facto supreme commander
of the
United Nation's forces MacArthur. Pickering also has a personal concern with his son
"Pick"
missing in action beyond enemy lines. Pick knows if the Commies capture him, they will
execute
him. He has survived fifty-eight days due to luck, some local help, and by constantly
moving
about, but staying near his downed plane. Killer finds evidence that Pick still lives, but
cannot
search for the MIA as he and his men have captured an apparent Intel Officer with
information
that massive Chinese forces await the Americans. No one does American military history
novels
better than W.E.B. Griffin does as he shows with this deep look at the early stages of the
Korean
Conflict. The story line grips the audience from the moment Pick struggles to survive and
never
lets up. The key as always to the Corps novels (this is the tenth) is the support cast that
brings out
real events so that the audience feels the battle as much as the political intrigue at home.
Genre
fans will once again salute the Five Star General for his wonderfully exhilarating
book.
Retribution
Jilliane Hoffman
Putnam
ISBN 03991512273 $24.95, 432 pp.
Twelve years ago, Chloe was an average person worrying if she will pass the bar
examination and
hoping her boyfriend will propose to her. The night she thinks he is going to give her a
ring; he
gives her instead a diamond heart as an anniversary present. He wants to go up to her
house but
she is angry and tells him to leave her off at her apartment. When she wakes up in the
middle of
the night, a man wearing a clown costume rapes and tortures Chloe. In the present, the
serial
killer who has raped, tortured, and killed ten blonde women ages eighteen to twenty five
is caught
with a dead body in the trunk by a rookie patrol officer in a routine traffic violation.
Chloe, now
going by the name of C.J. Townsend, is the prosecutor assigned the case. At the first
hearing, she
lays eyes on the face of William Robert Bantling and recognizes him as her rapist from
his voice
and a scar on his arm. She doesn't tell anyone that she should be excused. She decides to
prosecute Robert seeking justice or is it retribution? The new star in the legal horizon is
Jilliane
Hoffman if RETRIBUTION is any indication of her skills. If the answer is yes and more
books as
great as this follows, fans will discus her name along side of Patricia Cornwell, Linda
Fairstein and
Perri O'Shaugnessy. The characters are well developed (especially the villain and
avenging angel),
and the storyline is original with spellbinding action. The trial scenes are particularly
fabulous and
quite polished as RETRIBUTION is on the way to the bestseller lists.
Bush Poodles Are Murder
Lou Allin
RendezVous
ISBN:1894917049 $10.95, 273pp.
In Sudbury, North Ontario, mid to late forties Palmer Realty owner Belle Palmer worries
that her
office assistant fifty-five year old Miriam MacDonald will soon quit. Underpaid at her
job, Miriam
is seeing investment guru Mel, who has provided her some financial tips. However,
someone
murders Mel, whose advice apparently has ruined several people and whose dealings are
not what
one would say were ethical and other would know are apparently illegal. The police
believe that
Miriam used an Inuit sculpture to kill her lover. Belle decides to make her own inquiries
into the
case though she has confidence in the abilities if Detective Steve Davis. Besides wanting
to return
Strudel the rodent looking poodle to her owner Miriam, someone is stalking Belle,
making her
wonder if there is a connection to the homicide. However, stalking is dangerous enough;
active
involvement may prove more perilous. Amateur sleuth fans who enjoy a taste of a
different locale
will take immense delight with BUSH POODLES ARE MURDER. The lead protagonist
is a
beautiful person as her asides on every aspect of life and the people inside her sphere
lighten up
the tale. The north Ontario location adds depth to belle and the homicide yet is cleverly
intertwined in the plot so that Sudbury is not intrusive, but interestingly enhancing.
Sub-genre fans
will receive much pleasure from this Canadian cozy and seek the previous Belle "are
murder"
entries (see BLACKFLIES ARE MURDER and NORTHERN WINTERS ARE
MURDER).
Tango Midnight
Michael Cassutt
Forge
ISBN: 076530645X $25.95, 384 pp.
In 2006 Space Station Alpha is run as a business enticing wealthy tourists and even a film
crew to
visit. Billionaire biochemist Tad Mikleszewski buys research time on Alpha where he
plans to
develop an X-Pox antitoxin to stop the deadly bio plague. However, his to efforts to
launch his
own ship fails so he turns to the Russians for a ticket on one of their crafts. However,
while the
X-Pox bio plague is causing increased deadly havoc, the launch that Tad has booked runs
into the
usual snafu from the smaller privatized government advocates (smaller for everyone else
and
privatized for major campaign donors that is). Bad weather and illness also delays the
flight.
Finally in space, Tad arrives at Alpha where he begins work to develop an X-Pox
antitoxin.
However, the deadly virus is accidentally released into the space station air. Mark
Koskinen
leaves the comfort of Russia's Star City to begin rescue maneuvers. TANGO MIDNIGHT
is an
exciting near future space adventure that places a powerful accent on the science,
technology, and
the action. The novel brilliantly simplifies extremely complex knowledge so that the
audience
comprehends the information, but also uses that to enhance the action. Though the cast is
a bit
underdeveloped, outer space thriller fans will enjoy the ride.
The Man Who Risked His Partner
Stephen R. Donaldson
Forge
ISBN: 0765302047 $24.95, 272 pp.
In Puerto del Sol in the southwest desert, private sleuth Mick "Brew" Axbrewder feels
self
loathing and guilt. During an alcoholic stupor, he killed his brother. Adding to his
despondency,
his detective partner and lover at that time Ginny Fistoulari blew off her hand with a
grenade
saving his butt from his latest blunder. Though a doubting Thomas about his abilities,
Brew
struggles with sobriety vowing in a personal covenant to take care of the depressed Gin,
who has
not mentally recovered from her trauma. Gin and Brew are hired to protect First Puerta
del Sol
National Bank Chief Accountant Reg Haskell. He tells them he lost a lot of money
gambling at
the El Machismo and has been threatened if he fails to pay off his debt. Though they
doubt Reg's
claim, Brew serves as his personal bodyguard. However as the sleuths investigate his
story they
find other fabrications and conclude the entire tale is fiction. When several murder
attempts occur,
Brew and Gin struggle to put aside their personal problems to uncover the person wanting
their
mendacious client dead. THE MAN WHO RISKED HIS PARTNER is the second tale of
an
expansion of novels written in the 1980s under the name Reed Stephens (see THE MAN
WHO
FOUGHT ALONE). The story line mixes a hardboiled detective story inside an angst
relationship
drama. Though Reg is a great support character with his changing explanations fun to
follow, the
tale suffers from an overabundance of negativity. While Gin behaves semi comatose
barely living,
Brew is the poster boy for guilty loser. Their angst overwhelms a solid private detective
tale,
depressing the reader.
Dying for Dana
Jim Patton
Forge
ISBN: 0765306492 $24.95, 336 pp.
Portland, Oregon prosecutor Max Travis has a tremendous conviction record though his
sex life
seems to be in a permanent slump. However, he feels that his luck is changing when he
meets
hairdresser Dana Waverleigh, though she is the mother of two children and the ex of
three
husbands. Max believes he has met his forever love who will forgive his workaholic
transgressions
unlike his two former spouses. However, Dana is not seeing Max exclusively as her
former
boyfriend, Jack Nizhl, expects her to use her body to gain insider information from her
new beau
on a crime investigation that involves both of them and a drug using maniac. Will Max
see the
light of how Dana, though she is blackmailed into her clandestine activities, is using him
or will he
continue to see the world through the rose colored head that reacts to her stimulus
without
thinking? DYING FOR DANA is a delightful relationship investigative tale that works
because of
how well Jim Patton escorts the readers inside the heads of the key cast members. Fans
will
comprehend the dichotomy that makes up Max, a superstar in the courtroom and a zero in
his
personal life. Dana is even more complex as she is a nice person, but her choice in men is
haunting
her because she likes Max. Fans also see inside the two thugs, Jack and his maniac
partner.
Readers will enjoy this detective story that works on several levels due to the interactivity
of the
characters whether it is love, robbery, or murder.
Dynamite Road
Andrew Klavan
Forge
ISBN: 0765307855 $25.95, 315 pp.
Known by employees, clients, and the author's family as the Agency, Weiss Investigation
is a San
Francisco private detective firm. Owner Scott Weiss assigns Jim Bishop to investigate the
questionable flight activities of Chris Wannamaker at a small airport off of Driscoll in
Northern
California. When Jim arrives in town, he introduces himself to Ray Grambling as Frank
Kennedy
his new pilot. Jim meets Chris' wife Kathleen, Director of Operations, and quickly
seduces her to
obtain information. Meanwhile Weiss investigates three recent deaths that seem
connected to only
him. Weiss, a former cop, recognizes the signature of his enemy, the assassin
Shadowman. Soon
Weiss' work ties in to the havoc that Bishop is causing. As the murder count rises and
somehow
femme fatale Julie Wyant is in the center of the storm if only because Weiss cannot
ignore her
lure, the two sleuths must stop an enormous murder conspiracy that only the Shadowman
could
achieve. Though the conspiracy that ties all the crimes together seems stretched, fans of
hard
boiled detectives that make Spade and Marlow look like wimps will enjoy DYNAMITE
ROAD.
The story line places the classic elements of the 1930s sleuths inside a modern day
setting. The
comparison between the by the book Weiss and the break it even if its okay Bishop is a
delight to
follow as they disagree about the means to achieve the end. Especially ironic is that the
former
cannot resist the Mary Astor like Julie while the latter sleeps with any woman (when he is
not
beating someone up). Fans of the ultra hard boiled detective tale will want to follow the
case files
of this Agency.
SPQR V111: The River God's Vengeance
John Maddox Roberts
Dunne
ISBN 0312323190 $23.95, 288 pp.
In the City of Rome, Decius Caecilius Metellus assumed the aedilship. This office has no
perks, is
very expensive for the incumbent, and is very necessary if a citizen wants to rise high in
the
political system. The aedile has to make sure the sewers and drains are in working order,
make
sure the building contractors are kept honest, and inspect the brothels, the one bonus in
the job.
When a new building suddenly collapses, killing over two hundred and fifty people and
slaves,
Decius is on the job acting as a modern day arson investigator. He sees that Lucius Folius
and his
wife, wealthy merchants in the building trade, were killed with their necks snapped. The
slaves
were cruelly whipped and bore deep scars as tight runaway collars on their necks. Holes
were
bored into the foundation of the building causing it to collapse. Further detecting shows
that
Folius was involved in the collapse of other buildings. Decius concludes that a conspiracy
of
highly placed politicians was involved in the scam with him. Decius is determined to
bring all the
perpetrators to justice even if it means putting his own life on the line. John Maddox
Roberts
places his heroic protagonist in the last years of the Roman Republic where crime,
corruption and
violence are at an all time high level. Decius, politically astute and delightfully devious,
uses
unique methods to see that justice prevails. The author has meticulously researched
Roman
history making readers feel like they are actually events that are happening now.
Desert Places
Blake Crouch
Dunne
ISBN: 0312286449 $23.95, 272 pp.
The letter informs popular horror-suspense author Andy Thomas that the butchered
corpse of
missing schoolteacher Rita Jones is buried on his lake front property with all evidence
proving
beyond a shadow of a doubt that Andy is the culprit. The correspondence contains a
threat to
abide by its instructions or the Charlotte police will be informed of the homicide. Andy
assumes
that the note is a prank from a crazy fan especially with how melodramatic it sounds, but
still, he
checks. To his horror he finds Rita's body and that he is set up to take the fall. Andy has
not seen
Orson in over a decade. When they were roommates at Appalachian State University,
Orson one
day disappeared. In the ensuing years while Andy wrote novels that have been turned
into
movies, Orson randomly killed twelve people, cut out their hearts, and sent the collection
of
hearts to the White House once he achieved his objective. Now Orson challenges Andy to
play a
game of cat and mouse with the stakes being the elimination of a twin. This seemingly
Cain vs.
Abel thriller is very exciting and adrenalin pumping, but lacks credible explanations re
Orson's
behavior until the very end and even that "elucidation" uses too much too late
implication. Andy
will receive empathy as he appears as a victim of his sibling's malice. Still readers who
take delight
in a taut war of survival with plenty of blood flowing and a twist so that nothing is quite
like it
seems will appreciate this high octane suspense tale that never slows down until the
epilogue.
Carolina Girl
Patricia Rice
Ivy
ISBN: 080411983X $6.99
After losing her financial job, expert Aurora Jenkins returns home to Coastal Carolina to
care for
her father and sister, both suffering injuries. Rory has volunteered to put together a
budget
proposal for her island town to request a grant to purchase land for conversion to a park.
However, Rory learns she needs to work with software genius and all around hermit
Thomas
MacCloud whose program will identify the land owners. As Rory and Thomas squabble,
they
learn that the politicians and big business have gotten together with a plan that will over
develop
and ultimately destroy the beauty of the island. The duo works together seeking a solution
to
boost the local economy yet keep the island's natural beauty even as they fall in love.
However,
though both are ready to battle the big shots, neither is ready for a relationship.
CAROLINA
GIRL is an entertaining contemporary romance that focuses on the issue of development
vs.
environment especially through the eyes of the strong support cast. The lead couple is fun
to
follow as they battle, argue, and squabble. Though the final resolution seems too easy,
fans will
enjoy the teaming up of the Amazon Princess and the software game developer against
superheavyweights used to getting their way.
Mad About Mia
Millie Criswell
Ivy
ISBN: 0804119945 $6.99
In Baltimore, Mia DeNero received her diploma from a bodyguard school after almost
accidentally killing the instructor and needing her sister the lawyer to receive it. She
opened the
Guardian Angel Protective Services, but has no clients perhaps because no one can
picture a
midget like Mia keeping someone safe. True crime writer Niccolo Caruso hires Mia when
he
claims he is in danger because he is writing a Mafia expose. To keep him safe she allows
him to
move into her apartment with her. Nick is actually undercover as a member of the FBI
Organized
Crime Investigation Unit trying to crack a money laundering scheme. He is using Mia to
get at the
uncle of her brother-in-law Alfredo Graziano who claims mob connections as he
frequents the
restaurant beneath his bodyguard's apartment. As he and Mia become better acquainted
they fall
in love, but he knows that once she learns the truth she may never trust him let alone
forgive him
for his duplicity. Though Mia is a dingbat, fans will appreciate this amusing romantic
suspense
though the intrigue appears late. The story line is humorous as Mia does nothing right
even when
she protects her client because the assaulter is a kid with a water gun. Still she believes in
herself
so much that Nick admires her spunk and dedication as much as her body. Fans of the
Baltimore
based series will go MAD ABOUT MIA, a lovable kook.
Conspiracy
Allan Topol
Onyx
ISBN: 0451411072 $7.50, 400 pp.
California Senator Charles Boyd is gaining momentum as he makes a run for the White
House
that concerns international interests that want the incumbent reelected. Rumors suddenly
surface
that Charles is dirty having conducted some shaky business ventures. Spin doctors further
tell
tales that are intended to derail Charles' bid though he denies everything even in private
to his
campaign manger Taylor Ferrari. She believes him and persuades him to stay the course
even as
the US Assistant District Attorney for the District of Columbia C.J. Cady begins
investigating
Charles based on a document containing specific accusations that was left mysteriously
on his
desk. The pressure on Charles to quit the race leads to him committing suicide. Taylor
refuses to
believe Charles killed himself. She makes inquiries into the spin of taint that surfaced.
Suspicious
of what has happened, C.J. joins Taylor and soon they uncover a foreign effort trying to
influence
the election, but will they live long enough to save a dead man's reputation by proving
their case.
Though the concept seems farfetched, some of the recent fund raising activities and
shadow
supporters of the last two presidents and their opponents make this tale feasible. The
story line
grips the audience once the negative spin starts as a ripple and soon turns into a tidal
wave as
truth is not important with the stakes so high. Charles seems almost Shakespearean in
nature
while Taylor and C.J. are a delightful duo learning how far one will go to win. This is a
strong tale
that political CONSPIRACY buffs from the left or right will enjoy and believe as
reasonable as
much as centrist thriller fans will too.
A Clean Slate
Laura Caldwell
Red Dress
ISBN: 037325038X $12.95, 312 pp.
In Chicago financial expert Kelly McGraw suddenly realizes that she cannot remember a
thing
about the last five months of her life. She recalls trivial facts and events that happened to
her
before the curtain dropped, but nada for the previous 150 days or so. Kelly is frightened
and
somewhat panicked as her brain was wiped clean like an Etch-o-sketch. Bits of data, all
negative
begin to surface as she remembers losing her boyfriend and her job on the same day and
not long
afterward had to sell her townhouse and move in with a friend. Finally her sister died.
The
"stressometer" went off the board for Kelly, but though she wants to know why she has
no recent
memories, she accepts that she has a CLEAN SLATE to pursue whatever she wants.
Kelly
becomes an assistant to a once highly regarded fashion photographer with a bad
reputation. As
romance blossoms, Kelly will learn why she had total amnesia when her past and her
present clash
causing doubt for her future. This is an interesting character study of an adult suffering
several
traumas that erase her recent memory. Though terrified, Kelly sees this as an opportunity
to start
anew and do what she wants to do with her life. Readers will enjoy the insight into Kelly
and
place themselves in a similar position of grabbing a second chance. Though the support
cast pales
next to Kelly, fans will appreciate this delightful second chance a t life tale.
You Have to Kiss a Lot of Frogs
Laurie Graff
Red Dress
ISBN: 0373250460 $12.95, 448 pp.
As actress Karrie Kline attends the latest wedding of a friend, she wonders if at forty-five
she
allowed her career ambitions to stamp out Mr. Right. She muses that she enjoys her life
in the city
especially the theater and that a suburban family would kill her from tedium, but wonders
if she is
rationalizing why she remains single. Karrie begins looking back at all the frogs she has
seen over
the years to ascertain if somehow blind ambition made her miss Price Charming. Could
he have
been in her Jewish neighborhood in Queens, up in the Catskills, perhaps in Los Angeles,
or in
Manhattan? However, assessing the pack she thinks the male of the specie might better
have been
served as frog legs as each were lacking. Though somewhat inane, fans will enjoy
Karrie's look
back at career dating and the other male losers that populated her life. The tale is more a
series of
short vignettes than a story line as Karrie thinks back over the past fifteen plus years to a
weird
bunch in which as she claims Kramer would have been a better date. Fans who enjoy a
lighthearted romp in which the protagonist encourages men to leave will laugh with
Laurie Graff's
apt YOU HAVE TO KISS A LOT OF FROGS.
Lost and Found
Jane Sigaloff
Red Dress
ISBN: 0373250452 $12.95, 352 pp.
Samantha Washington has kept a detailed diary forever. When she travels on business or
pleasure
her diary comes with her. In it are her deepest secrets whether she is ripping her bosses at
work
like sleazy Richard or dissing her friends including saying one nameless celebrity pal is
cheating on
her spouse. Perhaps it is because odious Richard arrived in New York at a business
meeting
without warning that caused Sam to do the unthinkable. She left behind at the Carlyle her
diary.
In his hotel room at the Carlyle, TV producer Ben Fisher finds Sam's diary. He looks
inside for an
address and though it contains one he cannot stop himself from reading the contents.
Since they
both reside in London, he personally delivers the diary because he needs to see if Sam in
person is
anything like Sam the diary author. When they meet, Sam is nasty towards Ben because
she fears
he will use her written comments to publicly report the affair. Instead, he hangs around
not to find
a story as she believes, but because he remains fascinated by the writer. He ponders how
to make
her believe his intentions are honorable. Sam's behavior towards Ben is irritating
especially since
he returns her precious diary however readers will enjoy how he tears down her defenses.
Ben
makes the story hum as he finds he is very attracted to Sam even before he meets her and
is over
the top once he does though fans will wonder why since she is nasty to him. Readers will
enjoy
the metamorphosis of the lead female once she understands his motive is not TV
exploitation, but
her.
Venus Preserved
Tanith Lee
Overlook
ISBN: 1585674745 $25.95, 316 pp.
Venus lies under a dome beneath the sea as a tremendous lure for surface visitors.
Permanent
residence is restricted, but tourists are encouraged. Powerful computers run the city
controlling
climate to include virtual flora and fauna. Scientists work experiments using DNA
remnants of
dead souls. These geneticists bring back to life first century gladiator Jula from the DNA
remains
that an archeological excavation led by Flayd discovered. Also brought back to life is
eighteenth
century musician Cloudio, both of whom find they feel disrupted and more comfortable
with
weird flashbacks to their previous lives. Meanwhile a surface musician Picaro arrives at
Venus and
meets Flayd, who is convinced that something catastrophic is being conducted under the
auspices
of the city leaders including the computers. As calamities begin to happen and the city is
quarantined with no exit or entry, Flayd's theory seems more realistic. Soon, this quartet
manipulated by an entity that makes Machiavelli look like kindergarten, is the last hope to
stop the
imminent final disaster from taking place
The five key characters (the heroic foursome plus the computer) seem genuine with
personalities
that in many ways are symbolic of the four forces of nature. These individuals hook the
reader
wanting to learn more about Flayd's conspiracy theory. However, that is the weakness of
the
fourth Venus novel as there is only vague references to a massive conspiracy, but no
revealing of
who and why especially by the city government who would appear to be biting their nose
to spite
their face. Thus a potentially powerful futuristic science fiction novel with a strong cast
that grips
the reader drowns by the ending.
Miracles
Mary Kirk
ImaJinn
ISBN: 1893896935 $13.75, 240 pp.
During a nasty storm off Lake Superior, nurse midwife Kate Morgan breaks her ankle.
Barely able
to walk while trees come crashing down near her, she gingerly limps into a stranger. He
surprises
her by easily lifting her and her heavy bag and carries her to safety in his cabin. Kate's
ankle is
broken. As she rests in his cabin, she notices how Sam Reese her savior keeps giving her
odd
glances as if he finds her attractive. Kate has never had a male in Bourner's Crossing,
Michigan
look at her like Sam does when he thinks she is not observing him. In fact the townsfolk
especially
her five younger siblings think of Kate as everyone's dependable big sister healer. Over
the next
few days Kate offers friendship, but Sam the recluse seems to want to say no. However,
he cannot
control his growing attraction to her that she reciprocates. Sam came to hide and heal, but
to Kate
his behavior is not that of a hermit as he appears to always provide a helping hand to
everyone
even as weird happenings are occurring in this Upper Peninsular town as if love is
causing
MIRACLES. This is a reprint of a great inspirational romance released in 1990 and still
as
powerful, beautiful and as original as ever. The story line is character driven as Sam and
Kate find
needed healing nurturing one another. The support cast brings out the isolation and
beauty of the
area and insight into Kate's character and indirectly Sam's as well. Readers will
appreciate this
warm tale that answers the question Do You Believe in Miracles? Readers will answer
with an
astounding yes.
Charming Grace
Deborah Smith
Little, Brown
ISBN: 0316805874 $24.95
Action star Stone Senterra visits Dahlonega, Georgia to try to meet with Grace Vance,
widow of
Georgia Bureau of Investigation hero Harper. Her deceased husband died two years ago
taking
out the psychopath Turn-Key Bomber just before the serial killer was going to blow up a
hospital.
The world saw Harp's heroism as he died saving many innocent lives. Now Stone, known
for
dumb down action thriller flicks, wants to film Harp's life. He tries to charm Grace, but
she rejects
his deal as she believes he is only capable of an action-packed cinematic insulting dolt of
a movie.
Stone's bodyguard Boone Molene tries to intercede as he is grateful to his employer for
giving
him a chance straight out of Angola Prison. As Boone and Grace become acquainted they
fall in
love, but she still refuses Stone's efforts as she believes that the action hero will destroy
the
dignity of her late husband. This entertaining contemporary is more a character study than
a
romance, though a love subplot adds depth to the tale. The story line provides insight into
Grace
and through her eyes Harp. Fans will appreciate Grace's efforts to keep her late spouse's
life from
becoming a bogus macho action adventure flick as he was deeper than just a GI Joe doll.
Deborah
Smith furbishes a strong look at legends and how Hollywood can corrupt and
propagandize or
enhance heroes.
The Fairy Godmother
Mercedes Lackey
Luna
ISBN 0373802021 $24.95, 432 pp.
After years of being little more than a slave to her odious stepmother and stepsisters,
Elena Klovis
gets her first taste of freedom when they are forced to flee the country, one step ahead of
the
creditors. Elena, known to the townsfolk's as Ella Cinders, attends the Mop Fair hoping to
be
hired on as someone's servant but everyone is afraid that Madam Klovis will return and
they don't
want to feel her wrath. Just as Elena is ready to leave the fair, Madame Bella the fairy
godmother
offers her an apprentice position, which the lass accepts. Elena learns quickly and
becomes the
fairy godmother when Bella retires. She judges those contenders who want to win the
princess
and the kingdom. Only one of the claimants meets with her approval and she sends him
on a quest
with some tips to help him succeed. One of the pursuers she dumps in the forest, unable
to leave
until he mends his ways. Another prince she turns into an ass and takes home with her
where he
toils for his food and lodging until he learns to behave like a decent man. Elena has no
idea what
she will come to feel for Alexander. This is the launch book for Harlequin's Luna imprint
and if
THE FAIRY GODMOTHER is any example, the imprint will be a smashing success. At
times
whimsical and at other times very action oriented, this romantic fantasy will please
readers of both
genres very much so. Fans of Mercedes Lackey will see a different style in her writing,
one that is
lighter and at times very comical. This book expands the boundaries of the romantic
fantasy
sub-genre.
Caleng and the Moonstone Pearl
M. Romero
1st Books
ISBN: 1410762114 $28.95 322 pp.
Living in the Kingdom of Golad in the Land of Faye, Prince Caleng may be a purebred
Faerie, but
like youths of any species he is curious about everything so he impishly seems to get into
everything. His goal is to become a great wizard even more renowned than the mighty
Andrade.
However, instead he finds himself leaving his home at Brzden Castle on a dangerous
quest. He
seeks the legendary wizard Fyn'hazzmhn, banished by his father King Perret, many ages
ago. For
through the aid of the mighty wizard, Caleng hopes to rescue his missing father.
However, the
lad's odyssey takes Caleng far beyond the realm of faerie into a world full of hate, a land
of
mortals in which he is not only a lost soul transformed into a human body, but could
easily meet
"mortal" death in this ball of confusion. On the surface this youthful epic fantasy is
clearly aimed
at a young audience but adults will also appreciate the powerful tale that contains several
moral
points imbedded brilliantly into Caleng's adventure. The story line is fast-paced yet the
author M.
Romero insures that key characters, especially those that are mythological, seems real.
That is the
key to the quest as the Land of Faye and the other realms visited by Caleng seem
authentic so that
the audience receives a fabulous story that is both complex and simple as only a grand
enchantress
of a writer can do.
The Awakening
L. A. Banks
Griffin
ISBN 0312316836 $12.95, 272 pp.
She is known by many names; Slayer, vampire huntress and Neturu come to mind and she
is
feared by the forces of darkness who wants to destroy her before she reaches her
twenty-first
birthday and comes into her full powers. She is protected by seven Guardians and
together they
battle the creatures of the night. Her one weakness is Carlos who if he traveled another
road
would have been her guardian but at twenty-three he is a powerful mob boss who makes a
fortune
dealing drugs. Fallon Nuit, a rogue vampire master wants to control all vampire activity
on Earth
and to have the slayer killed before her twenty-first birthday. He turns to Carlos but
before the
transformation is complete he is whisked away to the vampire council who will make him
a master
vampire if he destroys Fallon Nuit and the Neturu Damali Richards. He accepts the deal
without
signing any contracts because his own goal is to protect the slayer, even from himself and
help her
even though she discovers what he has become and rejects him. Make no mistake, all the
vampires
in THE AWAKENING are evil beings who think of human beings as cattle. Carlos is
different
because as he was turned he was praying and so there is hope for him if Damali will give
him a
chance. This is a fantastic urban fantasy tale and all the loose ends will be tied up in the
final book
in this series THE HUNTED.
The Cinderella Rules
Donna Kauffman
Bantam
ISBN: 0553382349 $11.00
Montana rancher Darmilla "Darby" Landon is very comfortable in jeans on her spread
though that
gives her international business mogul father apoplexy. She takes after her deceased
mother while
her younger sister Pepper, though frivolous especially with men, is a chip off the old male
block.
Pepper needs Darby to cover for her escorting a Swedish businessman in DC while she
has a tryst
with her latest forever love. Reluctantly Darby agrees and receives a make over by Glass
Slipper,
Inc. At the DC airport, Shane Morgan notices the Glass Slipper, Inc limo and bums a ride
from
his deceased grandma's company. In the limo he meets Darby, who he considers a
beautiful
Amazon Cinderella. As he struggles with dealing with the business aspects of his
inheritance and
she with being an escort following the Cinderella Checklist, they fall in love as Shane
goes out of
his way to see his Amazon sweetheart. However, she is Big Sky while he is international
risk
taker making anything permanent seem remote. Though it is difficult to accept that Darby
has no
finesse to pull off a role change, fans will appreciate this fine contemporary romance. The
tale
stars two attractive individuals who have similar ideals as to what they want from life
thought
neither realizes at first that is so of their companion. The support cast, including the male
lead's
deceased grandma, provides just enough oomph so that the audience fully grasps what
motivates
Shane and Darby and why. The audience will appreciate learning the Glass Slipper rules
of
making a worldly princess out of a country bumpkin.
My Favorite Thief
Karyn Monk
Bantam
ISBN: 0553584413 $6.50, 368 pp.
In 1875 the Marquess of Redmond is the guardian of respectable Charlotte "Lottie" Kent,
who
runs a London refuge shelter for unfortunate women and children. Lottie attends high
society
events hoping to raise money for her center. While at one of these galas, Lottie interrupts
a
bungled jewel robbery and abets the wounded Dark Shadow enabling the thief to escape.
Lottie
knows that Earl Harrison Payne is the thief, but her intentions are to ignore him. When
someone
blackmails her threatening to expose her past, Lottie worries for her guardian and her
refuge
center. Feeling she needs to pay off the blackmailer, Lottie tries to blackmail Harrison.
However,
he cannot picture the beautiful woman who risked everything to rescue him trying to
embezzle
money from him. As they share notes and fall in love, neither realizes that a common
enemy lurks
for the moment to destroy both of them. MY FAVORITE THIEF is an action-packed
Victorian
romantic suspense that hooks the audience from the moment that Harrison and Lottie
meet while
he botches his assignment. Lottie is a superb protagonist combing reticence and courage
that
blend very well together within her. Though the villain seems superfluous except perhaps
in
Lottie's childhood memories, fans of the era, author or those just wanting to read a good
novel
will enjoy this tale and some other favorites by Karyn Monk (see THE PRISONER and
THE
WEDDING ESCAPE).
The Grand Crusade
Michael A. Stackpole
Bantam
ISBN 055337921 $14.95, 480 pp.
Twenty-five years ago, the Southern rulers were more interested in playing petty political
games
against one other than destroying the Empress Chytrine. Now she has built up her
strength and
has captured Fortress Draconis, which allows her hordes of the North to capture some of
the
southern realms. Her army also hunts for the pieces of the Dragon Crown. The council of
kings
meets in Narriz to decide how to fight Chytrine's forces, a very hard job since she has
turned one
of the kings into her enslaved creature. She also walks among them using her magic to
pass off as
one of the royals. The true heroes of the conference are not the rulers. The champions
include
Princess Alexia, Prince Erlestoke (who is willing to defy his father if it means killing
Chytrine),
Alexia's lover Kedyn's Crow who has fought the empress for a quarter of a century, the
powerful
mage Kerrigan, and Resolute the Vorquellyn elf who is determined that his homeland will
be
returned with the fulfillment of the prophecy. These brave souls are steadfast in their
quest to
regain the lost lands and put an end to Chytrine's reign of terror. This novel is aptly
named as the
civilized countries of the South (comparable to the European armies wanting to free
Jerusalem
from Muslim rule) do their part to try to oust the evil ruler and her minions in Aurolan.
The
various sub-plots showcasing the many heroes give the reader a feeling that after three
books,
there will be a final resolution, one that is realistic and satisfying. THE GRAND
CRUSADE is
epic in scope and will appeal to readers who like larger than life fantasy and sword and
sorcery
sagas.
Gone to the Dogs
Emily Carmichael
Bantam
ISBN: 0553586335 $6.50, 400 pp.
Beautiful Lynda Keene was selfish and nasty until she was murdered while making
"whoopee"
with her best friend's husband. Lynda awakened to find herself condemned by Stanley the
bean-counter to work undercover on earth doing good deeds. However, Lynda finds that
she does
not return as a perfect 10, but ironically as an obese Corgi, looking more like a
"basketball with
legs". Now living in Cottonwood, Arizona, her current owner writer Nell Jordan places
Miss
Piggy as everyone calls her on a strict diet forcing the starving canine to seek crumbs.
The two
females visit medical facilities and nursing homes to provide comfort to the patients and
residents.
When senior citizen Frank Cramer dies, he bequests a fortune to that 36-24-34 soul, Miss
Piggy,
whom stayed with him until his last breath. Private investigator Dan Travis goes
undercover as a
photographer investigating Nell at the request of his agitated mother over her dad's estate
going
to the dog. Miss Piggy does not trust this gigolo romancing her pet human, but those
feelings
conflict with her prime directive of performing good deeds through matchmaking. When
Miss
Piggy wags her tail, the story line is clever, insightful, and fun as a not so repentant
Lynda acts
good, bad, but definitely no longer sexy. The story line has a bit of suspense with a
wannabe
dognapper, but that takes away from the charming prime theme of Piggy matchmaking yet
also
preventing a match as the dog struggles with FINDING MR. RIGHT for Nell. The animal
therapy
scenes are educational and augment a strong romance with a funny bone that sends fans
to the
dogs.
I Ain't Superstitious
Laura Garner
Five Star
ISBN: 1594140804 $26.95, 248 pp.
Madeline "Max" Maxwell recovers from the shock of losing her baby by working at
Abneyville
Shores Resort as a handyman. She also passes time studying to become a private sleuth
via a
correspondence course. The resort owner Adam Norcross hires Max as a sleuth though
she
remains unlicensed. He wants her to go undercover to learn whether a ghost or more
likely a
more mundane culprit is haunting the renovation of nineteenth century Ardmore Carriage
which is
being turned into a night club. After being knocked into thorns by accident at a bash, Max
walks
over to Ardmore only to literally run into someone else seemingly checking the joint out.
When
she and Walt Drucker compare notes, she learns he is investigating her at the request of
Adam. As
they work together to uncover a human vandal or a mischievous ghost, they are attracted
to one
another. I AIN'T SUPERSTITIOUS, the sequel to AIN'T NOBODY'S BUSINESS, is an
enjoyable amateur sleuth tale starring a delightful protagonist struggling with getting on
with her
life. The story line uses physical slapstick humor to lessen its tension but that also takes
away
from a strong ghostly investigative story line. Max is a delight even if nothing seems to
go right.
This is one author that will garner more fans as this is a fun lighthearted cozy.
Dark of the Moon
Tess Pendergrass
Five Star
ISBN: 0786251093 $26.95, 332 pp.
Two years ago southwest water colors artist Alain Caine left his girlfriend librarian
Destiny
Millbrook without a second look to pursue his "real" destiny. Now with Jasper County
California
Arts and Crafts Fair to occur, Alain calls Destiny expecting her to house him for ten days.
Destiny
tells him to reside elsewhere. Besides deserting her, she has moved on and has a new
boyfriend
Detective Daniel Parks. Not long afterward someone kills Alain in an alley. Daniel is the
prime
suspect as he seems to have a motive in terms of running scared of the competition for the
heart
of Destiny. Destiny plans to prove her significant other is innocent. However, she fails to
understand the danger she places herself in from a sociopath who has already killed a
former
congressman's daughter as well as Alain. Though there is a police investigation into the
homicides, DARK OF THE MOON is a fun amateur sleuth tale starring a delightful
protagonist.
The story line uses humor to defuse tension, but never loses sight of the professional and
subsequently amateur investigations. Readers will appreciate the support cast, especially
the
chutzpah of Alain and the "fear" of Daniel that he might lose his beloved. Still this is
Destiny's
novel as was DANGEROUS MOONLIGHT, her previous appearance.
Haven
Irene Bennett Brown
Five Star
ISBN: 159414088X $26.95, 240 pp.
Laila Mitchell was an orphan by the time she was fifteen. A few years later in 1893, Laila
decides
to join her grandparents living in la Grande, Oregon where she hopes to make a living
from her
medical skills learned nursing an elderly person for five years. In Boise, Laila meets
widow Kate
Boston who is crossing the Snake River to work as a housekeeper to a gold mine owner,
Austin
Corbett. When Kate is injured in an accident, she persuades Laila to cover for her on her
new job
until she can take over. Across the river, the two women are shocked to learn that Ruby
Gold is
not a mine, but a peach farm. Austin welcomes the two women, but his father is nasty and
abrupt.
Austin warns Laila not to go down river, but she does anyway. There she is the only
female
besides an abandoned wild child. Austin keeps coming down to ostensibly see that's he is
okay,
but in fact has fallen in love with Laila. She reciprocates, but her need for independence
threatens
any future together. HAVEN provides readers with picturesque view of life in a remote
area
(decades before Kneval's failed jump) during ironically that is so opposite to what is often
seen in
novels occurring during the "gay nineties". The cast is fabulous as fans can see their
movies
especially the heroine's need to prove herself to herself. Fans of historical fiction with
romance as
a secondary subplot will take immense pleasure in this powerfully vivid description of a
bygone
era.
Eye of Flame and Other Fantasies
Pamela Sargent
Five Star
ISBN: 1594140642 $25.95, 233 pp.
This collection from the award winning Pamela Sargent consists of eight shorts and the
title
longer tale that were in various publications. The tales include one from the mid 1970s,
four from
the 1980s, and four from the 1990s. Each story in spite of its relative size brings out a
sense of
place even those that are extremely few in pages so that the reader believes they are in
this locale
at that time. Regardless of when a contribution was written, the traits of the key
protagonist(s)
are also clearly defined making most of them seem very real yet purposely displaced in
their
environs in a Twilight Zone like manner. The stories are all well written especially the
almost
novella sized Eye of the Flame. Fans of the author will appreciate the work being inside
one book
while newcomers will gain a taste of the author's ability to place a fantasy story inside a
Twilight
Zone like realm.
Beneath The Thirteen Moons
Kathryn Kennedy
Five Star
ISBN 0786253363 $26.96, 292 pp.
On a world that is mostly water and where humans live in gigantic trees, the royals along
with the
aristocracy control the scientific knowledge that enables them to use the drug Zabba that
enables
the user to read minds, heal and communicate with other species. Mahri is a Wilding, a
genetic
anomaly capable of using use Zabba and harness its power even though she doesn't have
the
knowledge to heal the people of her village who are dying of a plague. Though she is a
swamp rat
and a smuggler, she navigates her boat into the city to kidnap a healer and take him to her
village.
Along the way she learns he is Prince Korl and though he is a royal and she is a swamp
rat, there
is a deep mutual attraction that neither wants but neither can deny. During their time in
her village
they Bond. When they return to the city, Korl marries her to protect her from the laws she
broke,
never realizing his actions put them in dangers from someone very close to the throne.
BENEATH THE THIRTEEN MOONS is a terrific science fiction romance that will
appeal to
fans of Anne McCaffrey and Catherine Asaro. The natives of the water world play a key
role in
the actions of the protagonists though most people don't know just how intelligent this
sentient
species is. The romance is an integral part of the storyline and readers will love watching
these
darling lovers face up to their true fantasies. If this is an indicator of her output, Kathryn
Kennedy
is destined to be one of the sub-genre's superstars.
The Astonished Eye
Tracy Knight
Five Star
ISBN 1594140669 $25.95, 235 pp.
An UFO crash lands in Elderton, Illinois and the alien inside doesn't know where he is or
who he
is. He just understands that he will bring change to this small town. The Astonished Eye
tabloid
hears the rumors of the flying saucer crash landing and sends Ben Savitch to report. Ben,
who
lived in Elderton until he was six, hopes that the rumors are true so that he can finally
make it into
the big leagues of journalism. The town is nothing like Ben expects. It is filled with
magic that
allows people to live after they die. The heart of the town is Almo Parish the last
munchkin from
the wizard of Oz who is still alive. Each Fall there is a small ceremony in which Almo
points out
the first leaf that will drop from the trees signifying that the season has arrived. Jeffrey
Sprague
has run away from the last of a long line of foster homes and winds up in Elderton where
the
adults subtly take care of him. He might make a home for himself there if can get used to
the
magic that engulfs him. Cynical Ben finally believes in the magic after he realizes he can
not stay
in the place of his birth. THE ASTONISHED EYE will make readers understand how
Alice felt
when she fell down the looking glass and entered a world in which nonsense makes
perfect sense.
This satirical fantasy makes readers want to believe in magic and in people who are kind
and
gentle like the population of Elderton. Tracy Knight's first novel is a refreshingly original,
light-hearted urban legend satire.
Feral
Brian Knight
Five Star
ISBN 1594140650 $25.95, 243 pp.
He comes to you when you are sleeping and if you are lucky you'll wake up in your own
home.
Sometimes he kills their parents and disappears with the children. Charity has had
disturbing
dreams and night tremors of the Bogey Man before one night he killed her mother and
took her.
He kept her alive because she was special to him. Gordon Chambers has searched for six
long
years for Charity and he thinks by following the trail of dead parents and missing children
he will
finally find her at the end of the current dead trail in a small town in Washington. Sharon
sees
Charity in a spooky playground where supernatural events happen and brings her home
because
she was wearing her dead daughter's clothes given to Charity by the Bogey Man. Charity
knows
the only place she'll be safe from the Bogey man is in the Feral Park playground where
the
abandoned and abused children hide in a dimensional nexus. When Charity disappears
into the
park, Sharon and Gordon vow to get her back alive and keep her safe from the Bogey
Man.
Anyone who wants a decent night sleep should not read FERAL. It is a frightening horror
novel
that needs broad daylight to somewhat keep the nightmares away. Brian Knight will
appeal to fans
of Bentley Little and those who like being scared out of their wits. This tale will
accomplish
that.
Moon's Dreaming
Marguerite Kraus & Susan Sizemore
Five Star
ISBN 1594140634 $25.95, 465 pp.
The three kingdoms of Sitrene, Dherrcia and Rhenland are all changing, descending into
chaos
and anarchy due to the machinations of the heir apparent Prince Damon of Rhenlan. Once
his sire
dies, Damon plans to rule more than just his kingdom. He has set in motion plans to
disrupt and
ultimately seize control of Sitrene and Dherrica. Assassination and causing unrest are just
two of
the tools in this evil individual's bag of nasty tricks. The prime known opposition to
Damon's
thrust comes from his sister Princess Vray, who was imprisoned, but escaped her cage
and from a
traitor within his guards, Captain Dael, who loves the hidden princess. Other members of
the three
kingdoms' realms also work against Damon, but the key player is the Keeper Jordy who
loves his
people, the princess he protects, and the country he wants made whole. Damon might
have the
upper hand though his opponents have the hearts of the populace making his immoral
road
difficult. Book two of "The Children of the Rock Trilogy" is epic fantasy at its' finest.
Ineffective
and power hungry kings almost destroy the world and the next generation struggles to
repair the
damage their elders have done as anarchy seems imminent. Still the key to the tale is the
cast
especially the evil Damon (perhaps too malevolent with no redeeming qualities), the
intrepid
Vray, the loyal to his beloved Dael, and the enigmatic Yoda like Jordy. The secondary
cast (royals
and wizards, etc.) adds depth so that the Krause-Sizemore world is a fine place for
readers to
visit.
A Farewell to Legs
Jeffrey Cohen
Bancroft
ISBN: 1890862290 $19.95, 288 pp.
When he attended Bloomfield High School Aaron Tucker did not fit in any of the
accepted
groups. He therefore cannot understand why he is going to attend the twenty-fifth
anniversary
reunion bash though his pal from those days think it is because he still has the hots for
Stephanie
Jacobs. Aaron is in denial as he is happily married to Abby the attorney. Stephanie is as
sexy as
ever as she swivels her hips and puts on her Marilyn Monroe Academy Award smile. She
says to
Aaron that she heard he solves mysteries so would he look into the murder of her
powerful DC
lobbyist husband as the police believe she killed him over his extramarital affairs. Feeling
like a
time traveler back to his teen years when the school's sex siren gave him a hickey that
was his only
claim to fame and knowing that he is a writer Aaron fumblingly agrees. Soon he finds he
is under
assault to butt out or face the consequences, but he refuses and even expands his inquiries
when
side threats target his wife and a friend. The sequel to the amusing FOR WHOM THE
MINIVAN
ROLLS, A FAREWELL TO ARMS, is as humorous as the first tale as the story line
never takes
itself seriously. The fine investigation is filled with twists and a few sidebar inquiries
though all
that jocularity takes away from the main mystery. Aaron remains a delight and the
regulars add
depth to his personality, but in this story sexy Stephanie provides the added oomph for a
fun time
for fans of jocular amateur sleuth tales.
Blink of an Eye
Tom Mitcheltree
Intrigue
ISBN 1890768537 $24.95, 254 pp.
While studying at Harvard to be a lawyer, Grant Sutherland also worked in the homicide
division
in Boston. One night a young man came at him with what Grant thought was a gun and
the
homicide detective killed him. Grant later found out it was a knife and he has had trouble
living
with the guilt. After he obtained his degree, he accepted a job in Paris as a field agent for
the U.S.
embassy Legal Attach‚ Services. On his second day on the job he is called in to
investigate the
deaths of two young people who were murdered on their way home from clubbing. One is
the
granddaughter of a powerful American billionaire and the other victim is the son of a
Bolivian
diplomat. Upon examining the bodies, Grant knows this is the work of the Assassin, an
international high-priced hitman who was involved in one of his Boston homicide cases.
When
Grant starts asking too many questions, he gets the wrong person nervous. The Assassin
goes
after Grant by trying to kill his beautiful co-worker; now the case has become very
personal. Tom
Mitcheltree has written a very intense investigative thriller placed in a country where the
principles
of law are very different then the ones in the USA. Despite the serious tone of the book,
the
author uses humor to lighten up the storyline that becomes too tense at times. The
protagonist is a
very unusual but likeable chap who acts according to his beliefs and bends the rules when
necessary. BLINK OF AN EYE is a must read for those who like profound action packed
thrillers.
Ada Blackjack
Jennifer Niven
Hyperion
ISBN: 0786868635 $24.95, 432 pp.
In 1921, notorious explorer Stefansson hires twentyish female Inuit Ada Blackjack as
seamstress
to four young Anglo-American males he recruited to claim the uninhabited Arctic
Wrangel Island
for the British Empire. The crew was under supplied as Stefansson expected them to live
off the
frozen tundra. They lacked any substantial sub zero weather experience though two once
traveled
beyond the Circle. At least the men (Crawford, Knight, Maurer, and Galle) saw this
expedition as
a youthful lark. The mission failed miserably and three of the team headed to Siberia,
leaving Ada
to tend to the dying fifth companion. Two years later, Ada is the only one to return home;
nothing
but rumors of white male sightings beyond the Arctic Circle was ever heard from the trio.
ADA
BLACKJACK is a great biography of a heroine who risks all so that her ailing son can
receive
proper medical care back in Nome. The book rips the dynamic leader Stefannson who
remained
behind in relative comfort though that might be an unfair historiography slight. His
behavior is
comparable to the World War I generals living in luxury in London, Paris, and Berlin
while the
grunts lacked shoes and breathed poison gas or presidents on campaign fundraisers while
troops
at war receive one MRE. Ada is a great individual whose survival is so spectacular one
would
think her tale is fiction. The media frenzy that follows her return brings readers back to
reality as
the frozen island seems warmer than the press corps. With this superb tome and the
delightful ICE
MASTER, Jennifer Niven is a leader of chronicling exciting and inspiring but doomed
real life
Arctic expeditions.
The Emerald Cavern
Mitchell Graham
Eos
ISBN 006050675X $7.99, 455 pp.
Nobody knows much about the Ancients except that their minds were so powerful that
they had
the mental ability to change energy into matter. However with all their power they still
ended up
destroying themselves. All that is left of them are some ancient ruins and eight rose gold
rings that
give the wearer the ability to use their minds in ways similar to the ancients. Thanks to
the rose
gold ring that Matthew Lewin wore, he was able to stop Karas Duren and his minions, the
Orlocks, from conquering his country. Matthew is in Sennia where King Gaul and his
counterpart
in Elgaria try to keep the ring wearer out of jail for killing the man who murdered his
father.
While at the palace, statues come to life and try to kill Matthew. He reasons that an
unknown
enemy has a ring and his fears are confirmed when the ring the church was guarding turns
up
missing. When traitors to the crown plan to overthrow the king, the only hope to see
justice
prevail rests on Matthew's shoulders, a burden that would break a lesser man. Matthew
has
matured from the time he first used the ring to stop a war (see THE FIFTH RING). His
current
trials and tribulations in THE EMERALD CAVERN make him even stronger and wiser
than he
was before he reached Sennia. There is plenty of action but author Mitchell Graham
doesn't
ignore his characters. They are well-developed and easily understood, heroes and villains
alike. It
is going to be hard to wait for the next book in this trilogy because there are questions the
audience wants answered now. Mr. Graham is a superb storyteller with a colorful
imagination.
Black Rosebud
Bobby and Kam Ruble
Global Authors
ISBN: 0972851313 $24.95
Darin Righter knows that farm life is for those inferior to him. He plans to escape
Kidwell,
Nebraska and all these losers to attain a luxurious lifestyle envied by the rich and famous.
Darin
may have illusions of grandeur, but he understands that to achieve his objective he needs
funding,
which in his mind equates to stomping on people including family to gain easy money.
He begins
his quest by accepting an accounting job with the First People's Bank of Sharpin that
gives him
insider information. Farm Girl becomes a victim followed by Darin's older brother and
finally
elderly Jefferson Welk. Burglaries and murder occur, but is Darin a Lady Macbeth type
willing to
break the law to achieve his ambition? Though the rural law chief Simmons will do his
best to
solve the "Neat Nick" crimes, he is a product of his society in which the color of one's
skin led to
a hate crime that though two generations removed still lingers in the collective memory of
everyone. BLACK ROSEBUD is a powerful crime tale that provides readers with a slice
of rural
Midwest. Though exciting, the shrewdly designed investigation plays a support role to the
relationships between residents of the county; the audience will feel like a Cornhusker
tasting the
dust of Nebraska's farming community. Readers will welcome this suspenseful story that
uses
individual and community de facto prejudice to add depth to the tale. Those who prefer a
sleek
crime thriller will probably be better suited elsewhere; anyone who takes delight in a
minuscule
look at people in a community where crimes have happened will appreciate this book and
seek its
predecessor, HAVE NO MERCY.
Whippoorwill
Sharon Sala
Loveland Press
ISBN: 0966269667 $14.95, 256 pp.
Though she is a prostitute in the White Dove Saloon, Letty Murphy prays every night that
one
day her prince will come to Lizard Flats, Kansas Territory to take her away from her
pathetic
existence. So far the love of her life has failed to arrive so Letty does what she has done
since she
was orphaned at twelve, turn a trick to survive. Town drunk Eulis Potter earns beers
cleaning the
saloon. He also supplements his drinking with digging graves. Rumor spreads across the
Great
Plains that an eastern preacher is coming to Lizard Flats to perform a marriage ceremony.
Numerous lost souls needing prayers to include funeral, birth, marriage, and confession
arrive in
town. However, the preacher shows his calling when he sleeps with Letty only to drop
dead in
her bed. Frightened that a mob will rip her limb by limb, a desperate Letty asks Eulis to
help her.
He changes from a mumbling drunk into an eastern preacher, but as he brings salvation
to all,
who will bring solace to the two neediest souls in the territory? WHIPPOORWILL is a
great
western tale that is loaded with colorful characters, as Sharon Sala, known for her
romantic
suspense, will not lack ideas for future novels. The magnificent multiple subplots
superbly blend
into a final cohesive story line. However, it is the two most pathetic outcasts this side of
Poker
Flats that grip the heart of the reader with hope of love leading to redemption for them
and all the
other seemingly local losers. Fans of historical tales of the old west will appreciate this
descriptive
winner and want more stories set in Lizard Flats.
Leah's Way
Richard Botelho
Windstream Publishing
ISBN: 0964392690 $12.95, 256 pp.
When Leah was growing up in Nashville as the youngest person in the household, she felt
obviously small next to everyone else, but she was also little and frail for her age. Her
ultra
religious mother Margaret firmly believed in spare the rod spoil the child and constantly
used a
switch on Leah for any infraction regardless of significance or even guilt. Leah grew up
under the
guise of piety as a permanent reprimand. As a high school senior, Leah pulls away from
her family
after meeting the regional golden boy, college senior Blake Palmer. She falls in love, but
his family
plans to make him president of the United States means which means Leah is
unacceptable for
anything but a short fling. Leah's pattern with men begins and her relationship with God
(in her
mind) ends. Leah eventually married but not for love and ha a son that she cherishes
above all
else, but ultimately Leah divorces her husband. As men come and men leave or perhaps
Leah
pushes them out, her constant is loneliness. Eventually, she becomes introspective,
looking to her
past hoping to find a clue of how to attain happiness. LEAH'S WAY is a powerful
character study
about a lost soul struggling to find someone, but mostly acquires unhappiness. The story
line is
moving as the audience feels for Leah who somewhat will remind the reader of Eleanor
Rigby.
Richard Botelho provides a deep look at a woman in trouble, but what makes it
fascinating is how
much of her soul he lays bare to his readers. This strong debut will excite sub-genre fans
who will
pray that Leah finds her way.
He's Got to Go
Sheila O'Flanagan
Downtown
ISBN: 0743470427 $13.00, 400 pp.
In Ireland, of the three Driscoll siblings, Nessa seems to be the one to have it all together.
She has
lived in comfort as a Riley with Adam for almost a decade and they have an eight year
old child.
Her sisters Cate and Bree are poster girls for failed relationships. However, Nessa
believes
paradise may be lost as evidence mounts that Adam is cheating especially when she
consults her
horoscope. Nessa wonders what to do as economically she cannot just dump Adam. She
has no
one to turn to for advice as her mother lives on the other side of the once emerald isle;
Cate the
crabby one is having problems with her boyfriend radio host Finn over her pregnancy;
and finally
Bree the mechanic has a host of trouble as she can't get to work on time though Adam
keeps her
supplied with repairs and the father of her boyfriend is in love with her. HE'S GOT TO
GO is an
entertaining relationship drama starring three solid female protagonists about a decade
apart in
age and even further distanced in how they see male partners. The story line effortlessly
swings
back and before between the three women though the concentration is more on Nessa, but
does
not neglect Cate and Bree. The characters are all well developed, not just the three
Driscoll
sisters. Though the ending ties up for the most part the lives of Nessa and Cate and to a
lesser
degree Bree, it feels much too crammed inside a short climax. Still the audience will
enjoy this fine
tale and want to seek more works by Sheila O'Flanagan.
The Second Chair
John Lescroart
Dutton
ISBN 0525947752 $25.95, 400 pp.
In San Francisco, Laura Wright and her drama teacher Mr. Mooney are killed in his
apartment.
Laura's lover, Andrew Bartlett, the father of her unborn child is arrested two months after
the
double homicide and charged with special circumstances murder. Amy Wu, an associate
in the law
firm in which Dismas Hardy is the managing partner, takes the case even though she
believes her
client is guilty. With his parents' permission, Amy plea bargains for her seventeen year
old client
so that he will plead guilty if he's charged as a minor. She explains to Andrew that he will
be
remanded to a juvenile youth facility for eight years and then would be a free man.
Andrew agrees
to Amy's suggestion since the evidence against him is so overwhelming, but at the last
minute he
declares his innocence. Dismas takes a more active role in the case, seeking evidence,
interviewing
witnesses and acting as THE SECOND CHAIR in Andrew's upcoming hearing. No doubt
about
it, Dismas Hardy is the twenty-first century's Perry Mason only more personable since the
audience sees his interactions with his employees, friends, wife and children. THE
SECOND
CHAIR is a great legal thriller with a cast of characters easy to like. The intrinsic
workings of the
California judicial system specially when it comes to the rights of a juvenile is fascinating
to
observe. John Lescroart's latest work, THE FIRST CHAIR is definitely heading to the
New York
Times bestseller list.
The Holy Land
Robert Zubrin
Polaris
ISBN: 0974144304 $14.95, 298 pp.
The space wandering Miniervans claim that Kennewick, Washington is their ancestral
holy land
that they still own. They hope to finally live in peace after a galactic empire tried to
exterminate
them. Instead of finding a land of milk and honey, the American government begins a
campaign to
kick the Miniervans off the continent partly because the "outsiders" behave with an
attitude of
superiority and racism towards others. The ensuing war fails to evict the Miniervans from
their
new home. Frustrated the Fundamentalists running the American government force the
dislocated
Kennewickians into squalid camps where the young are trained in guerilla tactics and
hatred
towards the usurpers. The other galactic races are appalled by the constant deaths of the
Kennewickians at the hands of the technological superior Minervans though the latter
merely
defend themselves from suicide assaults encouraged by the US government. The
superpower the
Western Galactic Empire demands human rights for the displaced. That changes when
helicity is
discovered on earth as that valuable resource is more important than an individual's
dignity. THE
HOLY LAND is a powerful science fiction political satire that relocates the players in the
Arab-Israeli dispute inside a galaxy filled with plenty of nations and one superpower. The
story
line cleverly rips all sides in the real world maelstrom though the Miniervans come off a
bit less
shredded. Fans who appreciate a strong lampoon of the inanity of the United States,
Israel,
Palestine, and the other Arab nations for what they have done to people in the invoking of
an ism
(ideologically stupid morons) will enjoy this tale that feels like Jonathan Swift's A
Modest
Proposal placed in a future context.
Who Are You, Linda Condrick?
Patricia Carlon
Soho
ISBN: 1569472580 $12.00, 190 pp.
In the Australian Outback, once the fire was put out the mystery began as the body of a
drifter is
found amidst the ashes. The victim did not die from the fire, but instead appears to have
been
murdered. The last person known to speak to this "swagger" is Nurse Linda Condrick,
who
recently arrived to care for the Leumeah Valley Sheep Station's aging matriarch, Ella
Forst. Those
residing at the station including the extended Forst family believe Linda killed the victim.
Ella's
grandson Gregory chooses Linda to be his wife. However, not long after his
announcement, Ella
dies with her grandson inheriting everything; other family members are penniless though
this
obsequious lot lived off the charity of the deceased. Already under suspicion for killing
the
stranger, the Forst family feels that Linda also murdered Ella. That is everyone except an
apparent
besotted Gregory and orphaned teenager Rowena Searle. Inspector Quince investigates
using
Rowena to help him learn the truth about Linda including whether she is the culprit in
either or
both deaths? WHO ARE YOU, LINDA CONDRICK was first published over forty years
ago; yet
in spite of technological advances especially in identification and forensics, the murder
mystery
remains fresh as the audience reads from start to finish in one sitting to obtain the answer
to that
title question. The story line effortlessly moves the reader back and forth between no
reasonable
doubts that Linda is a killer to total belief in her innocence. The entire ensemble come
across as
real and in turn enables the audience to understand life on an Outback Sheep Station
while
enhancing the terrific who-done-it.
Rumpole and the Primrose Path
John Mortimer
Viking
ISBN: 0670031461 $24.95, 212 pp.
Barrister Horace Rumpole suffered a near-fatal heart attack (see RUMPOLE RESTS HIS
CASE)
and convalescences in the Primrose Path Home while his colleagues mount a death watch
and a
competition to replace him. Bored, cranky, at war with much of the staff, and feeling like
a
prisoner with a life sentence, Rumpole learns that another patient fellow patient died
under
strange circumstances. Refusing to rest at the rest home, Rumpole escapes confinement
and is
back on the case trying to learn what happened to his rest home mate. That is the first of
five
cleverly designed stories and one other well written but flawed tale that brilliantly return
Rumpole
back in London solving cases, obeying his wife Hilda, and entertaining his myriad of fans
while he
achieves all that. John Mortimer scores big time with this superb collection that ends with
a toast
the barrister's fans will join Hilda in hoping that Horace has more escapades next
year.
The Murder Room
P.D. James
Knopf
ISBN: 1400041414 $25.95, 415 pp.
The Dupayne Museum in Hampstead Heath, England provides a deep look at the
country's
culture during the two decades that separated the two world wars. However, the lease on
the
property is almost expired and renewal requires unanimous approval of the three trustees,
the
adult children of founder Max Dupayne. The museum's manager Marcus Dupayne and
his sister
Caroline (a school principal) endorse the renewal, but the third sibling psychiatrist
Neville wants
to shut down the museum. However, Neville's nay saying comes to a quick end when
someone
kills him using the MO of a famous homicide depicted in the Dupayne Museum. His two
siblings
are not the only suspects because several people have the motive of keeping the Dupayne
Museum open. A widower, Police Commander Adam Dalgliesh would prefer to
investigate his
growing fondness for Professor Emma Lavenham, but knows he and his Special
Investigation
Squad must conduct an official inquiry. The latest Dalgliesh police procedural is a strong
British
investigative tale that readers of the series and fans of the sub-genre will take pleasure in
due to a
strong cast of suspects. The story line moves forward as the Commander and his team
make
inquiries into a host of potential culprits each with viable means, motives, and
opportunities so
that the audience never quite knows who the killer is until the climax. The romance
subplot never
takes off and consequently is not a distracter from the lead protagonist working the case
and fans
don't get to see him move forward in his personal life. P.D. James shows once again why
she is
one of grandmasters of the mystery novel.
The Con Man's Daughter
Ed Dee
Mysterious
ISBN: 0892967943 $23.95, 277 pp.
In his fifties and now a grandfather to an elementary school aged child, former
prize-fighter Eddie
Dunn was once a cop before NYPD fired him and his partner Paulie "the Priest" Caruso.
To earn
spending money, Eddie worked as a courier for Russian gangster Anatoly Lukin, which
gave him
insight into mob secrets that still remain genuine though he has been retired for a few
years.
Eddie's past resurfaces when someone kidnaps his mid thirties daughter Kate with no
obvious
motive for the snatch. Eddie believes the abduction is linked to his days working for the
Brighton
Beach Russian mob with indications that Lukin's rival crime lord Yuri Borodenko is
responsible.
Eddie reacts in his brawl like manner by firebombing Borodenko's Rolls Royce.
Borodenko also
prefers fists and bullets first and leaves the severed head of Paulie as a present by Eddie's
front
door. The battle between these two violent individuals has not quite turned nasty yet, but
wait the
novel is just beginning. Fans of gritty realistic violence or just Crime 101 will appreciate
Ed Dee's
wild tour of New York City where more than a tree grows in Brooklyn. The personal war
between the antihero and the thug keeps getting hotter as each one ups the ante and the
action.
Insider criminal information is also handled for those readers who desire a discourse on a
variety
of sundry criminal activities (not sure of the social message that provides) which adds to
the dark,
dirty and seamier side of life on the mean streets of Mr. Dee's New York.
Key of Valor
Nora Roberts
Jove
ISBN: 0515136530 $7.99, 352 pp.
Zoe McCourt escaped a nowhere life in West Virginia after becoming pregnant and
rejected by
her lover and her family. She has made a go of it by and for herself and her now ten year
old son
Simon in Pleasant Valley, Pennsylvania. Now Zoe is part of three women with male
assistance
battling to free the three princesses, whose souls are trapped inside the glass prison.
Malory Price
led off followed by Dana Steele with both successful and ready to share their lives with
their loved
ones. The final player Zoe will face Kane the Sorcerer knowing that her adversary will
break all
the rules. Wealthy Bradley Vane III will risk his life to keep his beloved and her son, who
he
cherishes as his own, safe even if Zoe rejects him as her forever lover, her son's wannabe
adopted
father, and her ally against Kane. Zoe refuses to heed her heart because she knows he is
above her
station just like Simon's biological father once reminded her one decade ago. The final
tale in
Nora Roberts' "Keys" romantic fantasy trilogy is an exhilarating conclusion to a strong
mini-series. As with the first two tales, the key to this novel is the recurring characters
remain true
to their persona whether they are the heroine of the moment, her beloved, the other
couples, and
even the evil Kane. KEY OF VALOR ties together the loose ends of the previous two
novels, but
also contains a powerful story starring a delightful Zoe and a loyal Bradley, both risking
their lives
like the previous couples, to free the Glass Princesses.
The Rose of York: Love & War
Sandra Worth
End Table Books
ISBN: 0975126407 $16.95
In the fifteenth century, orphaned by the War of the Roses, Dickon places his older
brother King
Edward on a pedestal as the image of a hero. However, inside his gut, Dickon worries
that he will
be unfairly exposed as not having the pure blue blood of his sibling to rid him from his
seat near
the throne. Avarice rules the land led by the powerful queen. Dickon has deep feelings
towards
Kingmaker Neville's daughter Anne and she reciprocates, but the lonely frightened lad
wonders
what will come of this in a world where treachery is the norm. He knows not to trust
anyone else,
but he still places his heart and soul in Anne's hands. Making matters even more difficult
for the
lovers is her father has been declared a traitor, which means anyone associated by blood
including
Anne and Neville's loyal to the throne brother who is also Dickon's tutor. There is much
for the
queen to whisper about Dickon. Love and War is a tremendous look at the early days of
Richard
III. Instead of the Shakespearean depiction of a malevolent murderer, readers see a
different side
of the future monarch. He is terrified and in love. Sandra Worth points out that the times
of his
youth led to much of Richard's later actions including establishing legal principles that
remain a
major part of Anglo jurisprudence today. Thus fans of the era obtain strong insight into
what
shaped the man inside a fabulously written tale. This first entry in the Rose of York series
is a
victory for historical readers.
The Law of Betrayal
Tess Collins
Port Town
ISBN: 159466000X $8.95, 304 pp.
During a hostage situation in which she was the prime captive, Crimson County,
Kentucky
Prosecutor Alma Bashear learns of a link between her missing father and an unknown
female,
Allafair Adair. However, before she finds out specifics, a SWAT member kills the culprit.
Almost
three decades ago, Alma's father Esau left to work in Michigan with the promise to see
his family
during Christmas. Esau never came back breaking the heart of his nine year old daughter
Alma. A
few years ago Alma heard of the link between Allafair and her father from the vindictive
dying
breath of the Gentry matriarch. Now her boyfriend Police Chief Grady Forester renews
his search,
but instead of success someone kills him. As Alma renews her quest with increased vigor,
she
finds herself looking into the Melungeon race that hides secrets from their neighbors.
More an
investigative tale than a legal thriller, readers will enjoy the LAW OF BETRAYAL, an
exciting
tale that shines a deep light on rural Kentucky. The main ingredient to the plot is the
strong cast
that orbits around Alma. She makes the tale fun to follow as the audience can feel her
frustration
over her father's vanishing without a trace that occurred when she was a child and still
haunts her
as an adult closing in on forty. Readers will never guess what really happened then and
now, but
will enjoy this captivating Appalachian thriller.
Waiting for the 400
Kyle Marffin
Design Image
ISBN: 1891946145 $15.95
In 1955 in a Chicago rail station, Sheila Lindstron looks like any other girl heading to her
track.
However, this time Sheila will not stick out in the crowd when she apparently commits
suicide in
the bathroom holding a ticket to the last stop of the Northbound Flambeau 400,
Watersmeet,
Michigan. Four hundred miles due north of Chi-Town, station master Jess Burton knows
that the
seemingly isolated and small town Watersmeet has plenty of glamour girls arriving by
train.
Though he admires their looks as any girl watcher would, Jess is used to the beauties who
exit at
his last whistle-stop to visit the mansions of the wealthy that populate the nearby
lakefront
property. That is until Nina arrives and soon twists the guts of Jess and every male in the
area.
Nina has a murderous agenda of revenge and will use her sexy siren's lure to dupe male
pawns like
Jess to do her bidding. This Northwood Noir pays homage to stories like Double
Indemnity. The
story line is moody, atmospheric, and gothic in nature as Kyle Marrfin brings his
speculative
fiction roots to provide an eerie dark background. Nina is a unique femme fatale mindful
of
Stanwick in Double Indemnity or Aster in the Maltese Falcon. Jess is a relatively simple
guy
wanting to escape his current job and home, but is unaware how much until Nina uses
him. Think
Fred McMurray from Double Indemnity. Fans of "small town" Noirs will appreciate this
delightful
salute to some of the genre's best.
Minos
Marcos M. Villatoro
Justin, Charles & Company Publishers
ISBN: 1932112138 $24.95, 300 pp.
Over six years ago when Romilia Chacon was away at college, the serial killer "the
Whisperer,"
murdered her older sister, Catalina. Romilia eventually joined the Nashville Police
Department
and currently works in homicide. Still she continues her hunt for the Whisperer, who has
changed
his moniker to Minos in a twisted homage to Dante's mythical monster. Currently Romilia
recovers from a nasty throat slash that happened on a different case. To pass time while
she heals,
Romilia explores the Internet seeking information on Minos. Additionally, Guatemalan
drug lord
Rafael "Tekun Uman" Murillo feels he owes a debt to Romilia for saving his life when
she
received the gash though he knows that it was a fortunate (for him) bi-product. He steals
secret
FBI records on the Whisperer and sends them to her. As she gets closer to fulfilling her
obsession,
the Feds take a closer look at the Central American Mayan connection between her a
Salvadoran
and Tekun. MINOS is a strong police procedural that looks closely at how the darker side
of
human nature can take control of one's consideration of others. The story line contains
two strong
subplots that tie together through the soul of the heroine is the center that holds the tale
together.
Romilia is a great character especially as she seems nearer to catching her prey, she loses
her
balance somewhat neglecting her daughter and ignoring acceptable police practices. Her
"assistant" Tekun is fascinating in a sleazy way. Marcos M. Villatoro provides a strong
tale
starring a wonderful protagonist that will send readers seeking other works by the author
especially starring Romilia (see HOME KILLINGS).
The Kills
Linda Fairstein
Scribner
ISBN: 0743223551 $25.00, 400 pp.
Manhattan Sex Crimes Prosecutor Alexandra Cooper tires to persuade a jury to convict
counter
terrorism security consultant Andrew Tripping of raping thirty something Paige Wallis.
The
problem with the case is that the alleged victim has no injuries or bruises so it becomes a
"He said
she said" scenario in front of a judge who hates these so called rape date trials due to the
typical
lack of solid evidence for instance like a corpse in a homicide. In the courtroom, Alex's
case is in
trouble. Meanwhile, someone murders McQueen "Queenie" Ransome, a former Harlem
Renaissance dancer. Surprisingly Queenie had a fascinating past as a WW II secret agent
and as
the mistress of Egypt's King Farouk, whom she left one day with plenty of his treasure.
NYPD
detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace investigate the homicide that also brings
in the
CIA and links to the Tripping rape trial while someone tries to kill Alex. THE KILLS
(named for
a part of lower Manhattan) excitingly and smoothly combines a legal thriller with a police
procedural as Alex makes her third starring performance (see THE BONE VAULT and
THE
DEADHOUSE). The story line moves forward rather quickly, but it is the courtroom
scenes
whether in front of the jury or in the judge's chambers that raise the quality level. Though
attempted murder of a government prosecutor seems hard to accept that fits in the logic of
the
plot especially since Alex is doing her own legwork (not sure where she finds the time
sort of
like reviewing 3-4 books a day). Fans will admire the heroine and appreciate this fine
thriller.
Thief of Lives
Barb & J. C. Hendee
Roc
ISBN 0451459539 $6.99, 446 pp.
Magiere, her half-elf partner Leesil and their dog Chap used to con ignorant villagers into
believing their towns were infested with vampires and needed to hire them to destroy the
evil
doers for an exorbitant price. Their reputation grew and any time a vampire hunter was
needed,
Magiere and her crew were called in. After making enough money, she bought the Sea
Lion Inn in
the small town of Miska. Ironically they found a vampire nest vampires there that
Magiere and
Leesil, with a little help from Chap, destroyed. From the fight, Magiere learns that she is
a
dhampire, the offspring of a human mother and a vampire father. Their reputations reach
the
capital city of Bela where they are asked to destroy a vampire nest. Reluctantly Magiere
accepts
the job because her adopted town needs the money. When they arrive in Bela, they know
that
there is at nest of a number of vampires, one of which is an old enemy. Unknown to the
to both
teams is another vampire pulls the strings of war between the groups. Fans of Anita Blake
will
enjoy this novel and the series (see DHAMPIRE). The characters are cleverly drawn so
that the
several supernatural species that play key roles in the plot seem natural and real. Magiere
is
obstinate and self-sufficient yet vulnerable. Leesil is doing penance for his past
transgressions, but
his Elven half-brothers keep him under scrutiny because they do not trust him. Chap is an
exceptionally intriguing character whose canine disguise allows him to manipulate
Magiere.
Supernatural fantasy readers will enjoy this action-packed strong tale because vampires,
sorcerers,
dhampires, elves, fey-canines, and other ilk seem real.
From the Heart of the Storm
Kurt R. A. Giambastini
Roc
ISBN 04581459555 $6.99, 368 pp.
At the battle of Little Big Horn, General Custer was victorious, became a hero to the
American
people and went on to become president of the United States. The encroaching Anglos on
the
Great Plains forced the Cheyenne to form alliances with other tribes and become a force
to be
reckoned with. George Custer Jr. came to the Cheyenne and stayed, believing it was
wrong for
settlers, politicians, and businessman to oust the Native Americans from their tribal lands.
After
many clashes, the leaders of both the Cheyenne Alliance and President Custer met in
Washington
D.C. to start peace talks. Before that could happen, an assassin kills the Indian mentor of
George
Jr. and injures President Custer. As the acting commander-in-chief, the Vice President
sends
troops to the land of the Cheyenne Alliance with war imminent. He is also arming the
rebels in
Cuba hoping they will overthrow the Spanish colony while George Jr. and two Indian
women
travel to Spain in hopes of forging an alliance between the Cheyenne and the Spanish
territories in
North America. Kurt R.A. Giambastini is a star of alternate historical weaving events so
carefully
that readers will wonder if they actually happened in this world. On the throw of the dice
they
could have happened which makes FROM THE HEART OF THE STORM so realistic.
This
entertaining story leaves enough loose threads dangling that there is at least one more
book in this
series that fans can hardly wait for it to be published.
Deathstalker Return
Simon R. Green
Roc
ISBN 0451428218 $23.95, 480 pp.
The second Empire was bright and good, with human, AI, esper and alien living together
in
harmony. On the empire's capital world, King Douglas appointed Lewis Deathstalker as
the King's
Champion much to the dismay of Finn Durandal who expected the appointment. Finn
managed to
trump up charges against Lewis and become the King's Champion but Deathstalker
escaped along
with Douglas's fianc‚e. They escape in a stolen spaceship along with a con artist thief, a
sociopathic gladiator and Saturday the replitoid. These five outlaws must find a way to
stop Finn's
growing reign of terror as he consolidates his power. Their final destination after a series
of
adventures is the world of Haden where Lewis must travel to the center of the Madness
Maze in
the hopes of bringing his illustrious ancestor Owen Deathstalker back from the dead.
Only he can
stop Finn and the terror, a phenomenon that is destroying all inhabited worlds. Fans of
the various
Star Wars and Star Trek novels are going to love Simon R. Green's epic science fiction
series.
There is plenty of action and adventure but basically DEATHSTALKER RETURN is a
story
about people, men and women who rise to the occasion and become heroes vs. those who
take
advantage of a situation and become villains. The story is told from both points of views
so
readers understand what is going on in the minds and hearts of the characters at all times.
There is
going to be another book in the series because there is one very big question that must be
answered and the author cleverly sets it up with the last sentence of the last page.
Conqueror's Moon
Julian May
Ace
ISBN 0441011322 $4.95, 400 pp.
It should have been a peaceful place, the isolated island in the Boreal Sea but the four
kingdoms
that inhabit it have periodically gone to war. In the kingdom of Cathra, the heir to the
throne
Prince Conrig wants to be the high king when his father dies and all the other lands would
become
his vassal states. He lost his chance to enforce the Edict of Sovereignty when his father
refuses to
commit an army to invade Didion and instead orders a naval embargo which the seafaring
nation
easily avoids. Now Conrig has made an alliance with the powerful Sorceress of Moss,
who will
help him in return for becoming the queen of her kingdom as his first vassal state. Her
brother
Prince Beynor is the heir and has made an alliance with Didion, giving to them what his
sister has
given to Conrig, the full use of the powerful magic they would need. Julian May, author
of THE
MANY COLORED LAND, is one of the best world builders in fantasy today. His latest
sword
and sorcery saga is of epic propositions and is told from the point of view of Snudge,
Conrig's
snoop, assassin and the one called upon when something nasty needs doing.
CONQUEROR'S
MOON is the first installment in The Boreal Moon tales and readers will be hooked,
anxiously
wanting to read the next volume to find out how some of the dangling threads are sewn
up.
Starship
Kevin D. Randle
Ace
ISBN 0441011284 $5.99, 288 pp.
After the contact was made between the alien ship and the earth, the leaders of the world
decided
that even if the planet was invaded, mankind would survive. Huge spaceships, nine miles
long and
five miles wide, were built and sent into outer space looking for worlds outside the solar
system
that the inhabitants of Alpha can colonize. Over time, the good of the whole supplanted
individuality. Most residents were fed psychotropic drugs to keep them docile and any
deviation
from what is considered normal behavior is swiftly dealt with. Even young children were
indoctrinated from the time they were little. One day the scientists observe a blight in one
of the
agricultural pods and it is spreading to other pods. Unless a planet can be found that they
can
survive and thrive on, the residents of the starship will die in eighteen months.
Generations of
suppressed rage led to the conspiracy concerning the food supply. People feel outraged
that they
were brainwashed and drugged into thinking along the party line. Once the food supply
was
destroyed, chaos became the norm except for those who were frantically trying to find a
way out
of the mess those in authority put them in. STARSHIP is a fascinating novel that shows
what
living in a closed environment means. Kevin D. Randle is a natural storyteller who shows
both
sides of the issue leaving it to the reader to make up their minds if such extreme measures
in
relation to the residents were warranted.
A Perilous Power
E. Rose Sabin
Tor
ISBN 0765308597 $19.95, 288 pp.
In the village of Amesley, seventeen year old Trevor Blake has won a scholarship to the
university, much to the dismay of Mistress Hanley, who believes her daughter should
have won it.
Trevor and his friend Les Simonton visit Trevor's uncle and the neighbors catch them
practicing
Magic. With a little skilled magic the neighbors forget what they saw and Trevor is
forced to give
up his scholarship otherwise Mistress Hanley will reveal Trevor's powers. Trevor's uncle
sponsors
Trevor and Les, who is thought to have great magic, to the community in teeming
metropolis of
Port-of-Lords. When they get off the train they meet Carl who steals their money and
letters.
After they end up in jail, Trevor sends a mental call for help and Veronica answers the
summons.
While Les likes Veronica, Trevor only wants to meet the man who will teach him to
become an
Adept. However, he becomes entangled once again with Carl and a power hungry
sorcerer who
tries to make then his slaves. It will take a miracle to defeat the evil Carl and his master
Dr.
Tenney. Comparisons between Trevor and Harry Potter are inevitable but the latter is
more
youthful and cocky than Master Potter is. It is Les, who will do anything to save his
friends, that
is the real hero because the Adepts say he has magical powers but he doesn't believe
them. The
villains are stereotypical but it is a lot of fun to hope they fail. E. Rose Sabin has targeted
her
work for young adult fantasy fans but anyone who likes a good tale will want to read A
PERILOUS POWER.
The Golden Transcendence
John C. Wright
Tor
ISBN: 0765307561 $25.95, 384 pp.
For all practical purposes humanity is immortal, but with the Millennium ending, the
Transcendence begins. Anything sentient in the solar system whether the creature is
biological,
mechanical, technological, or hybrid briefly merges into one super mind. These end days
will
judge the merit of all species to determine who will survive the Transcendence. Phaethon
the
Exile has regained control of the Phoenix Exultant, but he has no time to rejoice, as the
Lords of
the Silent Oecumene, beings of a dead star system, hunt him for they need his ship. The
invader's
plan to destroy any sentient being in the Inner System, but need to use the superpower of
the
Phoenix Exultant to achieve this objective. As Phaethon struggles to stop his deadly foe,
he
wonders if he wastes his time as he has doubts about his future. He ponders whether the
Lords of
the Silent Oecumene, if inside the Transcendence range, will be judged and why risk his
life now
when he may be condemned by the final verdict? The final tale in the Golden Age trilogy
is a
cerebral story that leaves the audience pondering many, perhaps too many, concepts. The
author
rightfully believes his fans will intelligently consider philosophical issues such as the
meaning of
life, when is war the right answer to a conflict, what is truly humanity, and whether it is
religious
or science in origin how will you and your species stand up in a life or death judgment,
etc. The
exciting action grips readers, but readers will think about the messages that make this
novel and
series transcend most science fiction books attaining the golden status of
powerhouse.
Phobos
Ty Drago
Tor
ISBN: 0765305445 $25.95, 432 pp.
There is bad blood between the earthlings and their Martian colonists so the promotion of
the first
Martian to a Peacekeeper officer job may be a token action, but one heck of a large token.
However, Lieutenant Mike Brogue does not wish to be the Jackie Robinson of
peacekeepers; he
just wants to do his job and help change a broken system from within. Mike resolved a
potentially
nasty situation when Freedom fighters held a mayor hostage with enough dynamite to
place the
city at risk if an assault occurred. Following that success, Mike travels to the Martian
moon
Phobos where the Agraria Research Station is under attack by a serial killer somehow
residing
beneath the surface dust. Mike takes command of hostile earth born Peacekeeper soldiers
who
resent a Martian in charge. He makes inquiries and learns that the station has made
incredible
leaps in nanotechnology including developing a deadly artificial life form that someone
controls as
a killing machine. However, Mike is not any closer to determining who would use murder
to drive
everyone off the moon or why? PHOBOS is a great police procedural science fiction tale
that that
hooks the audience from the moment Mike works the mayoral abduction case until he
completes
the dangerous moon probe. The story line works for both genres as Mars and Phobos feel
genuinely colonized and in dispute with the mother planet while the investigation seeks to
uncover
the villain behind the homicides. The key cast members whether they are from earth or
Mars are
fully devolved so that the audience receives a great tale reminiscent of Sean Connery's
Outland.
Harriet Klausner
Reviewer
Laurel's Bookshelf
The Little House of Poetry
Harald Wyndham
Blue Scarab Press
P.O. Box 4966, Pocatello ID 83205-4966
ISBN 0937179159 $18.00 143 pages
The Little House of Poetry is Wyndham's third release of a decade of his poetry, from
1993-2003.
Like Cheap Mysteries and Heavenly Rhythm and Blues - from the two previous decades -
the
poet shares the marrow of his life. As with anything Wyndham writes, you'll find his
heart and
spirit in each line. I found particularly haunting this time the poet's contemplation of a
past,
present, and future that so swiftly leads to death.
Consider, for example, this excerpt from the title poem:
Only this poor, confused, human brain
And battered heart, stained with mortal grief,
Can make, in perfect unpremeditated art,
The barefoot figure of a bold conceit,
The candleflame that is a metaphor
For painting, music, song and poetry,
A desperate halleluia of the soul....
He beautifully pairs the hopes and despairs of life, as in this excerpt from "Morning Walk
on the
First Day of the Next Thousand Years:"
This little vase of plastic red carnations
Shivering in the snow by an infant's stone,
Brought by someone who still remembers
Looking one morning into wonderful new eyes
That closed that evening and never opened again,
Is more real to me than science or religion.
His paeans to dead Idaho friends and poets - whose work I've read previously - were
especially
meaningful to me. A brief excerpt from "Six Candles" for Ford Swetnam is one
example:
What words I have are yours tonight my friend.
I pile them like a cairn of rocks on the shore.
What good they may bring you only ghostholders know.
Or this excerpt from "Standing Room Only, No Place to Park", the perfect tribute to poet
Bruce
Embree:
This I take with me, Bruce, to put beside
Your homemade books in their plastic sleeves
And the wild look of your eyes under that stocking cap
And your flat matter-of-fact reading voice -
The standing room only crowd at the funeral home,
So many there weren't chairs or parking places for them all.
And for Edson Fichter - poet, naturalist, artist - in "The Lone Buck Stands His Ground",
he
captures his old friend with clarity:
....Knowing with your naturalists' clear eye
How little is preserved from any life.
You had made peace with all that years ago
In the high Pahsimeroi, camping alone.
For my final example of Wyndham's work, I chose this excerpt from "The Dead:"
The Dead are always with us,
Off to the edge of things, just out of view,
Barely visible on the periphery, so you only sense
Their presence in the corners of the room, walking along side
But some distance apart, like sun scattered through treelimbs.
If you have not read Harald Wyndham's poetry, he's written twenty books so far in his
lifetime.
You'll find everything from Christmas sonnets to formal to stylized to free form in his
work.
Speaking personally, I recommend you start with The Little House of Poetry.
The Prize
Perry Comer
Wings Press
www.wings-press.com
ISBN 1590887026 250 pages at $7.50 e-book and $15.95
The Prize is a historical novel of seagoing men in the heyday of frigates, schooners, tall
masts and
billowing sails. I could almost smell the salt air as I read.
The story begins in the straits of Florida where the Americans and English are blocking
the French
from landing arms and supplies. The year is 1778. Captain Okes commands the frigate
Medusa
and takes the French ship Morgador as prize. His choice to captain the prize to Antiqua is
young
Lieutenant Hadley Anson. As captain, Anson is inexperienced and insecure, but he
undertakes this
assignment with courage and determination. He gets underway with a nervous and
suspicious
crew and a certain dread about the voyage. Will he be equal to the task?
With God as his ally, young Anson proves to be a man of mettle and intelligence. He
handles each
difficult situation, makes every hard decision with honor, quickly earning the respect of
his crew.
As ship's captain, Anson has strong instincts and a quick mind tempered with
compassion. Despite
luck, grit, and the grace of God, Anson knows he has only the slimmest chance of
reaching
Antiqua with the Morgador intact to claim his prize.
Along the way the Morgador encounters dead calm seas, during which they drift off
course. And
more than one exciting sea battle is fought with the French. After one such battle, he
rescues a
mysterious, wounded young boy named David, the boy's black guardian, Samson, and a
beautiful
young girl from Boston, Nancy Sumerford. Compounding Anson's problems are double
dealiing captives who are determined to take over his ship. While laid into an island cove
for
repairs, a hurricane threatens to destroy both ship and supplies.
The Prize is an exciting read, complete with well developed characters and fascinating
glimpses
into life as it was for sailors then. The sea battles are heart pounding as Anson and his
men fight
their way to safe port in Antigua to claim their monetary prize. And young Anson's
growing interest in the comely Miss Sumerford is cut short by her return to Boston. I
suspect a
sequel in the offing, and can't wait to read more about the adventures of Hadley Anson
and his
men. If you like historical novels and sea going sagas, you will enjoy this one.
Helmsman - Galactic Convoy
Bill Baldwin
Timber Wolf Press
www.timberwolfpress.com
ISBN 1587521563 $26.95 333 pages
In Book Two of The Helmsman Saga, Bill Baldwin easily maintains the exciting
momentum
generated in Book One. Helmsman Wilf Brim is back - now a decorated warrior, no
longer simply
a low born Carescrian. With his old friends Nik Ursis, Barbousse, and Commander
Collingswood
at his side, Wilf continues to make a name for himself throughout the galaxy. Book Two
also
introduces new friends whose courage will be put to the test as Wilf et all take on the
power
hungry Nergol Triannic and his League of Dark Stars.
This time around, Wilf is Helmsman of the warship Defiant. The Defiant's crew faces
endless
assaults that have even the battle hardened warriors cringing as they protect slow moving
convoys
of merchant ships from the Leaguers. The Leaguers have added a new wrinkle to their
arsenal.
League ships can now maintain invisibility, which sorely tries Wilf's mettle in battle. Can
Wilf and
his friends come up with a secret weapon of their own to best the Leaguers before the
galaxy is
destroyed?
Meanwhile, Princess Margot Effer'Wyck, the love of Wilf's life, enters an arranged
marriage with
Baron Rogan LaKarn Nursing his wounded spirits, Wilf forms a relationship with
Claudia
Valemont. Claudia is a woman of courage and optimism, but can she compete with
Princess
Effer'Wyck for Wilf's affections?
Baldwin excels at creating characters with depth and distinct personalities. Technology
and
history are meticulously detailed. Battles are fought in adrenaline-pumping style. There
are several
more books to come in The Helmsman Saga. Bring them on. I'm hopelessly hooked.
The Joe Schmoe Show
H.B. Marcus
Publish America
www.publishamerica.com
ISBN 1413702872 $19.95 161 pages
Imagine the Keystone Kops chasing Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd
up one
street and down the other dodging firebombs. Or envision a surrealistic Picasso painting
put to
words. Is that too far back for you to remember? Try Bill Murray, Chevy Chase and John
Belushi improvising a Saturday Night Live skit on LSD, with Robin Williams along for
the ride.
That will give you a small idea of The Joe Schmoe Show experience.
In this follow up to Crispy, Marcus introduces Spider and Smokey to a whole new cast of
characters. When Officer Pat Carter relocates from the crime ridden city, nothing he's
ever
experienced prepares him for duty in Painesville.
He draws "S and S duty" - without his sidearm -the first day out and life as Carter knows
it will
never be the same. He's assigned to watch Spider and Smokey, and soon learns that in
their world
anything goes. Drug use, illegal weapons, home made bombs, terroizing townsfolk, and
FCC
violations are their stock in trade. Spider and Smokey seem to have the mental capacity of
a pea.
How on earth do they get away with everything they do? And why does the local police
department not arrest them?
The author leads readers on a merry chase with the hapless rookie Carter riding shotgun.
Carter
eventually gets wise, and so will you. Marcus ties up all the loose ends before the last
page, and
promises a third installment of the Spider and Smokey saga, coming soon, entitled
Parasites. H.B.
Marcus has a unique style and voice, so prepare yourselves!
An Image of Death
Libby Fischer Hellmann
Poisoned Pen Press
ISBN 1590581106 $24.95
Berkley Prime Crime
ISBN 042519504 $6.50
Anthony Award nominee Libby Fischer Hellmann is back with her 3rd in a series of Ellie
Foreman
mysteries. And a smashing addition to the series it is! Returning are Ellie's daughter,
Rachel, her
long time love, David, and her father, along with new friends and foes.
This time around, Ellie is still regrouping from her most recent adventure, determined to
avoid
danger and to keep life on an even keel. Try as she may, the quiet life of a video
documentarian
never seems to last long. One winter night, her peace is shattered by the anonymous
delivery of a
videotape to her doorstep. To Ellie's horror, the video depicts a young woman's brutal
murder.
Although she seeks police involvement in the person of Officer Georgia Davis, Ellie once
again
plays sleuth and puts her life in jeopardy.
Author Hellmann's gift is tying several plot lines together into a fascinating novel. In An
Image of
Death, Ellie and the police investigate the murder of an unknown victim. Who killed her
and why?
In a related story line, Ellie is hired to produce a video about foster children financed by a
successful Chicago businessman. That this businessman has ties to Eastern Europe,
diamond
smuggling, and gang activity ups the intrigue. And then as if Ellie did not have enough
trouble, in
his search for family ties her lover David finds another love interest.
How the author knits it all together and resolves the mysteries makes for an exciting read.
Will
Ellie pay a deadly price for mixing into danger this time? Is the seemingly generous
businessman a
ruthless international gangster who will stop at nothing? Will David realize the error of
his ways,
or is this the end of his relationship with Ellie? And how does the murder victim figure
into more
than one police investigation? Mystery fans will love helping Ellie Foreman solve this
one.
Not to Reason Why: The Story of a One-Eyed Infantryman in W.W. II
Glenn W. Fisher
Xlibris
www.xlibris.com
ISBN 1401059260 $29.69 hardback $19.54 paperback 325 pages
As the subtitle states, this is Glenn Fisher's story. In this memoir encompassing the years
before,
during, and after W.W. II, Fisher eloquently shares his life with us. Between these covers
live the
guilt and shame, pride and hope, despair and grief of a generation.
The author takes us back to another era and helps us see it through his words. We meet
his
friends in peace time and war and learn to love them as he did. We live the times and
suffer the
losses as if experiencing them today. And we struggle to accept his lot as this gently
raised,
God-fearing boy learns to kill, as did so many millions of others like him.
What to him was inexpressible in the War Years becomes riveting prose as he
remembers. This
quote from Chapter Three says it better than I ever could:
War is not a simple sin like shoplifting or adultery.
Hitler was an evil that had to be resisted. To remain
silent was to applaud the Holocaust. Japanese
expansion was an evil. Not to act was to commend
the Rape of Nanking. We had to act. We had to
mobilize. Plowshares had to be shaped into spears.
People had to be taught to hate. Truth had to be
suppressed and love assassinated. We had to kill the
innocent. To resist evil, we did evil. It is a mystery
rooted in the Fall. Man cannot comprehend, but God
can forgive.
Despite life changing injuries, the author survives his tour of duty in Europe and returns
stateside
to recover. Over time he takes a wife and builds a successful career. Still, his memories of
war and
lost comrades is never far from mind. I found particularly poignant his return to a
European
battlefield, now wonderfully transformed in honor of the fallen dead. Where once he
crawled
through mud and blood in a field where corpses lay, the author now sees beauty. Seeing
the
mature stand of trees in what was once a bare field, one simple thought comes to the
aging
warrior's mind. "....in fifty years trees grow and worlds change."
Glenn Fisher is not a world famous newsman or renowned politician. He's an educated
Missouri
farm boy who did his best for God and country and tells his story well.
Laurel Johnson
Reviewer
Russell's Bookshelf
The Return of the King: An Essay
By Richard S. Russell (RichardSRussell@uwalumni.com)
For thousands of years, fantasy was king.
People interacted with gods in the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Aeneid, and the myths of
Scandinavia,
Egypt, and India. Aesop told fables. Ghosts walked in Hamlet; witches brewed in
Macbeth. Baron
Karl von Munchausen (1720-1797) wrote of his fabulous adventures. And the Brothers
Grimm
(1785-1863) and Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) continued the tradition with their
collections of fairy tales. The best-selling book of all time -- itself assembled over
millennia --
starts out with a magic apple and a talking snake and ends with a fever dream of the
Apocalypse;
there's hardly a speck of science or science fiction in it anywhere (altho ufologists have
some
latter-day revisionist ideas about that chariot of fire that carried Elijah off to heaven).
But, starting seriously around the time of the Heliocentric Revolution begun by Nicolas
Copernicus (1473-1543), a new player arrived on stage. Science, and the materialist
attitude that
accompanied it, gave rise to a newly respectable form of narrative which mimicked the
real world.
This so-called mimetic or realistic fiction proliferated and came to dominate the older
form of
fantasy.
Yet mimetic fiction always struggled to generate that same sense of wonder which came
so
naturally to fantasy. The emergence of modern technology from the findings of science
provided a
partial anodyne in the form of science fiction. Altho the term itself was coined by
"Astounding"
magazine editor Hugo Gernsback in 1926 (actually, he use the portmanteau word
"scientifiction"),
the form had been around since the 19th Century, with Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein"
(1818);
Jules Verne's "From the Earth to the Moon" (1865), "20,000 Leagues under the Sea"
(1870), and
"Off on a Comet" (1877); and H. G. Wells's "The Time Machine" (1895), "The Island of
Dr.
Moreau" (1896), and "The War of the Worlds" (1898). With science fiction, it was
possible to
have the same sort of (literally) wonderful adventures common to fantasy, but with a
grounding in
the real world (or at least an arguably possible one).
Science fiction and cinema, both children of technology, grew up together. Fritz Lang's
"Metropolis" (1926) and William Cameron Menzies's "Things To Come" (1936) were
early
examples of highly respected films with overtly SF themes. And fantasy kept pace. The
Bela
Lugosi "Dracula" and the Boris Karloff "Frankenstein" were both released in 1931 and
have long
been considered co-equals as avatars of fantasy and SF, respectively. And, while both
seem campy
and stilted to modern sensibilities, we should remember that the less jaded audiences of
the time
suffered nightmares after seeing them.
But fantasy probably reached its apotheosis as cinema in 1939 with the film version of L.
Frank
Baum's "The Wizard of Oz", starring Judy Garland. From there it began a long decline
along two
parallel paths. The first path was one of infantilization, "safe" fantasies aimed at children
and
typified by Disney animation. Not that there weren't some wonderful films to be found
along this
track -- "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937), "The Little Mermaid" (1989), and
"Beauty
and the Beast" (1991) in particular stand out, and a lot of people other than me liked "The
Lion
King" (1994) -- but these were more like popcorn and cotton candy than real food. The
second
path was cheap horror, typified by the annual summer onslaught of drive-in movie
creepies.
Again, hardly films filled with gravitas.
Noted SF author Theodore Sturgeon was once asked why 90% of science fiction was
crap. His
reply has become immortalized as Sturgeon's Law: "90% of EVERYTHING is crap!".
But that
holds out the hope that 10% is the good stuff, and the top 1% may be excellent. Fantasy
films
seemed to be wallowing in the bottom 90% at best.
It wasn't all trivial, of course. Occasionally a fantasy movie would rise above the general
run of
fluff and mediocrity. Stanley Kubrick's 1980 treatment of Stephen King's "The Shining"
definitively exemplified the distinction between terror and horror. But even with big
budgets,
fantasy never seemed to get the knack of audience appeal. Compare Jim Henson's "The
Dark
Crystal" (1982), Ridley Scott's "Legend" (1985), and Ron Howard's "Willow" (1988)
with their
SF contemporaries, Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind" (1977), Ridley
Scott's
"Alien" (1979) and "Blade Runner" (1982), and of course George Lucas's original "Star
Wars"
trilogy (1977-1983). Serious fantasy wasn't entirely eclipsed, but it was hovering in the
penumbra.
Then we started to get the prophets in the wilderness. Just as "Star Wars" made the world
safe
(and the technology available) for films like "Battle beyond the Stars" (1980), so too did a
couple
of serious, adult works of fantasy set the stage for a renaissance in the genre. No, not the
Indiana
Jones series, which despite fantastic elements remains mainly an exemplar of the
action/adventure
form. I'm speaking of Phil Robinson's "Field of Dreams" (1989) and M. Night
Shyamalan's "The
6th Sense" (1999). The former reached a huge audience (and not just of baseball and
fantasy fans)
with the message that amazing things happen, and explanations aren't really necessary; "If
you
build it, they will come." The latter opened in April, they stopped advertising it in May,
and it was
still playing in first-run theaters the following January -- all based on word of mouth.
Both were
taken very seriously qua cinema.
Also as the millennium rolled over, everyone became aware of the publishing
phenomenon known
as Harry Potter. J. K. Rowling's fantasies may have been aimed at young adults, but they
had
serious themes, and they didn't dominate the top of the best-seller lists for the better part
of half a
decade by selling only to kids.
Which again revived the question of whether it was possible to make a film version of the
greatest
fantasy of them all, J. R. R. Tolkien's 1954 epic "The Lord of the Rings" saga. It had been
tried
before, but despite Harlan Ellison's dictum that animation is the natural form for fantasy,
both the
Ralph Bakshi 1978 half-story and the Rankin-Bass 1977 TV movie of "The Hobbit" were
dreadful.
Fantasy fans had speculated that perhaps it was asking too much to put such a giant,
densely
packed work into a single film, and that perhaps a TV miniseries was the way to go. After
all,
Frank Herbert's monumental "Dune" (1965) was turned into a pretty weak film by David
Lynch in
1984 but a respectable Sci-Fi Channel miniseries in 2000. Maybe, the thinking went, only
a
miniseries allows enough time to do justice to the source material. But still, doesn't
something
called an epic deserve a big screen?
Enter Peter Jackson and his pitch to the financially shaky New Line Cinema studios. Give
me
$300 million, he said, and I'll go to New Zealand and do the job right, in a big-screen
version of a
miniseries -- 3 films shot all at once and released a year apart. New Line took a deep
breath and
gave the green light. The story had fallen into the hands of friends. The rest is
history.
Now with LOTR leading the way and the Harry Potter series establishing the market
beyond all
doubt, perhaps film-makers will turn to other classics of the genre, like Mervyn Peake's
"Gormenghast" or David Eddings's "Belgariad". Even better -- dare we hope it? --
perhaps we'll
see some ORIGINAL fantasy in the theaters.
It's pretty unusual for me to appreciate a fantasy film so much. I'm much more a fan of SF
than
fantasy, and I'm a materialist and a democratic populist to the core. One of my biggest
irritations
with "The Lion King" was its central theme that any irresponsible wastrel with royal
blood (and
testosterone, of course) was innately deserving of dominion over others -- especially
ironic when
you think of all the meat animals rooting for the top-of-the-food-chain predator. So you'd
think
that a tale of restoring the throne to a long-delinquent king like Aragorn would really rub
me the
wrong way, too, especially since it required magic (here insert rolling eyeballs) to
accomplish it.
But even a narrow-eyed skeptic like me recognizes nobility when he sees it.
For the last 26 years, I've done an annual panel at WisCon, Madison's oldest
science-fiction
convention, in which I review every SF and fantasy film to hit town in the previous
calendar year.
Every year I've had to say that I still hadn't found a reason to displace Stanley Kubrick's
magnificent "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968) as my all-time favorite film. But now it's
been
bumped down to #2. Taking the 3 LOTR films as a single artistic entity, it is the new
#1.
The king has returned. Long live the king!
Richard Russell
Reviewer
Shelley's Bookshelf
Murder at Beechlands
Maureen Sarsfield
The Rue Morgue Press
PO Box 4119, Boulder, CO 80306
ISBN: 0915230569 $14.95
Maureen Sarsfield wrote a total of three books, which were picked up by American
publishers, in
the 1940's. Two of them are murder mysteries starring Scotland Yard's Inspector Lane
Parry, a
handsome and undeniably married detective. Murder at Beechlands, the sequel to Murder
at Shots
Hall (originally called Green December Fills the Graveyard) was originally called A
Party for
None in England and A Party for Lawty in the United States. Sarsfield's life itself is a bit
of a
mystery, as no one seems to know what became of her.
Inspector Lane Parry finds himself alone in a raging blizzard after he accidently drove his
car into
a ditch. He comes upon Beechlands, a hotel filled with what he at first takes to be inmates
of a
mental institution. But the dead body of Wing Commander Lawton (Lawty) Lawrence
appears in
the snow, and the hunt is on. Even though the crime is not in Parry's jurisdiction, he
realizes he is
going to have to keep the "inmates" around until the proper authorities can be called...and
the
phone lines have been cut to the hotel:
"Two miles there, two miles back. That would mean leaving all these people (and Lawty's
body)
by themselves, to get up to their own devices and occasions, lawful or unlawful, for at
least two
hours, by the time he'd done explaining everything to the Ditchit policeman, who was
worse than
useless, according to Miss Killigrew."
Murder at Beechlands is a cross between an Alfred Hitchcock story, and an Edgar Allen
Poe tale.
Intensely psychological, each character and each moment of the ungodly long night that
follows
the murder is filled with lurking, crashing, smashing, and deep fear. Sarsfield does a great
job of
keeping the reader "in the dark," even as she supplies clues and counter clues for the
clever
Inspector Parry to sift through. Her characterization is simply wonderful...very nineteen
forties,
and one could see either Betty Davis or Marilyn Monroe in starring roles.
The Rue Morgue Press has chosen wisely once again with this Maureen Sarsfield thriller.
It is just
crying to be used as a Hollywood script, but until that day arrives (if it ever does), it
simply exists
as a genuine mystery told in the original vein of the genre. A great read!
Past Suspicion
Therese Heckenkamp
PublishAmerica
PO Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705
ISBN: 1592868029 $19.95
It is not often that I write about a woman who cut her first draft of a mystery at age
eighteen, but
it is true in the case of Therese Heckenkamp, a fellow Wisconsinite! Heckenkamp has
already
won numerous awards for writing at her young age and lives in Pewaukee,
Wisconsin.
Robin Finley has just lost her mother, her home, and any family except an uncle in some
small
town in Wisconsin, where she is headed for an uncertain future. She meets two young
men,
almost right off the bat. One is a newspaper reporter, and the other is a "free spirit" who
captures
her imagination and desire for freedom. Then there is the matter of just what happened to
her
mother in this small town. She had a mysterious fall off of a balcony at a deserted
mansion more
than twenty years before. Robin begins to unravel the story of her mother's high school
years: the
romances; the "fall"; her relationship with Robin's quiet but caring uncle; and the map,
which turns
into the focal point of the story. Robin also overhears a conversation which leads her to
believe
she might be in danger:
"The words were spoken with such wrath, it hurt my ears to hear what little I did, but I
had to
stay and listen. What did this mean? I trembled in my hiding place. The very fact that
these two
guys the only two guys I knew in this whole town were together, alerted me that
something was
up..."
Being home-schooled, Heckenkamp probably understands something about the brilliant
recluse. It
shows in her writing. Her heroine is sensitive, angry, hurt, intelligent, stubborn, curious,
and has a
large heart underneath all of her confusion. She is a typical seventeen year
old...Heckenkamp
captures the angst of those years beautifully. Her plot is solid, and is very movie or
television
friendly...lots of action; pathos; conflict; glamour; etc. It's all there, and Heckenkamp is a
confident and sure writer. She has no trouble keeping all of her balls in the air and
resolving them
at the end of this page-turner with a flair. Her denouement is terrifying, exciting, and then
whoosh...she brings in the romantic element with panache.
Past Suspicion is a terrific first mystery/novel from a very promising talent. It is a
particularly
compelling achievement considering Ms. Heckenkamp has her future ahead of her.
Bravo!
Music To Die For
Radine Trees Nehring
St. Kitts Press
PO Box 8173, Wichita, KS 67208
ISBN: 0966187989 $14.00
Radine Trees Nehring is a journalist and author who writes for any occasion, be it a radio
news
show, a magazine story, a news story, or her second mystery. Her first mystery is entitled
SOMTHING TO DIE FOR. Radine is a resident of Arkansas, and understands its rich
culture and
traditions.
Carrie McCrite is about as unlike a detective as a heroine can be. She goes to a tourism
convention at the Ozark Folk Center State Park and decides to get involved when her
charges, a
famous country singing duo, Chase Mason and Tracy Teal, are pulled into murder and the
kidnapping of their little girl. Dulcey has disappeared; Tracy's cousin, Farel Teal, is dead
with a
pair of scissors stuck in his chest, and Tracy is a basket case:
" I didn't pay any attention to who ran past me. Whoever it was went toward the
auditorium real
fast. There was no way to tell. It was dark...and anyway, there was Farel...' But did you
see that
it was a man?' Tracy stared wide-eyed at Carrie and didn't answer."
There is something awfully tantalizing about a dark, moonlit night, a Southern setting,
and
country music. This backdrop is sparked by romance, family feuds, and the compelling
feeling of
having to rescue a little girl in distress. Nehring's characters spark a plot that is easily
carried by a
situation that branches out into one heck of a puzzler. Nothing is as it seems, evidenced
by a
crooning woman called Mad Margaret, who turns in a fine performance.
Carrie McCrite is down to earth, but not above a little romance with her best friend
ex-cop Henry
King, who charges in to the rescue at just the right moment. Nehring's action and
denouement
usually involve poor Carrie ruining what clothes she is in, getting bumped on the head, or
scratched by vicious branches. But in the end all turns out for the best, leaving the reader
sighing
in satisfaction, just as if I'd indulged in a piece of either apply or peach chunky; as
Nehring
thoughtfully provides recipes for each at the end of this sweet and tender tale.
Murder in Amsterdam
A. C. Baantjer
Intrigue Press
PO Box 102003, Denver, CO 80210
ISBN: 189076857X $14.00
A.C. Baantjer is a very popular author from the Netherlands. He knows whereof he
speaks, as he
is a former Detective Inspector for the Amsterdam Police, with a career which spanned
thirty-eight years. He features Inspector Dekok in at least sixteen addition mysteries
which have
been translated into English.
This volume includes two Inspector Dekok mysteries: Dekok and the Sunday Strangler
and
Dekok and the Corpse on Christmas Eve. Both stories deal with the murder of women:
the first is
a killer who preys on prostitutes, and the second is a killer who preys on the office
workers at his
company. Both are excellent studies in human nature. Dekok is the epitome of the
grizzled
veteran detective, and his sidekick, Vledder, is in awe of Dekok's experience and
intelligence:
"Of course, you didn't dare tackle it on your own, I bet. You thought: come, let's call
Dekok out
of bed. The old man will take care of it, right? You thought: Why should I take a chance
on
messing it up, when I can lean on the old man. Isn't that so? That's what you thought,
right?'
Vledder looked at him searchingly. Was that a reproach? Did it sound as a reproach? He
did not
know. The expression on the face of the experienced photographer was unreadable."
Baantjer's writing style is smooth and flowing. Dekok is a superb character...sort of a
combination
of Columbo and Hercule Poirot. He is intelligent; is a family man; has a good heart; and
is very
forgiving of the blunders of his prot??. The plot lines are steady and believable, and the
dialogue is
full of interesting witticisms and give-and-take between Dekok and Vledder. One feels as
if
Dekok is very much of a master detective, shaping Vledder into what will eventually be a
fine
detective to take his place. At the same time, Dekok is very much in control of his own
emotions
as he navigates through the world of murder and intrigue.
Baantjer is a expert narrator who takes the reader deep into the world which police have
to
inhabit as part of their jobs. He even makes funny little asides to the reader about people
who love
mysteries, almost as if he is reaching out to touch his audience and give them a tweak on
the
cheek. This is an excellent and entertaining mystery from a skillful writer and profound
thinker.
K.O.'d in the Volcano
Victoria Heckman
Pemberly Press
PO Box 5840, Austin, TX 78763-5840
ISBN: 0970272758 $12.95 US $16.95 CAN
Victoria Heckman attended a Reserve Police Academy and served as a patrol office for
two years
in southern California. She briefly considered joining the Honolulu Police Department,
but opted
out, although she maintains close ties. She has written the K.O.'d in Hawai'i series,
featuring the
lovely backdrop of the Hawaiian islands.
Katrina Ogden is known as "K.O.," and in this story she is arriving from the Honolulu
Police
Department for a combination rest and training activity for the Hawai'i Volcanoes
National Park.
She is there because, with recent drug activity, the park employees need additional
training to deal
with problems in the park. Unbeknownst to K.O., there's been a murder, and it won't be
long
before she is up to her eyeballs in murder and volcanic activity:
"K.O. trembled, and forced herself upright. He's a copy, she told herself. I have to. Do I
really?
What is my obligation here? Aid a fellow officer in trouble. Capture a criminal. At the
very least,
it's attempted murder now, since that woman shot at him. Would I even hesitate if this
were a
dark alley in Waikiki? Or an abandoned warehouse in Iwilei? Not for a second. She
blinked, and
found she was halfway down the shield, picking her way between two large rivers. She
stepped
cautiously, afraid of crashing through a think crust and into boiling lava a hundred feet
deep."
There is something about a river of lava that is compelling in and of itself. Heckman does
a nice
job of combining the most sinister of elements: a drug cartel; an apparently dirty cop; a
huge
volcanic eruption; and a good cop who badly needs a rest to form an interesting and
exciting tale
of right and evil. To add even more flavor to the mix, K.O. is constantly haunted by
images of
sacrifice on the edges of the lava pits, plus ominous warnings from a teenage diabetic
who
happens to be on hand for all the fun.
All in all, K.O. is an interesting, well rounded character the reader will groan for, cheer
for, and
finally...get a little exasperated with as she almost blows it with her perfect Hawaiian
gentleman.
K.O.'D IN THE VOLCANO is part of a compelling series with a romantic backdrop.
Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer
Shirley's Bookshelf
Dear Dinah
Jeannie Seeley-Smith
Authors of Unity Publishing
575 Madison Avenue 10th floor New York, NY 10022
ISBN# 0972525025 $17.95 250 pages 212- 605-0407
The cover of this book caught my interest right off, colorful, eye-catching, interesting. I
believed
it would be enlightening and enjoyable and I was not mistaken. Self-help books are not
my
favorite genre to read but this one was presented in such a fun way and was full of so
much good
advice it would be impossible to be negative about it.
The main thrust of the book is dividing household chores for working partners. As any of
us
ladies know, that can cause right out war within the home. The author writes honestly
about the
emotions of both partners, why they feel this way and how to correct it and bring
satisfaction in
this matter.I take my hat off to her for even trying to remedy such a situation.
She uses fun aids, such as quizzes for both men and women that will help you to combat
habits
and wrong thinking concerning your responsibilities. Good idea getting the reader
involved and
keeping the interest high during the read. I enjoyed taking the "Household Personality"
quiz, and
by the way I am The HoneyBee! Interesting and oh so true! She has several others that
help to
bring into perspective the what and why's that are running your household. I think you
will be
surprised how right on the money she is! If there is a down-side to this read it would only
be the
possibility that you could not get your partner involved; however perhaps a few days of
an
unmade bed or dinner not made might just get their attention! One can only hope!
This was a really fun read with some great ideas to help take the stress out of the
never-ending
chores at home. I believe you will enjoy this one and will keep it close at hand as you
implement
the many wonderful suggestions that are available within its pages. Good job Ms.
Smith!
Turner Falls
Richard P. Tanor
Publish America
PO Box 151 Fredericks, Md
http://www.publishamerica.com
ISBN: 1413716850 $18.79 254 pp.
In this second segment of The Whipper Snapper trilogy author Richard P. Tanos takes us
to
Oklahoma, the home of the now retired Deputy from Florida, who was instrumental in the
arrest
of the killer of young Becky years ago, during the time of the well know group "the
Whipper
Snappers." The Whipper Snappers, a group of computer guru's who attended the local
college
and were well known for their expertise in computer skills, had the world on a string but
one of
the group, Harold Roseberg, made a fatal mistake that would change the course of all
their lives.
He committed murder. Now that killer Harold Roseberg was being set free and he had a
debt to
settle with one Sara Willis McCoy.
Mr. Tanos did not disappoint this reader in this outstanding work. Again, through the
words he
penned, he began to build the suspense page by page and you waited for the destruction
you knew
was going to take place through the hands of the released killer on this noble woman,
Sara. The
author does a remarkable job of carefully setting each scene and filling it with surprises
about each
character, often twisting them about, making them do an about turn or bringing in new
information that you would have never believed. Great job! Want to know what is in the
mind of a
killer who is bent on revenge? You might not like what you find!
This is a quick moving story that makes you turn each page expectantly to see what will
happen
next as the stalker, retired Sara McCoy, becomes the stalked. What horrific death does
Harold
have planned for the one he feels destroyed his life? Edge of the seat reading till the last
page.
You do not want to miss this one! Highly recommended!
The Eternal Church
Dr. Bill Hamon
Destiny Image Publishers Inc.
P.O. Box 310 Shippensburg, PA 17257-0310
www.destinyimage.com
ISBN# 0768421764 $14.99 367 pages 1-800-722-6774
Do you enjoy a book that takes you on a journey? Are you interested as a Christian about
our
history as a church and what the future holds? If you answer yes to these questions, "The
Eternal
Church" is a must read for you.
The author, Dr. Bill Hamon is a respected prophetic voice to the Body of Christ, which
adds to
the creditability of the information he presents to the reader. Taking you on a journey of
the
church from the first century, through the Middle Ages to the present and beyond, you
will
understand what happened and may be more important, why, as Christ works to bring His
church
into maturity. The book answered questions for me as a Christian and helped me to
understand
my history as a believer and gave a glimpse of where the Lord's church is going.
All in all, this is a very informative work, recommended for the Body of Christ, helping
us to
understand the works of the Lord, and the role we all play in bringing the drama to
victory and
the blessed return of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Intimacy with the Almighty
Charles R. Swindoll
Word Publishing Inc.
Dallas, Texas 75039
http://www.wordpublishing.com
ISBN# 0849913330 $9.99 80 pages
This small, quick read packs quite a powerful punch for the Christian looking for a closer
walk
with the Almighty. The author shares with us his experiences with his walk with the Lord
and
helps us to see, through his life how he was able to draw closer to the Almighty, bringing
him to a
more fulfilled relationship.
He uses examples, such as turning from our busy lives and being still to know that He is
God. He
speakes to us of what it is to trust God and to surrender to One that loves us. Tenderely
he leads
us step by step into a deeper knowledge of knowing the way to a closer walk with Him.
This is a
very good read, not too long, but extremely useful to the Christian seeking intimacy with
their
Maker.
Northwest Tales Of The Season
Judith B. Glad, Mary Taffs, J.A. Clarke, Maureen Mackey, Ruby Lee Schneider, and
Jewel Stone
Awestruck E-Books
http://www.awestruck.net Editor@awestruck.net
ISBN# 1587494043 Download $5.99
I always love when I review short stories. I know that I can sit down and finish one right
away. I
was not disappointed with the tales within "Northwest Tales of the Season." Lighthearted,
yet
packed full of many elements that make up great stories, such as love, adventure,
mystery, and
smiles! Love tales at their best, ready to be enjoyed and remembered! For the romantic in
all of
us, a plate full of delicious delicacies ready to be devoured!
Lord of Misrule
Kate and Luke, the main characters of this short story, are on their way to Kate's family
for
Christmas, and for Luke to meet his new in-laws. Luke was not very excited about
meeting the
Lachlan clan all at once, he wondered if they would accept him and if he was indeed
good enough
to be Kate's husband.
Kate's family was well off financially, something that Luke's background did not have,
this
worried him. The closer they came to the homestead the more upset Luke became making
Kate
wonder if he was sorry that he married her.
Kate's family were a delightful group of people and the author quickly drew you into the
atmosphere of love that radiated from them to one another. The story takes you on a
journey of
Kate and Luke taking a good look at each other and within themselves. Did they make a
mistake
when they married? Was there a future for them and would Luke be able to accept Kate's
family?
A delightful ending awaits you as these two find out what love,life, and marriage are all
about!
Keeper of Secrets
I really enjoyed this story. Shawna Carlton was running away from a forthcoming
marriage that
she knew was not right for her. At the generosity of her friend she made her way to the
mountain
cabin during the Holiday Season only to find it was rustic to say the least, and just where
was the
bathroom? Horrors! Little did she know that she would have a neighbor, Dr. Gregory
Harris, who
was also trying to find peace, not only from the hectic world that he lived in, but from the
loss of
his beloved wife.
Starting off on a bad note, soon these two found that they needed each other more then
they
would like to admit. Perhaps fate played a hand in this meeting! This was an adorable
love story,
set in a wonderful winter location that just made you yearn to snuggle up with someone
and share
the moment! Great read!
A Midnight Clear
Sophie had lost her grandmother and returned to Sea Spray to sell the property and
continue on
with her life. Little did Sophie know that a certain young man, by the name of Jake
Lazzara would
change those plans forever. This was a good story involving a little bit of mystery and a
little bit
of fun for the characters. I liked the Italian aspect of it, knowing how Italians love to
match
people (I am Italian) I got a real smile out of Jakes family, yes I could relate! Jake and
Sophie go
through some troubles before they realize they just might have a future together. A very
warm
and loving story that leaves you with a good feeling inside after the read. I truly enjoyed
this
one.
A Delightful Christmas
Shawnie took care of Diego, she needed the money and she liked the man. He was a good
friend
to her, now she had to get ready to meet his son Ramiro and that was not going to be easy
for any
of them. Ramiro didn't feel the way his father did about Rancho de la Huerta Generosa,
and the
family business. He sought a life outside of what was important to his father. Shawnie
and Ramiro
were drawn to each other, or though they tried hard to fight the longings they both felt.
Finally
after much turmoil Ramiro returns to his father, their ranch and the love he feels for
Shawnie.
Talk about happy endings, this one is tops in that area! A very heartwarming story.
A Ring for Christmas
We often hear of the love between an older man and a younger woman, but be honest,
don't you
think twice when it is a younger man and an older woman? I know that I have. This is the
story
behind "A Ring for Christmas", the story about Marian and Neal. Neal loved Marian, but
she had
many issues with their age difference and what the future would hold for them. The
author does a
great job in bringing to light what I am sure many people face in this situation. Does love
triumph
over age? Ah...you will have to read this story to find out. Good job Mary, as
always!
The Snass Chuck Grandma is telling a story and what a story it is. It's about how she first
met
Grandpa and about snass chuck. What is snass chuck? You will have to read the story to
find out.
Sounds mysterious doesn't it? This was a sweet story about two friends who had to get to
the
Christmas dance and had no way to get there except to ride two old horses, but as
determined as
they were to go, it was just what they had to do. After arriving at the dance the very man
who had
promised to give them a ride starts a fight and the two ladies end up hiding under one of
the
tables. However, that is how Grandma meets her true love as he protects her from the
drunken
Finn McCool. This was a good story with a nice twist. Decent people finding deep love
that lasted
a lifetime. Simple, yet entertaining! Good read!
Falling In and Out of Love: The Mystery Solved
Larry K. Mickelson
Writers Collective Publishing
1131 Baretta Drive Loveland, Colorado 80538
ISBN# 1932133860 $16.95 320 pages
First off, the cover of Mr. Mickelson's book will certainly catch the eye of many a visitor
in any
book store. Very catchy, drawing the attention of the passerby! Good job! Now on to the
contents between the covers, or the meat of the matter, so to speak.
The author breaks down the subject of love in many interesting ways. Some that this
reader never
even thought of, but realized what an important role they take in the game, as I read the
author's
analysis of the subjects. Is it love or just physical attraction? How much of a part does
physical
attraction play in our falling in love? How quickly do we fall in love, how quickly do we
fall out
of love? Interesting!
He covers many topics giving examples and explaining in an easy to understand way how
we go
about this game called love and how we can change, for our benefit many of the
'unspoken' rules
in the game.
I never realized all the phases that we go through as humans in playing the game of love.
I found
this book intriguing, informative and imaginative.
I believe it is a good reference book for people who are not yet settled in a permanent
relationship, and an interesting read for those that are.
Turner Falls
Richard P. Tanor
Publish America
PO Box 151 Fredericks, Md
http://www.publishamerica.com
ISBN: 1413716850 $18.79 254 pp.
In this second segment of The Whipper Snapper trilogy author Richard P. Tanos takes us
to
Oklahoma, the home of the now retired Deputy from Florida, who was instrumental in the
arrest
of the killer of young Becky years ago, during the time of the well know group "the
Whipper
Snappers." The Whipper Snappers, a group of computer guru's who attended the local
college
and were well known for their expertise in computer skills, had the world on a string but
one of
the group, Harold Roseberg, made a fatal mistake that would change the course of all
their lives.
He committed murder. Now that killer Harold Roseberg was being set free and he had a
debt to
settle with one Sara Willis McCoy.
Mr. Tanos did not disappoint this reader in this outstanding work. Again, through the
words he
penned, he began to build the suspense page by page and you waited for the destruction
you knew
was going to take place through the hands of the released killer on this noble woman,
Sara. The
author does a remarkable job of carefully setting each scene and filling it with surprises
about each
character, often twisting them about, making them do an about turn or bringing in new
information that you would have never believed. Great job! Want to know what is in the
mind of a
killer who is bent on revenge? You might not like what you find!
This is a quick moving story that makes you turn each page expectantly to see what will
happen
next as the stalker, retired Sara McCoy, becomes the stalked. What horrific death does
Harold
have planned for the one he feels destroyed his life? Edge of the seat reading till the last
page.
You do not want to miss this one! Highly recommended!
The Thrones Of Our Souls
Paul Keith Davis
White Dove Ministries
P.O. Box 1634 Orange Beach, AL 36561
http://www.whitedoveministries.org
No ISBN # Available $TBA 187 pages
As a Christian it is essential to be open and alert to the workings of the Lord through our
brothers
and sisters. Our God uses each one of us ,through our gifting from Him, to prepare His
church in
these end-times. We need to be discerning for sure; but we also need to be open, least we
forfeit a
revelation that may be the stepping stone we have been waiting for. I believe this book
has many
of those stepping stones.
Paul Keith Davis, by yielding his life to the Master, has birthed a book that is essential in
helping
Christians to achieve their mandate in the next move of God's Spirit and in their personal
walk
with Him. Outstanding!
The author shares visions, dreams and revelations from the Lord and explains their
meaning and
usage for us as we march forward in His army. He speaks of overcoming the Devourer,
and
emerging a Champion. He shares the revelation of being clothed with Christ and keeping
our flesh
in submission, pointing out the pitfalls that many of us must overcome to emerge a
winner. His
writings are easy to understand, not Religious or condemning, are backed with Scripture,
and his
desire to help his fellow Christians is paramount in each word that is written.
The Thrones Of Our Souls is a book packed full of revelation and insightful information
that can
only increase your effectiveness as a child of God. I am very thankful that he shared his
Gift from
our Lord and look forward to other reads in the future. Recommended!
Interview With: Kari Winters, author of "Princess Fiona, My Purrsonal Story"
I love to read and review books that are written for a cause, such as Kari's wonderful
book about
Princess Fiona. Her story touched my heart, as I am sure it will all of you who will take
the time
to read it. I am honored to do this interview with Kari and ask that you all please check
out my
review of her work, "Princess Fiona, My Purrsonal Story," in last months column.
Perhaps you
could find it in your heart to purchase a copy, read an adorable story, and help a great
cause, all at
the same time! Interested? Great, let's begin the interview.
SPJ: Kari, I was very impressed with your book "Princess Fiona." Please tell our readers
why you
wrote this book and what gave you the idea to write it through the eyes of Princess
Fiona.
.KARI: Thank you for the compliment! The book was written as a fundraiser for CA.
Siamese
Rescue (CASR), which, despite its name, covers more than just California. Stephanie
Montagne
had adopted Fiona and became a volunteer with the organization. We have an e-mail
group and
she'd send these adorable pictures of Fiona with captions. Someone at the rescue thought
they'd
make a cute book, so the idea was punted to me with the message: "You're the writer.
What do
you think?" I let them know that printing and set up costs are high, but said that if I could
come
up with an idea, I'd write the book for them without charging for my services (I also
volunteer
with CASR). I asked Stephanie to send me a list of every caption for every picture she'd
ever
taken of Fiona. I then tried to take all these unrelated captions and build a story around
them.
It wasn't until Stephanie adopted another cat, who she named Liam, that I really got an
idea that
I liked. Liam had been fostered by another CASR volunteer who's a personal friend of
mine
named Gary Rohde. Gary has an incredible dog named Wuffy who's great with unweaned
kittens
and sick and abused cats. Since I'd known Liam from the beginning of his days with
CASR
rescue, I knew exactly how badly he'd been abused, how frightened he'd been, and how
far he'd
come.
SPJ: Kari, I loved the beautiful, and adorable, pictures of your kitty friends that are
throughout
the book. Tell us, what gave you the idea to use visual aid, which is a big plus and adds
immense
enjoyment to the read.
KARI:The original idea came from Stephanie's great pictures and captions, so I can't take
credit
for that part of the concept I wish I could, though, because I agree that it's what makes the
book
fun..
SPJ: She certainly does wonderful work. Tell us a little about your photographer.
KARI: Stephanie Montagne is an incredible animal lover who works as a Surgical Unit
Coordinator in N. CA. Believe it or not, I've never met Stephanie or Fiona, but we've
become
great friends through phone calls and e-mail.
SPJ: How long did it take you to complete this work, the writing and also the
photography?
KARI: The photography had already been done, but it took me about 3 months of false
starts
before I came up with a story idea I liked. Once I got the idea, the story almost wrote
itself.
SPJ: I can say you did a wonderful job with your writing in an amusing, yet factual way.
Tell us
please, was it difficult working with a photographer on this project and how did you
decide
which photos to use? Were they free shots or did you pose Ms. Princess to go along with
the
writing ?
KARI: There's only one picture in the book that was staged. The rest were all taken just
as fun
photos by a proud cat-mom and great photo and caption lady (Stephanie). Stephanie's
fosters
always get homes really quickly and we're all convinced it's because she does these
incredible
pictures and captions to put on the CASR adoption site.
SPJ: From start to finish how long did it take you to complete this work?
KARI: If you're talking about working with the person who did the layout and cover
design and
also the printer, the project was took about 7 months to complete.
The layout was done by Leslie Pereira of www.singingwithmildred.com and she was
great to
work with! She's an animal lover, too, so that made it even more enjoyable.
SPJ: What exactly are you hoping to accomplish by the writing of this book?
KARI: I have two goals with this book. I'd love to help CASR make a lot of money so
that they
can save even more cats, but I'd also like to bring attention to the fact that breed rescues
exist.
Many people, including veterinarians and many people who work in rescue aren't aware
of this
fact. There are breed rescues for dogs as well as cats. I can't tell you the number of times
that
people have said to me, "Why would a Siamese need to be rescued?"
SPJ: I know your work opened my eyes to many things I did not know. Thank you for
that. Who
are you trying to reach and what do you want your readers to take with them after they
have
finished the read.
KARI: I'd like people to understand the plight of abandoned and abused animals and to
know that
animals can be turned around with loving care. I'd love it if people would read the book
and
decide that they'd like to donate money to a local rescue. Even if someone can only afford
to give
a dollar, those dollars add up. Hopefully, I'd like people to come away with a warm
feeling after
reading this book and to realize that they can make a difference, too.
Education is important to me and I tried to write this book so that all ages could enjoy it. I
believe
that if we reach children at a young age and teach them to respect animals maybe one day
there
won't be a need for rescues. That would be a very happy day for me!
SPJ: Tell our readers does "The Little Princess" seem to know she is famous?
KARI: Fiona thought she was a princess long before this book was written, so she takes
all this as
being her birthright, but in the words of Stephanie who lives with her: "She's more a
prima
donna than EVER. Only eats on a on a stool above the other cats (commoners!) and will
not let
any other cat cuddle with her much anymore...Yes, of course Liam knows he's a
prince...charming
any of his choice of fair maidens here and he DOES like the ladies! Actually, is quite
confident
now ...a different cat than (before the book)"
SPJ: Readers, you will just have to purchase the book to see how 'beautiful' Princess
Fiona truly
is! Tell us Kari, will you do a follow-up work? Will there be a book two?
KARI: Funny you should ask that. Although I'd started writing another book, it had
nothing to do
with "Princess Fiona", Since the release of Fiona's book, though, many people have
commented
on Wuffy, the dog in the story. Wuffy is a truly amazing dog and I've known her since
she was
only a few weeks old. I've decided to write a story about her, using pictures that her
human dad
has taken throughout the years. I'm probably going to have to ask Stephanie for her help
with
captions, though.
SPJ: How are you handling promotion and how well is it going for you?
KARI: Let's see..I'm doing the Oprah show and will be on Kelly Ripa's book show....Oh,
wait...that's a dream I had and didn't really happen (but if Oprah happened to read this
and wanted
to invite me on the show to talk about the book, I'd love it!!) Seriously, though since
money is an
issue (rescues can't afford big promotional campaigns), , I'm reading everything I can
about
promoting books. I've sent out e-mails, begged people to tell someone they know about
the book,
and sent review copies to a lot of people who have websites or radio programs. Although
I've
had to be very persistent and persuasive, I find that once people actually get the book and
read it,
they're eager to review it. I also did a book signing at the annual Cat Writers' Association
last
month in Houston. I'm willing to talk with anyone at almost anytime!
Book sales are going well, but printing costs are so expensive that it'll take a LOT of sales
to start
really making a profit.
The book is available through direct mail, CASR's ebay store and also on
www.amazon.com.
There are links on my personal website that takes people directly to each of those two
sites.
(CASR gets more money from the book when it's bought by direct mail or ebay.)
SPJ: I want to ask you about Wuffy. You say you are working on a book about her, when
will
that be completed and will it be another fund raiser work? Also will it be available
through
CASR?
KARI: Wuffy was a rescue. It was an emergency situation and a friend of mine adopted
her , but
he couldn't have a dog in his apartment, so she stayed with me for about 3 months while
he
looked for a condo. I had a rescued dog named Annie who was a Lhaso mix and not the
motherly
type at all, but for some reason she took Wuffy under her paw (so to speak).
I'll be writing the book about Wuffy so that I can make some personal profit from it and
so
Wuffy's "dad" can make some money, too. (He's become disabled) Whatever I write,
though, I
will always give some percentage of the profit to animal rescue. I believe that life is about
giving.
I'm sure the book will be available through CASR, although I haven't talked with them
about that
part of it, yet. I'm not sure when it'll be finished or when I'll have the money for the
printing and
lay out because I'll be paying that for myself this time! Also, a lot of my time these days
is spent
marketing "Princess Fiona". People don't realize what a big job that is, but I really want
CASR to
make a lot of money on this project. Regarding other projects, If it's meant to be, though,
I trust
that it will all happen.
SPJ: Kari, please tell us a little about yourself. Your work as a writer and perhaps a little
of your
personal life.
KARI: I'm an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse in psychiatry. Working as a nurse is
what I do
to pay the mortgage and veterinary bills. I used to love my job, but with the changes in
health
care, it's not quite as fulfilling as it used to be. I was involved in rescue for a long time,
but I have
Lupus so I was finding that I didn't have the energy to work at my job, which I had to do
and run
around doing everything I was doing for the rescue I was with. I was doing some writing
about
animals for The Pet Press in Los Angeles as well as for several humane organization
newsletters. I
don't get money for this, but I get a lot of satisfaction from knowing that I'm educating
people
about their animals. Strange as it might sound, I really feel that this is my life's true
purpose...to
educate people about animals. I joined Cat Writers' Association and won some awards for
my
writing so that validated to me that I was on the right path. Then my Siamese, Sheffield
died, and
from there I was led to volunteer with CASR. It's great for me because 99% of what I do
for
them I do at home, so it doesn't take a lot of extra energy. I love everything that CASR
stands for
and the fact that there are no paid positions at all so all the money goes to the animals.
CASR
almost lost the cattery in S. CA. during the recent fires. The cattery is at the home of one
of the
Directors, so they almost lost their home, too. Believe me there were a lot of prayers and
thankfully,everything was saved.
I currently have two toy poodles named Katie and Kelsie who keep me on my toes.
They're both
rescued and had major issues when I first got them. My cats, also rescued, are pretty
normal. My
cat, Nora, has chronic renal insufficiency and is currently teaching me some very difficult
lessons.
I believe that all our animals teach us lessons if we pay attention.
SPJ: Kari, you wrote "Princess Fiona" with a purpose in mind, which is a very good
thing,
however..........have you or do you plan to write a book (in any genre) just for the pure
pleasure
of writing? If so, in what genre would that be?
KARI: Once I got the idea for 'Princess Fiona" I found it to be a really fun thing to do.
I've had a
book idea for quite a while, but wasn't sure exactly how I'd do it. With "Princess Fiona" I
realized
that I'm good at putting myself inside the animal's skin and writing from their point of
view. My
cat, Nicky, has a column on my website and he's written a lot of letters in his life. My
friends have
always said that he's writes very differently than I do, so once the Wuffy book is done, I
want to
take my original book idea (sorry, I'm not telling what it is!) and have Nicky write it.
When I'm
writing for the animal, I lose myself and it really is pure pleasure.
SPJ: Tell us, do you have a favorite place that you write, an area that you seem to be able
to
create in?
KARI: I have a room at the back of my house that has windows all along two sides. I
have my
desk there and it looks over my back yard. There's a bird feeder where the birds eat and
gorgeous
flowers. I also can look out at my "Memorial Garden." When one of my furry family
members die,
I choose a rose bush that has a special meaning for that particular animal and plant it in
an area
where I have a kneeling angel, a St. Francis statue, a hanging angel prayer, and a couple
of stones
with beautiful sayings. I also have a bench out there that I can sit on and feel like I'm with
them. I
also sit on the bench when I'm feeling stressed...but being able to look out at nature and
animals
while I write has really increased my creativity. Of course, I never write without at least
one cat
on my desk to give me inspiration!!
SPJ: How many hours a day do you dedicate to writing?
KARI: It really varies. A lot of it depends on what else is happening in my life.
Sometimes I go
for a couple of days without writing, but then I might spend a whole day writing. Right
now, a lot
of that writing has to do with marketing the book, though.
SPJ: Will you please tell us where we can read your articles and works that you have
written.
KARI: There are a lot on the web. If you use my name as a search word, many of the
articles
come up. There are also some on my website (www.shelterpetsink.com)
SPJ: Did you always love animals? I know that I have, however, I have noticed as I
continue to
get older (oh what a statement!) my appreciation for all life seems to increase.
KARI: I think I was born with the animal gene. I went up to every animal around from the
first
day I could walk. I had a poodle mix, named Pudgy, and I always introduced him as "my
brother".
My parents were really afraid that I'd get a bad bite from some animal someday, but I
seemed to
know when it was safe to approach and when it wasn't. I was an only child and at one
point I had
17 pets (1 dog, 1 cat, 4 parakeets, 2 canaries, a flying squirrel....well, you get the picture.)
As I
get older, I realize that I had more of a sense of how every living thing is connected when
I was
younger and I'm returning to that. (My mom who's 88 and blind is staying with me now. I
just
read this answer to her and she started laughing and said, "Boy, do I remember you with
animals.
If there was an animal around, you'd be right with it.")
SPJ: Kari, is there something that you wished that I had asked and did not? If there is
please use
this space to write about it. If there was not, please use this space for any final thoughts
you
would like to leave with our readers.
KARI: I'd like to say a special thank you to Niki BehrikisShanahan who wrote "There is
Eternal
Life for Animals.' Although I've never met her, I doubt that "Princess Fiona" would have
made it
into print without her mentoring me. I knew how to write, but I didn't know the
mechanics of
how to get a book in print. She walked me through it step by step.
I'd also like to say that I hope readers of "Princess Fiona" take away a sense that animals
are really
living, breathing, feeling beings. They bring so much love into our lives. All of us,
humans and
animals, are interrelated and we need to value all life.
Thank you, Shirley, for this opportunity to talk about "Princess Fiona" and my love of
animals.
SPJ: Thank you Kari for sharing your love for animals and for all the information that
your work
gives. I wish you the best of luck in the future, for you and for the ones who cannot speak
for
themselves. You have made a difference!
Shirley Johnson
Interviewer
James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
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