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Table of Contents
Kaveny's Bookshelf
In this months Kaveny's Bookshelf, I will exercise my editorial prerogative and take an idea and
run
with. The reason for this is that my wife, Jan Bogstad, who is also the International editor for The
Midwest Book Review, reminded me that I had just two days to come up with a paper proposal
for
"The International Conference on The Fantastic and the Arts" which takes place, as usual, in Ft
Lauderdale Florida in early 2003 as it has for the last twenty or so years. In my April 2001,
feature I
reported on it, along with the paper I gave on J.R.R. Tolkien's concept of evil. But this coming
spring I wanted to do something just a little different.
When Jan brought up the deadline for next year's conference, I found myself in an entirely
different
non-literary frame of mind since for the last ten days or so I have been madly selling books as fast
as
I can in order continue my lifetime project of outrunning my creditors. They sometimes appear to
me
in my dreams as a pack of wolves chasing me across windswept frozen Siberian rivers. Well I
made
it for another month and now the wolves are quietly asleep at my feet, or at least waiting for it to
all
start up again late next month.
I decided to utilize my wife's expertise as and advisor to several Ph.D. and MA candidates over
the
years, some here at UW Eau Claire. So I asked her to suggest some paper topics. Her suggestion
was, since I review for five academic journals, including the New York Review of Science Fiction
and of course The Midwest Book Review, that I examine some recent works on J.R.R Tolkien
from
a meta-critical perspective which means that I assume standpoint which allows me to make some
general statements about trends in secondary works on J.R.R Tolkien. The horizon I chose was
1992 through 2002, with special emphasis on the more recent works, but also including the
re-issue
of certain items.
In a sense, the project is already underway since last month I mentioned the Annotated Hobbit, by
Doug Anderson This month I will feature two items, one a collection of articles, the other a
monograph a which deals with a very important aspect of Tolkien's work. (I also wish to add that
I
will broaden the focus of next months Kaveny's Bookshelf to include at least a brief report from
World Science Fiction Convention last Month along with some interesting non-literary items
brought to my attention by artist and friend Steven V. Johnson.
Choice A journal relied upon heavily as a professional selection tool for librarians, recently
recommended J.R.R. Tolkien and His Literary Resonances: Views of Middle-earth (Contributions
to
the Study of Science Fiction and Fantasy) -- George Clark (Editor), Daniel Timmons (Editor);
Hardcover Publisher: Greenwood Publishing Group; ISBN: 0313308454; (September 2000) Price
62.00. (Hardcover, in Library binding and acid free paper). It is recommended as a purchase for
public and academic libraries on all levels.
This recommendation based on at least three factors. First, Greenwood is one of the most
respected
publishers of literary studies. Second, the editors themselves are both very well thought of
scholars
within the field of the fantastic literature. George Clark is Professor Emeritus and adjunct in
English
at Queen's University at Kingston. He has published a book on Beowulf and numerous scholarly
articles. Daniel Timmons is a Communications Instructor at Ryerson Polytechnic University who,
along with his extensive literary work on J.R.R Tolkien, has recently produced a film project
which
examines the work of J.R.R Tolkien on the basis of its cultural resonances. Lastly, there is the
quality and scope of the articles themselves, which is high enough to appeal to the both the
literary
professional, who might turn to "Versecraft in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings," by
Geoffrey
Russom, or a more naive, teenage reader, who might turn to "The Dragon-Lore of Middle-earth:
Tolkien and Old English and Old Norse Tradition," by Jonathan Evans, to get some neat ideas for
his D&D game; Only to find out that there was more to know than he ever dreamed of.
Dan Timmons, in his introduction, effectively argues the need for a work like this in the early 21st
Century to showcase and establish a benchmark of new Tolkien scholarship, not so much in terms
of
absolute standards, but more as an ongoing and dialogic process in which new players are always
entering the field.
The best way to deal with this work is to go through the table of contents and highlight some of
the
articles with the interests of the potential readers in mind.
1. Tolkien the Bard: His Tale Grew in the Telling, by C.W. Sullivan III was one of my favorites in
the collection if for no other reason than that he suggests a legitimate argument' for evaluating
Tolkien's work by a different (perhaps more lasting) standard than we might a modern novel.
2. The Dragon-Lore of Middle-earth: Tolkien and Old English and Old Norse Tradition by
Jonathan
Evans. I mention this article earlier as an entry point for many public library readers. I think in that
sense it is a good choice because it will pique the newer reader's interest and move through the
rest
of the collection.
3. J.R.R. Tolkien and the True Hero by George Clark. I liked this article because it sheds light on
the complex of the role of the hero in Tolkien's world of creation. Sometimes, heroism does not
lie
in the boldest bravest act, but in the consideration of the implication of the act for others.
4. Tolkien's Versecraft in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by Geoffrey Russom. For me
was
not an easy read. I usually do not like this sort of article on the technical aspects of versecraft, but
in
this case I felt like I was watching a master's chess game in the process of being annotated by
another master. The conclusion I drew from it is that poetry is not a conceit or construction but
has
it roots imbedded in the depth of natural language. As a working poet myself, I feel a great deal of
creative tension between the underlying structures which articulate poetic form and a certain
""unintentionality"" of my own poetic expression.
5. The Monsters Are Talismans and Transgressions: Tolkien and Sir Gawain and the Green
Knight
by Roger C. Schlobin. Roger Schlobin over the last 30 years has been a driving force in stretching
the envelope of science fiction and fantasy criticism. He suggests interesting areas in which
Tolkien's
work on Sir Gawain and the Green Night and Beowulf set new standard for medieval literary
criticism.
6. The Sins of Middle-earth: Tolkien's Use of Medieval Allegory by Charles W. Nelson. This is a
quite enjoyable article in which Nelson suggests that each of Tolkien's major cast of characters
may
be viewed as exemplars of the seven deadly sins I leave it to the reader to find out how they
matched
up.
7. Is Tolkien a Renaissance man? Sir Philip Sidney's Defense of Poesy and J.R.R. Tolkien's "On
Fairy-Stories" by Tanya Caroline Wood Here we are reminded of how fast things change. It made
me feel a bit like Rip Van Winkle. It seems in the forty years since I first studied the Renaissance
its
dates have moved well over a hundred and fifty years towards the present. Who knows whether at
some point my own lifetime in the 20th & 21st Century may be viewed as part of the very late
Renaissance.
8. Weaving Nets of Gloom: "Darkness Profound" in Tolkien and Milton by Debbie Sky. This
article
is much too deep for me to reduce it to a few sentences, but I found the contrast between Milton's
Protestant, and Tolkien's Catholic and Medieval view of the fall a brilliant insight into the nature
of
art, literature and theology. I am sure a monograph could easily be generated from this article.
When
I was an undergraduate in 1963, I had a world famous Russian Professor Michael Boro Petrovich
who said that the two most import events for modernity from 1500 to the present were the
Protestant Reformation, and the Russian Revolution. I agree, but one of them has fallen off the
horizon.
9. Gagool and Gollum: Exemplars of Degeneration in King Solomon's Mines and The Hobbit by
William N Rogers II and Michael R. Underwood. I am delighted to find that this article heavily
draws from work done by my dear friend Jarod Lobdell, one of the few remaining Tolkien
scholars
who corresponded directly with J.R.R Tolkien. Actually I wish the collection contained an article
by
Jarod Lobdell.
10. "Joy Beyond the Walls of the World:" Secondary World-Making of J.R.R. Tolkien and C. S.
Lewis by David Sandner. I did not intend to say something about every article in this collection,
but
an article which ponders the depth and scope of two of the most significant secondary world
builders
of the last century is well worth reading.
11. Taking the Part of Trees: Eco-Conflict in Middle-earth by Verlyn Flieger. In spite of the
rather
turgid title of this article, which I think must have been applied tongue in cheek, this is perhaps the
best article in the collection because it contests some of the more didactic readings of Tolkien's
attitude by modern pro-ecology environmentalists. I love the way she draws on J.R.R's creation
using Tom Bombadil's comments re: Great Willow? "His Heart was Rotten, but his strength was
great." This remark demonstrates that Tolkien knew how trees actually grew, only the sapwood
really being alive. I think this article proves that Tolkien perhaps more than his readers and many
of
his critics knew the difference between a forest and park.
12. Women Fantasists: In the Shadow of the Ring by Faye Ringel. I have had the pleasure of
working with Faye Ringel elsewhere and I confess I find her work both incisive and in the case of
a
paper she gave on "Hell's Kitchen" at the Kalamazoo medieval conference in the year 2000,
delightful. In this paper, she raise important issues involved as a selected group of women fantasy
writers have struggled to escape from Tolkien's shadow. Since my own reading of Tolkien is at
least
non-traditional, I found this article particularly invigorating. It is interesting to think that nearly 40
years ago the release of the Ace Editions of Lord of the Rings led to an heroic expansion of the
horizon of expectations of the common reader. These same expectations may now have in fact
been
encoded into a stupefying formula which I think would have appalled J.R.R Tolkien, since The
Lord
of The Rings really was not the story he most wanted to tell.
13. Loss Eternal in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth by W.A. Senior. This is a well thought out and
carefully referenced article which identifies the debt that nearly all modern post J.R.R Tolkien
fantasy owes to evocation of the concept of "loss and wonder" which permeated the scope of
Tolkien's secondary world. I might add that perhaps the fatal weakness of most Post- Tolkien
contemporary fantasy is the lack of authenticity of experience of many of its constructors whose
works therefore blanch white and become flaccid and sentimental because they demand of the
reader
a level of response that the constructed literary situation does not warrant. Much as others may
argue, I suggests that most of Tolkien's general readers care much more about the ring bearers
than
the quest itself. I am told it is the same in wartime, by those who have been there; one cares
nothing
about the cause but everything about their mates.
14. Orcs, Wraiths, Wights: Tolkien's Images of Evil by Tom Shippey. Sadly, saving what I
thought
would be the best paper for last, I found Tom Shippey's paper to be a bit overworked and too
much
of recapitulation of his paper included in Tolkien Centenary (1992 Oxford proceedings) "Tolkien
as
a Post-War Writer." But I must add that being the brilliant scholar that Tom Shippey is, he may in
fact find his own act hard to follow. I also have one other little quibble with this volume in that
the
editors place Shippey biographically closer to J.R.R Tolkien than was historically possible when
one
considers their birth dates, 1943 & 1892 respectively.
In a sense all of these papers are first among equals but my favorites were the papers by Veryln
Flieger, Faye Ringel, Bill Senior, and (much to my own surprise), Geoffrey Russom. I think for
more
than any other reasons because they took me where I had not been before. I found the "Selected
Bibliography" substantial and quite useful, and the fact that all of these papers where integrated by
an overall index a wonderful scholarly tool of which I will make good use for comparative
purposes.
I enjoyed the section on the background of the contributors but would have preferred a few more
lines about each of them. My major recommendation is that this collection appears in an
affordable
trade paper format in about the $20.00 price range. Yes, I agree with Choice's recommendation
and
would add that in my opinion J. R.R. Tolkien and His Literary Resonances: Views of
Middle-Earth
is a must for any library academic or public, and even at a over price of $62.00 worth every cent
of
the price as part of a personal collection. I've spent that much for lunch for three last month in San
Jose at World Science fiction convention, but that was because I had to throw some of it to the
wolves.
Kaveny's Bookshelf part two. Those of you who follow Kaveny's Book shelf you might have
noticed
that I missed the deadline last month. I always run things right up to the deadline with my very
understanding Editor and Chief James Andrew Cox, but last month I misread the calendar and
came
out both a day late, and a dollar short so to speak. So from now on my self-imposed deadline for
Kaveny's Bookshelf with be Midnight the 24th of the previous month. On a plus side I got so
interested in the secondary works on Tolkien which I am reviewing that I have proposed am
controversial paper to the annual conference of The International Association of The Fantastic
and
the Arts the abstract of which is included after my first review. I have also chosen to included
some
short review's of a number of highly worthy item's which have come to my attention
A Question of Time: J.R.R. Tolkien's Road to Faerie
Verlyn Flieger Trade Paperback
The Kent State University Press
PO Box 5190, Kent, OH 44240-0001
ISBN: 087338699X; (December 2001). Price 17.95, 286 pages, 1-800-247-6553
I don't know why but I just keep putting off this review. I have been promising a number of folks
a
review of this book
for several months, but somehow it has been a question of finding my own time to get around to
it.
Many years ago, when I worked in the field of building maintenance and housekeeping, a very
grizzled maintenance mechanic named Irving Gillette shared a bit of his lifetimes' wisdom with
me.
Irv was born in 1920 and was a survivor of the first wave of the Normandy Invasion (1944 not
1066). Irv told me that (2 get a round tuit) was the thing everyone was trying to find, but it was
very
rare that they would (get around to it.)
Well Irv, gods bless you and your generation wherever you are, and thank you for the world you
gave us boomers. I hope we can do the same for our next generations, who face a dark and
horrific
postmodern world.
It seems that reading A Question of Time: J.R.R. Tolkien's Road to Faerie has taken its toll on
me. I
seem to be doing a bit of moving in and out of time on my own. Maybe reading A Question of
Time
seemed to make Irv rise up across time nearly from nearly a quarter of a century ago and jump
into
my mind looking just like he did the last time I saw him in 1977.
Interestingly enough, Irv had his own little trip into what may have seemed at lot like Faerie. He
was
one of the few American GI's who hung around for a handful of years in England after World War
II, grew a beard and became a beatnik and went to school on The G.I Bill in England until the
money ran out. Then he came back to settle in the small town of his birth, Belleville Wisconsin,
which is about twenty miles southwest of our state capital of Madison, Wisconsin. He got back
five
years after World War II ended, and Korea was just about to kick in.
Verlyn Flieger's A Question of Time: J.R.R. Tolkien's Road to Faerie is not an easy read by any
means. If it were an easy read, then I think it would not be the fascinating book that it is. Verlyn
Flieger is a professor of Comparative Mythology at The University of Maryland and a
distinguished
scholar who has had the full co-operation of the Tolkien family, which means access to the
Tolkien
archives. She's the editor or author of a number of significant works J.R.R Tolkien. I would
strongly
recommend you visit her website to find more about her. http://mythus.com/. In addition to this,
she
has two works of mythic fiction in print which I will deal with at a later date.
I think it was not an easy read for me because as a critic I tend to be a resistant reader as you
might
have noticed if you have followed some of my other reviews. I tend to wrestle with a text as a
wrestler might approach his opponent, watching every move trying to find an opening looking for
a
weakness. Well that did not work. This book threw me three out of three times, so a few days ago
after having read through it twice, I tried a different approach while I was waiting for movie at the
University of Wisconsin Eau Claire Student Union.
I turned to Chapter 10: "A Dream of Light," and Chapter 11: "The Pitfalls of Faerie," and read
them
impressionistically, letting the words evoke my senses rather than my grinding intellect. Of course,
it
would be better if I had at hand all the works she cited and I may yet have to do this. But the
images
Flieger evoked first from various versions of Tolkien poem "Sea Bell" make me lust to read the
original, because in them she introduces a horrific aspect of Tolkien's work that I think, before it
was
identified, only worked with me on a precognitive emotional level.
In Chapter 11, Flieger makes a link between J.R.R Tolkien's World War One Experience and his
fiction. (Tolkien was a reserve officer at the first battle of the Somme in the summer of 1916). In
this
tragic and futile battle, Tolkien would see the affect of 60,000 British Soldiers killed or wounded
in
one day. This is nearly as many as the Americans lost in 2344 days of the Vietnam War. Her point
is
this: for Tolkien, and a generation of men like him, the Great War represented a trip into the
darkest
aspects of the secondary world of Faerie. Those who survived, Remarque, Hemmingway, Robert
Graves, Pope John 23rd, and of course C.S Lewis, found themselves trapped in a story that they
would spend their lifetimes trying to tell.
I came to similar conclusion in my own comparative study the American fantastic writer Kurt
Vonnegut. In 1967 Kurt Vonnegut breathed life back into the seemingly dead embers of his
literary
carrier with the publication of his ground breaking novel Slaughterhouse five. By using the
viewpoint character Billy Pilgrim who kept getting "unstuck in time". Vonnegut was able to put
the
untellable tale into words for the rest of us, as he articulated the horrific experience he faced as an
American prisoner war, who survived the Allied firebombing of the German city of Dresden Feb
18
Th 1945 because he had been held prisoner in the deepest depths (by his German captors), of the
an
underground chamber of a slaughter house. I suspect that in doing so the soldier/ artist, becomes
a
voice for their fallen comrades, and the 120,000
German Civilians who died in the air raid.
I realize that I am working backwards though this book, but that seems the best way for me.
Another very interesting aspect of Tolkien's work which Flieger foregrounds is the changes which
take place in Tolkien's own work across time as he moves from the primacy of his experience to
an
almost theological approach to his work later in life. At this point, he is constantly revising in the
attempt make the body of his work consistent, or in a sense square the theological circle.
This process did not stop with J.R.R Tolkien's death in 1973, and the advent of the Internet has
only
worsened the revisionism. I monitor and sometimes participate in the official Tolkien internet
discussion list where I have watched even very respected Tolkien Scholars engage in discussions
of
monumental absurdity, much as scholastic theologians might have discussed the bible 800 years
ago
at Oxford University. For them, middle earth as real as the bible.
Moving toward the front of the book and towards the end of this review I must say that I am
delighted in Flieger's use of sources. First, of course, the official sources of the Tolkien family to
which so few have access. But perhaps move importantly, the unofficial sources and
contemporary
influences in J.R.R Tolkiens life.
The two Tolkien Reviews led me to offer this conference proposal for the following conference in
2003..
International Association of The Fantastic and the Arts the Conference: abstract
Philip Kaveny (University of Wisconsin-Madison, Emeritus)
A view from The Commanding Heights: The last decade of J.R.R Tolkien Criticism 1992-2002),
with special emphasis On recovering apparently neglected popular, and horrific aspects of his
work,
as seen from a Metacritical perspective.
I will use a comparative, metacritical stance to look at the last decade of J.R.R Tolkien studies
through its written documents, in order to identify some neglected areas, including, the horrific,
the
personal, and the almost accidental nature of his success. During the last ten years, a number of
significant secondary works on J.R.R
Tolkien were released into the critical community. In addition, the twelve volumes of Tolkien's
posthumous collection, History of Middle Earth, was brought to completion by his son
Christopher
Tolkien. The decade has seen the publication of at least a score of monographs dealing with his
works, and the compilation of several conference proceedings. Yet to the best of our knowledge,
no
one has yet formally addressed the haunting question raised by noted medievalist Norman Cantor
in
his groundbreaking work Inventing the Middle Ages. In the chapter "The Oxford Fantasists" he
addresses the merit of Tolkien criticism, asking whether this seeming ever expanding work done
on
J.R R. Tolkien represents an emerging field of legitimate academic studies? Or is it simply what
Cantor describes as a cottage industry, which because restrictions placed by the Tolkien estate on
access to primary source materials has produced a closed conversation rather than a critical
dialogue
open to all takers.
Biliography:
Cantor, Norman. Inventing the Middle Ages: The Lives, Works, and Ideas of the Great
Medievalists
of the Twentieth Century. Quill.February 1993).
Carpenter, Humphrey. J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography. Houghton Mifflin Co; (June 2000).
Chance, Jane. Tolkien's Art: A Mythology for England. University Press of Kentucky. Rev edition
(October 2001).
Flieger, Verlyn. A Question of Time: J.R.R. Tolkien's Road to Faerie. Kent State Univ.
(September
2001).
Hammond, Wayne C. and Christiana Scull. J.R.R Tolkien Artist & Illustrator. Houghton Mifflin
Company Boston and New York. 1995.
J.R.R. Tolkien and His Literary Resonances: Views of Middle-earth. (Contributions to the Study
of
Science Fiction and Fantasy) by George Clark & Daniel Timmons, Eds. Greenwood Publishing
Group (September 2000).
Proceedings of the J.R.R. Tolkien Centenary Conference, 1992: Proceedings of the Conference
Held
at Keble College, Oxford, England, 17Th-24th August, 1992). (January 1996).
Shippey, Tom. J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century. Houghton Mifflin (March 2001).
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Annotated Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. Doug Anderson Ed. Houghton Mifflin.
Revised edition (August 16, 2002).
______________. The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien, Eds.
Houghton Mifflin. 1st Houghton Mifflin ed. (June 2000).
______________. Morgoth's Ring: The Later Silmarillion, Part One (The
History of Middle-Earth - Volume 10). Christopher Tolkien Ed. Ticknor & Fields(December
1993).
______________. The Peoples of Middle-Earth (The History of Middle-Earth - Volume 12)
Christopher Tolkien Ed. Houghton Mifflin (December 1996).
______________. The War of the Jewels: The Later Silmarillion, Part Two. (The
History of Middle-Earth - Volume 11.) Christopher Tolkien Ed. Houghton Mifflin (December
1994).
Tolkien's Legendarium: Essays on the History of Middle-Earth. (Contributions to the Study of
Science Fiction and Fantasy, No 86)by Verlyn Flieger & Carl F. Hostetter, Eds. Greenwood
Publishing Group (January 30, 2000).
For those of you who are still reading I am proud to say that I am a loose cannon as far the world
of
Academic Criticism, because among other things I am retired, and am not striving for or trying to
protect tenure. Since this proposal is directed at a number of scared cows in my field in may not
be
accepted. In which case of course you will get to read all of it in The Midwest Book Review.
This is a section short reviews which I have promissed people for quite a while. Some of them go
as
far back as last spring"s International Association of The Fantastic and the Arts the Conference,
most of them come from publisher contacts I made at World Science Fiction Convention at San
Jose
over Labor day weekend.
I was delighted to find my friend Dan Weiss owner of Black Plankton Press and his lovely
daughter,
who would be very embarrassed if I used her name right now, selling books in the dealer's room at
World Science Fiction Convention. Dan Weiss is a mild manner middle school teacher in the bay
area who reminds me a lot of Mister Rogers from Mr. Rogers neighborhood which is a good
thing.
Dan towers over me. I am about six feet tall and I suspect that Dan has about a half foot on me,
and
is about a double handful of years younger than me so I won't be playing him any one on one
basketball, but since we both play chess I may have a game or two on the Internet. This his latest
effort.
Snugglarea by Dan Weiss Tradepaperback Black Plankton Press.ISBN 096112363x 2002 price
9.95ording the one of the editors at Spectra one of the multinational owned publishing houses it
was
a perfect fit in the dead genre of humorous science fiction. So Dan published it himself though his
own publishing house, and you can contact Dan through his
webiste.http://authorsden.com/danweiss
or email him at bplankton@juno.com
If you want more information about the several books he has in print.
The book does not look as if it is privately published it is handsomely and professionally
packaged,
with eye catching and distinct art work making it stand out among lots of the more mundane trade
paperbacks. The book is funny very funny something like a mix of early Kurt Vonnegut and Edgar
Allen Poe, I found a serious criticism of modernity but I won't spoil it by telling you too much
about
it. But I will include an excerpt from it from his website so you can get a taste of what it is
about.
Life used to be so simple; there were only amino acids and the beginnings of slime. But now
everything is organized to the point where there is a depressing lack of life in a world filled with
billions of people. Sally--the person I dream about most--is in storage on Earth, while I'm stuck
here
in orbit, working for Entertainment--the most fertile field of our sterile world--struggling to
broaden
the horizons of titillation. A harsh beep, sent by the little, bell-shaped beige thinkulator at Kevin
Henry's desk, indicated the probability that less than one percent of the populace would find his
preceding thoughts entertaining."
Modern Pagans: An Investigation of Contemporary Ritual
John Sulak (Editor), Vale (Editor) Paperback
RE/Swearch Publications;
ISBN: 1889307106 List Price: $19.95, 212 pages, www.researchpubs.com
Pagan motto: Do what you will, but harm none.
I met John Sulak at a hotel party at World Science Fiction Convention at San Jose California over
Labor Day weekend, where we talked for about three hours between 11:P.M and 2:00 A.M.
somewhere between those two hours John admitted to being a writer. I admitted to being a book
Review Editor, and we both admitted to being from the Midwest. At one time being practically
neighbors, John leaving Rockford IL for the bay area about fifteen years ago, and my self
spending
almost the first fifty five years of my life in Madison Wisconsin until I moved 189 miles North to
Eau
Claire Wisconsin three years ago
The book is an investigation into one of the fastest growing spiritualities in the world, with
numerous interviews of Pagans. Misunderstood as Satanism, Paganism is actually based on
experience and knowledge, not on faith and belief-- and Pagans are diverse, eclectic and radical,
just
like Paganism itself. Their common goal is to heal themselves and heal the planet. They see
themselves as being part of the natural world, not separate from it, and seek a fully-integrated,
inclusive, healthy new society. There are no Pagan authorities telling Pagans how to behave or
think,
or what rituals to practice. Instead, Paganism is a process of self-discovery. Many Pagans have
multiple lovers and worship multiple deities, but they are also raising kids, forming new kinds of
families and building a growing, fascinating community.
Time and space do not allow me to do justice to this fine and fascinating book full of hundreds of
photographs and nearly as many fascinating interviews, but there seems to be a very sensual even
sexual thread which unify the diverse aspects of the very interesting reference book. I found the
Pagan Glossary quite useful and it can easily be read either as unity or discursively moving form
interview to interview as I did.
A Quick Guide to Book-On-Demand Printing, Revised Edition
Roger MacBride Allen
FoxAcre Press;
ISBN: 0970971184; $21.00, Paperback, 244 pages, http://www.foxacre.com.
This is a timely useful and informative guide which is full indexed to what is in the process of
becoming the hottest area of the publishing industry where one can compete with the major
publishers or lose there shirt car and home to Vanity Press optimism. This book is a practical
goldmine of useful information for the perspective print on demand publishers. It gives you the
kind
of detail which if ignored can simply wreck your project for example on page 46 it explains the
necessity of using a true four color ink jet printer which gives a true black ink rather than a murky
blend of three colors. This is a hands on guide full of lots of cautionary information which tells
takes
you through every aspect of print media production whether your budget is two hundred, or
twenty
thousand dollars. If you are even thinking about this field this book is a must have
Swan Songs: The Complete Hooded Swan Collection
Brian Stableford
Big Engine Press UK
ISBN 1 903468 04 30 . Price in Pounds 16.99, http://www.bigengine.co.uk/index.htm
A welcome re-issue in one volume of a series that first appeared in the early 70's complete with a
brand new introduction, for Brian Stableford's six Hooded Swan novels. For many including
myself
much of contemporary science fiction has become to self conscious and reads and seems to be
written by sparrow fart English professors who are trying to justify their tastes to each other and
are
still a bit touchy about it. The late great editor Donald A. Wollheim, 1914 -1990 who originally
commissioned Brian Stableford to do this series was of a different breed.
For well over forty years until his death Wolheim and his Imprint DAW books were a driving
force
in the establishing a science fiction Genre it is great to see the whole series back in print in one
volume. It is well worth a trip to the Big Engine Website to checkout the score or so other
S.F.and
Fantasy Titles that they have available.and can be ordered from their U.K Website.
I met Dr. Thomas Martin by an accident of conference scheduling last spring At International
Association of the Fantastic and the Arts at ft Lauderdale Florida which placed us in the same
session together. Tom asked me if I would mind if he took a few extra minutes to read his
well-structured and carefully constructed paper on Speaking Pictures in the works of C.S Lewis.
Since I had been desperately writing my paper on Tolkien's concept of evil and at best count had
maybe eleven minutes to present I breathed a sigh of relief, as I thought to myself you could have
all
the time if you want. But as it turned out both papers seemed to work together since in as sense
we
were both suggesting that literature had a moral dimension to it and that there was something like
a
field of moral education where literary classics could serve a useful function. It also turned out
that
we both had an interest in the nature of evil and had done work on C.S Lewis. It also turned out
that
Tom had edited the following collection of articles in book form on C.S. Lewis. Which function in
chronological order as a lewis Approach to literary classics.
Reading the Classics With C. S. Lewis
Thomas L. Martin, editor
Baker Book House
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
ISBN: 0801022347; $24.99, www.bakerbooks.com
From the Back Cover "A Guide to Literature Reading the Classics with C. S. Lewis offers an
in-depth look at Lewis's great love for literature and his monumental work as a literary critic.
With
chapters devoted to various genres and the major periods of English literature, this collection
leads
readers to a stronger appreciation of literature and a deeper understanding of Lewis as a teacher.
"Even before C. S. Lewis established himself as a writer, he was drawing crowds of Oxford
students
to his lectures and illuminating English literature for them with his wisdom and his wit. . . . A
group
of experts explore this legacy in Reading the Classics with C. S. Lewis, enabling readers to share
Lewis's delight in the literature he valued and wanted others to enjoy." -Harry Blamires, author of
A
Short History of English Literature "
I found all of the sections interesting and I thought the use of Lewis as an entry point into the
literary classics both clever and innovative, Some detractors J.R.R. Tolkien for example towards
the
end of his life criticized Lewis for becoming "everyman's theologian". I think Lewis 1898-1963
would have been proud to be thought of as everyone's literature professor. Based on my own
unpublished research it is clear to me that though Lewis literary world was the classics he did not
shy away from modernity. I only wish his life might have been extended a few more years, so that
he
could have experienced more of the end of the last century, but perhaps he had seen enough.
I see that I have a little more time so I must admit to getting hooked on a couple books on tape.
Which meant I watched a lot less television, which is a good thing.
Three Fates
Nora Roberts, read by Bernadette Quigley
Brilliance Corporation
PO Box 887, Grand Haven, MI 49417
ISBN: 1587886936; $TBA, Unabridged Audio Cassette Edition, 1-800-854-7859
My wife tricked me into this one, which start in 1915 aboard a doomed Lusitania seven miles off
the
coast of Ireland and about to be sunk by a German Submarine. This is historically accurate and
literately compelling. I think most women who read this genre keep to themselves which is a
shame
because this is really a good book which cuts across eight seven years of history with a novel of
romance adventure sex and some violence which will keep you at the edge of your seat waiting
for
the next thing to happen. The romance genre has certain conventions, which make it a romance,
but
Nora Robberts makes believable characters that you really get to care for. The Irish part of the
story
is very well done, but here character Cleo is the one you fall in love with. She could easily be the
girl
you loved who fell on hard times and had to do what she could with what she had. By the way
romances have gotten steamy enough to make the average truck driver turn beat red.
How the Irish Saved Civilization
Thomas Cahill
Bantam Books Audio
1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036
ISBN: 0553502409; $TBA, unabridged audiobook edition, 1-800-726-0600
How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role from the Fall of
Rome
to the Rise of Medieval Europe is a book I have been meaning to read for years but I know find
myself listening to it non-stop in a handfull of sittings. It is a wonderfull book which makes the
chaos
of the last few decades of Rome's Empire come alive in a way that is nothing less than awe
inspireing. The Image of the Goths coming across the frozen Rhine River, not as an unstoppable
barbarian horde, but as a great unwashed mass much like that to the south of the US border under
the cold gaze of the Roman Soldier s standing at parade rest brought a chill to my soul.
The narrator with a fine Irish Brogue seems to talk to you as much as read to you and seems
almost
a seamless spokesman for the authors. Best of all I can Thomas Cahill knows his history and how
to
make St Augustan Come Alive, and make the first of the Great 18th Century Historians author of
The Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire Edward Gibbon; published in 1776 come alive as if he
were talking to us. I have been to many of the places Chahil referers to in England and Ireland and
next month I will do a literary Anglo Irish Tavelouge
Philip Kaveny
Literary Editor
Midwest Book Review.
Bogstad's Bookshelf
Contemplations on Philip Pullman, other writers and Oxford, Oxfordshire, England (mid-July,
2002)
I was hoping to spend more time on some of the writers who've inspired my travels, one might
even
say, my quests. I don't usually travel around trying to see where authors lived nor where they are
buried, have slept, drank tea or lager, but when they write about some geographically
recognizable
place, I like to visit that and soak up the atmosphere that inspired their creativity.
Oxford is a wonderful place for this, partially because writers of fantasy like J.R.R. Tolkien and
Philip Pullman, writers of mystery like Colin Dexter and Dorothy Sayers, and many others,
describe
Oxford in their books and lived part of their lives among its curious mix of ancient, old and
contemporary streets and buildings. I have visited Oxford often so I have my favorite places. As
does Philip Pullman and as did J.R.R. Tolkien.
Now I admit I have several times made the pilgrimage to The Eagle and Child on Oxford's High
Street. This is the pub where Tolkien, Lewis, Williams and a few others, met for many years to
discuss their writing. On this last trip, I was able to visit and exhibit in the Bodleian Library's
exhibits
hall, celebrating 400 years of the Bodleian. Pieces on display included the original Gutenberg
bible,
Chinese, Arabic and medieval manuscripts, but also some original watercolor art that Tolkien
used
in Lord of the Rings. That exhibit is going to continue through the end of this year. Should you
find
yourself in Oxford, do check it out.
As you may guess, I LOVE Oxford. I usually spend two or three days there at the end of any trip
to
UK or Ireland because it is so easy to get to Gatwick airport. There are buses from a bus station
on
Gloucester Green, not far from the Train Station, that take you right to the passenger entries of
both
major London airports. They're cheaper than Taxis from London and you can even get 'frequent
rider' tickets if you travel to Oxford more than once a year. Oxford combines the ancient and the
modern, with trains, buses, roads, and fancy and simple hotels and many Bed and Breakfast
establishments, of which every frequent traveler has their favorite. There are churches, rivers,
pubs
and eateries, many in easy walking distance to 'The High' and 'The Broad', major streets in most
British cities. But there is also a string of Blackwells bookstores on The Broad that always attract
my attention and my bibliophilic tendencies. I have spent many a happy hour browsing in the
categorized basement of the main Blackwells (also the travel, art, children's, etc.) bookstores. The
thing about the basement is that it's huge, on different levels, and is so well categorized that you
can
browse it like a library and fulfill some of your wildest dreams for book purchasing. Now I also
like
hunting up books on the web, but this is a totally different experience. It's an educational one, but
in
a visceral and highly tactile and visual sense. I recommend it even if you don't feel compelled to
buy
books.
Lately, I've also discovered antique shops and purchased a few Chinese artifacts that date from
the
period of my favorite Chinese empress Wu Zetian (for a novel about her time, see the highly
fanaticized Flowers in the Mirror) in the 7th century of the Tang dynasty and from the mid-Qing,
in
the 18th century. But that's probably another story.
My mission during my most recent Oxford trip was to visit an old friend, Bill, who I met at a
two-week course on British Libraries in 1989. But also to visit Jericho, the part of Oxford that
appears in novels by mystery writer Colin Dexter (I met him in 1989 also, but he is since
deceased)
and the Botanical Gardens featured in Philip Pullman's recent trilogy, His Dark Materials. Bill,
who
directed me to the Bodleian exhibit also took me back to visit Jericho and showed me some of his
favorite places. His ability to walk and his stamina put me to shame, as he is at least 15 years my
senior. Jericho is a residential area that was formerly inhabited by workers at the now-closed
ironworks and the Oxford University Press, which as also closed for a period but has now
reopened.
You've seen it, as well as the Bodleian Library, featured in the recent move, The Saint.
Now Philip Pullman, whose first famous novel was Ruby and the Smoke (1987), also lives in
Oxford. He writes books for a range of young readers, from those that are heavily illustrated for
the
10-12 year old set, to those that are, well, just 'heavy' for their older brothers and sisters. I first
became addicted to Pullman's Sally Lockhart series, which beings with Ruby, but branches out to
include many travels and adventures. The series so far is: Ruby and the Smoke, 1987, The
Shadow
in the North, 1988, The Tiger in the Well, 1990, and The Tin Princess, 1996.
More recently, he has gained wider attention for the adventures of a young girl, Lyra, who lives in
an alternative universe linked to ours and to several others through small random 'portal's. This
basic
premise begins Pullman's tale of good and evil, daemons, witches and rewriting of religious and
secular history, which he entitled His Dark Materials, published between 1995 and 2000. I've
appended some remarks about the books in the trilogy, which I hope will catch your attention.
They
include: The Golden Compass, 1995, (Northern Lights, in Britain), The Subtle Knife, 1997, and
The
Amber Spyglass, 2000. In fact, I wanted to be sure and visit a spot in Oxford mentioned near the
end of the third book. I won't give away the reason, but a certain bench near the marsh garden
within the larger Botanical Gardens, becomes very important to the two heroes of Pullman's Dark
Materials trilogy. And I had to find it - now the bench, which was placed their as an endowed
object
dedicated by a couple of regulars after their death, is of course not marked so I was pleased that I
could get advice from one of the ladies at the gate to the gardens off down past Magdalen
College,
and find the object of my quest. I got several good pictures and had a sit-down to appreciate
Oxford, the gardens that are huge, varied, not to be missed, and have been around for hundreds of
years, and the writing of Philip Pullman. Hopefully some of the remarks below will tell you what I
like about him and his books. Don't fell like you need to read all of the entry below. If you just
want
an overview, the first two paragraphs will do.
Also, a note for those who like to listen to books as they travel: there are wonderful, full-text
productions of all three available on cassette. I've read the books, but also listened several times
to
all the tapes and each was a rewarding experience. I am also looking forward to a movie or movie
series in the not too distant future, as New Line Cinema has optioned the novels. Since they've
done
such a good job so far on The Fellowship of the Rings, I think both we and Pullman can
contemplate
their involvement with pleasure rather than fear.
His Dark Materials is about a young girl and her quest for adventure, knowledge, understanding
and
maturity. In the way of these things, she is also a very remarkable young girl who doesn't know
her
parents and is being haphazardly raised by the scholars at Jordan, a fictitious Oxford college. She
is
the only girl there, and one of the few females, the others all being housekeepers or tenders of
some
sort. Otherwise, as with traditional Oxford colleges up until the mid 20th century, Jordan is full
of
adult, male scholars. She first learns of a quest for the mysterious substance, Dust, when she and
her
daemon, an external embodiment of a person's soul, are eavesdropping on a meeting between the
scholars and a famous explorer. Lord Asriel. She only knows because he has visited the college
before and taken a casual interest in her development. Lyra sees the Master of Jordan College,
whom she had looked on as a good man, trying to poison Lord Asriel, warns him, and is then
taken
into his confidence. However, his comments pique her curiosity about many things such as the
church and her own history, which she has heretofore taken for granted. When other children start
to disappear into the clutches of the mysterious Oblation Board, she becomes even more curious.
One of kidnaped children is her friend Roger, and this spurs her to action. Then she finds out
Lord
Asriel is her father AND is being held prisoner in the North. She embarks on their rescue,
traveling
with a group of river-gypsies known as 'gyptians' who are looking for their lost children. The rest
of
the first novel is full of travel, adventure, rescue and heartbreak for the steadfast and loyal Lyra.
With the second and third novels, she matures into a young woman, but with the help of friends
like
Will, whom she meets in The Subtle Knife, she retains her loyalty and learns to use he many
talents.
She also learns to see people in all of their complexities. The good people do bad things and the
bad
people do good things, and she learns that she will always ave to use her own judgment to
distinguish actions as well as the character of those around her.
Lyra is one of the sources of fascination for readers of Pullman's series. Two other major interests
are the settings in many parallel worlds and the daemons, which start out as avatars possessed by
all
members of Lyra's world, and, by the third book, are revealed, as is dust, to be part of all sentient
beings. It's just that some beings can see daemons or dust, or both, and others can't. Thus both
Dust
and Daemons become literary devices to create a highly metaphorical picture of human strengths,
failings and the human spiritual realm.
This Golden Compass is set in the city of Oxford for the first third of the book and the far North
of
the planet in the second and last parts. The Subtle Knife is set largely in a world that rests
'between'
Lyra's alternative Oxford and our own familiar Oxford, home of the trilogy's second hero, Will.
However, Lyra's Oxford is on an alternative earth, with humans whose souls are 'familiars' in the
form or animals that live outside the bodies of their human counterparts. Each individual's daemon
is
closely linked to their human and symbolizes something about their character. At the same time,
humans carry on verbal and mental conversations, even arguments, with their daemons, which are
usually of the opposite sex and continue to change from one animal to another until the humans
pass
through puberty. At this point in a person's life, the daemon becomes fixed. When the person dies,
it
seems to disappear. The first novel follows the perspective of Lyra, first describing her unlikely
home, in an Oxford college where the rest of the residents are adult male scholars of various ages.
Through her eyes, we first see a few rooms in Jordan College and then the rest of her childhood
world in the city of Oxford. The author intended this Oxford to be contemporary with ours, but a
parallel world where technology and society have taken a different turn. The city is late Victorian
in
feel, with few electric (they are called Anbaric') devices available to the general populace and no
hint
of motorized transport. Steam trains are mentioned but they don't figure in Lyra's travel, which is
by
foot, boat, steamship and dogsled. Lyra is something of an adventurer who has not been subject
to
the discipline of a family or a primary school. Her education is spotty, being conducted by
whatever
junior scholar of Jordan College is available to take her on. This also means that much of the time
she is left to her own devices, as one may expect Pullman himself was in his childhood. We thus
see
the streets, alleys, buildings and colleges from er perspective, but the wealth of detail makes them
into a rich background and her adventuresome spirit is the author's excuse for portraying the
roofs,
dungeons, burial crypts, riverbanks and canals. To anyone who has been to Oxford, many of the
descriptions are recognizable. What is missing is railroad stations, modern buildings, including the
modern shops and department stores of High and Broad streets, automobiles and all the bustle we
associate with contemporary Britain. Those are reflected in Will's Oxford of the second and third
books
Soon after the novel begins, Lyra is taken from Oxford to London, to live with her newfound
mother, the glamorous Mrs. Coulter. This is also a retrofitted London with a highly stratified
social
and economic system. Then she escapes from her mother because that same woman is a member
of
the Oblation Board, a religious institution that steals and harms children. Lyra hooks up with the
gyptians, whose children are most at risk and then we are treated to another slice of alternative
Britain. Finally, she journey's to north to Lapland with the gyptians hoping to rescue her friend
Roger, and Lord Asriel, whom she discovers is her father. This is the device used by Pullman to
introduce us to the many other civilizations of this alternative universe who live either in the fens
on
their boats (the gyptians), in small towns which are reminiscent of the 18-19th century, or in
frozen
huts in the arctic. Some of the arctic inhabitants are sentient bears whose 'souls' are their metal
armor made from meteorites. While the settings begin with the familiar alternative universe
Oxford,
close to home for Pullman and known to many of his readers as a new city with very old roots and
traditions, they become more and more exotic. The canals and fens on which the boat-bound
gyptians live are almost like those of central England today, but they are in heavier use because of
the absence of most other modern forms of transport. While she is with the gyptians, Lyra is able
to
observe details surrounding their rituals of decision-making and leadership, obviously developed
over long generations of gyptians outcast status, giving the story more historical depth and an
even
more exotic appeal.
The descriptions of Trollesund, in the far north, evoke those of turn-of-the century Alaskan gold
rush settlements as much as they do recognizable Lapland villages of our own far north. One can
almost smell the wet mud of the streets and steaming, damp bodies in the public buildings. That
these locations, a frozen north Lapland where fish are the major source of food, and where snow
covers the landscape for much of the year, and wild Tartars roam around capturing children and
killing other intruders, are also strange and frightening to Lyra only adds to the sense of
adventure.
Then, when she and her gyptians friends travel even further North to Bolvangar seeking the lost
children, she is thrust into a familiar situation with a terrible haunting difference. Bolvangar is a
remote settlement, boasting only an institution, which is a cross between a boarding school and a
hospital. Pullman is able to meld the strangeness of the frozen landscape with the common
experience readers have with this sort of concentrated collection of young humans. With an
economy of words, he can evoke all the fear and frustrations, as well as the hopelessness that can
attend to such settings
Pullman has been very articulate about his intentions for the three books of His Dark Materials.
They
are to be "A rewriting of Milton's Paradise Lost," for young adults, and the first novel is Lyra's
story. In the second, he introduces another focal character and the third novel involves them both
in
an epic struggle. In this series, the good people, like Lyra and her friends, are on the side of the
fallen angels and humans and against the established educational, governmental and religious
institutions of her society. Indeed, Pullman has designated Lyra as "The New Eve," whose
coming-to-knowledge is essential for the fulfilling, self-determined life of all humans.
When she sets out on her quest, Lyra is eleven years old and doesn't reach the age of twelve by
the
end of book one. The whole of the story chronicles the transition from innocence to experience,
or
the 'fall' from the unselfconscious grace of childhood into the self-conscious action of adulthood,
but
Lyra is still very much a child at the end of the first novel. At the same time, she has gone through
several painful rites of passage, beginning with her confusion when the Master of Jordan college
tries to poison her 'uncle', Lord Asriel, then gives her a gift from this same man, the precious
Alitheometer. She cannot help a great deal of confusion when he insists that she hide it from Mrs.
Coulter and doesn't tell her what it is or how to use it. Then she has to learn further distrust the
glamorous Mrs. Coulter. Her newfound mother has dazzled her with rich clothes and elaborate
social life, but intends to use her to capture children for the sinister 'Oblation Board' to use in their
experiments. She discovers that gyptians, whom she had thought of as social outcasts, are really
her
friends and will help her with her father. She learns that the church, which she has always known
as
part of her social background, is evolving into an institution that abuses children for their own
ends
and seeks to keep the majority of people ignorant about the natural and social world so that they
can
be more easily controlled. She also rapidly learns to place much more trust in her own judgment at
the same time as she comes to understand it is not infallible.
One symbol of her unconscious grace, her 'pre-fallen' state, is her ability to use the mysterious
Alethiometer, a small, golden mechanical device that is covered with symbols. She learns quickly
to
sink into a meditative state in order to 'work' the machine, a sort of compass covered with
symbols
and an arrow pointing to them. She quickly learns it can be used to advise her about other
peoples'
true character, suggest possible future results of current actions and reveal facts that might not be
obvious to anyone, much less a young girl. Another way Pullman has of signifying her innocence
is
that adult readers will recognize sexual innuendo among the adults, like Mrs. Coulter and her
friends, the witches and the gyptians, who surround Lyra, but she herself does not recognize it. By
the third novel, she is both aware of and experienced in love and sexuality as young women of
about
fifteen. Lyra acts independently and creatively throughout the novel, impelled by a strong sense
of
loyalty and responsibility and able to assess a number of ambiguous social and personal situations
without hesitating about her place in the action.
While Lyra and alternative Oxford, as well as several parallel worlds, fascinate a reader for their
imaginativeness, probably the most powerful and attractive symbol in this novel is the daemon,
followed closely by the bears of Lapland. Pullman describes the evolution of external souls that
differentiate Lyra's world from our own from the outset of the novel. This defamiliarizing device
did
not come with the original idea for the novels, but once he had it, the versatility of such a literary
invention, which can also be a symbol for many aspects of individual character and of collective
strangeness, became clear. Their symbolic uses, in a technical sense, will be described below.
Their
thematic value is also interesting. They represent a certain degree of determinism although
Pullman
resists this interpretation. When questioned, he associated the daemon with essential nature and
inborn talent. He said: "The concept doesn't determine outcomes, it suggests a nature. But then
that's just a picture of what we are like. We're not all gifted in the same way. . But the things we
can do something about still remain within our path."
They also allow Pullman to work with subjectivity, symbolizing puzzling aspects of the human
character, as one reviewer notes: "Turning to the question of subjectivity, it seems that the idea of
the daemon allows you to explore those facets of a personality that never actually fit. We've been
trained to think about the human personality as being unified and coherent and defined and the
device of the daemon allow you to shift that concept around a lot." His well-developed concept of
maturation is embodied in daemons but they are so engaging that one cannot contemplate
adulthood
in this society without extreme sadness."
Daemons form an essential thread in the complicated plot. This is another significance of their
appearance. While Lyra's innocent adventures in Oxford make for a good story, the author
gradually
builds up our knowledge of their importance. For example, we follow her lively adventures in the
crypts of Jordan College through Chapter Three. We learn that daemons disappear when people
die,
but in the crypt she finds coins with pictures of daemons on them wedged into the skulls of
deceased
scholars. When she switches them around, she receives ghostly visitors demanding that she put
the
coins back in the right places. Thus she and we begin to suspect the daemons, and their humans,
still
have some connection to the living.
The daemon is such an intimate part of each person's life that Lyra is immediately and
inconsolably
horrified to find that the Oblation Board is severing some children from their daemons. Thus they
become a plot element that impels her actions for the majority of the novel. This intimacy was
predicted by the episode with the deceased scholars but is reinforced regularly within the story.
For
example, she meets a severed boy on the way to Bolvangar and he has adopted a dead fish in
exchange for his 'ratter'. She notices that the usurping bear-king, Iofur Raknison, has a
human-shaped stuffed toy because he doesn't have a 'real' daemon. To her, this means they she
may
be able to deceive him as she could not deceive more 'natural' bears like her beloved Iorek.
Pullman's view on original sin is closely linked to this transition from innocence to experience he
embodies in Lyra. It is not a simple transition and his message is clearly that many adults fall by
the
wayside, putting their own desires for power, status and wealth above that of moral responsibility
to
other humans. He sees original sin as the best thing that ever happened to us, the symbol of our
becoming human and the entire three-book story is an attack on the rise of fundamentalist
religions,
which menace societies all over the world. As he says:
"I think the world today is in some danger of becoming medieval again. The rise of fundamentalist
religion, I think, is the most dangerous aspect of late twentieth-century life, whether it is
intolerance
among Christian or Muslims or Orthodox Jews. I think fundamentalist religion is one of the
greatest
dangers we have ever faced. And so if there is a source of wickedness in the book, you can place
it
there. But when institutional religion tells us what to believe, and punishes us for believing
something different, then its time to ring the alarm bells. (Scholastic)"
By the time you've finished all three books of Pullman's trilogy, you have entered an adventure
worthy of the most accomplished and intelligent. You've also pondered, along with his young
heroes, the nature of society, religion, the afterlife, life in other universes, and the complicated
process of growing up.
Jan Bogstad
International Editor
Midwest Book Review
Laurel's Bookshelf
Diving Through Clouds
Nicola Lindsay
Dandelion Books
5250 S. Hardy Drive, Ste. 3067, Tempe AZ 85283
ISBN 1893302199, 165 pages, $16.95, paperback
Irish author Nicola Lindsay has accomplished what few writers could. She took an unlikely
premise -
a departed woman's spirit caught in Limbo - and created a beautiful story. Written in the first
person,
from the bewildered spirit-woman's perspective, Ms. Lindsay had me hooked from the first line of
the first paragraph.
Kate is a fiftyish woman who dies after a long and dreadful illness. At her side when death comes
is
her flamboyant best friend, Veronica, and her coldly stoic husband, William. Absent from her life
is
Celia, a daughter who abandoned her parents' sham marriage eight years prior. Kate is definitely
dead, but lingers in ghostly form to witness the lives and read the thoughts of those who loved
her,
as well as those who didn't.
William and Kate shared an almost totally loveless marriage for thirty years.
William hasn't looked at her, REALLY looked at her as a woman, since the early years of life
together. Except for a too-brief period of infidelity with the younger Milo, who adored her, Kate's
life has been bereft of joy.
With the aid and guidance of her guardian angel, Thomas, Kate hovers in and about the lives of
her
husband, friend, daughter Celia, and grandson Matt. Over time, Kate begins to understand that
before she can progress to what Thomas assures her is a wonderful new place, she must address
the
awful mess that was her life on earth. Kate works at tying up loose ends, gaining wisdom and
insight
into the lives of those closest to her. An amazing end is wrought, with William, Milo, Celia and
Kate
drawn together in their struggle to save a dying Matt.
The beauty and wonder of Diving Through Clouds is experienced in the author's writing. I found
myself awed by and envying her skill as wordsmith.
From Kate's self-deprecating humor, her sorrow and anger at revealed secrets, to descriptive
passages that help the reader see and feel each scene, Ms. Lindsay's prose is pure, revelatory.
This is a book for adults and mature adolescents. I recommend it.
Spine
F.E. Mazur
PublishAmerica
PO Box 151, Frederick MD 21705-0151
ISBN 1588515710, 272 pp., $21.95
Spine is serious fiction, well-written to the extent that I had trouble believing the story was not
true.
F.E. Mazur chose a disturbing subject for his first novel, one that caught and held me to the very
last
page. As a one-time educator, he seems to write from harsh experience. Who fares better in the
current education system, teachers with a spine who hope to make a difference, or those who
coast
through their days untouched by the chaos around them?
Grayson Lord is the main character of Spine. He's young, attractive, quietly cynical about the
school
system and quality of learning offered. Gray lives alone, interacts socially on a somewhat
superficial
level out of choice, and does his best to make English and Literature attractive to his students.
With
few exceptions, neither his students nor the school administration appreciate Gray's efforts
Gray treasures books and the written word, enjoys a well-crafted joke and drinks with fellow
teachers after work. The new school year promises to be like every other, more of the same, until
the Aftanas clan moves into the school district. Always the controlled and reasonable
teacher-figure,
Gray is at first perturbed and then provoked by the horrible behavior of Asa Aftanas. Asa and his
equally brutal father share a dark secret from the past, and nothing Grayson Lord ever read or
imagined could prepare him for their kind.
There are those who will label Spine a mystery-suspense novel. I consider it mainstream fiction.
The
teachers, students, administrators, school board members, and parents were realistically
portrayed.
The language and content were often harsh and profane, much as it is in real life. The futility of
teaching those who prefer not to be taught was troubling, but true. The attempted character
assassination of a once idealistic man was painful to experience from Gray's perspective. And the
murderous Aftanas family was frightening to contemplate.
The subject matter of Spine was not pretty, but Mr. Mazur's writing style made the read
worthwhile.
This is not a book for children, sensitive adults, or those who like escapist reading. The story
posed
questions and scenarios that didn't have pat answers. That's why I liked it.
Death by Bad Magic
Violet Towe
PublishAmerica
PO Box 151, Frederick MD 21705-0151
ISBN 1591298148, 196 pp., $19.95, paperback
In her second novel, Death by Bad Magic, Violet Towe takes the modern world as we know it
and
transports us to a place where voodoo reigns. Don't expect the hokey sort of voodoo we've all
seen
in movies. I'm talking REAL voodoo, as it was practiced in the days of ancient Africa.
Sarah Benifield is a twice-married mother of two without so much as a parking ticket when
suddenly
she finds herself in jail for murder. Sarah's boss is dead, and she's the prime suspect, with two
grown
children living in another state, an ex-husband who ignores her, and a current husband who coldly
turns his back when she's arrested. If not for a sympathetic and supportive lawyer - the best her
money can retain - Sarah would be totally alone.
Sarah hires an old friend and private investigator to explore her boss's roots in Louisiana. He calls
to
say he's found proof that Sarah's boss was murdered, and that Sarah's life is in grave danger.
When
the judge grants her request to travel out of state, a skeptical Sarah is introduced to voodoo in its
highest form. Priest Herbie is a kindly, compassionate master of vodun - good magic. He fears for
Sarah and knows her boss was caused to die by an evil bokor - death by bad magic. Vodun serves
a
good and powerful God, the same God Sarah knows. When Sarah is kidnapped by the evil bokor,
Priest Herbie and his followers set out to find her. Accompanied by an odd mix of law officers
from
Georgia and Louisiana and Sarah's devoted P.I., the powerful priest does battle for her life and
spirit. Sarah has been injected with a zombie drug and Herbie is the only one who knows the cure.
Deep in the swamps of Louisiana, Priest Herbie and his vodun followers combat evil with good.
Sarah is saved. She and every person present are dramatically changed by what they see and
experience in the swamp. But that is not the end of it. The Evil Bokor is not done with Sarah, her
friends, or Herbie and his family.
I must confess to reading this book straight through. I devoured it, actually. The world of good
magic came alive through Ms. Towe's prose. I learned the truth about zombies, the voodoo spirit
world and the good God they serve, and how hexed animals are forced to fight on the side of
evil.
Make no mistake. Whether it be a powerful vodun priest serving his Bon Dieu, or a devoted
Christian serving a beneficent God, our world is torn by good and evil. The author handles this
premise well, in an exciting story. I liked the book, and learned a thing or two while reading
it.
An Eye for Murder
Libby Fischer Hellmann
Poisoned Pen Press
6962 E. 1st Ave #103, Scottsdale AZ 85251
ISBN 1590580354, 316 pp., $24.95, hard cover
In this first of a three-book series, Libby Fischer Hellman introduces Ellie Foreman. Ellie is a
divorced mother with one daughter, a documentary video producer living on Chicago's North
Shore.
She has an ex-husband who is less than prompt with child support, a gardener she can't afford to
pay, and a wardrobe sadly in need of replacement. Still, Ellie Foreman's life is quiet and
predictable
until a stranger's letter brings mystery and danger into her world. From that point on, Ellie is
transformed from everyday woman to dogged heroine.
It all starts out innocently enough. An elderly Ben Sinclair has died, and his landlady finds Ellie
Foreman's name among his few possessions. When Ben Sinclair turns out to be Ben Skulnick -
Skull
for short - and an old friend of Ellie's father, the mystery is born. The situation turns dangerous
when
Ben's landlady turns up dead and Ellie's home is searched. Ben's belongings are stolen. Who
would
want a few boxes of musty possessions hoarded by an old man? All that survives are two
photographs from the W.W. 2 era. When one of those photos features Lisle, an old lover from her
father's past, Ellie thinks the mystery might be worth investigating. The answers don't come easily
or
soon.
Ellie's mystery is shrouded by time, shadowed by past decades. As one clue is connected to the
next,
the only ones not on my list of suspects were Ellie, her sixth grade daughter, and Ellie's father.
Was
the Muslim gardener involved? How about the charismatic political candidate, Marian Iverson?
And
when Lisle's son, the handsome David Linden, makes his appearance, I suspected him also. The
fact
that he's a dead ringer for Marian Iverson's dead father enhances the suspense.
As Ellie and her crew film a documentary of Marian Iverson's political candidacy, the plot
thickens.
In swift order, a young friend of Skull's is shot and hospitalized in critical condition; Ellie's
ex-husband disappears, leaving her to face an investment scheme gone awry; her father is mugged;
and Ellie is kidnapped by vicious thugs. What do old photographs from the Nazi era have to do
with
all these happenings? Who exactly was the beautiful Lisle and what was her role in the mystery?
What part did the dead Skull play? And is the handsome David Linden appealing lover or up to
his
snow-white eyebrows in intrigue?
You'll have to read An Eye for Murder to learn the answers. You won't be sorry!
Bronwyn - Book Two
Silk and Steel
Ron Miller
Timberwolf Press
202 N. Allen Str. Suite A, Allen TX 75013
ISBN 1587520664, 251 pages, $14.95, paperback
I didn't have the privilege of reading and reviewing Book One in the Bronwyn Tetralogy.. But if
Silk
and Steel is any example, I can easily understand why Book One - Palaces and Prisons - won the
Silver Fiction Award as ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year in 2001. Book Two is a delight,
and now I'm impatiently anticipating Book Three.
Early on, readers learn what the Princess Bronwyn and her fellow travelers faced in Book One as
they now seek save haven. The defiant, crusading Princess has been transformed by evil,
avaricious
men into a fugitive and exile from her own land. Along the way, they come across wonderments
of
technology. Such wonders serve them well as their odyssey progresses.
Mr. Miller has created fine tuned characters, and the dialog was well-developed, to the point that
I
felt a part of every conversation. Bronwyn's friends became mine. I desired the changeling Gyven
secretly, through her eyes, and trusted him completely. The giant, slow thinking Thud Mollocke
protects his Princess with a to-the-death devotion I found quite touching. And the dapper Baron
Milnikov, with his monied but fading charms, is sympathetic and supportive in her flight to
safety.
The villains at the heart of Bronwyn's troubles are no less intriguing than her friends. The cruel
Payne Roelt and equally vicious General Praxx have stripped Bronwyn's people and homeland of
almost anything of value. The dim witted accomplice in their schemes is Bronwyn's dullard
brother,
Prince Ferenc. The pillage of Bronwyn's once prosperous country struck me as a social
commentary, played out in a fantasy setting. Roelt and Praxx have created a corrupt state, then
pitted it against an equally corrupt Church to gain power and riches. One of Bronwyn's trusted
friends is in cahoots with the villains, but I'm not telling who.
Bronwyn is a princess of nubile and maturing beauty. Despite the horrid lot dispensed by enemies,
she struggles with the first stirrings of female sexuality. A brief respite in the faerie kingdom
brings
those reluctant stirrings to a rolling boil in person of Spikenard. Faerie magic briefly traps her in
Spikenard's spell. With gently beating wings and trembling antennae, the ever-so-masculine
Spikenard attempts to make Bronwyn his. Only Thud's unintended blundering upon the scene
prevents a faerie conquest. From that point on, Bronwyn's half forgotten memories of sexual
awakening rest heavy in her thoughts. The writer states such feelings eloquently, as Bronwyn
thinks
she's "gained mastery of some powerful engine, and had no track on which to run it". That engine
is
not forced to run trackless for long, when Bronwyn and her friends are given sanctuary by the
young
and handsome Duke Mathias Strelsau.
The enamored Duke Strelsau will do anything Bronwyn asks, and she wants justice. She wants
her
country back and her brother deposed. She wants Payne Roelt and General Praxx eliminated, by
hook or by crook. And she wants it done her way. The blossoming love of the Duke for his
Princess,
the disappearance of Thud, and an amassing army sets readers up for Book Three. As Bronwyn
prepares for armored battle, the reader is left wondering if she and Thud will reconnect. And what
of
Gyven, left behind at his insistence to save the faerie kingdom? Will Spikenard and his magic join
the
fray? And who will Princess Bronwyn choose to love?
Whether you are a fantasy fan or not, Bronwyn - Silk and Steel is well worth reading. I
enthusiastically recommend it to older teenagers and adults.
=====================================
Interview with Ron Miller:
I wanted to interview Ron Miller, author of The Bronwyn Series, because his skills are varied.
Not
everything Ron Miller does is writing related.
LJ for MBR: I barely know where to begin with you, Ron. Your accomplishments are many, and
your projects-in-progress impressive. Let's start with your books.
I recently read and reviewed Bronwyn: Silk and Steel, which is book two in the Bronwyn Series. I
called it fantasy and you labeled it as punk. Elaborate on that definition.
Ron: No, actually I called the series "steam punk". In SF, the term-- which is a take-off from
"cyberpunk"--refers to books that are written to be pseudo-Victorian science fiction. That is, the
authors are writing as kind of neo-Vernes or neo-Wells. Perhaps the first and possibly most
famous
of these was a novelette called "The Saliva Tree", which I believe won several awards. "The
Difference Engine", a novel by Wm Gibson, is an excellent example of steam punk (written by the
author who invented cyberpunk). Although the Bronwyn series is a deliberate tip of the hat to
Jules
Verne (with lots of in-references to Verne scattered throughout), it is unlike most other steam
punk
novels in that it includes a strong fantasy element.
LJ for MBR: "Steam Punk" was a new term to me, so thanks for explaining it.
In addition to the Bronyn Series, you've authored other novels, both fiction and non-fiction. When
did you begin writing, and give us a rundown of your other books.
Ron: In addition to the Bronwyn series (which is a reissue of a trilogy that was orignally
published
by Ace about ten years ago, now heavily revised (as well as illustrated) and expanded by the
addition
of a fourth book), Timberwolf has also published "Bradamant: The Iron Tempest". This is a novel
set in 7th century Europe, based on a character from a 16th century Italian epic poem by
Ludovico
Ariosto: "Orlando Furioso". (I have a small website devoted to the book:
http://www.black-cat-studios.com/bradamant/Page_1x.html) I have several other
as-yet-unpublished
or in-progress novels: A fifth volume in the Bronwyn series (that is very much more science
fictional
than the previous books), "Velda", a 1950s noirish mystery about a stripper-turned-detective (you
can find out all about her here: http://www.black-cat-studios.com/velda/Page_3x.html), "The
Conquest of Space", an alternate history novel about what might have happened if the German
rocket pioneers of the 1920s had gotten the backing and support they wanted, "Return to Skull
Island", a kind of sequel to "King Kong", etc.
I've always enjoyed writing, whether fiction or nonfiction. For instance, I've published dozens of
magazine articles. Most of the other books I've done have fallen in the non-fiction category. Some
of
these are: "The Grand Tour", a traveller's guide to the solar system that I co-authored with
astronomer William K. Hartmann, with whom I also did four other space books; "The Dream
Machines", a massive, 750-page illustrated history of the spaceship in art, science and literature;
"The History of Science Fiction" and "The History of Rockets", which are two young adult
books;
"Firebrands", a pictorial history of science fiction heroines (for which I did over 100 paintings and
SF author Pam Sargent provided a splendid essay); "The Art of Chesley Bonestell", which, I'm
delighted to say, won the Hugo for best non-fiction this year; and "Worlds Beyond", a series of
ten
books about the planets for young adults I've both written and illustrated. There are other books
than these, but that gives you an idea. Next year I'll be doing two more young adult books, "The
Elements" and "Special Effects in the Movies", as well as coffeetable book about space artist Bob
McCall.
LJ for MBR: I'm happy you mentioned winning the Hugo award for The Art of Chesley
Bonestell.
Your website states you are associated with Bonestell Space Art. Tell us about that.
Ron: Bonestell Space Art was originally started in 1970 by William K. Estler and Bonestell to
market a pair of fine art prints they had co- published. As Estler took over more of the
management
of Bonestell's work, Bonestell Space Art took on a larger meaning. After Estler's death, Fred
Durant
took over. After Fred's wife passed away a few years ago, he transposed much of the day-to-day
management of BSA onto me, which I was glad to do. After the death of Bonestell's widow, Fred
obtained all of the rights to Bonestell's work, along with a huge archive of letters, files,
memorabilia,
records, scrapbooks, albums, etc. This, added to the thousands of photos and slides we already
had,
has formed the basis for a definitive collection of materials relating to Bonestell's life--which in
turn
was the basis for the book. All of this material is now kept in a specially-air conditioned room in
my
house.
In addition to maintaining and upgrading these files (new items come in all the time as Bonestell
gets
better-known), I also oversee the licensing of reprint rights to Bonestell's work. His paintings are
still copyrighted (which many people don't realize) and permission has to be granted by BSA
before
his artwork can be used--even on websites.
LJ for MBR: Your website mentioned a pet project - Pentizel. Tell our readers about Pentizel,
what
it is and how near completion it might be.
Ron: Pentizel is a film project I've worked up with Ron Shusett, the writer-producer of Alien,
Total
Recall and Minority Report. It is about a genetically engineered catwoman. While there is an
excellent director associated with the project, there's no news (yet) about backing, though
apparently there is some considerable interest. I don't feel free to say much about it since much of
this is currently pending.
LJ for MBR: You have quite an impressive resume as illustrator in movies as well as books. You
worked as an illustrator on "Dune", consulted on "Contact", and either are or have been the
conceptual artist on a film about Mars. Tell us about your work in movies.
Ron: Back in 1983 my wife and I were sitting around wondering where our next cheeseburger
was
coming from when Tony Masters called from LA and said, "I'm the production designer on Dune.
We saw your paintings of Mars in The Grand Tour and thought they looked just like Arrakis.
Would
you like to come and work for us?" I thought about it for about six seconds and said, "Well, yes!"
A
month-long probation period ("To see if we like you and you like us") grew into more than a year,
where I not only did production illustrations but some production design as well, which was
pretty
cool. Later, I performed a similar function on the (unmade) Di Laurentiis version of Total Recall.
Although I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of both experiences, my film work has been fairly
limited. I've done some preproduction stuff for David Lynch, production design for Unified Film
Organization films, some matte art and whatnot, my most elaborate involvement in recent years
was
when I designed and co-wrote "Comet Impact", a CGI show ride film produced by SimEx Digital
in
1998.
LJ for MBR: If you could pursue only one branch of your career, which one would it be?
Ron: Interesting question! But since I consider my career to be that of an illustrator-writer,
perhaps
I'll skirt the question and say that's what I want to do most: be an illustrator-writer. Honestly,
however, I enjoy doing both thoroughly--it wouldn't really matter (if I could still make a
living!).
LJ for MBR: I'd like to return to an answer that intrigued me. Velda, the 1950's noir novel you
mentioned, sounds like a book I'd enjoy. Is it completed and have you found a publisher for it yet?
Or did I miss that on the Velda section of your website?
Ron: No, you didn't. The book is completed (in fact there is not only a novel but ten short
stories!
You can read one of the latter on the ThrillingDetective.com website), but there is no publisher
yet.
LJ for MBR: Your career and accomplishments are so striking that this interview could easily go
on
ad infinitum. I'll end by asking if there is any question you wish I had asked, or if there is any
other
bit of information you'd like our readers to know.
Ron: Well, my ambitions are for the most part just more of what I'm doing now: I'd like to see all
of
my as-yet-unpublished novels published--for that matter I'd like to see all of the books in fat book
idea file published, I'd like to see Pentizel produced (and speaking of films, there are a dozen
classic
SF stories and novels I'd like to be involved in the film production of--if anyone in Hollywood
would
ever have the wits to make them, fat chance), and someday I'd like to found a small press where I
would produce small editions of good books finely illustrated by all of my artist friends . . .
LJ for MBR: Thank you, Ron. I appreciate you taking time for this interview. I'll end by
reminding
readers where they can find your latest book, at www.timberwolfpress.com and find your
portfolio
and other information at www.black-cat-studios.com.
=====================================
Interview with Carol Adler
Interviewer note: Carol Adler is the CEO of Dandelion Books. I wanted to interview Ms. Adler
because Dandelion is a regional publisher with an international reach.
LJ for MBR: I appreciate your agreeing to an interview, Carol. Let's begin with some basic
background information. When was Dandelion Books founded?
In November, 2000, I founded Dandelion Books, a full services publishing company as a
subsidiary
of my new corporation, Dandelion Enterprises, Inc. In August, 2002, Dandelion Books became an
LLC, or independent company.
LJ for MBR: What is your philosophy as a publisher?
Our motto, "The Author's Publisher," delivers our philosophy. As a professional writer and editor
myself, I feel it is a publisher's duty and responsibility to recognize and honor an author's needs
and
desires. Writers and artists are often the most neglected members of our society. Traditionally in
the
food chain of the book industry, the author is paid last. I like to remind book publicists, marketers
and distributors who traditionally take the largest chunk of the profits before delivering any
revenues
to the publisher -- if it weren't for our authors, we wouldn't have any products to sell! Authors
are,
after all, our raison d'etre.
When I founded Dandelion Books, I determined to change this system. Thus, Dandelion Books
honors its authors first. Through our on line on-demand system of promoting and selling our
books,
we collect our money as soon as a book is sold, and a portion of that money is earmarked as a
royalty payment to the author. Also, we don't have "seasons" for a book. A good book does not
go
out of style. Even books on current events have a historic and academic value several years after
they were written.
By the same token, we believe in quality. Over the past four years, I've been watching what I call
the
"fast food" dot.com vanity publishers that take an author's money, quick-print their books and
leave
them stranded with products that may not have market value. This is both shabby and unfair.
A manuscript must have market value before we will accept it. This means we believe a
substantial
number of discriminating individuals will want to read that work. And that leads me to quote our
mission statement: "Dandelion Books is committed to producing quality books that are
informative,
educational, inspiring, entertaining, uplifting or enlightening, using the latest cutting-edge
production
and delivery technologies."
As a freedom-lover, I am also deeply concerned about censorship issues and practices. Dandelion
is
committed to making its books available to the general public even if they may be banned or
"sandbagged" by personal interest groups or other entities. We are like the dandelion flower that
grows everywhere because we celebrate democracy and diversity. I like to compare us to the
famous
Grove Press that brought forth Lady Chatterly's Lover and Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn after
they had been rejected by all the major New York publishers because they were considered
immoral,
lewd and inferior in quality. Today these books are classics and D.H. Lawrence and Henry Miller
are
hailed as two of the greatest writers of all time.
LJ for MBR: It's clear from that answer, and from the information on your website, that you strive
for excellence. For example, you edit the books you accept for publication. That is a rare
commodity. Tell us about the editing process with a typical Dandelion Press book.
First, perhaps I should qualify what I mean by "editing for publication." If a book is far from
ready,
we will advise the author to seek help either through a writing program, a writing tutor or
enrollment in one of the many MFA programs in fiction or non-fiction writing. If I personally see
extraordinary promise, I will take on that person as a student. Dandelion Enterprises, Inc. includes
tutoring services for writers through the "Scheherazade Writing School." I'm also a college
English
and creative writing instructor with considerable experience. I almost feel I cannot not offer my
services to a gifted writer who has a passion to dig into the work that needs to be done in order to
bring a book to the point of being publishable. However, let me point out, there is no guarantee
that
a writer who is tutored by Dandelion will ever produce a book that qualifies for being published
by
Dandelion. My students know that in advance.
If the work merely needs line editing and most of it is in shape, we will accept it and do the work
ourselves. After it is line edited, the author will then proof it and sign off on the changes.
If we feel a work is good, and even exceptionally written, but has little value to a larger readership
beyond the author's friends, colleagues and family, we will suggest self-publishing. This will give
the
author a sense of accomplishment and personal satisfaction as well as a product they can share
with
those who sincerely want to read this book for personal reasons. Dandelion Enterprises, Inc. also
has a self-publishing division, Tiger Maple Press, that offers full services for payment by the
author,
including traditional distribution, if the author is determined to try for bricks and mortar bookshelf
space.
A word of caution, however: The author must be prepared to pay a stiff fee to a professional
publicist to launch a four-month campaign, or the author must be willing to pay fees for enrolling
in
a "grunt work" program that delivers all the guidelines to the author for launching the campaign
but
does little or none of the work. It is not inexpensive to self-publish and market a book through the
traditional book industry system -- which is why most of the large, well-established publishers are
owned by corporate conglomerates that pick up the tab and probably have already secured
business
interests in media and trade outlets, to insure the success of their books.
Back to your original question: The editing process for a typical Dandelion Books manuscript.
We
have no typical manuscripts! Each one is different and is treated as a unique work by the author.
Even another work by the same author will be treated individually.
Perhaps it is this personal attention that sets us apart from other publishers as well.
I do not enjoy rejecting manuscripts, but that is part of the business. I can only ask authors to be
willing to listen to suggestions and advice. We are not always 100% right in our evaluation - no
editorial staff is, and the book industry is replete with stories of "misses" on the part of editors and
publishing houses that rejected a book that turned out to be a best-seller or even a classic. But for
the most part, we are accurate. We know when a book is ready to be published, and we also are
experienced in determining when a manuscript needs more work.
LJ for MBR: You mentioned GoOff.com and I checked out their website. Are you affiliated with
them and if so, what is your relationship?
We certainly are! GoOff.com is our new bookstore, which is also the hub website for our
affiliates.
It is GoOff.com and our network marketing program that makes us the hottest and most exciting
publishing company on the planet.
GoOff.com, owned by PMC4, an internet consulting and marketing company. We are "leveraging
the true power of the Internet," to quote Larry Kruguer, one of the PMC4 managing partners.
"We've put together a web-based, one-click streamlined order operation. Our marketing and sales
network is impressive and our promotion campaigns will reach millions of Internet users. Our
on-demand printing and fulfillment company even has facilities in the UK and Europe. This will
cut
down on shipping costs for overseas sales as well."
PMC4 has had many years of experience developing similar delivery platforms and setting up the
marketing and promotion for a number of other products and services. It also owns and manages
several other corporate, e-commerce, international, portal and content websites.
Dandelion also has a free newsletter, Global News Net, which will have its own website shortly,
linked to GoOff.com, where it will be archived. The newsletter has been coming out daily for
almost
a year and it includes articles by our authors and other reporters who write on the same subject
matter of our books. We have a loyal subscription base. Anyone can subscribe:
global_news_net_subscribe@yahoogroups.com .
In addition to GoOff.com and Dandelion marketing and promotion campaigns, authors also
participate, and reap the rewards. Remember I said we are "the author's publisher". If they don't
already have a website, and most of them do, we urge our authors to create a simple one, join the
GoOff.com affiliate program and have all their friends, relatives and associates who have
websites,
do the same. They will then receive royalties for each book sold, plus a commission on each
Dandelion Books title, including their own, that they sell through their website.
The order and fulfillment system is seamless and streamlined. One click leads to the
print-on-demand
company website that prints out the book that is ordered and ships it to the buyer within 48
hours.
Our books can also be found in bricks and mortar bookstores. If a person walks into a bricks and
mortar bookstore and the book is not on the shelf, they can order it and have it shipped to them
within two to three days, to pick up at the store. or have it drop-shipped to their door, based on
bookstore policies. Libraries can order the books from Dandelion and we will have them printed
immediately and shipped. We can also handle large print runs for wholesalers, bookstores, mail
order catalogs, and other trade outlets. Delivery time for large print runs only takes a couple
weeks.
Our books have no "season." They are always available. They are always in print.
Some authors are concerned that their book may be censored or sandbagged by the media other
special interest groups. GoOff.com will be known as the website for uncensored truth - for books
you may not find elsewhere.
LJ for MBR: Many authors have no idea what to expect when their books are accepted by a
publisher. Just as an example, if a book was accepted by you today and was in pristine condition -
no
editing needed - how long is the process between acceptance and publication with
Dandelion?
As soon we sign the contract with the author, we set to work. "No editing needed" is the author's
perception. Often the work does need line editing, in addition to proofing. A manuscript, even
though pristine, will still have to be proofed several times. The human eye does not catch
everything
the first, second or even third time around! If the manuscript really is in excellent condition, this
process could take two weeks, for a work that is approximately 80,000 - 100,000 words.
When we feel the book is ready, we'll send it to the author for a final proofing. The time it takes
for
the author to do this proofing will be added into the production quotient.
After we receive it from the author, we will make the necessary corrections and send it off to
design.
If the cover needs to be fully designed, i.e., if the author does not provide any art work (this is
optional. we welcome suggestions from the author) it may take longer for the pdf files to be
returned to us for proofing. We can safely say that the entire process will take about three weeks,
possibly less. We will proof the pdf files, send them to the designer for corrections and send the
corrected pdf files to the author, as a "galley proof." On-demand publishing eliminates former
blue-lines or galley proofs, so we use this final pdf file as a substitute.
If the author finds errors, these are corrected by the designer; we should allow about a week for
this
process, depending on the speed with which the author returns these galleys.
The final pdf files are then electronically transmitted to our on-demand printing company. Within
7-10 days, the book is set up for sales. At that point, GoOff.com downloads the files and sets up
the
book for sale. They will send out the necessary configuration to the affiliate websites, along with
press releases and other promotional materials developed by Dandelion.
It is important to note that it may take amazon.com and other on line bookstores about two
weeks
to set up a book after it is ready for sale and they have received the files. GoOff.com probably will
have the book up much faster, ready for orders.
Thus, the total estimated time from start to finish is about three months, plus bookstore set-up
time.
Measured against the usual method of book publishing, which delivers a time frame of a
year-and-a-half, or 18 months - and then add on a possibly longer delay because of their
"seasonal"
way of publishing, "we've come a long way, baby!" With this archaic system, by the time a book
on
current events is ready for publication, it may already be out-dated.
LJ: Your website is quite explicit about submissions, and I encourage our readers to check
www.dandelionbooks.net when they have the time. For now, tell us in your own words what
qualities you look for in a potential book and who makes the decision to accept or deny.
The author must have something important to say and must say it well, in a voice that is unique.
The
work must have substance. Our submission form is a valuable part of the evaluation process.
Questions include: What is this book about? Why did you write it? What does this book mean to
you? What do you think it would mean to your readers? Who are your readers -- who is your
target
market? How would you help to promote the book?
In other words: what does the author intend to express or deliver to the reader? And, according
to
the author's perception, who is that targeted readership? After all, the readers and not our authors,
are the focus for this work.
Often an author becomes so self-absorbed in the process of writing, it becomes a power trip or an
opportunity for self-aggrandizement. The reader does NOT want to know how clever the author
is
and the reader does NOT consider the author's life or the information the author is imparting,
exciting, inspiring or significant, unless the reader can identify with it in some way.
Using these questions and this system of evaluation as a filter, the process of acceptance or
rejection
becomes straightforward.
An author frequently forgets two important factors: The reader, and the marketplace. Art for art's
sake is wonderful and I'm a supporter of solipsism if it is joyful and self-fulfilling for its
practitioners.
By the same token, I'm running a business and I have to make sure our books will sell. That
means
they will be inspiring, informative, educational, uplifting or enlightening to their readers. There's
the
Dandelion mission statement once again. I also need to make sure there is a market niche for each
book we accept.
For example, are many people hungry for books about death and loss, loneliness, grief, despair,
job
loss, career change, relationship issues, terrorism, powers that may be controlling their lives that
they may not be aware of? You bet! Do people want to be better lovers, partners, employers,
employees, parents, entrepreneurs? Do they want information that is not available to the public
through mainstream media? Do they want their lives to be richer, fuller, more enjoyable.
successful?
Do they want to be lifted out of the mundane into the world of fantasy, humor or the bizarre?
Books
on these subjects are winners. if they provide fresh information in a new way. In the advertising
world the buzz word is "sizzle." I'd like to add, ".if the author's heart and soul are in the work.
That
is something you simply know when you read it, and is perhaps the most important criteria of
all.
By the same token, do readers want to know about Eunice Campbell's trip to Egypt, where and
what
she ate, whether the fish was fresh, whom she met from her hometown by coincidence, and what
she
saw? Do they want to read about the channelings of Madame Booboo in a past life, telling them
she
was the second wife of the third pharaoh of the nineteenth dynasty? Do they want to know how
clever Susan and Harry's grandchildren are, what their first words were and at what age their first
teeth started coming in?
The most important question we ask when reading sample chapters and reviewing submission
forms
is "So what?"
If the author can provide an answer to that question, we know we have a work that may have
potential for a readership, and for a specific market.
Ultimately, I make the final acceptance or rejection decision; thus I take full responsibility for a
book
that doesn't sell well. First, however, the work will have been read by a number of other editors -
and readers. I consider myself skilled in this area because I've discarded - trashed -- so many of
my
own manuscripts. I've lost count how many! I'm hard on myself. The "so what" question is a big
one
for me.
LJ for MBR: You've provided some excellent guidance for authors with your answers, Carol.
Before
I bring your interview to an end, is there any question you wish I had asked, or any information
you'd like to share with our readers?
Thank you, Laurel, for excellent questions. I'd just like to make sure that authors know Dandelion
is
there for them. We are not a large, cold-hearted group of individuals who are standing in
judgment
of them! After all, we are writers and artists ourselves. We celebrate writers, and sincerely wish to
nurture their passion to write.and get their works published.
Laurel Johnson
Reviewer/Interviewer
Midwest Book Review
Shirley's Bookshelf
Stir Crazy With Insects & Animals: 20 Stirring Recipes For Children
Lily Erlic, BA
SynergEbook
1235 Shoals Rd., King, NC 27021
ISBN# 193154011X, 45 pages, CD-Rom $8.99 - Download $5.00,
http://www.synergEbook.com
Do you want a book that is not only entertaining for your child but also a learning experience? If
you
do,
Stir Crazy With Insects & Animals is the book for you.
A cookbook with a new twist is what you will find inside the pages of this delightful children's
book.
Recipes for delicious treats such as Alligator's Alphabet Soup, Cabbage Butterfly Fritters, and
Daddy Longlegs Pancakes can be found.And let's not forget the special birthday Cheetah cake.
Sure
to delight any child and adult as well! The book includes recipes for muffins and breads, dips,
soups
and cakes. Each recipe will bring a giggle to your child and a yummy from their tummy!
The author contributes useful information for each insect or animal that the recipe is named after.
Did you know there was a butterfly that is actually drawn to the smell of cabbage leaves?
Interesting! She includes kitchen safety and sanitary tips and activities that can be done
corresponding with different recipes. I tried the Daddy Longlegs Pancakes with my
granddaughter.
Carefully we placed the licorice candy around to make our Daddy Longlegs breakfast
complete.We
even added a few dots of syrup to make some eyes, a nose and a smiling mouth. Great fun!
Tickling
to the tummy!
If you want a book that is educational and also a sharing experience with your child, this is the
one
for you. I highly recommend Stir Crazy With Insects & Animals!
The Rake's Reflection
Lesley Ann McCleod
Awestruck Ebooks
ISBN# 1587493446, Download $4.75 - Diskette $8.95, 10 Chapters,
http://www.awe-struck.net
Is it true that fate plays a hand in how our life will be? Why did Miss Tyninghame decide to travel
to
London and stay with an old friend of her late fathers, whom she had never met! And was it really
the fourth earl of Torgreave who extended this invitation to the beautiful Delia? I will tell you that
was not so. Who then wanted her presence at the estate and why?
Arriving Delia is met by the fifth earl, Rupert Manningford who is anything but delighted to see
her.
Trying to reform his own life, and his relationship with his brother, he is not happy to have house
guests, especially since he did not invite them. However, as he looks into Delia's face he sees his
own. How could this be possible? Who was this woman that appeared on his doorstep and why
was
there such a strong resemblance to himself. Forbidden love begins to bloom between young Delia
and Rupert, but can it ever be allowed to grow? They must find the answers, even if the truth
breaks
their hearts. You will hope their love is not in vain!
The Indentured Heart
Barbara Raffin
AweStruck Ebooks
ISBN# 1587493713, $4.95 download $8.99 diskette, 28 Chapters,
http://www.awe-struck.net
How does a man feel when he is forced into indentured service for a crime he did not
commit?
Looking ahead to fourteen years of his life being stolen from him ,at the sound of a Judge's gavel,
would produce horror in any heart! I shudder at the thought! Royce Devlin is that man and this is
his
story.
Set in 1770's, in the Americans; It is here that Royce is bought by Megan McCall, the daughter of
the late Shea McCall Shipbuilder and Plantation owner.
As the story goes, you soon find that Megan is crippled from a carriage accident. Not only was
her
physical body injured, but her emotional one as well; as she harbors the pain of the loss of her
husband Peter Tallmadge and the child that grew within her.
Meagan is not sure why she bought Royce's ownership papers. Was this man the evil pirate that is
penned about him, or the innocent victim of circumstances that he says he is?
Since the disappearance of her Father and his presumed death, and the untimely death of her
brokenhearted Mother, Meagan is in danger of losing Hillhouse. She is determined to make a go
at
keeping her home . Deeply in debt, Megan desperately needs to sell the ship that is being built by
her
own specifications. But there is a sinister plan in place to undermine her success. Who is behind
this
plan and will Megan lose her life at their hands? That is their hope. But why? And what part does
her hired hand Toombs and Peyton Little, the man who asked her hand in marriage, have in this
saga? Are they friend or foe?
What really happened the night of her accident and who really is Royce Devlin, and what
connection
does he have with the lady who is willing to buy Meagan's ship? The questions never stop
coming!
Share the emotions as Royce heals Meagan's lifeless limps and broken heart, only to be rejected at
first, by a love he never wanted to feel!
Secret after secret is whispered in this novel by Barbara Raffin, as she brings two wayward souls
together in a mishap love, hate relationship.Finally joining them together to battle the forces of
evil
afoot. You are not sure who the villains are until the very last. I know I never guessed! As the
secrets unfold, you may find yourself gasping, as I did at the answers to so many questions.
I'll tell you this much, there is a happy ending, but not before you are taken on a ride of mystery
and
suspense! Good read!
Renegade
Judy Gill
Awestruck Ebooks
ISBN# 1587493403, Downloads $4.75, Diskettes $8.95, 10 Chapters,
http://www.awe-struck.com
Have you ever dreamed of romance high on a mountain top, with a man who would be every
woman's fantasy? Imagine being swept away in his passion under the star-lite night ,as the crisp
mountain air causes you to cling tighter to the one you love. Breathless, your heart beats in
anticipation of the love you are about to share.
Renegade, a Contemporary Romance novel by Judy Gill, will allow you to taste this fantasy and
more. . Walk with Jacqueline and Renny Knight as they journey to find the love that was always
there, but never allowed to surface. Come into the mystery of Jacqueline's life and try to discover
why she so carefully guards her past.
Married for a brief time, for reasons that would profit both; they had gone their separate ways,
until
Renny Knight returns to the mountain and the woman whom he cannot get out of his mind? Why?
He had to know!
Jacqueline knew Renny could never commit, and the pain she had felt when he left the first time,
she
did not want to feel again. Why had he returned, what did he want from her? She struggles with
her
emotions for the man she knew would never be hers, or so she thought! Renny Knight has a
secret
too, one that is far different from Jacqueline's. Why could he not shake her from his mind? His
heart?
Could this be love that was stirring in his being? And if it was, how could he ever convince
Jacqueline, that he would be hers forever.
Renegade, a story of love and mystery. Settle back, kick your shoes off and enjoy this story of
two
hearts, searching for what the other has, searching to become one.
Blood In My Hairspray
Steven Schreibman
1st Books Library
2595 Vernal Pike, Bloomington IN. 47404
ISBN 1403326150 , $4.95 - Ebook
ISBN 1403326169, $12.50 - Paperback
ISBN 1403326177, $21.50 - Dustjacket
277 Pages, 1-800-839-8640, http://www.1stbook.com
Meet Damian Shtup, owner and proprietor of Shtup Shtop The Beauty Shop in New York.
Damian
Shtup is a gay man who does not hold back on his opinions of all those who come in contact with
him. Growing up with parents who decide to ignore his alternative sexual preference, Damian
strikes
out on his own, making his way through different situations, he finally goes to Beauty School,
meets
his future employees, Muff, Rosemary, and Girl From Canada, and decides to open a beauty
establishment which caters mainly to New York's Mafia wives.
Mr. Schreibman uses a great deal of satire in this novel, in the development of his character
Damian
Shtup. Do you love him or hate him? I'm still not sure! The novel twists this way and that way as
Mr. Shtup becomes a target of a stalker following the accidental death of Mrs. Marinara, a Mafia
wife, in his shop. A shrunken horse's head on the end of a comb to spewing blood from Damian's
hairsprays become the beginning of a mysterious adventure for Damian.
Many other facets are interwoven in this story. The discontentenment of parents over their child's
choice of a gay lifestyle, Damians own insecurities as he seeks counseling from Dr. Scrotum, who
by
the way is not all you think he is. Officer Tiernan, who has a hidden agenda in his life besides
protecting the good people of New York, and Damians social connection with Officer Edgar
Ramirez. Let us not forget his association with Marjorie Higganbotham from General Foods
Information Hot Line, nor his three employees who somehow keep Damian within normal limits.
Each one of these characters is played upon by the author giving the reader a chuckle along the
way.
None are what Society would call normal, but each somehow fits into Damians lifestyle.
Damian goes through many situations as he and Officer Ramirez try to solve the mystery of his
stalker. Why would someone want to stalk Damian Shtup and who could it be? Their identity will
surprise you, believe me!
I believe if there is a downside to this novel, it would be dishonor given to Catholic Priests and I
do
feel that this book could be offensive to those of the Christian faith. I would not recommend it for
Christians to read. However, Mr. Schreibman is a talented writer and Blood In My Hairspray is
well
written, humorous, and mysterious at the same time. Not all books are for all people, for some it
would be a great read of satire and mystery. For others it would be offensive. That choice is up to
you!
Tales From A Texas Christmas Tree Farm
Darrell Bain
SynergEbooks - 1235 Shoals Rd., King, NC 27021
ISBN# 1744302471, CD-Rom $8.99 - Download $5.00, 77 Pages,
http://www.synergEbook.com
When I first received this book, I was not particularly looking forward to the read. After all, how
exciting could a book be about a tree farm? I sat down to do my duty as a reviewer, however, I
was
in for a delightful surprise.
Darrell Bain took me on a journey of continual giggles, as he told the tales of their Christmas Tree
farm. Who would have ever thought that there could be so much adventure found there? Not I!
He
tells you, in a fun way, the different aspects of tree farming and I was intrigued. I thought, as you
probably do , that all you had to do was plant that seedling and sit back and let nature take it's
course. That my friend is far from the way it is. The author tells you of uneven rows of trees,
fighting the various insects, the problems of unwelcome weather changes, and the trimming of
bottom branches, so you the buyer, can fit that beautiful tree that nature grew, into your stand.
Who
would have ever guessed? And this is only a few of the many challenges they face.
The saga continues as he relates stories of children being used to stand guard at a chosen tree,
pets
that were turned loose to run in the country, never to be seen again; as they made their way into
the
surrounding woods, that contained gators and other various wildlife. Double shudder! You
receive a
hardy chuckle over the story of the success of Betty's plum butter, that has made a hit among the
customers and the constant answering of the same questions,about their business, year after year,
after year! Perhaps a recorded message would help?
If you want a joyful Holiday read, this is the one for you! It might just make you glad for the
profession that you have chosen! A must read before you venture out to a Christmas Tree Farm
this
Holiday Season! Great job Mr. Bain!
=====================================
Interview with Holly Huber - illustrator of "Rush, Rush, Stop!"
SynergEbooks
1235 Flat Shoals Rd., King, NC 27021
ISBN: 1-931540-76-4, Download $5.00 CD-Rom PDF - $8.99, http://www.synergebooks.com,
15
pages
Thank you Holly for allowing me to do this interview with you.
I have to say from the onset of this interview that I love your illustrations. You are very talented.
Would you please tell us how long you have been an illustrator, if you have always been interested
in
drawing and if it is something you do as a full time job or just part time.
A: I have been illustrating for some 10, 11 years now. I have been drawing from the time I was a
little kid. My parents were very supportive of my work. I work full time as an illustrator and as a
teacher. Teaching allows me the time to do my illustration work and to show my students the
different possibilities for jobs in the art field.
That's great Holly. In Ms. MacDonald's book "Rush,Rush,Stop!", how did you get the idea of
what
Amelia should look like? Did you work with the author, or were you allowed to develope her
character's look on your own?
A: Margaret was wonderful to work with. She gave me full freedom to work out the illustrations
for
the book. The character I created for Amelia was patterned after my daughter when she was
younger. Full of piss and vinegar and often running into walls.
Hee! Hee! Sounds like a few people I know myself Holly...Hum! Maybe that's me I'm talking
about!
Now, many artists have different ways they receive their work. When you are about to bring a
character to life, does it come to you quickly or must you think about it for a while. I really like
your
style. Did you take lessons, or is your talent a gift?
A: Hard question to answer-some take a while and others just create themselves. Amelia created
herself. I have several degrees in art, but I would like to think that there is a bit of a gift too.
lol
I agree Holly, I think you truly have a talented gift within you!
Holly, lets ask some set questions here. Do you charge a set fee for illustrating a book, share in
the
royalties or work each job payment out with the individual authors?
A: Each author is different and so are the various publishing houses. Some are flat fees and other
royalties and still others are a combination of both.
I am sure many of our readers would like to know, are you available to illustrate if our readers
are
seeking such services?
A: Sure I will illustrate for most anyone, however, authors should check and see what their
publisher's wishes are first.
That is great. I am sure once authors see your excellent work, you will be receiving calls from
many
wanting your talent! What advice would you give to a budding artist that longs to see their work
come alive?
A: Get used to people telling you thanks, but no thanks, and keep on submitting.
Thank you for bringing up that point, that even illustrators must learn the pain of rejection!
Tell us, do you feel it is necessary for an artist to take art lessons?
A: Everyone gets lessons in some form or another, be it formal education or self-taught. It's like
learning a computer program, you can have someone show you or read the manual. I prefer to
have
someone show me--tis faster.
Q: Some of our readers may like to know if you can do Portrait art? Please forgive me for not
knowing the correct term, I am speaking of someone sitting in front of you, and you drawing
them.
A:You got the term correct--and yes I do.
Q: Do you ever feel frustrated when you have an idea in your head as to how a character should
look and are not able to draw it as such, or are you always able to bring your characters to life as
you envision them?
A: When I was younger I could get frustrated with my work, now it's just my sex life that
frustrates
me.
Holly, I think I will not comment on the last of that answer! LOL!
Tell us please, how many children's books have you illustrated? Do you find most authors will
give
you the liberty to present their characters as you see them, and if not do you find it difficult to
bring
their vision to life?
I have illustrated 3! All the authors I have worked with have been wonderful and have given me
full
artist freedom so I really can't answer your second question.
Is there any other place that we may see your wonderful art work, other than Rush Rush
Stop!?
A: Folks can go to my web site or look up The Santa Fe Tarot Deck on line (it's all over the net),
or
Green Knight Publishing had me do a number of illustrations (don't know if those are posted on
line
however), along with a number of other outfits on line. However, most everything I've done for
folks is posted on my site.
Do you feel publishers are hard to work with? And do you send out portfolio's to publishers for
future reference or do you just wait until an author asks you to do the work?
A: Some are, but for the most part, no. Both. But mostly publishers, as they are the folks that do
the
paying.
Authors are often frustrated by the many rejections they receive from publishers. Does an
illustrator
go through the same type of rejection?
A: Yes, one needs to learn the word no.
We have all heard the term 'starving artist'....with that in mind, do you feel there is enough work
out
there to support a person financially? Tell us, do you write as well as illustrate?
A: Yes, but you have to hustle! No, I do not write!
I'm sure this would be of interest to our readers. Do you have to copyright your work and
have
you ever experienced anyone trying to steal it or use it without your permission?
A: I have common law copyright on everything I do. The publisher takes care of the rest. I really
wish someone rich would try and steal my work!!
Hee! Hee! You are a Jewel Ms. Holly Huber! Articulate and imaginative! I can see why your
illustrations are so alive!
One final question. As an artist what would be the greatest fulfillment of your life?
A: Winning the lottery!!
AND THE BEAT GOES ON!
I want to thank Holly Huber for this interview. She made me smile and I'm sure she did you too.
Check out her art work, you will find one very talented lady. You can visit her web site at
http://www.hollyhuber.com
Good luck to both Margaret MacDonald and Holly Huber!
=====================================
Interview with Alison Keehn - Associated Editor, Barefoot Books
Barefoot Books
3 Bow Street, 3rd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02143
http://www.barefootbooks.com
Producers of Children's picture books and anthologies of folktales and poetry.
Alison Keehn - As Seen Through A Child's eyes!
Hello Alison! Thank you for taking the time to give us this interview. I would like to say, that I
found Alison to be one of the friendliest and kindness Editors I have ever had the honor to work
with. I hope you all will enjoy reading this interview as much as I enjoyed doing it.
Q: Please tell us what your job description is.
A: I acquire picture book and anthology manuscripts for publication and hire freelance illustrators
to
illustrate manuscripts. I work with artists and authors at all stages of book production to make the
books the best they can be. I proofread all of our books, Americanize our UK manuscript
acquisitions, and do anything else it takes to create beautiful books and help them to make their
way
into the hands of children.
Alison, that is a great responsibility and one I am sure is very rewarding when the finished project
is
set before you.
Q: Please explain how your company was started, what is the vision behind it and how long you
have been a part of that vision.
A: Our company was founded in England by Tessa Strickland and Nancy Traversy in 1993. They
have 7 children between them. I have been part of Barefoot mission for 2 years.
This is what they say about the company:
Barefoot Books is an independent children's publisher dedicated to creating better books for
children. After nine years of publishing, we have a reputation for producing some of the finest
picture books in the world. From small beginnings - we started the company from our respective
homes in 1993 with no staff - Barefoot has grown into a robust international business with a team
of
28 working out of busy offices in the UK and the USA.
Our mission statement:
At Barefoot Books, we celebrate art and story with books that open the hearts and minds of
children
from all walks of life, inspiring them to read deeper, search further, and explore their own creative
gifts. Taking our inspiration from many different cultures, we focus on themes that encourage
independence of spirit, enthusiasm for learning, and acceptance of other traditions. Thoughtfully
prepared by writers, artists and storytellers from all over the world, our products combine the best
of the present with the best of the past to educate our children as the caretakers of
tomorrow.
Barefoot Books sounds like a wonderful company, bringing the children of the world closer
together.
Q: Let me ask you this. When you get a submission, what exactly are you looking for in that
child's
book? Is it the writing style, the illustrations or the gleam that you know will be in a child's eye
when
he reads it? What is the first thing you look for?
A: Honestly, when I am reading a children's book manuscript, I am looking to fall in love.
Whether
that is with a unique idea, with a character, with an exceptional style of writing, with
accompanying
illustrations - it doesn't really matter. If I fall in love with any one of those things, then I will be
willing to at least work with a manuscript, to see if it can become a book. Always, though, I am
looking to fall in love with a book from that child's place within me - that place that gets excited
about seeing the world in a imaginative new way that speaks to a child's experience.
But on a less emotional level, I often read with this question in mind; "Is there something
remarkable
about this story or this artwork?" So, I guess you could say that I am looking for something
remarkable that will appeal to children.
The first thing I look for is originality. If there is something unique about the idea proposed in the
query, or, if it is a picture book manuscript, if there is something unique in the story or the way it
is
told. Today, my interns and I calculated that we receive over 10,000 manuscripts a year. And
oftentimes, I feel as though I am reading the same story over and over again. Therefore, I am
always
looking for something different from the crowd - something that feels fresh and alive - that I
haven't
heard before.
There you go authors, Alison could not have made it any clearer what she is looking for! Thank
you
Alison.
Q: Now, with that in mind, what will totally turn you off in a query?
A: When an author has obviously not researched Barefoot Books and what we publish.
Q: Do you have a set number of books you publish per year?
A: Not a set amount, but we really try to publish about 30 books a year.
Q: What age group do you target or is it a mixture?
A: We target ages 0 to 12, but, many of our anthologies are enjoyed by Young Adults and Adults
too. We do not publish chapter books or novels.
Q: I see by reading your submission policy that you try to blend cultures from all over the world.
Could you explain this more fully to us please?
A: I would describe Barefoot Books as a cross-cultural publisher. That means that we look for
stories told by storytellers and artists from different cultures all over the world. But we look for
timeless stories that can be understood by children anywhere, so that they can help educate and
expose the children to different cultural traditions. We also publish folktale anthologies and poetry
collections that feature stories and poems from all over the world, all centered around one theme.
Reading these collections can give children the sense of "Wow! There are so many different
cultures
and story traditions. But still, we all have similar themes in our stories and poems. We are
different,
but alike as well!"
Q: That is truly wonderful Alison. Please tell me, do you have a line of books with accompanying
story in song, I believe this is starting to really be a popular area. If not, do you plan something
like
this in the future?
A: We are publishing three books this season which come with Audio CD versions of their text in
song-form. In essence, they are Book + CD packages. I definitely think we will be publishing
more
of these types of packages in the future.
Q: Where can we purchase your books?
A: People can purchase our books at bookstores - chain stores and independent stores -some gift
stores and museum stores. They can also purchase our books online at our website,
http://www.barefootbooks.com or from another online site like Amazon.com. Finally, people can
purchase our books from our mail order catalog, which we send out two to three times a
year.
Q: Does an author have to have illustrations for their story before submitting?
A: Not at all!
Q: If the author does have illustrations, will you use them or chose some other artist to do the
work?
A: We will definitely consider an author's artistic work, but oftentimes I find that we do
commission
another artist for the work in the end. This is because Barefoot has a very unique artistic style,
and
we have set a very high standard for our submitting artists.
Q: How are writers paid? Royalty? And at what percent?
A: Writer's are paid by a standard royalty percent. We do offer writer's advances that go against
this
percentage royalty. The advance and the percent vary according to book format. I cannot give
actual
percentages.
Q: How are illustrators paid? One time, pay per work or also royalty?
A: Illustrators are paid by royalty, and we offer advances on that royalty, but I cannot say what
this
percentage is.
Q: What is the hardest part of your Job?
A: Merging the worlds of artists and writers with the interests of business. It is hard to tell an
author
or artist that the work they've produced is not salable, especially if you have an established
relationship with that author or artist. I am a writer at heart, so it's hard for me to distance my
emotions when I have to speak from a practical, business standpoint.
Q: I want to ask you this Alison. Do you realize when you look at a submission that you are
holding
a writers dreams in your hands? I realize with the large number of submissions you receive that
almost all have to be rejected. How does that make you feel?
A: I used to feel terribly about rejecting writers, so much so that at my first job, I used to write
personal rejections for almost everything. But now, I have come to see it differently. To pursue
any
dream, any passion, one has to be willing to learn. Just like learning the piano - you may stumble,
you may fall - and it may take a few years for you to be comfortable learning the instrument, but
once you do, you can play. I believe this also applies to the submission process. If a writer takes
the
publication of their work seriously, they need to look at submission as experimentation - as part of
the entire creative process - and a process that needs to be learned. "I think I have done my
research.
So I will submit to this company and see what happens," says the writer. And if that writer can
remain somewhat emotionally unattached to the outcome, then they can learn from that outcome,
and use it. Every rejection that a writer receives can be a message from which to learn. Sometimes
that learning is difficult, but a rejection should prompt a writer to ask herself why it might have
been
rejected. Hopefully this will lead her to study that particular company's books, to investigate other
companies, and to solicit more feedback about her work from critique groups. It might prompt a
writer to attend conferences where she can meet editors, and purchase a personal critique that
might
help to serve as yet another cog in the learning process. Yes, after 10,000 rejections, perhaps a
writer learns the difficult truth that her children's writing is not going to be viable in the
marketplace.
Perhaps the writer learns that she can not make a living off of her children's books (even most
published writers can't). Perhaps this leads her to pursue another passion, or to self-publish her
book. Hopefully, though, it teaches her that the true enjoyment of writing does not come from
outside sources - it cannot. The real joy inevitably must come from the writing itself.
Seeing the possibility to learn in everything is one of the most gratifying ways to live, and whether
one cultivates it in their daily lives, or through the writing process, it is a wonderful perspective to
attain. Rejection seen as an end in itself is sad and disheartening. Rejection seen as a part of a
crazy,
beautiful, creative, learning, life process is something to be embraced. So, when you ask how I
feel, I
feel that I am a part of this path. I feel blessed and lucky to have the power to help writers see the
truth - whether that is the easeful truth that I can publish their manuscript, or the more difficult
truth
that I cannot. I guess I am like a door, that is either closed or open. Whether I open or close is
based
upon an amazing amount of conditions, but if someone can try to understand those conditions,
they
might just learn how to open me. Still, one should never be angry at a door. It's just a door. And a
door should never feel badly about itself for not opening. It's just a door. A door with high
standards.
Q: Please explain what you see in the future for your company and what is being done to bring
that
to fulfillment!
A: I don't know if I can really answer this question because Barefoot is always evolving. But we
are
always looking to produce the highest quality books for children that both celebrate the traditions
of
story and artwork. And in this time of global conflict, we want to continue to expose and educate
children and parents about different cultures and cultural traditions all over the world. Barefoot
has
also opened a new retail store in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which features our books and
products.
This is an exciting new venture for us.
Please give potential authors some advice here. What would you like to tell them if you could see
them face to face. Also, please add any closing remarks or comments.
A: If I could see writers face to face, I would tell them a few things.
1.I would tell them that they are writers because they write, not because they are published. It's in
the word "writer".
2. I would tell them that once they've submitted something, they should immediately begin writing
another story, another book. This way, they are always living in the present, which is the most
emotionally healthy way to live.
3. I would tell them to talk about their rejections openly with others. This diminishes their power,
and when you hear about how many rejections others have had, you will be able to judge them
less
harshly. I remember a writer I met at an SCBWI conference telling me that she had a drawer full
of
400 rejections. Yes, she also had just gotten her first book published last year, and two others are
on
the way. She was a tried-and-true writer who wasn't afraid of rejections -- or talking about
them.
4. I would tell them that if they do not do their research - if they do not take time to learn the ins
and
outs of publishing - it is going to be a much more painful process for them.
5. I would tell them that if their book has been accepted for publication, there is a whole other
process they must undergo, which is the editing process. There is a myth out there - that a writer
writes and a publisher publishes as is. This is entirely untrue, and the editing process can involve a
lot of difficult lessons - in letting go of expectations and learning to have a new vision - a
"re"vision
- of your work.
6. I would tell them that having a book published is a wonderful, amazing thing, but it will not
make
you more content with your life. You will just want another book to be published. And another.
Then you will want to make more money from these books. And more money. The key to
happiness
is not getting a book published, rather it is enjoying whatever comes your way. And if that is a
publishing contract, well, isn't that nice?
I don't know about you readers, but I think Alison has touched all of our hearts and a couple of
our
toes with her words. It has definitely given me something to think about, as it should you as
well!
Thank you Alison for being truthful and saying some words we all needed to hear!
Again, I want to thank Alison Keehn for taking time from her busy schedule to share with us all of
this valuable information. I only wish all Editors and Publishers of children's works had the heart
of
the children first in all their publishing decisions, as Alison Keehn does. I know Barefoot Books
has
a great future ahead of them with someone like Alison on their team. Best of luck to you all!
=====================================
My Name Is Mary- The Story Of The Mother Of Jesus
By: Denise Sawyer
Still Waters Publishers
P.O. Box 403, Dunn Loring, VA 22027
ISBN# 097142764X, $12.95, Hard Cover, 80 pages, 1-866-204-4860,
http://www.stillwaterspublishers.com
As I held Ms. Sawyer's book, My Name Is Mary, in my hands, I wondered what I would find
between the covers. I believe in Mary as the Mother of Jesus, respect her and honor her.
Sometimes
I have almost felt envy that she was chosen by God for such a wonderful destiny. I wondered how
Ms. Sawyer would handle a subject on a woman who has been as controversial as her son,
Jesus.
The author pens her words as if written by Mary herself. Have you ever wondered what Mary's
childhood was like? Did you ever think what emotions, fears or concerns she felt when she knew
she
had the Son of God within her? When you have heard the sermons on the death of Christ, have
you
ever shut your eyes and thought of the pain and suffering his mother had endured at the foot of
that
cross? And did you ever smile as you remember the first time she saw him after his death? Her
Resurrected Lord, her precious son!
Ms. Sawyer takes you on a journey inside the mind and heart of Mary. She answers these
questions
for you and more. She allows you to become one with a woman who many of us feel is so
unapproachable, too holy to ever put her on the same level as we! Through the words of the
author
you touch and feel the raw emotions of Mary, Mother of Jesus; yet a woman, just like any other,
who laughed and cried, hoped and dreamed and placed her destiny in the hands of God. Are her
accounts of Mary's life fact or fiction? That is for you to decide!
My Name Is Mary is a story we are all familiar with, but Ms. Sawyer's account will make you
stop,
and celebrate, the life of this exceptional woman. It is a tender story of a mother's love, told with
her
words, of her sorrows. joys, and her destiny.
Interview with Denise Sawyer (author of "My Name Is Mary!")
Thank you Ms. Sawyer for allowing me this interview.
Let me ask you first-off is My Name is Mary, your first novel and what inspired you to write this
book?
A. Yes it is.
To be honest, writing this book was not something I ever expected to do. I was writing in my
journal one morning, and the words "my name is Mary" came into my mind and I wrote them
down.
I wrote a short paragraph from her point of view, and then I just let myself think about it all for a
day. Once I started writing, I felt that I had to continue until the story was complete, and then
once I
completed it, I felt that I had to make every effort to get it published.
Q. That is very interesting. Would you tell us how long it took you to write this book?
A. The initial writing took three days, just getting the basic story written down. Within six weeks,
I
had a fairly complete book to give to people to read. Of course, the final editing took several
months, with multiple proof readings.
Q. Why do you feel your book about Mary is different from others that are on the market?
A. I feel that it is very different from other books about her. For one thing, it is told from Mary's
own perspective, as an elderly woman reflecting on her life and her child. It is also a
tradition-based
view of Mary, taken from traditions about Mary that go back to the very beginning of the early
Christian Church.
Q: Thank you! Would you please tell us where you get the information that you wrote in your
book?
A. Much of the basic story, of course, comes from the New Testament. For the first three days
when
I wrote so intensely, I relied on what I remembered reading in the New Testament, checking from
time to time to reread, make sure I was remembering accurately.
For the parts of the book dealing with the relationship between Mary and Jesus, I tried to imagine
what it must have been like for her. I am the mother of two grown sons, 24 and 27, and even
though
two thousand years have passed, I don't think that maternal feelings have changed. We mothers
still
worry about our children, just as we have for thousands of years. We miss them when we are not
with them and we have to learn to let go, to surrender them to God, to wherever their lives will
take
them.
Then when I had told the basic story, I knew that there were gaps in the story that I needed to fill
in
to make her life story more complete. To fill in those gaps, I turned to the traditions of the early
Christian church. Before there was a New Testament, there was oral tradition. Stories about Jesus
were told by His disciples and by others who had heard him speak. These were then passed on to
others. Eventually some of the stories were written down, and from these came the four gospels.
However, all that happened during that first century of Christianity is not contained in the New
Testament. At the end of John, it's written that "there are also many other things that Jesus did,
which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the
books that would be written." Some of the early writings were considered unreliable accounts that
went against the simplicity of the gospels. However, some of the information in these early
writings
were considered to be "buried pearls" by the early Church Fathers, and they became part of
church
tradition.
Much of the material I used to fill in the gaps comes from a book titled The Life of the Virgin
Mary,
The Theotokos. Theotokos simply means Mother of God in Greek, published by the Holy
Apostles
Convent and Dormition Skete in Colorado in 1989. The sources for this book are many, primarily
from the writings of the early Church Fathers during the first centuries of Christianity. Much of
the
information about Mary comes from the earliest primitive accounts in the Protoevangelium of
James,
from the middle of the 2nd century. It's in these accounts where it's written that Joseph had been
married before and gives the names of his children. It is from the above mentioned book that I
also
learned of the tradition about Mary having gone to Mount Athos. The mention of the Samaritan
woman being later baptized by Peter and given the name of Photini is something I first read during
the considerable reading I did before being baptized into the Orthodox Church nine years
ago.
Q. I am sure you realize that not all readers will accept as fact some of the information you have
written about Mary, it may even stir a few tongues against you. Tell us, does that bother you at all
or do you feel, in the most part, that readers will be tolerant of your findings, even if they are not
fact, in their eyes?
A. Actually, during the past months the book has been read by a wide variety of readers from a
number of different denominations - Orthodox, Catholics,Protestants - even some Protestant
ministers. The reaction has been very positive. Of course, not everyone accepts some aspects of
my
story. Some are unable to get past them. Others are able to read and enjoy the book, considering
the
parts that they can't accept as fiction and focusing on the basic story itself, the story of a mother
and
her son.
I am very much at peace with the story that I wrote. If I had written this without taking into
consideration the early traditions of the Christian church, which are part of my own faith, I would
not have been comfortable with the final results. I've read other books about Mary, written from
the
perspective of others' beliefs, and although they don't necessarily mirror my own, I can enjoy the
books and the new perspectives that they give me. I hope that readers will be tolerant of my
findings
and focus on the story of Mary and Jesus.
Q. What was the most difficult part of writing this book for you?
A. Actually, the most difficult part of writing this book was knowing when it was done. I sensed
fairly early on, after the initial three days of writing, that it was not meant to be a long book. I
wanted a book that told Mary's story simply, a story that could be read in a couple of hours.
Q. Did you find it difficult to find a publisher for your book?
A. When I first decided I wanted to get my book published, I started buying books about
publishing.
I realized that it would be very difficult and time-consuming to interest a large publishing house in
my book. Instead, I went with a small independent publishing company here in Virginia, Still
Waters
Publishers. With Still Waters Publishers, I was able to take an active role in the decisions such as
cover design, typesetting, and most importantly, maintain editorial control.
Q. What are you hoping your readers will keep with them after reading your book?
A. I hope that they will read and have a new understanding and appreciation for Mary. As a
convert
to the Orthodox Church, I know that both Catholics and Orthodox honor Mary in their worship,
but
I think that sometimes she is elevated to such a point, that maybe we forget that there was a real
human being behind our theology about Mary. Protestants tend to think about Mary at Christmas,
but then she's seldom thought about or mentioned. However, from the few scriptural references to
Mary that we do find in the New Testament, it's apparent that Mary was with Jesus throughout
His
entire life. Mothers are very influential on their children's lives, and there's no reason why it should
have been any different for Mary
and Jesus. The purpose of my book was not to teach any of the theology about Mary but simply
to
introduce the traditional Mary to readers. Even if they choose not to believe some of the
traditions
about Mary, I hope that they will come away with the realization that she truly was a remarkable
woman.
Q. Did writing this book make a difference in your life and if so would you share that with
us?
A. It has made a tremendous difference in my life, taken my life in an entirely unexpected
direction. I
had always considered myself to be a folk artist, not a writer. On a very personal level, the most
important aspect of writing this book is the effect it had on my mother, who died last November,
the
day after Thanksgiving. A year ago last May, I took my mother on a trip to Denver to visit with
her
sister. I had printed out my book and put it in a binder to take with me, and while we were in
Denver, I decided to share it with her. She was the very first person with whom I'd had the
courage
to share it. Her positive reaction gave me the courage to share it with others. As she read it, it had
a
tremendous impact on her. She said she learned so much. After she first read the story in Denver,
it
seemed to lead her to the difficult topic of death. She gradually began to talk about the details of
what she wanted for her funeral.
During the months ahead, she reread the book many times, some parts practically committed to
memory. She was so excited about the book, so positive that I had to do everything I could to get
it
published. Shortly before she died, I had been able to show her the final cover design, and she told
me that she wanted me to put a copy of my book in her coffin. Within a few weeks of that
conversation, she died peacefully in her sleep at the age of 86. At her funeral I did as she
requested
and tucked a copy in her coffin. I didn't have a finished copy, but I glued the cover design onto a
pre-publication bound galley. At the end of the funeral service, my brother read the very last
paragraph of my book. It was so beautiful, so appropriate. And I realized that even if no one else
ever read my book, the most important reason why I had felt compelled to finish and publish it as
quickly as I could was for the comfort it would give to my mother during the last few months of
her
life. The book is dedicated to her.
Denise, that is a very touching story. I am so glad that your book brought such joy and peace to
your Mother before her passing.
Q. Do you plan to write any other works and if so, in what genre do you think you will
follow?
A. Yes, I do have other ideas that I would like to write about, and I feel fairly certain that any
new
books will stay within the religious/spiritual genre. I've actually started another book, but these
past
months have been so busy, it's been difficult to find time to sit and write as much as I would
like.
Q. If Mary could leave one thought with us, what do you think that would be?
A. I personally think that the one thought that Mary would want to leave with us is that
sometimes
we have to surrender to God's will. She is the perfect example of someone who says to God, "Thy
will be done."
Q. What advice would you give to other authors in search of a publisher for their work?
A. First of all, I would suggest that authors read absolutely as much as they can about publishing.
It
is a huge field, and there is much to learn. The main advice I can give to other authors looking for
a
publisher is not to ignore the hundreds of small independent publishing companies scattered all
over
this country. They are more likely to take a chance on a book that wouldn't necessarily fit into the
mainstream categories of the big publishing houses. With the small publishing companies, you can
also sometimes have a bit more control or influence over the final product. One last word of
suggestion is to trust your instincts. You know what is right for you. Don't compromise on the
essential things in life and in your book.
Q. Would you please use this space to write anything you would like our readers to know about
you
and your work, and/or something that may help them in their quest as a writer.
A. I grew up in Indiana and married my college sweetheart, who first joined the army and then the
Foreign Service. We spent most of the first 25 years of our marriage living overseas and raising
our
family. Those were wonderful years which taught us how to adapt and gave us the ability to
realize
that we can be happy anywhere. I was primarily a stay-at-home mother; however, when we lived
in
Canada and then in Pakistan, I taught many folk art painting classes to children and adults,
something I truly enjoyed. Since we returned to the United States six years ago, we've been living
in
Northern Virginia. For the past nearly five years I've been working as a secretary in a critical care
unit of a large hospital I'd never really considered myself to be a writer until I wrote My Name is
Mary. The main thing I wrote during our many years overseas was my weekly letter to my
parents.
These lengthy letters were a combination diary/letter. I suspect that the conversational tone of my
letters helped me when I began to write this book from a first person perspective.
Thank you Ms. Sawyer for a wonderful interview. I wish you much success with your heartfelt
book
My Name is Mary!
For more information please contact:
Maryglenn McCombs- Press and Public Relations - mrygln@aol.com
Still Water Publishers - stillwaterspublishers@yahoo.com
=====================================
The Home Child
Richard Paul Tanos
America Book Publishing Group
2389 South 300 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84115
ISBN# 1589821033, $19.80, 265 pages, www.rptanos.com
As I sit and ponder Richard Paul Tanos novel, "The Home Child", it is very difficult to put in
words
what
my heart is feeling.
The Home Child, a novel based on actual events,has left a deep impression upon this reviewers
mind
and heart. The novel tells the story of young Henry Dewberry, 12 years old at the time, and
orphaned in London, England. Being an orphan was the earliest memory Henry had of his
life.
One day Henry and a group of 36 other orphans were taken on a long journey, via wagon, ship
and
train to the new frontier of Canada. The boys did not know where they were traveling or why, but
soon found out they were being sold into child slavery.
The story takes you with Henry , and some of his close counterparts, on their journey of survival.
I
am sad to say that some did not fare as well as Henry. Not that Henry's life was one to be envied,
it
was not. The chance meeting of a young girl named Lizzy, and her close friend Clara, was perhaps
the only reason Henry was able to survive. Lizzy gave Henry a reason to live, and as destiny
would
have it, they spent their lives together.
As the author tells of the brutal ways these young boys were treated, this reviewer wiped tears
from
her eyes, and felt great sorrow in her heart. Being a protector of the innocent, I felt such rage
over
something that happened so long ago, to those so young and vulnerable. Verbal abuse, beatings,
and
being locked in solitude for days at a time were all part of these young boys lives. Many did not
survive, and the memory of who they were, was locked in the evil hearts of those who murdered
them.
Mr. Tanos concludes his book with Henry as an old man, , and shows the marks that his past had
on
the life he had lived. Emotional scars that would never heal, despite his heart's anguish that they
would. Henry never knew he was one of a hundred thousand other children who suffered the
same
sad fate. This is a wonderful heart-wrenching novel and one that will leave you a little sadder for
the
pain of those young ones, now long gone, that can never be washed away and should always be
remembered.
May Mr. Tanos's novel " The Home Child" stand as a testimony for them, so they will never be
forgotten! This is a novel you do not want to miss. Excellent!
Interview with Richard Paul Tanos, Author of The Home Child
Thank you Mr. Tanos, first for writing such an exceptional novel, and for having such a kind
spirit.
Let's begin:
Q: When did you start your writing career and what was your first published work?
A: The Home Child is my first attempt at a novel. I am embarrassed to say this, but I was not a
reader in my youth, as a matter of fact the only novel I was forced to read, other than
Shakespeare,
was, "Catch 22," a required high-school class reading assignment. Being technical in nature, a
computer design specialist, the reading was limited to operation type manuals, which were
numerous
in my career, leaving little time for pleasure reading.
The Home Child is my first published work. I'm a rookie, absorbing, and applying what my editors
throw at me on a daily basis.
Q: How many hours a day do you write?
A: Nice easy question. When I started writing The Home Child, I would start around five in the
morning and write until nine, a good four hours a day and since I started I haven't stopped and I
would like to express my appreciation to my editors, who have helped me immensely.
Q: Did you find it difficult to find a publisher for your work?
A: Several years ago, from what I've read about getting your work published seemed to be a
selected luck of the draw sort of thing. I submitted the sample chapter, the index, and the contact
sheet, like I had been instructed to do so by all the so-called professionals in the field - no
response.
I then went on the Internet and found a few sites that 'Welcomed new Authors'. I liked that
phrase,
and as matter of fact, I liked it a lot. I submitted my novel and then while my wife and I were in
Costa Rica on a holiday, I received the contract from American Book Publishing and
coincidentally,
the contract was dated on my 50th birthday. I knew that it fate had anything to do with this it was
a
sign.
What a great birthday present! I'm sure you were thrilled.
Q: Do you have the support of family in your writing endeavors, and how important do you feel
that
is to a writer?
A: The main person in my life right now is my wife, Elaine, and she is totally behind me in my new
writing career. I can't express enough appreciation of how she helps me. I write the chapter, fix
her a
morning coffee, and she reads it back to me out loud, makes corrections, and suggests changes.
For
the past year this has become almost a daily event. My four children all think that Dad is pretty
cool
in writing novels. Having support from your family is very important to the success of a novel.
One's
balance is thrown totally out of whack when writing a story, since every waken moment is
focused
on the novel, the structure, the content, and the countless hours spent writing. I have been blessed
in
that department. Elaine, I would like to thank you again for your support.
Hats off to you Elaine! As a writer, I know how important family support can be. As a wife, I
know
how hard that can be at times. It sounds as if you are A-1 in Richards eyes and that's
wonderful!
Q: What do you find is the hardest part of writing?
A: This question is very easy for me. My main problem is keeping chronological events in order.
Most of my stories take place over a vast period of time, and with a few flashbacks, a few flash
forwards, keeping the dates correct with the events is very important. I think this problem
stemmed
from the fact that when I moved to Florida eleven years ago, living in the deep south, I was faced
with a new life style, which causes this Canadian's mind, the date part of the brain, to do
cartwheels,
since Florida has two seasons and not the traditional northern four I was accustomed to. Maybe
it's
as simple as age!
It's the heat in Florida, Richard! I have lived here for over 20 years and I think sometimes my
brain is
a little fried! Those 112 degree-days will do it to you every time! Of course age may play a factor
too, but let's not tell our readers that! :0)
Q: Do you ever get 'writers block' and if so, how do you remedy it?
A: I've been very fortunate so far as I have not experience it once during the writing of my six
novels. Thinking of Chapter titles causes me a small sort of block, but, usually after Elaine reads
the
chapter back to me, the chapter title pops into my head rather quickly. If and when I do
experience
the block, and knowing me the way that I do, I would simply walk away for a few days, play a
little
more ice hockey, or perhaps pick up the bass guitar and learn a few new songs.
Q: Where do you hope you will be 5 years from now in your writing career?
A: Good question. So far all I've been able to imagine down the road, is my first physical book in
my
hand. Five years down the road, I'll probably and realistically be receiving my sixth novel for
promotion and editing the seventh or eighth novel or writing another story. However, if I had a
chance to close my eyes, and think about 5 years from now, I would hope that my work is
recognized for what it really is, a story from my heart and mind, and not a literary masterpiece;
those
spots are already reserved and as far as I'm concerned, spoken for. I would love to have one of
my
stories make it to the big screen, and writing screenplays is something that I might get involved
with.
I wish you the best and pray that all your hopes and dreams come to pass. Your work is certainly
exceptional and needs to be recognized!
Q: If you could speak to publishers, what would you tell them on behalf of authors?
A:Well, I'm not really in a position to answer this one with obviously any degree of experience. I
do
know what debut authors must feel, so I will address this question from that perspective. The first
thing that I would like to tell Publishers around the world, is that they need to communicate more
with the authors, especially, rookie ones, like me. "A journey," as it was described to me by my
publisher. I was totally excited about taking a journey into the wonderful world of writing, but
soon
found out that it was a journey in the dark. It might be advantageous for publishers to have a
person
on their staff to serve as a liaison handling the multitude of new authors that seem to be vying for
contracted novels.
Q: Do you have an agent? If so how has your experience been with them, and if not do you plan
on
having one in the future?
A: No, I do not have an agent at the moment, and actually have not even thought about acquiring
one, at least for now and the foreseeable future, however, times change, avenue's re-direct, and if
an
agent is what I need, then I'm sure that I would try and find one.
Thank you so much for those answers Mr. Tanos. Let me ask you some questions about your
wonderful novel, The Home Child!
Q: Please tell me what inspired you to write The Home Child?
A: Having a partial family story in one's head for over fourteen years and being scared to write
it,
only because of one's fear of the unknown or perhaps one's feelings of being totally humiliated by
attempting such an unknown, and then suddenly on Interstate 10, one sunny day driving back
from
an Oklahoma vacation, listening to 'Harry Potter' on audio tape in the car, a little light goes off. "I
can do this," echoed more than a few times in my mind, forcing me to now listen to the soft
ever-changing voice resonating from the car stereo system in a whole new light; the story itself
had
suddenly become background to the delivered voice, which I was intently analyzing more and
more
for structure, layout, and even so far as to write down a few powerful words that I liked.
Knowing I
had somewhat of a story about my grandparents, a renewed confidence about writing it, and a
rapidly building desire to start the project, I mentally began piecing together a draft plan of how
the
novel should be structured. The very first line in the novel was a line that emerged in my mind
quickly and would always lead my mental thoughts forward into the structure of my mental book.
I
guess it was fear that triggered an internal desire to find the right inspiration to write the novel,
and
then came JK Rowling's masterful magic; that's all I needed to dive into this project feet first.
Q: Please tell me how long it took you to complete it?
A: My wife, Elaine and I started the research on this project May 27, 2001 in Canada in the
cities
of Waterford, and Niagara Falls, Ontario. We spent countless hours talking to family, Waterford
locals, scanning ancient newspapers, and visiting historical museums grasping all the data about
that
period of time, including genealogy about my grandmother's family. My newly discovered cousin,
Nell, from Peterborough, England, provided family information that was disturbing yet extremely
helpful. The more we dug, the more interesting and obsessive it became; research can be
addictive. I
started writing the day we had returned to Florida from our two weeks of research in Canada and
after forty-two days of writing four to five hours a day, I had managed to write over one hundred
thousand words, which my wife, read more than once. I re-worked the manuscript for the next
four
weeks and then, finally, let a neighbor read it. My first review-- "Your story is strong, intriguing
and
will be published, but not in this format. You certainly need an editor," was her response and
anxiously well received. Four months from the initial writing to the submission to the publisher is
the
length of time I spent preparing 'The Home Child.'
Q: Did you have any resistance from other family members about the information you were
gathering, and the thought that you would make a book of this?
A: Actually, the remaining living children from Henry and Lizzie were more than helpful in my
interviews with them. However, when my wife, Elaine and I were in Simcoe, researching family
history, one of the helpful assistants shared an interesting viewpoint. She told me, quote,
"Whatever
you find out about your family, keep it to yourself. Family members don't want to be alarmed
about
their parents past lives." This was so insightful, as when I found out that Henry (Tawny) had
brothers and sisters in England, and I shared this information with their oldest remaining daughter,
my Aunt Lorene, she got visibly agitated and upset. Other than that incident, the family members
have been rather excited and they patiently wait for the release of the book.
Q: Have you had any feedback from Canada about the subject matter of your book? I do not think
many people knew this event went on. I know I did not!
A: On the contrary, this subject matter has been totally brought to light in Canada, England,
Australia, and New Zealand. If you do the numbers and be somewhat conservative, one third of
the
population on Canada came from these child immigrant slave workers. The governments of
Canada
and England have been flooded with inquiries as a direct result of the recent genealogical trend,
and
the release of the 1901 census, which I got a copy as well. You are right that the general public
of
the United States didn't know about this Canadian horrendous event. FYI, 'Sixty Minutes" and the
'History Channel have both done stories about this period of time, and I've seen them both; they
were very good in historical fact but weak in the actual brutal events.
Q: Did you feel a release after writing The Home Child, almost as though you had revealed a
wrong,
and in someway helped to make it right?
A: Not really, I did subscribe to the BHC (British Home Children) website, and the comments
that I
see all the time is that more stories need to be told about this cruel period of history for various
reasons. Sharing Henry's story in this maze of brutality will shed light on the environment back
then,
and possibly provide a foundation to other living survivors of this period of history, possibly
answering a few questions.
Q: What would you hope that readers of "The Home Child" will keep with them after they have
read
your novel?
A: I hope that the readers of "The Home Child" will feel a sense of anger, a bit of sorrow, more
understanding, and a huge amount of respect for these young British children and what they had
to
do to survive in making Canada their home and developing a nation. There are still millions of
people that don't know that this actually happened and I would really like them to know, at least
from Henry and Elizabeth's story.
.Q:Will you write any more books on this subject?
A: I'm not sure at this point in time. Writing this novel about my grandparents was very emotional
and a little stressful, yet, as of yesterday, my publisher had asked me the same question. Each of
the
one hundred thousand child immigrants had the same sad story, so writing another novel on this
subject matter would be counter productive, but, you never know, as I will always keep this door
open.
I certainly can understand your feelings. I'm sure you will know within yourself if you are to write
more on this subject ! I am sure it was painful in many ways for you! For that, I am truly
sorry!
Q: Briefly, what are the subjects of your other works and what genre do you mainly write in?
A: One of my goals was to write a novel along the lines of Grisham, one of my newfound idols; a
suspenseful, mystery with twists and turns all along the way. I recently finished two novels,
'Whipper
Snappers', and 'Turner Falls' that I'm sure everyone will find interesting, suspenseful, intriguing,
and
enjoyable. My next release is called, 'Controlled Defense'. A techno sports story about
professional
football and a computer based system that changes the game forever. The novel, 'Toshomee' will
soon follow, which is a fictional account along the lines of the first Jaws movie. I have just
completed a novel called, 'Grounded on Life' and this one is my first non-fictional, sort of
biography
of sorts, about my mother, Pauline, and her misfortune dealing with her horror-- Osteoporosis.
The
novel was extracted from her daily journal, her experiences, and her feelings.
You are a man of many talents! I look forward to reading your other works.
Q: Would you please use this space to write anything about yourself or your works that you
would
like the readers to know?
A: 'Readers'; Wow, you mean I will have readers, actual people that will like what I've done. That
is
certainly a humble and a scary thought. I would like the readers to know that all of these stories
have come from my personal experiences making hundreds of road trips across this vast land of
ours. All my stories have a degree of Canadian content to them, sort of speaking, which was a
conscience decision that I made while writing 'The Home Child.'
Q: Would you please give the readers any tips that you have found helpful as a published
author?
A: I assume you mean writing tips. The only thing that I can share with them now, is that I would
tell them to start writing ideas down and don't pay to much attention to order, style, or even
grammar, a current luxury that older authors didn't have, as the computer now gives writers a
chance to get the ideas quickly documented from mind to machine. I believe that everyone has a
story to tell.
Would you please use this space for any final thoughts you may have and would like to share with
our readers.
I would like to express a warm thanks to Shirley for becoming involved with me as a writer of
"The
Home Child." I have enjoyed this interview and she did make me feel totally comfortable and
extremely relaxed, which helped me in my answers. She is a professional and I do appreciate her.
I
hope that the readers enjoy my stories, my characters, and my style of keeping the stories simple
and
flowing. Shirley's contributions to the writing world, being a reviewer, who I know is fuelled for a
love for reading, often goes un-recognized by readers. I would like to thank Shirley and for that
matter, the other reviewers for their hard tedious work. Thanks Shirley!
Now I am blushing! Thank you Mr. Tanos from myself and all the reviewers who do give of their
time and talent for the love of reading, and for the authors smiles! That makes it all worth
while!
Thank you for a wonderful interview. All the best in everything you put your hand to!
Contact Information: www.rtanos.com; rtanos@aol.com; thehomechild@aol.com
Bedside Books; American Book Publishing Group:
2389 South 300 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84115, www.american-book.com, Book orders:
www.pdbookstore.com
Future Releases by Richard P. Tanos and American Book Publishing: Controlled Defense;
Toshomee; Whipper Snappers; Turner Falls; Grounded On Life
Shirley Johnson
Reviewer/Interviewer
Midwest Book Review
Donovan's Bookshelf
The Return
Bentley Little
Signet
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
0451206878 $6.99 1-800-847-5515
Springerville is famous for its Mongolian Monster legend which comes to life one night when a
campfire horror story kills a counselor. From that point on artifacts come to life, whole towns
vanish
in the southwest, and the world seems to embark on a horrible change which only a small group
of
dedicated individuals can stop. Riveting, unexpected twists and turns throughout.
Danger Zone
Shirley Palmer
Mira Books
225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9
1551669439 $23.95 mirabooks.com
Galley forms aren't usually reviewed here but the tension and drama in this thriller are so exquisite
that we're making an exception. Maggie Cady leads the perfect life with a loving husband and
family
a life ruined when her young son is kidnapped in a violent attack. It's up to Maggie to return to a
past she had effectively escaped from, to find him and to her loving husband Sam to uncover the
truths and deceptions involving the woman he loves. Hard to put down.
Ace/Berkeley Publishing Group
375 Hudson St., New York NY 10014
1-800-847-5515
Two fine reads are solid, recommended picks. Sarah Hoyt's ALL NIGHT AWAKE
(0441009735,
$22.95) tells of young poet Will Shakespeare, having a hard time in London as he struggles with
his
creative muse and need to express it. When he and his rival find similar connections to the world
of
faerie, and a woman who loves them both still, tensions arise. Nero Blanc's A
CROSSWORDER'S
HOLIDAY (0441187330, $22.95) is exceptional: it includes five crossroads with answers in the
back, and presents five short crossword-based mysteries based on murder puzzles. A satisfying,
involving set of short stories.
Drawing as a Sacred Activity
Heather C. Williams
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
1577312244 $15.95 1-800-972-6657
Art blends with spirituality in a title that promotes healing feelings and consciousness through
drawing activities. Chapters provide a step-by-step approach to artistic satisfaction, encouraging
non-artists to embrace their creative side and use art to explore spiritual and psychological
foundations.
The Book of Saints
The Continuum Publishing Group
370 Lexington Ave., NY, NY 10017
0826413781 $50.00 1-800-561-7704
This isn't just another biographical survey, but a comprehensive dictionary of all who have been
canonized and beatified by the Catholic church. This appears in its seventh edition, providing a
strong collection of biographical sketches of all the saints over 10,000 of them, including all the
modern ones. The alphabetical arrangement makes it easy to access information while the
illustrations have been chosen as depictions of recognizable individuals.
The Gold Train
Ronald Zweig
William Morrow & Company
10 E. 53rd St., New York NY 10022-5299
0066209560 $26.95 1-800-242-7737
In 1944 an unusual group of fascist ideologues, thieves and others systematically stripped the
Hungarian Jews of their wealth gold, silver and other possessions before murdering them.
Fleeing the Red Army at the end of the war, the Gold Train loaded with the loot headed west with
gold, gems, and cash and faded into history despite debate over its destination. This reconsiders
the fate of looted property on that train and explores its journey into modern times.
Acting from a Spiritual Perspective
Kathryn Marie Bild
Smith and Kraus
300 Bedford St. Bldg. B #213, Manchester, NH 03101
1575252945 $16.95 1-800-895-4331
Any who long for a career in acting will welcome this blend of spirituality and acting, which
provides an inspirational look at the craft of acting. From honing one's method of acting talent to
playing by spiritual rules while onstage and in competition, this provides a provocative set of
insights
into the finer art of an acting career.
Landmark Books/Random House
1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036
1-800-726-0600
Milton Meltzer's two new titles are billed as children's/young adult books as part of the Random
House "Landmark Books" imprint, but are featured here for their relevance and importance to
adult
audiences as well. THE DAY THE SKY FELL (037582250-X, $5.99) provides a survey of
terrorism. It originally appeared in 1983 as THE TERRORISTS, THE DAY THE SKY FELL
here it's been updated with new chapters and a new introduction and will reach grades 6 through
adults with basic information on how terrorists justify their actions. AIN'T GONNA STUDY
WAR
NO MORE (0375822607, $5.99) also first appeared in 1985 and is here reprinted for a new
generation interested in the history of American peace processes. From early Quakers to
conscientious objectors of the Vietnam era, this provides a moving account of Americans who
resisted war.
Diane C. Donovan
West Coast Editor
Midwest Book Review
Cindy Penn's Bookshelf
The Lost Girl: Fortune Tellers Club No 1
Dotti Enderle
Llewellyn Publications
PO Box 64383, Dept. 0-7387-0253-6, St. Paul, MN 55154-0383
ISBN 0738702536, Paperback, 144 pages, $4.99
Desperation over a lost retainer brings the Fortune Teller's Club together for an emergency
meeting.
Twelve-year-old friends Juniper, Anne, and Gena formed the club two years ago when they
realized
they each have a psychic gift using tarot cards, ESP, and a Magic 8-Ball to find lost objects and
predict the future. When their usual methods fail, the friends turn to scrying in water to find
answers.
Instead of finding Gena's lost retainer, however, they see the face of a missing girl. Author Dotti
Enderle begins the Fortune Tellers Club with a captivating tale of paranormal proportions. Friends
Juniper, Anne and Gena are uniquely realized characters with fascinating gifts. Author Enderle
understands young adult's fascination with all things paranormal, seamlessly blending the
supernatural with the mundane in this fast paced tale. Young readers seeking a different kind of
read
will find The Lost Girl incredibly satisfying. The Lost Girl comes very highly recommended.
Cover Fire
K.G. Booth
Peach Blossom Publications
136 Centre Line Ave. Williamsport, PA 17701
ISBN 0941367304, Paperback, 308 pages, $29.00
During World War II, Second Lieutenant Morgan leads his men behind enemy lines. The Captain
orders Morgan and his men to protect a pontoon bridge that engineers were working on.
Meanwhile, the Germans possess a devastating weapon called "The Screecher", a powerful
cannon
with such long range that it tears huge holes in the American offensive line. When battle wounds
force Morgan to report to the field hospital, his Sergeant receives orders to locate the cannon for
air
strikes. An interrupted message sends Morgan and the remaining four men of Randall's rifle squad
on a search and rescue mission. They intend to find both Randall and the location of The
Screecher.
They find a scene of unbelievable horror with Randall, still alive, lying in a shallow grave.
Incoming
strikes and a dangerous grass fire send Morgan and his men toward a distant castle and a rumored
resistance cell. Cover Fire by K.G. Booth explores the devastating psychology of war where the
most deadly enemy is within. On the surface, Cover Fire is an excellent, action packed war novel;
but it also something more. Booth brings her 25 years of teaching experience to bear as she forges
a
powerful emotional link between the reader and the characters of her novel. Her students began as
her audience as Booth struggles to reach incarcerated youth through fiction, allowing them to
explore their own battle scared psyches in a safe environment. But others will find Cover Fire
powerful reading as well. Fans of war fiction, victims of posttraumatic shock syndrome, and
others
who bear the deep emotional burdens that can only heal by exposure and exploration will find
Cover
Fire a useful tool to begin their own healing. Booth's deep understanding of the psyche brings the
novel immediacy and depth that will linger long after the last page is turned. Highly
recommended.
Dyslexia My Life: One Man's Story Of His Life With A Learning Disability
Girard Sagmiller
DT Publishing
PO Box 7003, Lee's Summit, MO 64064-7003
ISBN 0964308711, Mass Market Paperback, 132 pages, $8.95
As many as 15% of Americans may be dyslexic, yet this learning disability continues isolate and
frustrate those who struggle with it. Consequently, Girard Sagmiller shares his personal
experiences
in Dyslexia My Life in an effort to overcome the ignorance and prejudice of friends, family and
society. Sagmiller shares not only his history, but also his creative coping skills that allowed him
to
go on to succeed in life, including earning an MBA in business. Sagmiller was diagnosed as
mentally
retarded in elementary school. He describes in heart rendering terms the night a parent-teacher
conference changed the lives of his family forever. Although his teaches recommended
institutionalization, Sagmiller's mother refused to comply. His mother's tears and his father's
rejections still haunt his memory. Later a more accurate diagnoses was made of dyslexia, which
affects speech, reading, time perception, and can slow learning ins some subjects. As a dyslexic
myself, I found Sagmiller's account fascinating and I confess to learning a lot about myself while
reading his narrative. I had never understood the two types of dyslexia, and how to discern
between
them. In addition, I couldn't help but chuckle in sympathy while reading his difficulty with
standardized tests. I could easily empathize with the blows to the self-esteem as well as the
feelings
of stupidity and ineptitude. Moreover, with a Master's degree in English, I am also encouraged to
find someone else who did reach his dreams despite the challenges meted out by this learning
disability. A must read for those with dyslexia as well as parents, educators and others touched by
this learning disability. Dyslexia My Life comes very highly recommended.
Midnight Rain
Dee Davis
Ballantine Books
299 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10171
ISBN 0804119775, Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages, $6.99
A bullet leaves Jonathan Brighton a changed man. Armani suits no longer fit his personality,
emotional responses shift, memories blur or are erased. Now he calls himself John and plans to
return to Guardian, a computer security firm he founded. But during his six-month absence,
customers no longer trust the company and friendships give way to quests for power. Worse,
John
cannot remember his past well enough to defend himself from accusations of murder. The only
bright spot is the physical therapist provided by his insurance company. In the six years she has
worked for the bureau, Kathleen "Katie" Cavanaugh has never been attracted to a target until
now.
Three months of desk duty following an assignment gone wrong leaves her ready to prove she
never
lost her edge. But this new undercover assignment as John's physical therapist leaves her
questioning
her loyalties, her purpose, and her sanity. A chameleon accustomed to loosing herself in her
undercover roles, Katie suddenly longs to explore their soul deep connections. Author Dee Davis
creates a powerful story of love, betrayal and murder in Midnight Rain. The connection between
Jonathan and Katie leaves them both breathless even as it threatens his freedom and her career.
Once
again Davis demonstrates her deft talent of creating a multilayer plot with meticulous care as tiny
details and inferences are used to great effect. With plenty of characters to love and hate,
abundant
suspects and a generous number of red herrings, Midnight Rain will satisfy discerning lovers of
romantic suspense.
The Secret Portal
Reno Charlton
BeWrite
363 Badminton Road, Nibley, Brostol BS37 5JF
ISBN 1904224229, copyright 2002, Paperback $9.27, eBook $4.64, CD-rom $6.95, 171 pages,
$24.95
Jack Gray and Simon Bentley quickly become friends when they both arrived at Earls Boarding
School a bit late, calling unwanted attention to themselves. They also share the dubious honor of
being assigned the smallest room in the boarding school - room 13 had previously been a storage
closet, which might explain why no one had ever noticed the room's unusual qualities. Behind the
chest of drawers lies a secret portal to another school. The students in the fifth dimension are bit
unusual, as Jack and Simon soon discover. Some live on other plants, are vampires or witches,
and
some are not even alive! But when a dangerous vampire discovers the open portal, he plans to use
it
for his own diabolical purposes. Now it will up to Jack, Simon and their new friends to thwart the
evil plan. Readers who enjoy the magic of the Harry Potter series will discover a new set of
unusual
friends with magical abilities and unexpected happenings in The Secret Portal. Invisibility potions,
shape shifting, and magic spells gone awry do not even begin to describe this fabulous read.
Readers
will chill the overcoming of bullies, the antics in the classroom, and the humor that binds this
unusual
cast of characters. In addition, Author Reno Charlton writes with a clear, concise, and
light-hearted
style that makes for delightful reading. This marvelously entertaining tale will delight young
readers
and the young at heart. With wonderful illustrations and a fast paced story line certain to
entertain,
leaving readers hoping their will be many sequels. The Secret Portal comes very highly
recommended.
The Healer
A. J. Russo
Port Town Publishing
601 Belknap Street, Superior, WI 54880
ISBN 0971623988, Paperback, $7.95
Particle physicist Travis Johnston feels incredibly frustrated when Congress balks at the cost of
the
project and stopped the funding for the Superconducting Super Collider. With the end of the
project, Travis losses his job and his house. Then he receives a mysterious offer to fly to the
Middle
East. A million dollar paycheck, a vow of secrecy, and a blindfold land him in a hidden complex to
continue his previous research. Suddenly the project seems incredibly dangerous when a test
produces inexplicable energy. Six years later, Father Alex Forker travels to Thurmont, Maryland
to
investigate a supposed miracle. During Thursday night prayer meetings at exactly 7:17 pm, the
Virgin Mary possesses Elizabeth "Kari" Bowman. The transformation lasts about ten minutes,
while
Kari cries out in unintelligible tongues. When she returns to normal, she writes down the Virgin's
message that is shared with the congregation and others throughout the world. Soon Kari has a
vision that leads her and Alex to a mysterious child. Third year medical student Susan Carter
searches for a topic for her thesis when receives unusual data. A large number of people are
reporting cases of cancer. Meanwhile, victims of the cancer are sharing the same dream: one that
sends them to a girl named Jonesy. The five-year-old has never spoken and lies in a comma in her
bedroom. Cancer victims believe she has the power to heal. Susan's research leads her to one
common dominator: a mysterious scientific project in the Middle East. Author A.J. Russo creates
a
scientific possibility that hold readers riveted in The Healer. This careful interweaving of religion,
science, and intrigue brings together a fascinating cast of characters. With a scientific background,
Russo's style lends the novel an eerie feel of possibility. The characterizations are richly drawn
with
the vulnerabilities and gifts that make them human. Ethical dilemmas and moral quandaries
challenge
each in ways that make these complex characterizations readers will remember. A fascinating
talecarefully rendered, The Healer comes recommended.
Clear Skinned
Judine Bishop Slaughter
RAH Distributors
PO Box 83 Mt. Rainer, MD 20712 USA
ISBN 0971532850, Paperback, 136 pages, $16.95
In the sixth grade, Joan stopped looking in the mirror. She did not want to accept her parents'
separation. By rejected her own reflection, Joan rejected the uncomfortable realities of her
changed
world. Eventually, she came to see herself as "clear-skinned," or invisible. Later in her first year of
college, Joan was truly noticed for the first time by a junior by the name of Majad. He was
persistent
in his endeavor to see beyond the surface. Joan began to express herself, to recognize the image in
the mirror, perhaps because she and Majad were kindred souls in their feelings of invisibility.
Unfortunately, Majad eventually did give up on Joan when she returned to her early feelings of
invisibility. Clear Skinned consists of the five stages of Joan and Majad's relationship as recorded
in
poems, letters and journal entries. As a reviewer, I find myself extremely challenged at evaluating
this material. On the one hand, as the letters, poems and journal entries unfold, I felt like a voyeur
who has been given permission to observe the most intimate of struggles. Joan's naivety and youth
inhibit her ability love herself. Without self-love, she finds trying to love someone else difficult and
painful, nor can she trust the love Majad offers. I cannot help feeling incredible compassion for
Majad, who offers his heart to a woman unable to accept his gift. His offer of support for Joan
should find herself pregnant troubles me, especially since she apparently never told him of their
child.
On the other hand, because this is not a narrative in the traditional sense of the word, I am very
limited in material to build understanding of Joan. She reveals herself more in the introduction
than
she does in the few letters or journal entries that appear. The second section of the book, entitled
"Express Yourself" does not have the requisite explanation for the use of the blank paper with
only
the line Dear I had to research the publisher to find the following: "The Express Yourself section
encourages the reader to write short notesof praise and adoration to family members, friends and
co-workers." It would be helpful to readers if a few paragraphs of explanation were included to
indicate how to use this section. I like the concept of encouraging readers to express their own
angst
in the form of letters, but without a few encouraging words, few readers will find this section
useful.
Overall, I would recommend Clear Skinned to young adult women, either teens or college age
who
struggle with own issues of self-expression.
Father's Touch
Donald D'Haene
American Book Publishing
325 East 2400 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84115
ISBN 1589821122, Paperback, 340 pages, $22.00
Pedophilia survivor Donald D'Haene recounts the betrayal of a father in Father's Touch. From the
age of three and a half, his father engaged him in The Game, in which Donald was forced to
masturbate his father. Over the years, the abuses of The Game escalated. Further, playing The
Game
was the only time which his aloof father would show interest in any of his four children. Daniel
and
Jeannette D'Haene emigrated from Belgium in 1957 to Canada, settling in a rural area and having
four children. Daniel left the Catholic Church to embrace the Jehovah Witnesses. He eventually
converts his wife, who was not well educated and was forced to remain under his dominion in all
things. He became a pillar of the church, immersing himself in bible study. With the church's
backing,
as head of the family Daniel dictated his family's life, ruling with an iron will. In time, the children
confided in one another, learning of their mutual abuse. When the children learned that their
father's
abuses were wrong, Daniel blurred their realities, making them feel responsible for the abuses that
occurred. Even when the church intervened in 1973, The Game did not stop for long. Nor did the
Jehovah Witness church elders report the abuses to local law enforcement. Instead, they told the
children that they must continue to respect their father as the head of the house. Indeed, it was a
letter in a newspaper column that brought home reality to Donald as an adult, when he learned his
father's actions were not only immoral but also illegal. By that time Daniel had remarried, joined a
Baptist church and once again become a respected member of the community. Donald was
eventually able to bring his father to trial, but the case became a sham as it was tainted by
incompetence, ignorance and plea-bargaining. His light sentence seems to mock the horrifying
ramifications of his abuse upon his children. Donald D'Haene's bold revelations of abuse and
survival
cannot help but sear the reader's soul with his brutally honest account. Father's Touch inevitabl
will
provoke a strong emotional response in the reader, both outrage at the father's actions but also
joy
at Donald's ability to not just survive but to overcome. The classic methods Daniel used to
dominate
his family will strike a cord with all abuse survivors. However, Father's Touch isn't just for incest
survivors, but for all of us who might encounter victims in the court, in the day care, in the
classroom, or across the street. A powerfully rendered, thought provoking account, Father's
Touch
comes very highly recommended.
The Redemption Of Matthew Quinn: Superromance No 1086
Kathleen O'Brien
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373710860, Mass Market Paperback, 299 pages, $5.25
On what should have been her wedding day, Natalie Granville drinks too much, gets a bit too
much
sun, and balances precariously on a balustrade; that is, just before landing in Matthew Quinn's
arms.
Perhaps her decision against marrying a millionaire may have an unexpected payoff, even if
Summer
House crumbles down around her head. Even Matthew's confession of his past does not dissuade
Natalie from what she wants. Ex-con Matthew arrives at Summer House to apply for a job as a
handyman, and plans to walk away from temptation. But Natalie's flair for life irresistibly draws
him.
His speech and demeanor suggest he would be more comfortable in Armani suits than faded jeans,
but Mathew's parole depends upon finding work outside the financial world he once knew.
Further,
he's never met anyone as open and gullible as Natalie nor more beguiling. The third installment of
the Four Seasons In Firefly Glen series, The Redemption Of Matthew Quinn is a marvelous read.
Natalie and Matthew come from vastly different worlds. She needs his help; he needs a new
beginning. Together they find magic. Indeed, with this hero and heroine author Kathleen O'Brien
creates characters that readers will come to love, including a wonderful secondary plot complete
with young love. Further, the town of Firefly Glen comes alive, revisiting old friends and
introducing
characters readers will be reluctant to leave. A quirky, original, fun read.
A Marriage Made In Texas: Superromance No 1090
Eve Gaddy
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373710909, Mass Market Paperback, 297 pages, $5.25
Five years ago, Dr. Jay Kincaid's rejection seared her soul. Gail Summers was a struggling single
mother five years older than Jay. Dancing at her sister's wedding, they had connected, yet when
she
invited him home, Jay had gently turned her down. Now Jay has moved to the sleepy town of
Aransas for good. Jay is ready to give up big city emergency medicine in exchange for a quieter
lifestyle. He has left behind a fianc‚ and ulcers, but he quickly embraces romance with Gail.
Passion
binds them in its fiery embrace, then they learn their affair has permanent consequences. Already
scarred by a marriage initiated by a pregnancy, Gail has no desire to make that kind of mistake
again,
even if Jay wants to do "the right thing." Author Eve Gaddy's knack for emotional romance
sparkles
in A Marriage Made In Texas. Gail married her first husband after learning of her pregnancy, and
spent years wondering if her husband truly loved her, or simply married her because of the child.
Ten
years later she finds herself facing the same circumstances, but this time she is a resourceful,
powerful woman with choices. Her determination to maintain her independence coupled by her
oldest daughter's refusal to accept a stepfather makes A Marriage Made In Texas an outstanding
read. Add a sexy hero and an irritating ex-husband, and A Marriage Made In Texas results in
sizzling romance readers will not want to miss. Highly recommended.
A Captain's Honor: Superromance No 1089
Elizabeth Ashtree
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373710895, Mass Market Paperback, 296 pages, $5.25
From the first glimpse, Captain Nathan Fordham knew he was in trouble with Chief Warrant
Officer
Rachel Southwell who "dazzled him with her contradictions and intrigued him with her
complexity."
But there is no time for romance on this assignment. Working in conjunction with his brother, a
Criminal Investigation Division major, Nate has a plan. He needs a woman without fear to make
her
vulnerable and with the strength to go after the big brass. He knows that Major General Walter
Cornelius Donner must be stopped before he destroys another woman under his command with
his
sexual harassment. Rachel can outrun, out think, and out motivate almost any man in the Army.
She
willing accepts the most difficult assignment at the Pentagon in exchange for an opportunity to be
closer to the son she left behind when she enlisted. With his life threatening asthma, Rachel needs
to
get him listed as dependent quickly. Rachel knows that failure on this assignment will end her
career.
With the growing attraction to Nate, she needs the assignment resolved just as quickly.
Unfortunately, the general and a mysterious stalker are not above using her vulnerabilities to their
own advantage. Author Elizabeth Ashtree pens a powerful tale of honor in the military with A
Captain's Honor. Women who have endured sexual harassment will find themselves impressed by
Ashtree's careful rendering of such a devastating crime. Unfortunately, the secondary plot of
stalking
detracts from the power of the narrative. Nevertheless, Rachel's struggles to cope with such a
challenging assignment will keep the pages turning. Nate's ambivalence over his role in bringing
her
into such a difficult situation will likewise strike a sympathetic cord with readers. A memorable
military romance, A Captain's Honor comes highly recommended.
Operation Mistletoe: Superromance No 1096
Roxanne Rustand
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373710968, Mass Market Paperback, 296 pages, $5.25
Sara Hanrahan returns home to Ryansville on a mission; one that she cannot share even with the
local deputy, Nathan Roswell. Three years with the Drug Enforcement Administration and three
previous to that as a cop have honed her skills for keeping her identity secret. While she
investigates
rumors drug trafficking, she leads uses the pretext of visiting her family and starting a new life in
her
hometown. But with a horrendously strained relationship with her mother and the town's memory
of
her father's crime, this is the hardest assignment she has ever tackled. Nathan has his own family
challenges, coming from a wealthy family that has never forgiven him from choosing law
enforcement over a cushy job with one of his family's companies. Sara intrigues Nathan with her
air
of self-possession and mystery. Never before has he encountered such a confident, no-nonsense
attitude. The fact that she not only ignores him, but also goes out of her way to discreetly avoid
him
piques his interest even more. He does not know that Sara keeps her distance to protect her
identity
and also because once the investigation ends, there can never be anything between her and a man
like Nathan. Operation: Mistletoe sparkles with holiday joy as once again author Roxanne
Rustand
demonstrates her gift for capturing the essence of relationships with rich complexity and intriguing
possibility. Sara's family story proves both shocking and fascinating as it complicates her
relationship
with her mother and brother, and overshadows her return to her hometown. Further, the growing
romance between Sara and Nathan proves to be compelling and touching as an intriguing plot
unfolds. Secondary plots also capture the imagination with surprising secondary characters
readers
will come to love. Operation: Mistletoe comes highly recommended.
Naughty But Nice: Blaze No 63
Jill Shalvis
Harlequin
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373790678, Paperback, 249 pages, $4.50
The small town of Pleasantville, Ohio judges the Tremaine family harshly as bastards and tramps
--
deservedly so for every Tremaine except Cassie Tremaine Montgomery. So the boulder on
Cassie's
shoulder is certainly understandable. After all, she has had it proven, from high school forward,
that
all men can be turned to slaves by their penises. Ten years after her departure, Cassie returns to
Pleasantville to settle old scores while tending to business. Sheriff Sean Taggart does not hesitate
to
issue two tickets in two days to the famous lingerie model. Cassie immediately dismisses the sexy
cop; after all, a cop uniform and sheriff's badge could never interest her. Tag likewise does not
believe he could fall for this tempting goddess. He believes that he is done with trouble and high
maintenance. But then the taste of her reminds him of forbidden passion, and the "promise of
head-banging, toe-curling sex," and Tag surely finds out how much he does want this
anti-authority
woman. Jill Shalvis displays the soul of a poet with her deft pen, creating a powerful atmosphere
in
only two sentences: "Pleasantville had a scent she'd never forgotten. It smelled like broken dreams
and fear." Such description makes the reader incredibly sympathetic and tolerant of Cassie,
despite
her bad attitude and terrible suspicion. As she learns the truth behind a few of the town citizens,
such
as the librarian who always lurked nearby when she was teen, Cassie softens her hard disposition,
learning to look beneath surfaces. Furthermore, Cassie's diary from high school provides poignant
insight into this wounded character, and her driving need to succeed. Tag's powerful, sexy
presence
is just the hero this damaged woman needs, and the substance of every woman's fantasy. An
endearing, sensual treat, Naughty But Nice comes very highly recommended.
It's A Guy Thing!: Temptation No 902
Cindi Myers
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373691025, Mass Market Paperback, 217 pages, $4.25
Cassie Carmichael plans to surprise her boyfriend at his rented Aspen Creek cabin. After all,
things
had gone from sizzling to boring, and she figures a little spice should put their relationship to
rights.
Unfortunately, the surprise is on Cassie when she catches Boring Bob bopping someone else.
Outraged and without a place to wait out the snowstorm, Cassie accepts long time friend Guy
Walters' offer of a bed at his family condo. Suddenly her long time fantasy is within grasp, if
Cassie
willing to risk. Except for himself, the last of the single Bolder Bandidoes, a high school group of
sexy hijinks and fun guys, has sent Guy an invitation to his wedding. Perhaps this weekend
stranded
in the mountains will give Guy the time he needs for introspection. He does not expect Cassie to
pick this opportunity to make a long time fantasy into a reality. After one wild weekend, Cassie
intends to return to Boulder and revamp to her previous safe, conventional life. She does not
realize
she has shown Guy what he needs in his life, or expect him to prove that fantasies can come true.
In
her first contemporary release, author Cindi Myers can make even a game of Scrabble a sizzling
delight in It's A Guy Thing! Sheer tenacity and fantasy combine in a scintillating tale of new
possibilities when Cassie drops her cheating boyfriend and eventually learns how extraordinary
she
truly can be. Guy will find convincing her challenge, however, if he wants to play for keeps. Their
dynamic relationship will keep readers wildly amused in this tender romantic romp. The perfect
reading for cold winter afternoon, It's A Guy Thing comes very highly recommended.
Naturally Naughty: Blaze No 62
Leslie Kelly
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 037379066X, Mass Market Paperback, 217 pages, $4.25
Jilted on her prom night, Kate Jones trudges home bearing the scandal of her name and the pain of
rejection. When she arrives home she realizes her mother is having an affair with the town's
mayor,
thereby completing her night's disillusionment. So she and cousin Cassie make a list of their goals
that will turn the town of Pleasantville, Ohio on its ear. Ten years later they make their dreams
come
true with Bare Essentials, a store that caters to a woman's most intimate needs. In addition, Kate
gains the opportunity to seduce and destroy the son of the mayor. Jack Winfield, son of the
mayor,
cannot wait to return to Chicago. His mother's tears and his sister's theatrics in the wake of his
father's death only reinforce his need for escape. As he wanders the streets of Pleasantville,
however,
Jack catches a glimpse of Kate, and determinedly refuses to let an opportunity pass; together they
find unexpected attraction and opportunity. Fortunately, they both now live in Chicago and
connect
there. Unfortunately, neither he nor Kate initially recognizes their unlikely family connection in
Pleasantville. But circumstances will throw them back together proving that they are both
naturally
naughty. Being bad has never been so much fun as in Leslie Kelly's Naturally Naughty. A risqu‚
romp on the wild side, Naturally Naughty's wonderful, wicked playfulness satisfies! On one hand,
Kate's believes she can never risk trust and vulnerability to fall in love, believing vibrators to be a
whole lot safer! On the other hand, Sexy, confident Jack is just the kind of hero romance readers
expect, with his appeal to the senses. And he loves the naughtiness Kate conceals beneath her
cool
demeanor. Their time together in the abandoned theater will make reader's toes curl! Indeed, once
again Leslie Kelly proves her deft gift for penning romantic tales brimming with scorching
sensuality.
Very highly recommended.
The Ultimate Seduction: Blaze No 61
Janelle Denison
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373790651, Mass Market Paperback, 248 pages, $4.50
Nine months ago Natalie Hastings came to Oakland, California seeking anonymity and safety. A
long time boyfriend turned stalker betrayed her ability to trust or enter into intimate relationships.
Despite her determination to remain aloof, however, Natalie cannot resist entertaining very erotic
fantasies concerning Noah Sommers, a regular patron of the restaurant where she waitresses.
Nevertheless, she dare not yield to her beckoning need for a wild, reckless adventure with this
hottie. Repeated rebuffs cannot discourage Noah's interest in Natalie. One night he finally
persuades
Natalie to allow him to walk her to her car -- a fortunately decision when Natalie recognizes her
dreaded stalker nearby. To Noah's surprise, Natalie flings herself at him, giving him an incredible
kiss. When she tears herself away and flees, Noah follows Natalie, but he cannot prevent her from
running out in front of a car. After her transportation to the hospital, Noah pretends to be her
fianc‚
so he can remain close. He never expected the situation to escalate and for Natalie to indeed
believe
them to be engaged! Fans will recognize Noah Sommers from Janelle Denison's previous two
"Seduction" books and be pleased that he has at last earned his own story - and what a terrific tale
The Ultimate Seduction is! Noah's aura of seduction and sin deserves the equally tempting
Natalie.
The selective use of amnesia as a plot devise allows an unexpected advantage: Natalie forgets her
fears and allows her passionate nature to dazzle Noah. Further, does not belabor the amnesia
issue,
allowing it reach a graceful resolution with her surprising reactions. As a result, Denison once
again
demonstrates her consummate skill for remarkable characterizations and a delightful plot, in
addition
to a marvelous blend of romance and erotica. The Ultimate Seduction comes very highly
recommended.
Together By Christmas: Superromance No 1095
C. J. Carmichael
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 037371095X, Mass Market Paperback, 296 pages, $5.25
Video biographer Miranda James promises to bring back the goods on the illusive Warren
Addison,
author of Where It Began. They grew up together, although Miranda's high school fantasies
centered on another boy by the name of Chad English. The quest for interviews for the biography
with Warren leads to a return to her small hometown of Chatsworth. An enigma, Warren proves
to
be better than ever at creating uncomfortable, unsettled feelings in Miranda. And after seeing him
again, her enthusiasm for the project increased exponentially. Against his better judgment, Warren
agrees to be interviewed if only to spend time with Miranda. She has no idea how he fantasized
about her when they were teenagers. But Warren cannot help feeling a twinge of disappointment
that Miranda comes not to see her old schoolmate, but to see Warren Addison, the famous
author.
Nevertheless, Warren sees extraordinary qualities in Miranda, things she does not even recognize
in
herself, and he cannot resist her allure even when he knows she has feelings for someone else. C.
J.
Carmichael pens a marvelous character driven romance in Together By Christmas. With her
characteristic flair for tackling difficult, emotion-laden issues, Carmichael presents Miranda with a
difficult choice between the man of her fantasies and new opportunities. On the surface, Miranda
leads a successful life, but beneath the surface she feels terribly lonely. Her beauty and style
conceal
a woman who still struggles with insecurities and fear of failure. Yet she is a strong, powerful
woman who works hard for what she wants. Further, the only man she ever wanted married
someone else. The emotional complexities of Together By Christmas an endearing honesty. Every
character is likeable, flawed, and appealing at their best or at their worst. Indeed, Carmichael
maintains a careful control with the narrative, gracefully examining the painful emotional
complications of olds flames and new loves without allow angst to spin out of control. A delicate
balancing act indeed! Together y Christmas comes very highly recommended.
Taking Cover: Intimate Moments No 1187
Catherine Mann
Silhouette Books
300 East 42nd Street, New York, New York, 10017
ISBN 037327257X, Mass Market Paperback, 248 pages, $4.75
Twelve years ago, a forbidden kiss stirred the souls of Tanner Bennett and Kathleen O'Connell.
On
that ill-fated night, Tanner learned of the carjacking, rape and murder of his beloved twin sister. In
his darkest hours, Kathleen's kiss was a lifeline. These days Tanner lives by the squadron motto,
"Anything. Anywhere. Anytime." He knows that nothing he does will bring his sister back, but
good
deed is like a smoothing balm over a raw wound. So being grounded by now Captain Kathleen
O'Connell for pinched nerve frustrates him to no end. Especially when he is only six weeks from
his
rescheduled upgrade from copilot to aircraft commander. Kathleen believes that Tanner is as
stubborn as he'd been at the Academy his freshman year. She had been in junior year, and their
forbidden kiss could have had them both booted out of Academy. Their current clashes are
legendary, and this latest grounding simply underscores their irritability toward one another.
Unfortunately, their Squadron Commander overhears their arguing and gives them a new
assignment. For the next month they will work together to investigate a C-17 accident. By getting
away from the rest of the squadron, eating together, riding together, playing together, and
spending
every waking hour with each other things should settle out. Or not. Author Catherine Mann
provides another powerful look at the people behind the uniform in Taking Cover, the second
novel
of the "Wingmen Warriors" series. Kathleen is like a warrior goddess, independent and fierce.
Tanner has fierce need to serve and protect, driven by the death of his sister. Their clashes spark
strong chemistry, and their time together exacerbates the situation. Indeed, close proximity brings
about strong emotion and intense motivation that results in violent clashes and wild need. The
next
book of this "Wingmen Warriors" series, Under Siege, will be available in February 2003. An
intense
and powerful read, Taking Cover comes highly recommended.
What a Woman Wants: Special Edition No 1505
Tori Carrington
Silhouette Books
300 East 42nd Street, New York, New York, 10017
ISBN 037324505X, Mass Market Paperback, 250 pages, $4.75
Eleven months ago her husband Erick died in the line of duty, leaving Darby Parker alone to raise
their twins. Darby boldly faces life head on, with all its unpredictable and mystifying possibilities.
So
when she learns of her pregnancy, the first thing she does to march right over the Sheriff's office
and
share the need to know information. Eleven months ago his best friend died, leaving John Sparks
bereft. He was so used to thinking of Darby as Erick's wife that he has not gotten used to the idea
of
her being free, although that was not enough to stop what happened three months ago. Now he
feels
like Judas. Moreover, Darby makes John long for things he did not even know he wanted. So
when
he learns he will be a father, a marriage proposal seems quite appropriate. Too bad she turns him
down, again and again. What A Woman Wants demonstrates writing team Tori Carrington at
their
best with these marvelous created characterizations readers will treasure. Often authors fall into
the
trap of making the previous marriage less than perfect, thereby excusing their character's quick
jump
into love. Carrington makes it a point that Erick loved Darby deeply, and it was only her
insecurity
as to the reason he married that mars her memories. Darby's deep-seated fear that Erick married
her
only because she was pregnant comes full circle when life presents her with another pregnancy
and
proposal. In addition, John's transformation from bachelor to man in love is both fun and
endearing
as he discovers his new emotions and desires overcome all reticence toward marriage. Further
complicating the mix, Darby's children love John dearly, but only as "Uncle Sparky." They believe
their daddy is coming home, and John's new attention to their mother provokes some rather
outrageous behavior. A tender, joyful read.
A Cry In The Night: Intimate Moments No 1186
Linda Castillo
Silhouette Books
300 East 42nd Street, New York, New York, 10017
ISBN 0373272561, Mass Market Paperback, 249 pages, $4.75
A deadly firewall moves through the Rocky Mountains, threatening a lost four-year-old boy. A
simple accident had separated him from his mother Kelly Malone. Now she must ask the help of
the
best search and rescue worker she knows, Buzz, her ex-husband. But she never told him that they
share a child. Seeing Buzz again makes Kelly realize that she had never gotten him out of her
system. Buzz made it clear that he never wanted children, even when it destroyed his marriage.
Kelly's revelations leaves him stunned, and he knows that he must keep his dark and volatile
emotions under check if he is to find his son. Worse, he knows that if he gives in to the impulse to
offer Kelly comfort, he opens a door he had worked very hard to close, no matter what lies on the
other side. Author Linda Castillo creates an emotionally complex romantic suspense in A Cry In
The
Night. As Kelly and Buzz listen for a cry in the night, the voice of their lost child, they confront
the
pain of the past and tentative hope for the future in every glance and every touch. Their child's
periodic point of view adds an entrancing innocence that sharply juxtaposes the dangers of him
wandering lost and alone in the wilderness. A compelling novel that readers will find impossible to
put down, A Cry In The Night comes highly recommended.
A Lawman In Her Stocking: Desire No 1475
Kathie Denosky
Silhouette Books
300 East 42nd Street, New York, New York, 10017
ISBN 0373764758, Mass Market Paperback, 187 pages, $4.25
Tranquility's newest resident, Brenna Montgomery, does not appreciate Uncle Phillip's traditional
welcome. His unexpected kiss took her by surprise, and Brenna finds offense in such aggressive
behavior. Worse, when she complains to Sheriff Dylan Chandler, he does not seem to take her
concern terribly seriously. In addition, Brenna finds it virtually impossible to explain her problem
while being distracted by wild and dangerous sheriff she found swinging from the firehouse ceiling
and wearing gear that heightens in his attractiveness. Dylan does not initially admit that the kissing
bandit Pete is his uncle and has been greeting new residents similarly for forty years. Furthermore,
Dylan has had his fill previously of big-city girls who wanted to change Tranquility, and he refuses
to
allow yet another one to wreck havoc on himself or the town he protects. But when he finds
himself
trapped between a battle of the sexes over the city's main thoroughfare, Dylan will have more than
his extreme attraction to Brenna to cope with. From their first encounter, Dylan and Brenna
dazzle
readers with their chemistry in A Lawman In Her Stocking. Brenna and Dylan's story provides
charming reading for the holiday season, strongly backed up with a marvelous secondary cast as
Brenna's Grandma and Dylan's Uncle Pete add amusement and surprises of their own in this
Christmas treat. Tuesday night poker, Christmas decorations, and a love for chocolate smoothly
combine in a highly recommended read.
Meditations In My Favourite Places In Southern Africa: A Travelogue For Inner And Outer
Journeys
Gail Evans
Writer's Club Press/iUniverse
5220 S 16th, Ste. 200, Lincoln, NE 68512
0595200869, Paperback, $12.95, 105 pages
Author Gail Evans pens a unique approach to meditation for healthy chakras in Meditations In My
Favourite Places In Southern Africa. Beginning in the motherland of humanity's origin, Evans
guides
us on a spiritual journey through the arid deserts, pounding waterfalls, and vast plains to touch
our
primal roots. This concise guide allows us to explore the interconnectivity of the physical, the
emotional and the spiritual world; thereby allowing us to reconnect with the world of South
Africa
and the wisdom it offers. Each destination in South Africa becomes a mirror journey for the inner
spirit. Through pictures and prose, Evans guides us through the lush jungles and searing deserts,
following each exploration with a mediation at the end of each chapter. The physical descriptions
then become the key to the chakras. Each section regarding the chakras includes our historical
evolution and our development through the seven stages of man. I have read many sources of
information regarding chakras, but Gail Evans provides one of the most useful guides I have yet
to
encounter. Through the connection of the physical to the spiritual, Evans encourages
multidimensional thinking, providing sufficient information for a reader to return to the fabulous
little book again and again. Indeed, the author displays a scintillating ability to describe each
destination and then tie the physical to the emotional and the spiritual. A remarkable
resource.
Doctor Janeway's Plague
John Farrell
iUniverse.com
5220 S 16th, Ste. 200, Lincoln, NE 68512
ISBN 0595093272, Mass Market Paperback, 305 pages, $15.95
The mysterious Reverend Doctor Robert Janeway will do anything to escape his wretched
existence.
No one ever sees him eat; he only seems to consume dusky looking water. Like the golem of
legend,
Janeway is made of stone. Now changes are coming. Janeway avidly watches the skies, gazing at
the
shifting constellations. Invisible to the naked eye, a star is rising. Others see the changes recorded
by
their scientific instruments, but none suspect the danger the night sky will bring. No one links
Janeway, a respected academic, to the three deaths that occurred at the same time when a whore,
a
handicapped woman and a small child each die at the hands of someone they know and trust.
Others
die at his hands as well; each possessing something he needs to complete his cunning plan.
Janeway's
distant cousin Miriam Tailor also arrives in town, believing him to possess the key to immortality
and desiring to learn his secrets. Janeway refuses to initiate Miriam into the process that caused
his
transformation, but he does find that she can be quite useful to his devious purposes. Fans of
Dean
Koontz will find John Farrell's Doctor Janeway's Plague a fascinating read. Over four hundred
years
old, Janeway seeks an end to his existence irrespective of any moral or ethical considerations. The
cast of characters ensnared by his purposes proves absolutely fascinating as they uncover an
alarming plan. Indeed, this carefully plotted novel excels at providing the unexpected. A chilling
tale
of extraordinary power, Doctor Janeway's Plague provides enough pulse-pounding, page turning
eeriness to keep readers burning the midnight oil. A vastly entertaining read, Doctor Janeway's
Plague comes Highly recommended.
The Forest Lord
Susan Krinard
Berkley Publishing Group
375 Hudson Street, New York NY 10014-3658
ISBN 0425186865, Mass Market Paperback, 400 pages, $6.99
One of the last of Fane, the Forest Lord cannot enter Tir-na-nog until he returns with an heir of
his
own making. For centuries he has guarded Hartsmere, honoring a long forgotten pact. Then one
day
Cyrus Fleming, the Earl of Bradwell, enters Hartsmere in search of prey. The Forest Lord
threatens
to take the bounty and fortune the Flemings have enjoyed unless Cyrus forfeits his daughter. In
return, the Forest Lord agrees to wed his daughter for the time a child grows in her body, and
then
plans to depart for Tir-na-nog with the child. Cyrus agrees, but adds the condition that the Forest
Lord must win his daughter's love. Six months later and desperately in love, Eden elopes with the
man she believes to be her cousin Cornelius Fleming. They spend the night together in glorious
intimacy, planning to wed the next day. Then Eden overhears a dreadful fight between Cornelius
and
her father, and she learns that Cornelius does not love her. Worse, she enters the room, and the
man
that she plans to wed transforms into a monster. Later, she gives birth to a child she believes to
have
died. Eden then assumes her place in London society in an arranged marriage. Then six years after
Cornelius disappeared, Eden returns to Hartsmere a widow, having learned on her husband's
deathbed that her child survives. Fans who love the magic and mystery of Susan Krinard's shape
shifter/werewolf romances will delight in this new series of shape shifters who originate in the
forests of Ireland. Embodying the timeless theme of Beauty and the Beast, The Forest Lord
comes
alive with truly amazing characterizations. The author's respect for pagan mythology brings the
tale
a dazzling strength, with endearing, flawed characters that grow and develop in profound ways.
Further, Krinard's vivacious style lends the tale a sense of believability and immediacy that will
hold
readers glued to its pages. As a matter of fact, The Forest Lord will appeal to far more than just
romance readers. After only reading and describing the first fifty pages to my husand, I
accidentally
left the book at home. My husband who loves pagan mythology unexpectedly picked it up based
on
my description, and when I returned home he demanded that I finish it quickly because he was
anxious to finish the story himself! A fabulous read that must be added to the keeper shelf, The
Forest Lord comes very highly recommended.
I Brake For Bad Boys
Janelle Denison, Lori Foster, Shannon McKenna
Kensington Brava
850 Third Avenue, New York NY 10022
ISBN 0758204175, Mass Market Paperback, 320 pages, $14.00
Business makes for bad boy bedfellows in the fantastic anthology I Brake For Bad Boys. Authors
Lori Foster, Janelle Denison and Shannon McKenna blend their unique voices for this titillating,
hot
anthology. Each author adds a unique twist to the perennial bad boy theme. A combination not to
be
missed, I Brake For Bad Boys comes very highly recommended. "Drive Me Wild" by Lori Foster:
Three best friends and a dare land Erica in a titillating fantasy come true when Ian proposes that
they
bypass the porn shop dare and move straight to the bedroom games. Erica's cocky defiance and
take
charge attitude longs for the tender domination of this rebellious bad boy. A gutsy, risqu‚ premise
that achieves sensual delight, "Drive Me Wild" will have readers unexposed to the previous two
stories of this series headed straight to the bookstore. "Something Wilde" by Janelle Denison: Eric
cannot help wondering if the creativity and enthusiasm Jill exhibits in the boardroom would
extend
to the bedroom. But Jill refuses to combine business with pleasure until Eric presents himself as
her
fantasy lover. This "Wilde, untamable bad boy" only wants one woman in his bed, and will not
take
no for an answer. Denison perfectly captures the spontaneous, combustible, impulsive moments
that
have made her one of the industry's brightest stars. "Touch Me" by Shannon McKenna: The
gouges
on her client's back prove Jonah's bad boy tendencies. Tess has heard that he is trouble; that he's
too
intense; and that he's fixated on her. But when he offers to let her call the rules, demand her
pleasure, and allow him to server her, Tess cannot walk away. Shannon McKenna proves her
erotic,
endearing style to be on par with two of the industry's hottest writers with "Touch Me."
The Healing: Men Of Honor
Kathryn Fox
Zebra Books
850 Third Avenue, New York NY 10022
ISBN 0821772449, Mass Market Paperback, 318 pages, $5.99
Pregnant and desperate, Jenny Hanson shoots her lover at point blank range, burying his body
beneath a pile of stones behind their lonely cabin. Her pregnancy has forced Jenny to reevaluate
her
life, and she knows she can only be free of Frank if he dies. She refuses to be a party to Frank
Benz's
thievery, or to allow him to continue to dominate her body and her will. He had once been the
passionate lover who lured her away from prostitution with promises of wealth, but now his
gambling gave way to thievery to feed his insatiable hungers. Long ago Michael Finnegan learned
to
bury his fiery temper beneath a veneer of careful self-control. Mistakes of his youth motivate him
to
dedicate his life the North West Mounted Police. He believes himself to be unworthy of a wife
and
family. When he comes to Jenny's rescue in a whorehouse, however, he never expects her to repay
the favor by saving his life. Mike cannot shake the feeling that he has met Jenny before, nor can he
deny the passion that ignites his sensibilities when she is around. Author Kathryn Fox's gift for
creating flawed, endearing characters that touch reader's hearts results in another memorable read
with The Healing. On one hand, Jenny's wayward past and intrepid spirit result in a dynamic
heroine
who determinedly survives devastating choices and circumstances. Remarkably, she makes no
apology for how she has lived with her life, taking full responsiblity for her decisions. On the other
hand, Mike's painful fast likewise endears him to readers, but it is his tenderness and
understanding
that truly endears him to readers. You have to love a hero that treasures his beloved's physical
scars
like badges of honor, recognizing them as testimony to her strength of spirit. Indeed, Mike does
not
regard Jenny's history as a prostitute or her child by another man as negative, always respecting
the
woman who can create a life for herself and her child in spite of the challenges thrown her way.
Both
Jenny and Mike are need of and find the healing that they want and deerve in this marvelously
rendered novel. The Healing comes very recommended.
Yesterday's Dreams
Danielle Ackley-McPhail
Vivisphere Publishing
22 Neptune Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
ISBN 1587761122, Trade Paper, 246 pages, $16.00
As the unpayable bills mount, Kara O'Keefe makes the heart wrenching choice to pawn her
beloved
violin. Cancer has depleted her parent's finances, and the small amount Kara makes teaching does
not compensate for the loss of her father's income. Her need leads Kara to Maggie McCormick at
the shop called Yesterday's Dreams. Maggie recognizes the fiddle as a piece of Kara's soul. At the
least, Kara can never realize her dreams without the violin. With the violin in Maggie's care, Kara
will one day reclaim her dreams. Meanwhile, a predatory power watches, eager to add both Kara
and her violin to his collection of power tools. In a dark night of power and magic ten years ago,
a
vagrant was transformed into a malevolent being renamed Lucien Blank. Lucien overestimates his
abilities; little suspecting that he is nothing more than the tool of the dark god Olcas. Lucien has
become a collector of objects of power. Magic draws him to the door of Yesterday's Dreams and
the
things that lie shielded beyond. Music and myth come together in a mesmerizing display of good
and
evil in Yesterday's Dreams by Danielle Ackley-McPhail. With a fascinating cast of characters,
legendary elements take modern significance, including Sidhe elves, fairies, and gods. The result is
a
gripping and satisfying tale, one that at once evokes emotions, stimulates imagination, and causes
reflection. Add Ackley-McPhail's Yesterday's Dreams to your keeper shelf, and eagerly begin
waiting for the next installment of the series. A breath-taking novel.
Heroes And Hunks
Christine Poe
Wings ePress, Inc.
PO Box 726, Lusk WY 82225
ISBN 1590880137, eBook $6.00, Paperback $10.95, 192 pages
Twyla Twitt intends to save her family newspaper with her last scheme, "Heroes and Hunks," a
magazine showcasing sexy, available men. With the profits, she'll buy out the managing editor that
holds a third of the company, rather than allowing him to sell out to an impersonal conglomerate
in
Reno. Her sister, who also holds a third of the company, remains skeptical. So she suggests a bet:
if
Twyla is not successful before her birthday, she'll agree to husband hunt and making babies. Out
of
desperation, Twyla hires the only photographer to apply for the job. Brad Denton's sexual appeal
immediately puts Twyla off - she has learned her lesson about hot cowboys. She must overcome
her
misgivings, however, to meet her deadline. Little does she suspect that Brad has arrived on her
doorstep to spy for his brother. Worse, as the chemistry escalates between them with each new
interview, Brad's mood swings wildly, oscillating between levity and jealousy. Comedy romance
goes on the road with Heroes And Hunks. Brad is a rascal caught between his brother's
assignment
and falling for his boss. His unpredictability, periodic jealousy, and sheer hunkiness keep the
laughs
coming. Twyla's insistence that she is not a twit, despite her name, will have readers guffawing
even
as they admire her tenacious spirit. Author Christine Poe's sparkling voice and marvelous sense of
the outrageous brings Heroes And Hunks vividly alive, thereby coming very highly
recommended.
Rainbow Valley
Barbara Clark
Wings ePress, Inc.
PO Box 726, Lusk WY 82225
eBook ISBN 1590881672, $6.00; Paperback ISBN 1590888758, $11.95, 262 pages
Annie Reed's future depends on her next job. When rancher Ben Russell makes it clear that he
would
prefer to hire her as a personal assistant (with sexual connotations) rather than for chef position he
previously offered, Annie finds herself sitting in a diner in Dripping Springs, Arizona with maxed
out
credit cards and little hope. Fortuitously, she overhears rancher Jake Stone complaining of the
food
poisoning his ranch's last cook gave his crew. With the position now open, Annie immediately
offers
her services. It might not be the four star restaurant of her dreams, but it will do until she can find
other answers. She dreams of settling down and creating a home for herself, and while she has
never
been on the back of horse, she can find her way around the worst kitchen. Jake knows that with
one
more rotten meal all his hands will walk. He has serious misgivings about bringing city girl Annie
to
Rainbow Valley. But with Ben Russell trying to take the ranch over by any means available, Jake
cannot afford to spend any more time and energy worrying about feeding his crew. Now if only
Annie and Jake can avoid the attraction between them that threatens both of their long term goals
and dreams. Opposites collide when city girl Annie and rancher Jake come together in Rainbow
Valley. The very passion that draws Annie and Jake together threatens their goals: Annie wants a
life
of stability working as a well-respected chef. Jake needs to find a way to pay of his mortgage
before
Ben takes over his property. Jake's mixed signals infuriate Annie, even as she comes to understand
the scars he bears from his first marriage. Despite the challenges, their love grows steadily even as
Jake finds it difficult to reveal his deepest vulnerabilities. Indeed, these are believable, flawed
characters that share a love both tender and sensual. Secondary characters are likewise
memorable,
especially the delightful geriatric romance. A lively, entertaining romance, Rainbow Valley comes
highly recommended.
Secrets
Judi Phillips
Wings ePress, Inc.
PO Box 726, Lusk WY 82225
ISBN 1590880498, Paperback $12.95, eBook/Multiple Formats $6.00, 274 pages
As a favor to his uncle, Gregg Hollister agrees to investigate trouble among the lobstermen at
Tide
Rock, Maine. He decides to go undercover rather than reveal his association with the Department
of
Marine Resources. Rumors, innuendo and gunfire prove that Greg will not wrap up the case in the
few days he had hoped. But meeting sexy Robyn Cushamn, partner in the local diner, promises a
bit
of sensual distraction even if her brother becomes his prime suspect. Badly burned by a man who
chose lies to gain his desire, Robyn Cushman has no patience with anything less than the truth.
Her
attraction for the new hottie in town does not override her suspicion that something does not add
up. She also worries that some hot head might try to scare him off, or that he could be caught by
the
escalating conflict among the lobstermen. Most of all, Robyn does not want any more surprises
from
men who keep secrets; little does she suspect the deception Gregg must weave. Author Judi
Phillips
once again displays her gift for creating vivid characters and places in Secrets. The small town of
Tide Rock springs vividly to life with fascinating citizenry and beautiful scenery that makes the
reader feel as if they are participant in the novel. However, I did find myself a bit impatient with
the
Robyn's reactions to the truth regarding Greg because any investigator working undercover,
particularly if he must investigate her family, cannot ethically reveal his identity. His life could be
at
risk as well as the investigation. That reservation aside, Secrets provides an intriguing look at the
difference between secrets and lies. An entertaining read, Secrets comes highly
recommended.
The Third Wife
Jasmine Cresswell
Mira Books
225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9
ISBN 1551669315, Mass Market Paperback, 400 pages, $6.50
Seventeen-year-old Anna Langtry steals her groom's car on their wedding night, fleeing
southwestern Colorado forever. She was Caleb Welks' third wife, in a small town of Alana
Springs
where members of True Life Later Day saints practice polygamy. The marriage was arranged by
her
step-father with her mother's approval, and no one in her small community would have supported
her flight. With only $420 and a determination to survive she heads toward death or freedom.
Fifteen years later Anna has become a parole officer, maintaining her optimistic nature even while
dealing with the dregs of society. On a morning already gone woefully wrong, Joe Mackenzie
offends Anna from the moment he enters her office. She suspects his attitude has nothing to do
with
fear or humiliation, but with learning how to hid every trace of emotion in a bid for survival. He
had
been paroled after serving four years of his six year sentence for embezzlement. Anna expects the
usual story of being misunderstood and innocent. She does not expect to come to believe it.
Moreover, she never expects Joe to lead her life full circle, back to the world she left behind.
Author
Jasmine Cresswell weaves a stunning tale of betrayal and subterfuge in The Third Wife. Anna's
background will prove fascinating to readers, and Cresswell's explanation for the motivation for
women to remain within such a restrictive environment is surprisingly gentle. Anna comes to
accept
that some women choose that lifestyle, even though her own rebelliousness could never tolerate
such a choice. Joe's enigmatic personality teases the readers as we long for the explanation we
know
is coming. And even as readers become suspicious of the connections that bind Anna and Joe, the
marvelous details and subtle plot twists result in a stunning denouncement. Some readers may feel
that the pacing is a bit slow initially, but those readers who enjoy the subtle weaving of a master
craftsman will savor the building tension. A remarkable read that remain long after the last page is
turned, The hird Wife comes highly recommended.
Behind The Mask
Metsy Hingle
Mira Books
225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9
ISBN 1551669269, Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages, $6.50
Adam Webster offers a million dollars for Michael Sullivan to find his wife Elisabeth and the disk
she
stole. Adam had groomed Elisabeth since she was fifteen for his private pleasure, and he intends
to
have her back. He has little regard for his missing son who monopolized his wife's attention, and
has
no qualms of disposing of the child. But he carefully guards his possessive streak and his hatred
for
his child from Michael. Five years ago Michael abruptly resigned his position as a police officer in
Houston following his partner's death. Michael holds himself responsible for Pete's death,
believing
that he could have prevented the tragedy. Consequently, he also provides financially for Pete's
family, and a million dollars will go a long way to secure Pete's widow and son's futures. But
when
he finds Elisabeth, the facts do not match his preconceptions. Elisabeth knows that behind Adam's
mask of social perfection lurks a monster. In fear for her son's life, she fled her gilded cage,
leaving
Adam Webster his fabulous wealth far behind. But twice Adam's men have close to catching her,
and
Elisabeth cannot let her guard drop for even a moment. Not even for the handsome stranger who
becomes her only chance for survival. This richly textured plot keeps the pages turning quickly in
Metsy Hingle's Behind The Mask, as Elisabeth and Michael's traitorous emotions and savvy
survival
skills keep them alive. Each major character of the novel wears a mask: Adam wears a mask of
respected businessman; Elisabeth wears a mask of beauty and little brains; and Michael wears a
mask
concealing his identity from the woman he falls in love with. Each possesses nuances and
possibilities that none expect, and underestimating anyone can be deadly. These vividly realized
characterizations and desperate motivations give Behind The Mask a fascinating depth. Indeed,
Hingle once again proves her consummate artistry as she paints her tale and her characters with
vitality and verve. A riveting read that readers will find impossible to put down.
Savage Dawn: Red Thunder Book 2
Jay Kraxton
PublishAmerica
P.O. Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705
ISBN 1588512347, Paperback, 253 pages, $24.95
With their leader dead, the demonic Army of Darkness no longer poses a danger to the people of
Karthana. Vicious and cruel, demons only endanger those who travel alone or in small numbers;
that
is, until Rajah rises to power. Once one of the three magi, Rajah turned to darkness when a mind
demon offered him tremendous power and glory. With his newfound supremacy, he raises the
demons of Armagon to do his bidding. Meanwhile, Ken Maxwell, nicknamed Demonslayer, still
searches for his sons. Ten years ago they were kidnapped from earth, and Ken came to Karthana
to
find them. Jeremiah, his eldest son, underwent a horrible transformation, becoming an insane
hybrid
demon. Louis still lives on Karthana, separated from his father and planning to marry. Then
Jeremiah
rapes his fianc‚ and kills Santa Claus' wife. Author Jay Kraxton weaves a chilling tale of horror
and
suspense in Savage Dawn. Part two of the Red Thunder trilogy, Savage Dawn escalates the
danger
to create a chilling tapestry of good and evil. With graphic violence and sexual content, Savage
Dawn is not the faint of heart; however, these graphic sections are entirely within the scope of
artistic content, necessitated by the very nature of the evil portrayed. Each strand of the plot
reveals
a chilling tapestry of cruelty and evil, with the Red Thunder Organization as the only hope against
a
vast demon army. The deftly drawn characterizations, particularly that of the descent of Rajah and
Jeremiah into the depths of madness of depravity, will hold the reader's interest riveted to the very
last page. A powerfully rendered tale that will leave readers more than ready for the final book of
the
series, Savage Dawn comes very highly recommended.
It's A Love Thang
Reon Laudat
St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10010
ISBN 0312983026, Mass Market Paperback, 323 pages, $6.50
A nudist colony does not deter Ebony MacKenzie from her goal of interviewing the illusive Ice
Cream King Reuben Renfro. She has forty-five minutes to get her story before she must uncover,
but focus becomes difficult when she spies the nearly uncovered Isaiah Malone. Little does she
suspect they share the same goal. Isaiah usually prefers curvaceous, wild women. Ebony's Sears
suit
and button up appearance does not fit the nudist resort or his own fantasies, and yet she captures
his
imagination. She also gets them thrown out of the resort, leaving them both desperate for an
interview and pressured by family. Author Reon Laudat brings her own journalist flair and a
hearty
dose of humor in It's A Love Thang. It's a wild, roller coaster ride to the top complete with nudist
colonies and paint ball competitions. The competition between Ebony and Isaiah is fierce,
surpassed
only by their sizzling chemistry. Dysfunctional families, Mickey Mouse jammies and passion keep
the
novel moving quickly. While parts may seem a bit unrealistic, they do not overshadow this
delightful
romp. Highly recommended.
Passion's Fire
Jeanne Foguth
Renaissance Alliance Publishing, Inc.
PO Box 238, 8691 9th Avenue, Port Arthur, Texas 77642
ISBN 1930928378, Paperback, 280 pages, $15.99
The scent of fire brings horrific reminders of death to Jacqueline Cardew. But even before her
husband's death was ruled arson-suicide, Jacqueline had been suspicious of malevolent forces in
her
life. For three years poetry has arrived printed on the paper that comprised origami animals. As
her
stalker grows more threatening, Jacqueline decides a cross-country trip will dissuade her stalker.
Jacqueline is wrong. Link Gavalian had looked forward to a fishing trip with his buddies until his
sister, her fianc‚ and his niece want to come along. Worse, his secretary insists her granddaughter
Jacqueline accompany him as well. She looks like a teen and promises to be a burden equal to his
whiny niece. He is not even initially sure if Jacqueline truly has a stalker or is orchestrating events
to
draw attention. But as his attraction increases, Link comes to realize that danger follows them.
Author Jeanne Foguth pens an intriguing romantic suspense with Passion's Fire. The clever plot
takes unusual twists and added dimensions that will keep the reader guessing even as tension
mounts. Unusual in many romantic suspense novels, Jacqueline and Link stay out of a sexual
relationship during the course of the novel, allowing the emphasis to remain on the stalking plot.
Further, Jacqueline proves herself to be a powerful heroine who resourcefulness extends to not
only
thriving while roughing it, but also refusing to back away from the threat that follows. In addition,
secondary characters are nicely developed, especially the theatric teen appropriately named
Tempest.
An addictive read that is impossible to put down, Passion's Fire comes highly recommended.
Final Epidemic
Earl Merkel
Signet
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014
ISBN 0451207300, Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages, $6.99
Deep in the outcropping of the desolate, frozen tundra a few degrees above the Artic Circle, men
recover century old bodies to harvest a virus that can wipe out an entire population. They are
Aum
Truthseekers, men devoted a religious cult, and willing to die at their leader's command. When
their
leader was found guilty of murder in a court of law and given the death penalty, the judges who
condemned him as a madman rather than a savior then unwittingly condemned themselves as well.
Dr. Carol Mayer would rather enjoy the waters of Choctawatchee Bay than deal with a sudden
influx of upper respiratory complaints. But when a patient dies in her waiting room, she realizes
this
is not the ordinary flu. She reports the epidemic to the Centers for Disease Control, but only one
man can possibly locate a hoped-for vaccine: Beck Casey. Beck is a former CIA expert on
biological
warfare, where he held a job he once believed only existed in fiction. When he fell in the hands of
the
Russian Mafia, enduring interrogation and torture, Beck nearly died. He returned to the State an
empty man, retiring from the CIA, and accepted temporary teaching positions in universities
across
the country. Now his country needs his expertise in epidemics, pandemics and bioplagues, as well
as
the social breakdown they create. Worse, his recall requires him to work hand and glove with the
people who nearly destroyed him. Author Earl Merkel pens a novel of lethal intensity in Final
Epidemic. Readers will be interested to note that Penguin/Putnam originally scheduled Final
Epidemic for publication last year, but it was delayed following the September 11, 2001 attack
because of content. Terrorism, warfare, and horrific situations all make Final Epidemic a chillingly
timely novel that confronts the moral and ethical issues of stemming a plague that can wipe out
eighty percent of the world's population. In only four days, this virus leaves leaders with
impossible
scenarios, with no cure and no recovery. Riots raze cities, public buildings burn and quaratine and
martial law are ineffective. This shifting narrative allows the reader a glimpse of cross cultural
issues,
cultist and militia mentality, and personal ramifications. A tense, roller coaster ride that readers
will
find impossible to put down, Final Epidemic comes very highly recommended.
Tears Of The Hawk: Sons Of Earth And Wind Book 1
Barbara Clark
Amber Quill Press
P.O. Box 50251, Bellevue, WA 98015
Electronic: ISBN 1592790011 $5.50; Paperback: ISBN 1592799892, $14.49
Dreams of violence years ago still shatters Hawk Adams' calm, even half a world away on the
coast
of Southern California. Restlessness leads to a walk in the park where he finds Charity Starr
fighting
off thugs intent upon kidnapping and theft. But Charity resourcefully fights back, determined to
protect the vital information on her laptop. A gifted scientist, Charity's research into harnessing
the
vast reaches of solar energy has drawn dangerous attention. A powerful empath, Charity fears the
incredible power of her gifts when in Hawk's arms. Since a teenager, Charity has maintained a
careful control over her gift, but Hawk's disarming presence forces her to drop barriers. Soon, she
knows, she must reveal the nature of her gift to Hawk, which will bring about incredible
challenges
when Hawk comes to believe his very touch can pose a danger to Charity. Further, as betrayals
and
dangers escalate, only Charity's gifts can save both her and the man she is coming to love. Barbara
Clark's series, Sons of Earth and Wind, makes a powerful beginning with Tears Of A Hawk.
Although the pace is a bit uneven, Clark nonetheless pens a gripping tale with a powerful plot and
strong characterization. Charity quickly recognizes her vulnerability to this strong man with such
a
deeply troubled soul. Hawk mistrusts her gifts, his desire, and his ability to stay away from her.
Their growing passion provides some delightfully heated moments. Tears Of A Hawk is intriguing
romantic suspense with its hint of the paranormal, coming highly recommended.
A Gift Of Blood
JennaKay Francis
Amber Quill Press
P.O. Box 50251, Bellevue, WA 98015
Electronic: ISBN 1592790070, $5.50; Paperback: ISBN 1592799957, $12.49
Half-breed Jaeger has always rejected his vampire/vector heritage, refusing to feed on humans.
But
his passage into adulthood overrides his restraint, forcing Jaeger to sate his hunger. He has spent
most of life fleeing those who hunt his kind. He depends upon illusion for safety, but he meets a
woman who senses the truth of his existence and desires him. Bleeders build too much iron in the
system: a potentially fatal condition. Rhiannon believes that if she can form a relationship with a
Vector, both will benefit. While Celd wants her, however, Rhiannon prefers Jaeger. Celd feeds
from
humans, using them and discarding them at will, while she senses the good in Jaeger, promising
him
a new life for both of them. Celd is one of the Chosen, his father one of the Sovereign's closest
aids.
He has the right to select a human to make her a hostess for his child since vector females do not
bear children. Celd wishes to completely possess Rhiannon, taking her mind body and soul. Her
body would feed him even as her witchcraft would increase his strength and power. As a long
time
fan of JennaKay Francis, I have high expectations of this prolific author, and with A Gift Of Blood
those expectation of been exceeded. Taking up the challenge of a fellow author, Francis pens a
vampire romance that combines her classic touch with an original approach. The result is a
surprising fresh and spellbinding tale readers will not be able to put down. In addition, Francis
once
again proves her ability to challenge her characters' sexual identity and to push them to the edge
of
possibility, yet they remain remarkably sympathetic and believable. A symbiotic relationship
between
Vectors and Bleeders makes a fabulous premise for this new series, and readers will be eager for
the
next installment.
Come The Night
Angelique Armae
Amber Quill Press
P.O. Box 50251, Bellevue, WA 98015
Electronic: ISBN 1592790119, $5.50; Paperback: ISBN 159279999X, $13.49
In an effort to save her infant's existence, Octavia presents her son Lazarus to his grandfather
Romulus, pleading that he be made a Vampyre. Lazarus was born the son of an who mated the
mortal woman. Legend says that only demons come from the union of a mortal to an angel.
Therefore, to prevent her son from becoming one of the damned souls of the Nephilim, Octavia
wants him to become one of the immortal. Out of love for his daughter and grandson, Romulus
complies before ending his own existence and passing leadership of The Tribe to his grandchild,
with
his daughter leading in the interim. Just as the Nephilim once stalked his infant life, so do they
now
pursue Lazarus. For 600 years he has led The Tribe. They are the New Breed, those who feed on
the
food and wine of paradise in lieu of blood. He has married a mortal woman, a Tracker sworn to
destroy Vampyres named Neomina Delacroix. Prophesy states that from their union will come a
savior born to destroy the Dark Breed, those who feed on human flesh. Lazarus' archangel uncle
was
long ago appointed to search for the soul who would destroy him. But Lazarus does not trust his
guardian, believing him to have killed his father. Little do either Lazarus or his archangel uncle
suspect their blood tie to the demon that would destroy them all. Author Angelique Armae pens a
groundbreaking mythology regarding vampyre and archangels in Come The Night. The tale begins
in
Rome 476 A.D., continuing in Ireland 1095. Christian mythos lends a powerful structure to the
tale,
including an amulet containing a few drops of Christ's blood and a stake made of the wood of the
cross and the silver from the platter that server John the Baptist's Head. A new interpretation of
the
events in the Garden of Eden provides the existence of the Vampyers and the Nephilim. Such
profound theology lends the tale a uniquely original flavor that separates it from the vast market
of
vampire books. With powerful yet vulnerable characterizations, an intricate plot, and a
scintillating
voice, Armae presens readers with a novel impossible to put down, and leaves them hungering for
the next book of the series.
Lonely Heart
Karin Story
Amber Quill Press
P.O. Box 50251, Bellevue, WA 98015
Electronic: ISBN 1592790089, $5.50; Paperback: ISBN 1592799965, $14.49
Life inside the covers of a book appeals to Alyx Mossman far more than what she finds
surrounding
her, especially since her family has moved from New York to Heart, Colorado. Her father's
ultimatum has not helped the situation with his demands that she would be off to boarding school
if
she does not learn to socialize with her peers. The truth is that Alyx feels like an outsider no
matter
where she is. Carrie Eberson does not give Alyx the opportunity to distance herself, cheerfully
befriending her with or without her consent. Her elder brother is the school's heart throb, and
Tom
soon notices the reclusive Alyx. Unfortunately, Alyx misjudges his relationship with the school
bad
girl, distrusting her own gifts to attract such a popular boy. Teen struggles with self-esteem and
self-worth make Lonely Heart a poignant read. Alyx's naivety leads to painful clashes with
school's
bad girl, revealing her own inability to defend herself. Yet when she does learn to assert herself,
Alyx
comes across as a powerful and lovable heroine readers will cheer. In addition, Tom makes a
delightful hero with his typical male blindness but good heart, and his younger sister is absolutely
wonderful. With subtle complexity and powerful characterizations, Lonely Heart comes highly
recommended.
Kiss Of Deceit
Patricia A. Rasey
Amber Quill Press
P.O. Box 50251, Bellevue, WA 98015
Electronic: ISBN 1-59279-002-X ($TBA); Paperback: ISBN 1-59279-990-6 ($TBA)
A dangerous game turns deadly when erotic asphyxiation -- the cutting off of airways during
sexual
play -- leads to murder. Now it's up to homicide detective LeAnne McVeigh to find a killer with a
newly acquired taste for a deadly game of power and control. The murderers begins with stripper
Jillian, but soon target the wife of a prominent doctor, with apparently nothing in common
between
the victims -- and no clues at the crime scene except a motive to punish the adulterous. Jillian's
death
leaves her grieving biker husband Snake as the primary suspect. Secure in her comfortable, sedate
world, LeAnne is ill equipped to cope with her overwhelming attraction to this extraordinary man.
Cops and bikers just don't have relationships, but neither of them can fight the powerful heat.
Unfortunately, LeAnne's fianc‚ Chad Baker, Henry County's prosecutor, may have something to
say
about his soon-to-be bride's interest in a biker. Kiss Of Deceit, another racy romantic thriller by
Pat
Rasey, will keep the heart pounding, the blood boiling, and the most hardened of readers
entertained. Kiss Of Deceit takes a unique walk on the wild side, exploring the world of bikers
and
deceit. Snake epitomizes the raw, sexy biker bad boy with his devotion to a woman who was not
faithful to him. Indeed, he profoundly juxtaposes homicide detective LeAnne who makes
important
self discoveries from the moment of their first encounter. These vivid characterizations, extremely
sexual and sensual moments, and the pursuit of a ruthless killer whose parting kiss means murder,
result a must read that belongs on every mystery lover's keeper shelf. Kiss Of Deceit comes very
highly recommended.
Tracks
Libby McKinmer
Amber Quill Press
P.O. Box 50251, Bellevue, WA 98015
eBook/Multiple Formats ISBN 1592790097 ($TBA); Paperback ISBN 1592799973 ($TBA)
A serial rapist prepares to escalate the hunt using personal ads to lure his victim. Previously, the
rapist carefully concealed his true identity, courting his victims as a lover. Other than conquest, he
savors the pursuit of his victims in the moments before realization of danger strikes the victim,
when
they still live in oblivious innocence. Now he wants to add new excitement to the game; he intends
to murder. Chosen to head the task force, Detective Emily Evans brings personal interest to bear
on
these heinous crimes. Her own sister had been brutally raped and murdered, providing Emily with
the motivation to do anything to stop this stalker. Emily carefully sets the bait using herself to lure
this criminal into her trap. But she had best very cautious, or Emily will be the one ruthlessly
trapped. Author Libby McKinmer serves up an irresistibly chilling suspense that will keep readers
captivated until the very end in Tracks. This carefully plotted novel draws readers into a
dangerous
world of hunter and victim. Strong romantic interest deepens the plot but does not decoy readers
from the meat of the story as Emily enters this cat and mouse game. With powerful and sensitive
characterizations and a taut, compelling, and insightful plot, Tracks proves McKinmer's
memorable
talent for creating psychological fiction.
Emerald Heat
Barbara Clark
Amber Quill Press
P.O. Box 50251, Bellevue, WA 98015
Electronic ISBN 1592790003 ($TBA); Paperback ISBN 1592799884 ($TBA)
Four years after his wife's supposed death, Jim Wolfe shockingly encounters Lily at an airport.
Stunned, he can only let her go once again, as she slips away with Eric Von Rass, her
grandfather's
right hand man -- the man selected to be her next husband. Jim does not suspect that Lily's
reactions
are an effort to save his life from her cruel grandfather, a man who will stop at nothing to get his
way, including murder. Her grandfather has plans for Lily's life. The last of the Phillips, Lily must
fulfill her destiny to provide him with new heirs unpolluted by the likes of Jim Wolfe. His ruthless
manipulations destroyed Lily's marriage, leaving her to believe herself widowed for years. Her
grandfather holds her son hostage in assurance of her compliance to his will. But Lily will do
anything to get her son to safety. Author Barbara Clark once again pens a novel of startling
emotional intensity and danger in Emerald Heat. Clark's talent sparkles in this world of orchards
and
romance. the result is a memorable sensual delight that juxtaposes jungle lushness and
unspeakable
cruelty. Characterizations are vivid realized, especially Lily and Jim who must find a way to
healing
and forgiveness in defiance of a man who rules his country and his family with an iron fist. The
result
is an exciting romantic suspense readers cannot put down. Highly recommended.
The Reluctant Commander: Book Two Of Neophyte Warrior
Richard Patton
Zumaya Publications
P.O. Box 44062, Burnaby, B.C. V5B 4Y2, Canada
eBook/Multiple Formats $6.00, Paperback $14.00, 314 pages
With urgent messages arriving that warn of extraordinary numbers of French troops, General
Washington cannot properly equip or feed his untrained troops. British colonies will not survive if
the French and Indian allies are successful in seizing an Appalachian frontier stretching from
Georgia
in the southwest to New Hampshire in the northeast. Worse, those British men in charge of
decision-making underestimate the challenges faced by troops attempting to move across the
American wilderness. Consequently, it falls to Washington to find his own answers to dealing with
the French. The pressure on young George Washington is enormous. Meanwhile, British deserter
Pariah West, now called Stump Neck and regarded as a shaman, prepares his own ambushes for
the
British. The psychopath takes pleasure in bloodbath and mayhem, refusing to yield even to the
caution of his mentor. Other young, headstrong, ruthless Indians follow is lead into barbarism,
believing that the elimination of the British will leave them in control of Indian trade. They also
believe that by killing their enemies in ritualistic ceremonies they will inherit the spiritual powers
of
their victims. Author Richard Patton creates a powerful historical drama in The Reluctant
Commander, bringing little know historical detail to the narrative that makes the story incredibly
vibrant. Patton skillfully captures the essence of Washington's struggles, showing that defeating
the
enemy may create more problems than it can solve. His temporary promotion to full colonel
leaves
him ill prepared to cope with the logistical and political challenges presented by the American
wilderness. The plot comes dynamically alive as soldiers struggle with storms and wet
gunpowder,
hunger and three wheeled wagons. Readers will sympathize with the impossible situation in which
Washington finds himself, even as they cheer his determination to the right thing. On the other
hand,
Pariah West's deterioration into madness provided a chilling subplot. A powerful drama that will
leave readers eger for the next installment of the series
Captain Of Her Soul
Joyce E. Eberly
London Circle Publishing
17315 Henning Court, Lake Shastina, Weed, CA 96094
ISBN 1-930677-20-0, eBook/Multiple format, 197 pages, $4.95
Mary Eberly enjoyed the early years of the twentieth century growing up in Iowa. A precocious
child who learned easily and maintained a free spirit, Mary found herself at odds with her rigid
parents, nicknamed the benevolent dictators. Often they treated Mary as a young puppy, indulging
her playfulness, but curbing her frisky attitudes when they became too out of line with
preconceived
ideals. Mary dreamed of becoming a doctor, but gave her dream up out of necessity. Exchanging
college dreams for an obscure business school, she still forged a successful path. Not even an
ill-fated marriage, divorce and lack of child support stopped Mary in her determination to provide
for herself and her daughter. In this collection of letters, Joyce Eberly recreates a world few of us
would recognize before television, Nintendo, and email. Correspondence rescued from friends and
family presents a forgotten landscape when ties were renewed through much awaited hand written
letters. This slice of Americana will appeal to lovers of history with an appreciation for an almost
forgotten era and admiration for a woman ahead of her time. However, Eberly's book is not only a
tribute to her mother, but it also a credit to the women of almost forgotten generations whose
independence and determined spirit seeded the modern generation. Captain Of Her Soul comes
very
highly recommended.
"Adventures of the Pavement People II"
Moses Cramden
Fotos From The Future
eBook ($TBA)
Author Moses Cramden returns readers to the world of the Pavement People in the light hearted
adventure of "Adventures of the Pavement People II." Rather than a vertical high rise, this
adventure
goes horizontal and wet. The Pavement People borrow a boat to take them to sea, spending
twenty-four hours having fun and inadvertently thwarting crime aboard the Mucky Ducky. A
population of 50,000 permanent residents live on this "floating city" with twenty decks above
water
and five below. Humor and irony keep the pace lively as the Pavement People once again stay one
step ahead of apprehension and jail. "Adventures of the Pavement People II" provides brilliant
satire
interspersed with innumerable passages that will have readers chuckling aloud. However one
senses
many philosophical statements and themes communicated through the characters' preposterous
actions and attitudes, lending the tale surprising depth. Very highly recommended.
The Winnowed Woman
Celia A. Leaman
Twilight Times Books
POB 3340, Kingsport TN 37664, 325 East 2400 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84115
eBook $4.50
The cruel words ripped her world apart: "I want to be alone. I never meant to marry you. And he
tore me into little pieces and threw me away." Even the winnower's life threatening illness did not
have the devastating effect that his careless words did. Suddenly Celia Ann Leaman found herself,
the winnowed woman, with all the parts of her life she relied upon most simply ripped away. A
survivor of one divorce, and the growth and departure of her sons, and an immigrant to another
country, Leaman must rebuild her life once again. A long and arduous process indeed for a
woman
who has never worked outside the home, or learned to define herself alone. Celia Ann Leaman's
poignantly powerful voice brings any genre vividly to life whether to she chooses to pen fiction,
short stories, or an essay. Yet never has her voice proved so profound as in The Winnowed
Woman,
a collection personal essays, commentary and poetry that is at once painfully personal and equally
universal. The Winnowed Woman reflects the thoughts and reflections of a woman in her maturity
that has come beyond the vanity of youth to confront the challenges of middle age. Through the
challenges of divorce, remarriage, in the face of death and disillusionment, Leaman recounts her
spiritual journey of healing in an account reflects every woman who has struggled and overcome.
A
powerful and beautifully written book.
Nick's Baby
Rita Hestand
Double Dragon Publishing
ISBN 1894841565, eBook/Multiple Formats, 151 pages, $4.99
After a note mistakenly arrives at his table, Nick Leonetti applies for a job, not knowing the
unorthodox nature of the position. Kelsey O'Sullivan, a woman with the voice of a goddess, needs
a
sperm donor. She does not intend to pursue motherhood through traditional means, but to
scientifically achieve her goal. Although her note went astray, she knows from the moment of
introduction that Nick is just the man to fill her needs. Nick has held a number of unorthodox
jobs,
but this offer is the most outrageous job of all. With a zoning ordinance about to displace his
mother
and siblings, Nick needs to earn the money to move them quickly. He prefers to pursue
fatherhood,
however, through more traditional means. And although he has hid doubts that hot dogs and
caviar
can coexist, Kelsey makes him want to find out. Too bad Kelsey wants a baby but not a man. Rita
Hestand pens a lively romance where opposites attract in Nicky's Baby. Kelsey's determination to
have a baby without a father quickly derails with Nicky's appearance, yet she deliberately refuses
to
engage in a traditional relationship. Nicky cannot ignore the fact that the high society Miss just
does
not belong in Hell's Kitchen. Indeed, her constant habit of correcting his language only
underscores
the tremendous differences between them and adds amusing notes to the narrative. While
opposites
attracting is staple of romantic fiction, Hestand's amusing narrative provides a delightful read that
comes highly recommended.
The Huntress
Michelle O'Leary
DLSIJ Press
1717 E. Calumet Street, Appleton, WI 54915
ISBN 1928973973, e-Book/Multiple Formats $6.85, 264 pages
In a ghetto moonbase bar, Mea Brin searches for her quarry. Nicknames The Huntress, she is the
best of the Hunter Corporation, bounty hunters sanctioned to kill. Temporarily distracted, she
encounters the unexpected in Seth Terrik and the eleven-year-old Regan Freya who trails him.
Soon
she offers Seth a new identity, sanctuary on her ship, and to adopt Regan. Suspicious, Seth
refuses
Mea offers, but accepts on behalf of the child. Fifteen years in a dark, dangerous prison turned
Seth
into an animal. His urge to survive is only surpassed for his desperation for freedom. Mea's
too-good-offers simply feel like another form of prison, and he refuses to be bound again, even to
a
sexy woman who offers her heart, her body, and her life. Author Michelle O'Leary pens a
faced-paced, roller coaster ride in The Huntress. Mea creates an ethical dilemma that some
readers
will trip over, that being a woman honor bound to hunt the dregs of the universe and then rescues
an
escaped convict. However, O'Leary does step carefully through the ethics, and most readers will
find
her arguments convincing. Certainly readers will love this irreverent, wild duo with their steaming
passion and fabulous chemistry. Mea's character lends a powerful presence to the novel, including
her superhuman skills and fierce determination. Her relationship with young Regan develops
quickly
yet convincingly. Further, Seth's struggles with self-esteem and accepting love make for an
endearing yet prickly hero. In addition, secondary characters sparkle, including the android,
Regan
and Mea's uncle. Unexpected humor, emotional impetuousness, and plot complexity result in a
read
that comes very highly recommended.
Cindy Penn
Senior Reviewer/eBook Editor
Midwest Book Review
Klausner's Bookshelf
Night Watch
Terry Pratchett
Harper Collins
Nov 2002, $24.95, 352 pp., ISBN 0060013117
The Duke of Ankh Sir Samuel Vimes knows that in his role, as Commander of the Watch, there is
never a dull day on Discworld. Usually Sam stays off the street and works behind a desk, but
when a
particularly vicious psychopath kills one of the men under his command, Vimes is determined to
find
Carcer and bring him down. He corners him near the university but just as he is about to
apprehend
him a freak occurrence sends them back in time. Carcer kills John Keel, the man who taught Vines
how to be a good copper, and it is up to Sir Samuel to find a way to teach the young Samuel
Ivens
how to bring honor to a job. Before he can think of returning to his present, he must also take
care
of Carcer, show the Watch that it needn't be corrupt, and find a way to put history back on track.
The Discworld novels are always interesting and humorous and Night Watch is no exception. The
hero is thrust back in time and into an organization that is corrupt, inept and inefficient. Using the
knowledge gained in the thirty years on the job he brings a sense of honor and fair play to the
Night
Watch, which makes him very appealing to the readers. Terry Pratchett has written a fine
well-rounded novel that will please his fans.
Guilty Pleasures
Cathy Yardley
Harlequin Blaze
Oct 2002, $4.50, 250 pp., ISBN: 0373790635
Her San Francisco restaurant Le Pome failed because Mari Salazar lacked the confidence to
adhere
to her convictions on the menu. Thus the meals by committee led to a public flogging by a
disingenuous reporter seeking a name. Her Nob Hill parents blame Mari. They demand she leave
the
kitchen to lowlifes and return to her upper crust lifestyle. An angry Mari walks out on her
unsympathetic parents vowing she will make all the decisions on her next restaurant. Seven years
later, Nick Avery learns how far and fast the mighty can fall when whispers and innuendoes
accuse a
person of wrongdoing. He was recently the head chef at the four-star Le Chapeau Noir. Now he
begs Mari for a job of second stringer at the chaotic Guilty Pleasures. Though she tells him his
credentials are too high she hires him due to a common reference, but warns him that she controls
the menu alone. As he offers advice and begins to fit amidst the motley crew, Mari and Nick fall in
love. However, she knows that he is a super chef that New York will be calling on soon. This is a
pleasant tale starring two likable characters and a group of eccentric secondary players who
provide
the tasty dessert for the audience. Though this may be a Blaze, readers will feel that Mari and
Nick
kiss too quickly and jump into bed too fast for two individuals who have no reason to trust one
another. Still, the main course is fun and the delectable restaurant ensemble adds the finishing
touches to a heated seven course reading experience.
Tongue-Tied
Colleen Collins
Harlequin Temptation
Oct 2002, $4.25, 219 pp., ISBN: 0373690991
A sever speech impediment makes it difficult at best for twenty-six year old Robin Lee to
communicate with anyone one on one. Having to stand in front of a classroom as demanded by
the
University of Denver in several of her classes is impossible for her stuttering has left her extremely
shy thus her fantasy of a college degree in literature seems impractical. Even working at the
Davey's
Diner as a temporary fill-in waitress proves demanding on the Tongue-Tied woman. When the
other
students whisper loud enough for her to hear their pity, Robin turns bold and kisses a customer.
Johnny Dayton is stunned that this lovely vision is kissing him even as he reviews legal papers for
a
contentious board meeting the next day. Soon Johnny recognizes that the lips belong to his best
friend's kid sister, Robin and that he wants more from her, but her timidity may prove stronger
than
their growing love. Readers will delight with the way Colleen Collin cleverly blended a verbal
communication challenged female within a strong erotic tale of love. Though in this age of the
Disabilities Act, readers will question the professor's humiliation of Robin, the story line shows
her
as a capable person able to communicate in other ways other than verbal. She makes the tale and
Johnny is a likable hero struggling between meeting the corporate image and his audacious
concepts
to improve business. The audience will realize that Tongue-Tied is a triumph for fans as Ms.
Collins
pens an enchanting heated tale.
Tall, Dark, And Daring
Joanne Rock
Harlequin Temptation
Oct 2002, $4.25, 216 pp., ISBN: 037369075
After assigning her the Mogul Ryders marketing campaign, her Westwood Marketing boss Ines
Cordova bets Tessa O'Neal that she cannot stay out of Mitch Ryder's bed for a week. Ines knows
it
is a sure bet because she has heard enough times how Tessa measures all males against her
yardstick,
Mitch, her first love. No one including an ex husband and the nice Rob she just ended her
engagement to has come close to living up to Tessa's memory of Mitch though he deserted her.
Tessa plans to do the job and escape Lake Placid, New York with her soul and heart intact
because
she knows based on what happened eight years ago that Mitch cannot commit. Mitch anticipates
sharing sex once they finish his business requirement though he also plans to split as he did once
before. However, when he learns she intends to stay for only a week with no sex, he elevates the
game of love. Readers will enjoy reading the heated Tall, Dark, And Daring, a fun second chance
at
love romance. The story line emits heat through Mitch even as Tessa tries to avoid being burned
again. Though readers might not like Mitch's cavalier approach to relationships, the audience will
agree that Joanne Rock paints a compelling realistic look at modern day coupling.
Tempting Adam
Dorie Graham
Harlequin Blaze
Oct 2002, $4.50, 250 pp., ISBN: 0373790627
Adam Morely tells his best friend Lauren Bryant he needs a wife because he is tired of the lack of
passion sex with endless babes brings. He wants to come to share home cooked meals and to raise
a
family. Since he always asks Lauren for advice before impetuously plunging into something, he
does
so again. She says romance his intended. Lauren begins receiving romantic gifts from a secret
admirer. When her friends, work associates, and mother tell her it is Adam, she begins to believe
and
wonder if she should risk their friendship since they were Roswell, Georgia neighbors as kids.
Soon,
Adam and Lauren take the next step beyond friendship as they fall in passionate love beyond that
of
"buddydom". However, how will she react when she learns he is not her secret admirer? Readers
will find Tempting Adam quite tempting and enticing as the lead couple makes a delightful duo in
denial. The story line will remind the audience of the Bonnie Raitt tune, Something To Talk
About
as everyone else recognizes that Lauren and Adam love each other except the lead duet. Fans of
sensual heated romances will relish Dorie Graham's engaging story.
The Best of Me
Tina Wainscott
Harlequin Temptation
Sep 2002, $4.25, 217 pp., ISBN: 0373259948
She barely talked to her father over the last decade or so as she considered him to be a no good
lazy
bum. So when Lucy Donovan inherits Sonny's Marine Park in Nassau, Bahamas from her dad, she
visits with the intent of selling. Lucy prefers staying home where she works long hours as an ad
executive. At the park, someone is trying to kidnap the star attraction, Randy the dolphin. Lucy
sees
a gorgeous male in the pool molesting her fish. Chris Maddox founder of the Free Dolphin
Society
informs Lucy that Randy needs to swim free in the ocean with his peers as opposed to being
caged
in a chlorine pool. Chris and Lucy talk as he explains that he must untrain Randy so that the
dolphin
learns to use his echolocation skills. As the mainlander and the dolphin "thief" become better
acquainted, both realizes that the other brings out the best qualities in them. However, he has a
world to save and she has issues remaining from her estrangement with her father making a
permanent relationship less likely than society ending the caging of animals. The Best Of Me is a
strong contemporary romance containing a powerful plot involving the freeing of captive
dolphins.
The story line works due to a wonderful support cast including Randy and the lead couple, though
Lucy's carries too much baggage that often conflicts with the Free Randy theme for the dominant
plot. Still, fans will root for the precociously intelligent Randy and want Lucy and Chris to make it
together saving the world.
Undercover Lovers
Julie Kenner
Harlequin Temptation
Sep 2002, $4.25, 217 pp., ISBN: 037325993X
Tired of working undercover, FBI agent Carter Sinclair wants a desk job. His superior informs
him
that if he completes one more assignment successfully, he will be transferred to the position of
Special Agent in Charge of a field office. However, once he learns who his partner is, Carter
reconsiders whether the job is worth the cost of partnering with Agent Tori Lowell, whose report
linked blackmail schemes involving the Kama Resort near Santa Barbara. Tori always wanted to
go
undercover, but until this assignment she never received the opportunity. She blames a tryst with
Carter when they attended the academy together and wants to avoid a repetition of her only
mistake
in life. However, this is her chance to prove she belongs in the real field and not behind a desk as
an
analyst though she is quite good at the latter. As Tori and Carter act like newlyweds while
investigating the Kama Resort, they fall in love. Carter wants Tori at his side forever. However,
Tori's ambition and her need to emulate her father may prove stronger than her need for her
beloved.
Though the lead couple go undercover as operatives at the sex spa, the title is more for their work
under the sheets together as the story line is much more romance than police procedural. The lead
duet is a delight though readers will wonder why Tori is dissatisfied with her desk work (perhaps
she
never sees the fruit of her labor as is common with big companies and government agencies). Fans
will relish Julie Kenner's sexually heated tale starring two Undercover Lovers.
From A Buick 8
Stephen King
Scribner
Sept 2002, 368 pp., ISBN 0743211375
In 1970, a car stops at a gas station in the small western Pennsylvania town of Statler. The driver
asks the attendant to fill up before he disappears in the vicinity of the bathroom. When the
customer
fails to return, the attendant calls the state troopers. Troop D company impounds the vehicle and
take it to shed B as they realize that this car is dangerous and not of this world. In 2001, a drunk
driver kills Trooper Curt Wilco. His son Ned starts hanging around D Troop and Curt's peers take
care of him. It's only a matter of time before he sees the 1957 Buick in Shed B. The troopers all
take
turns telling the high school senior what the car has done over the years including causing one
trooper to disappear. It periodically gives off a weird light show and from time to time it
regurgitates strange objects and life forms. Ned becomes caught up in the story as deeply as his
father was enthralled by the car. It is always amazing how Stephen king can take an ordinary
object
like a car and twist it into such a frightening terror that readers will never be able to forget it. The
'57 Buick is more than just a car, but what it is become is the subject of reader imagination. The
structure of From A Buick 8 is absorbing as each trooper tells Ned about his dealings with "the
car"
leading the audience to think twice before entering a strange vehicle.
Hold the Cream Cheese, Kill the Lox
Sharon Kahn
Scribner
Sep 2002, $24.00, 290 pp., ISBN: 0684871564
In Eternal, Texas, Essie Sue Margolis persuades Ruby, the widow of the former rabbi, and the
current rabbi Kevin Kapstein to host a Bar Mitzvah at Temple Rita for her two "lovable" third
cousins, Larry and Lester Levee. Very quickly, Ruby and company find the two "terrible twelve"
year olds to be monsters of the first order. However, with Essie masterminding the ceremony, the
Bar Mitzvah should prove to be the social event of the season for the small congregation. To add
luster, lox cutter grandmaster Herman Guenther will perform his miracle dicing and slicing.
Herman
fails to show up at a meeting with Essie and Ruby so the two ladies journey to his home only to
find
the grandmaster murdered. While Essie bemoans the impact on the twin's Bar Mitzvah, Ruby
investigates by back trailing where Herman has been to include Alaska and New Jersey. Ruby
finds
herself up to her gefilte fish in a lox conspiracy that dates back to the Nazi occupation of
Denmark.
Hold The Cream Cheese, Kill The Lox is an amusing cozy that provides the audience insight into
pre-Bar Mitzvah training. The story line is humorous because of the actions of Essie groaning
over
the murder's impact on the Bar Mitzvah and the havoc caused by the non-mench twins. Though
why
Ruby and Essie gallivant to Alaska and New Jersey to solve the homicide seems weak, the
motivation for murder is fun to follow. Sharon Kahn serves up a taste of Jewish American life
with a
few kibbutz to nosh on inside a cozy that is clearly not chopped liver.
Midnight Rain
Dee Davis
Ivy
Dec 2002, $6.99, ISBN: 0804119775
Jonathan Brighton, CEO of Guardian, a computer security firm based in Austin, needs a vacation
so
he decides to on a retreat to a remote part of Mexico. Along the way two Mexicans stop his
vehicle
on an isolated road. The thugs assault and shoot Jonathan, leaving him on the roadside to die. Six
months later, FBI Agent Kathleen Cavanaugh goes undercover as a physical therapist assigned to
help Jonathan still recovering from his near death injuries. Her real assignment is to observe
Jonathan and determine whether he murdered a Guardian employee Derek Miller, who died while
Jonathan was on his ill-advised Mexican trip. Shockingly, Katie finds herself attracted to the
vulnerable CEO even as she wonders if he is a cold-blooded killer. Midnight Rain is a thrilling
romantic suspense that sub-genre fans will appreciate. Especially delightful is the dilemma
confronting Katie as she struggles between love and the potential that her beloved is a murderer
who
had bad luck with his Mexican alibi. Interestingly readers will feel the anguish that Jonathan
suffers
as he struggles to recover physically and mentally. Though the final twist seems odd and out of
left
field, Dee Davis delivers a strong tale, as her fans have come to expect from her while sending
new
readers seeking previous novels from this skilled artist.
A Pebble Cast
Sal Biondello
Five Star Books
Oct 2002, $25.95, ISBN: 0786245212
Because she mistreated her body with drugs even when pregnant, Claire Coelson gives birth to a
physically and mentally handicapped child Zeppy. His father died just before he was born from an
overdose. When Claire's father dies during a fishing accident, she returns to her hometown for the
first time in years. Though she wants to help her mother, she worries about the reaction of her
family
and the townsfolk of Carpentersville, Oregon to Zeppy. Most reactions are at first a bit stunned,
but
somehow the infant Zeppy wins everyone over. As a second tragedy hits the Coelson family,
Zeppy
performs minor miracles that provide solace and healing to one and all even as his mother begins
to
fall in love with a San Francisco art gallery owner. A Pebble Cast is a poignant contemporary tale
that provides several cleverly designed messages within the plot. The themes brilliantly
intertwined
into the story focus on the love between a mother and a child, the value a seemingly handicapped
person can bring to everyone, and that handicaps can be overcome. The story line enables the
audience to understand the key characters through the trials and tribulations that impact the
Coelson
females though the back to back sea faring accidents on the males provides action but also takes
away from the powerful motifs. Readers comprehend the fears, guilt, and anguish of Claire when
she
worries about the care of Zeppy after she is gone. Readers will relish this insightful optimistic
novel
that looks into deep issues yet never turns maudlin.
The Telltale Tattoo and Other Stories
K.K. Beck
Five Star Books
Oct 2002, $25.95, 283 pp., ISBN: 0786245700
"The Telltale Tattoo". In 1928 Portland, Oregon, recently deceased Miss Spencer leaves an
"indiscreet will" with most of the estate going to Reginald Montague if he still lives. If not, all
goes
to her estranged nephew. Iris decides to carry out Miss Spencer's intent by searching for
Montague.
"Hollywood Homicide". Reporter Jack Clancy persuades Iris to go to Los Angeles to work
undercover as a typist. Jack wants Iris to learn why the scared of the water actress Blanche
Talbott
drowned while swimming alone at night. "Rule of Law". In Holland, attorney Marius van Houten
executes the will of deceased Meneer van Dongen when he recognizes the name of the
beneficiary.
Marius wants vengeance as Nico Overdijk brought the Nazis to take away Marius' parents when
the
lawyer was a child in 1943. "A Romance in the Rockies". Iris and Aunt Hermione are vacationing
in
the Canadian Rockies when they see Ursula Destinoy-Pinchot slap artist Hugh Kent for stealing
her
pearls. Unable to accept Hugh as a thief because he seems to genuinely love Ursula, Iris
investigates
the crime. "Peril Under the Palm". Hawaiian sugarcane heiress Antoinette Caulfield asks her
friend
Iris to search for a mysteriously appearing woman who vanishes like a ghost. Antoinette wonders
if
the lady could be her assumed dead mother. These are entertaining tales though "Rule of Law"
seems out of place as a non-Cooper story that occurs at a later decade than the others. Still each
story contains marvelous protagonists who provide a taste of the past though a more accurate title
might be Iris Cooper and another story.
A Matter of Fear
Seymour Shubin
Five Star Books
Oct 2002, $24.95, 200 pp., ISBN: 0786243104
For five years Tom Loberg worked as a writer in the promotion department of pharmaceutical
company Packer-Hill Laboratories until a key patent expired and nine hundred employees
including
Tom received a pink slip. Unemployed for three months, Tom accepts a position as an editorial
writer at Mallory & Mallory medical publishing firm. Tom works for nasty Sam Glennie at the
vanity-press division of the company. The insecure and offensive Sam alienates subordinates, as
he
fears one of them will take his job. However, he loses his position in a more dramatic style as his
corpse is found floating in the Pawtoni River. The police lean towards suicide, but Tom thinks
otherwise after going through his boss' files and finding implications that murder might have
occurred. Unable to resist, especially when his former employer shockingly offers him work, Tom
makes inquiries that lead to more people dying to keep a deadly secret silent. Though very typical
of
the medical conspiracy novels, A Matter Of Fear is an engaging amateur sleuth tale because
readers
will like the stubborn high morality of the hero. In spite of the plot not being any different than the
usual pharmaceutical company hiding the results of the latest miracle drug that cures by killing,
the
story line engages the audience who root for Tom to uncover the truth. Because of Tom trying to
do
the right thing, conspiracy buffs will enjoy Seymour Shubin's tale of medical chicanery.
Killable Hours
Pamela Eddy
Five Star Books
Oct 2002, $24.95, 290 pp., ISBN: 0786243198
After several continents and years, attorney Amy Brown can no longer deal with the insults and
constant firing from her boss at London's Winter, Worthington, and Walker. So when
septuagenarian Daniel Blake reads her the riot act, Amy signs a note resigning. She informs her
stunned spouse but then learns she is pregnant. Her husband persuades her to beg to get her job
back so she will have maternity leave and medical coverage. Amy goes to the office early only to
find Daniel dead. She retrieves her note. The police rule Daniel's death an accident from an
allergic
reaction to eating chocolate with nuts inside them. Several months later after Amy has given birth
and returned to work she notices a sticky note among Daniel's items. The note says "No Nuts";
leading her to conclude that someone deliberately killed Daniel. Though everyone hated him, she
wondered who would commit homicide. She asks product safety expert Polly Lawrence for help,
as
the police seem comfortable with their original conclusion. As the duo investigates, they begin to
find other evidence, but a person who has killed before might find the second and third time a lot
easier to swallow. Killable Hours is an enjoyable amateur sleuth tale starring a delightful female
supported by an eccentric expert. The story line is fun though timelines seem off kilter. Still the
cast
is strong and the plot engages the audience from start to finish so that the audience will know they
spent likable hours on Pamela Eddy's pleasant novel.
A Killing Frost
Michael A. Black
Five Star Books
Oct 2002, $24.95, 256 pp., ISBN: 0786243090
In Chicago, private investigator Ron Shade is relocating to reduce costs when social worker
Maria
Castro enters his office escorting Juanita. Maria explains that Juanita does not speak any English,
but wants to hire Ron to make inquiries into her missing fianc‚ Carlos Sanchez, who vanished a
few
days ago. Maria clarifies that the police cannot be brought into the case as Carlos is an illegal. She
also says that she will help pay the fee as Juanita cannot afford the full price of retaining Ron.
While
also training for the full contact karate heavyweight championship fight, Ron starts his inquiries at
Carlos' last known place of employment, Two Thousand and One Space Oddities. There he learns
that Carlos was fired three days ago for allegedly coming on the job intoxicated. However, Ron is
uncomfortable with the way management cooperates by providing everyone with responses to the
sleuth's questions as if a ventriloquist act is on the stage. As he begins to get closer to the truth,
Ron's life is threatened, but he refuses to allow a viable threat from stopping his investigation.
This is
an exciting private investigation tale because the lead protagonist is an intriguing All-American
hero.
The story line engages the audience, as readers observe Ron's struggles to uncover the truth while
training for a professional bout. Though Ron seems a bit too perfect, no one will care because the
missing person's case is fun to follow and his budding romance with Maria adds flavor to a
pleasurable few hours.
Constable's Run
Laura Moore
Five Star Books
Oct 2002, $25.95, 318 pp., ISBN: 0786246413
After serving sixteen years as the elected Constable of Tarrant County, Texas, Jinx Porter has
four
years to go before he can retire with a pension. However, the fifty-year-old veteran law
enforcement official has a competitor this time, a very well funded junior college student Rudy
Castro who has no experience in the field at all. Jinx worries about losing but goes about his job
while his girlfriend Reserve Deputy Raven has two problems to contend with. Prince Ivan
Balough
of the Gypsies has a contract on her for a slight and her beloved Jinx has been cheating with
another
woman. What is a girl to do? Simple: eliminate the threat to one's life and gain revenge on her
former lover by taking away what is most cherished by him. Constable's Run is an exciting
character
driven police procedural (perhaps more like a sheriff procedural). The story line engages the
reader
in a humorous way from the start especially with the constables doing their job. Raven is a
delightful heroine and Jinx acts like a beleaguered individual lost at every turn. Though the Gypsy
subplot never really adds the suspense that one would expect of a death threat, fans will relish
Laura
Moore's strong tale starring a wonderful champion.
FOLLOW THE MURDER
Catherine Dain
Five Star Books
Oct 2002, $25.95, 24 pp., ISBN: 0786243163
Clinic walk-in client Natalie Thorson informs her psychiatrist Faith Cassidy that she is filled with
anger towards her former husband and wants him dead. She goes so far as to say she would love
to
murder Craig. Faith concludes that Natalie is emotionally too tired to carry out her threat but still
consults with a peer who agrees with her assessment. The next day attorney Miriam Stern calls to
obtain information from Faith as someone murdered Craig in his kitchen in what appears to be a
crime of passion. Faith worries that Craig's estate could sue her for negligence by not reporting
the
threat even if her professional judgment still believes there was none. In spite of Miriam's warning
to
behave prudently, Faith investigates the murder to prove Natalie's innocence and to avoid a costly
suit. Follow The Murder is an exciting amateur sleuth tale that borrows elements form the medical
thriller and police procedural. Though why Faith investigates is a stretch, the story line never
slows
down, loaded with red herrings, and provides numerous surprising twists and turns. Catherine
Dain
furnishes fans with a wonderful mystery that entertains from start to finish.
Charnel House and Other Stories
Graham Masterson
Five Star Books
Oct 2002, $25.95, 296 pp., ISBN: 9786243120
"Underbed". Martin dreams heroic thoughts. Tonight he envisions himself as a tunneler. Leaving
the
Land of Action, Martin meets a fisherman in the Land of Ideas. The angler asks Martin to rescue
his
daughter lost in the Land of the Underbed. Martin goes on the quest not knowing whether he will
return to his bed alive. "The Gray Madonna". When Karen and Dean learn that their unborn is
severely handicapped, they have an abortion. They travel to Brugge, Belgium where someone
murders Karen. Three years later, Dean returns seeking answers. When he learns first hand what
happened to Karen makes no sense, but will he live to tell the authorities? "The Ballyhooly Boy".
Caf‚ owner Jerry has no idea why Mrs. Devlin bequest her home to him. At the house, he sees a
boy-ghost. He learns that a classmate at school killed his family and himself here. The boy also
seeks
revenge on those whom bullied him in school with Jerry being the latest target. Jerry knows he
must
stop the cycle or become a victim. "Charnel House". The old man visits San Francisco Sanitation
Department bureaucrat John insisting that his house breathes. Skeptically, John accompanied by
Dan
visit Seymour only to find his home breaths. Disaster strikes and something happens to Dan who
breathes as if the house possesses him. Modern medicine fails leaving it up to John to find an
alternative to save his friend. This collection consists of the title novella and three short stories all
previously published, but each contain the trademark chilling suspense that the audience expects
from grandmaster Graham Masterson.
Chesapeake Blue
Nora Roberts
Putnam
Nov 2002, $25.95, 384 pp., ISBN 0399149392
Seth Quinn would never have grown into the fine man he has become if it wasn't for his
grandfather
who'd taken him in as a child. When his grandfather died, his surrogate uncles gave him a loving
and
stable home and in doing so they were the ones who were rewarded. After years abroad studying
and honing his skills as an artist, Seth returns to the family home in St. Chris where he is
welcomed
as the prodigal son. When he goes into the local flower store to buy flowers for his female kin, he
meets the owner and immediately wants to paint her. Dru is very wary of men and tries not to get
involved with Quinn but he finally persuades her to give him a chance. Just when it looks like they
have the makings of a solid relationship, Seth's blackmailing mother comes to town, threatening to
ruin all he holds dear. The hero of Chesapeake Blue is based on the premise that environment
(nurturing) not genetics (nature) plays the major role in personal morality. The growing
relationship
between Seth and Dru is tenderly and realistically portrayed. As a result of that believability the
audience roots for them. Nora Roberts is at her best in this thought provoking contemporary
romance.
Wild Pitch
Mike Lupica
Putnam
Sep 2002, $24.95, 352 pp., ISBN: 0399149279
Though he was one of the reasons the Mets won a hundred games and played in the post season,
young fans either never heard of Showtime Charlie Stoddard or think of him as a phenom
footnote.
However, Charlie, who believed in two things, baseball and partying, hurt his arm in the '88
playoffs
and never came back that is until now years later at the age of forty. After years of boozing,
womanizing, and gambling, Charlie meets therapist Chang who provides his aching arm with relief
that feels so good the former pitcher makes a comeback with the Red Sox, who as usual are
hurting
in their run against the Yankees. As he returns to the mound, Charlie also tries to reconcile with
his
former wife who believes a continent may not be enough landmass between them. Charlie also
makes an effort to reconcile with his son who loathes him. While laboring over straightening out
his
personal life, Charlie works hard on helping the Red Sox overcome the Killer Bs (the curse of the
Babe and Buckner's Dent) that haunt New England. Though the story line is evident from almost
the
start, sports fans will enjoy this amusing look at baseball, especially in light of the recent
settlement.
Charlie's injury will remind the boomers of the Bird, but his reaction is so different from Fidrych's
contented return to his farm. Mike Lupica provides an entertaining tale that is a walk off home
run
winner except this reviewer from the Bronx points out that only in fiction could this ending
occur.
Blackwood Farm
Anne Rice
Knopf
Oct 2002, $26.95, 528 pp., ISBN: 0375411992
Heir to the wealthy Louisiana Blackwood Farm, Quinn Blackwood is a true son of the south, but
has a secret that makes him quite different. He suffers nightmares caused by his spirit world
doppelganger Goblin. Still he finds passion with teenage Mona Mayfair until Petronia converts
him
into a vampire. Though he does not want to be a blood seeker, Quinn's worse phantasm is that his
doppelganger is not only one too, but that Goblin plans to destroy everyone Quinn loves and
cherishes especially Mona. Knowing he remains an ineffective tyro when it comes to the night life,
Quinn seeks the aid of Lestat, who refuses to help until the young vampire explains his full life
history. Anne Rice cleverly intersects characters from her two favorite series ("Vampire
Chronicles"
and the "Mayfair Witches") that have had runs longer than a vampire's life span though a fresh set
of
characters especially Goblin and Quinn make this work on of the author's best. The story line is
typical of Ms. Rice filled with vivid detail and erotic elements with many scenes provided by
Quinn
describing his past. Though at times it seems Ms. Rice prefers to be a historical biographer, her
myriad of fans will celebrate Blackwood Farm due to the vigor of the Quinn vs. Goblin obsession
war of supremacy.
The Devil & Deep Space
Susan R. Matthews
Roc
Nov 2002, $6.99, 416 pp., ISBN 0451459016
After nine long years Fleet Ship Inquisitor Andrej Koscuisko of the Ragnarok is going home but
he
is not the same man that left years ago. He is very good at his job torturing people into
confessions
and inflicting pain. He enjoys it, but being an honorable man he also feels stained and corrupt.
The
only reason he has come home is to legitimize his son and make his son's mother his first wife.
After
he accomplishes his objectives he intends to find out who has falsified a bench warrant with his
name
on it that orders his execution. Mergau Noycannir is obsessed with destroying Andrej using any
means at her disposal and she thinks his loyalty to the crew of the Ragnarok is his Achilles' Heal.
When a corrupt admiral, egged on by Mergau tries to blame the Ragnarok for crimes against the
state, Andrej finds himself torn between loyalty to his family and to the men on his ship. Susan R.
Matthews sets her space opera far into the future and shows the corruption that permeates the
space
command and the politicians who use it to advance their own purposes. The hero is a man at war
with himself, a decent person who cannot understand why he enjoys afflicting pain on others.
This
flaw, terrible as it is, humanizes him and allows the reader to empathize with his problem without
condoning it. Fans of space opera and military science fiction will enjoy The Devil & Deep
Space.
Stealing The Elf-King's Roses
Diane Duane
Aspect
Nov 2002, $16.99, 416 pp., ISBN 044660938
On an earth much different than our own, people are able to transport themselves from one place
to
another and one universe to another by using the gates which are constructed in part from fairy
gold.
The elves control the distribution of fair gold just as they block anyone from any of the diverse
universes from traveling to Alfheim, the elfin world. Lanthanomancer Lee Enfield and her partner
Galert, a madrin (a wolfhound the size of a horse that talks and is very intelligent) use their sight
and
scent to see below the surface at crime scenes and while interrogating perpetrators. The duo is so
good at what they do that they are sent at their government's bequest into Alfheim to find out why
elves are killing elves. Before they know it they are caught in a civil uprising that unless stopped,
could mean a massive war throughout the known universes. Dianne Duane, long known and
respected for her excellent work, has gifted her readers with a unique view of the Fay that make it
seem as if another species has been discovered by the author. Her protagonists are a superb
working
team whose personalities mesh so well they are better together then apart in a kind of the whole is
greater than the sum of the parts. Stealing The Elf-King's Roses is a fascinating mixture of
political
and inter- dimensional travel inside a fantasy science fiction plot.
Six White Horses
Gaylord Dold
Thomas Dunne
Oct 2002, $23.95, 304 pp., ISBN: 031229025X
In California, USMC Corporal Palmer waits for his girlfriend Suzanne to arrive at the pier when
instead Marine Sergeant Harry Wilde confronts him with a choice. Harry demands Palmer serves
as
a mule trafficking in drug sales or face jail time for possession. Following being framed of a drug
charge of possession of snort, with the help of Suzanne, Palmer flees to Mexico because he knows
he cannot win against Wilde. Several years later, Palmer feels guilty that he abandoned Suzanne,
who has given birth to his son whom he has never met. Palmer also realizes that he still loves
Suzanne. However, he as a new problem or perhaps a better way to look at it is the return of an
old
problem. Ex- marine Harry Wilde is in Mexico seeking a new messenger to work his expanded
trafficking that now also includes weapons. He sees Palmer as the perfect dupe, but the
dishonorably
discharged corporal is not the same kid railroaded seven years ago. Six White Horses is a strong
thriller gripping the reader in its suspense and never frees anyone until the novel is finished. The
story line is loaded with entertaining action, but the key antagonists seem genuine especially the
beleaguered Palmer. Some readers will feel Wilde is over the edge with no redeeming qualities,
but
he serves as the catalyst to all that happens to the other prime cast. Gaylord Dold furbishes a
strong
take no prisoner thriller that is 200 proof octane.
Street Money
Bill Kent
Thomas Dunne
Oct 2002, $23.95, 304 pp., ISBN: 031228585X
Upon graduating from the U of Penn with a journalism degree, former basketball star Andrea
"Andy" Cosicki tries to obtain work with local newspapers, but is ignored until her father
Benjamin
"Benny Lunch" gets her a position with the tabloid Philadelphia Press. Her boss makes it clear
that
he does not want her, but has no choice as obviously the owners owed Benny Lunch for fixing
something. So he assigns Andy the impossible column of Mr. Action problem solver for readers
and
to assist Shep Ladderbook the obit writer. Almost immediately following her employment, the
police
find the body of Benny Lunch in the basement of the burned out Straight Up club. No one knows
why he went there, but the death is ruled an accident. When thugs invade her home looking for
something that Benny Lunch possessed, Andy wonders if someone killed him over a deal he
arranged or that item not found so far. With the help of Ladderbook, who provides newspaper
cover
and leads, she begins to investigate. Street Money is an entertaining read that combines elements
of
an amateur sleuth with a professional investigation. The story line focuses on Andy, as a rookie
just
starting out so that her actions feel like an amateur sleuth yet because of Ladderbook providing
guidance her effort is also professional. Andy makes the tale work as a modern woman not
ashamed
of being over six feet tall and towering over many of her colleagues. That self-positive attitude
makes Bill Kent's novel a joy to read as she digs into her father's death to learn the truth of Benny
Lunch.
Francesca's Party
Patricia Scanlon
Thomas Dunne,
Sept. 2002, 384 pp, ISBN #0312301723
In London Francesca Kirwan has spent more than half of her forty years contentedly married to
Mark. Everything changes when she dropped off her husband at the airport so he can fly to the
continent on business. Mark left his cell phone in the car so Francesca parks and enters the
terminal
to bring it to him. However, she sees Mark kissing a woman. Francesca learns that Mark has been
having an affair with Nikki. She kicks Mark out of their house so he blithely moves in with Nikki.
At
first Francesca expected Mark to beg her to allow him to return, but he never even plea bargains
with her. Francesca begins to fall into a deep depression until her two adult sons and her sister try
to
help her become as an independent woman. A bit of revenge on her spoiled soiled Mark would
sweeten her life immensely. On the surface, Francesca's Party is like a zillion similar books
starring a
middle aged woman whose sheltered life crashes around her, but somehow out of the ruins she
turns
into super-person. Getting past the simplistic assumption that one is a better person following
recovery from a traumatic event, readers will find this novel is quite amusing. The key to the story
line is the effortlessly shifting of perspective between several characters (not just the title
protagonist) so that the audience understands the same event from the different minds' eyes. This
technique carried off quite smoothly shows that Patricia Scanlan is a very talented author whom
entertains the sub-genre crowd with a strong contemporary character study.
Westerfield's Chain
Jack Clark
Thomas Dunne
Nov 2002, $23.95, 304 pp., ISBN 031228960X
Forty-five year old private sleuth Nick Acropolis used to be a homicide detective until he was
kicked
off the force. His partner robbed a bank while Nick was waiting on line as the crime was taking
place. His partner spoke to him before leaving but when questioned, Nick didn't reveal the name
of
the robber or what was said to him. Now Nick is working as an investigator for law firms like
Siegal
and McGovern and hating every minute of it. He's currently working on a case where an off duty
police officer was involved in road rage and the Review Board wants to terminate his
employment.
While trying to build a case for the lawyer's client, he meets Becky Westerfield who wants to hire
him to find her missing father. The missing person's case turns into something much bigger when
he
learns that Becky's father is into massive public aid fraud and the people he works with at the
pharmacy are dead or have disappeared. Nick is determined to get some answers no matter what
the
cost. This is Jack Clark's debut novel and it is a fascinating urban noir thriller. The protagonist is a
likable character who, though he feels sorry for himself, is an intelligent investigator who is
determined to figure out how a series of crimes are connected. Readers will appreciate his tenacity
and ability to follow a lead, no matter how minor it is. Westerfield's Chain is a mystery that keeps
readers interested and turning the pages.
Decipher
Stel Pavlou
Thomas Dunne
Sep 2002, $24.95, 400 pp., ISBN: 0312280750
In 2012, the world has plenty of trouble to contend with already when the signal begins.
Something
is coming from underneath the Antarctic ice and it is emitting world wide as ancient artifacts that
ignore artificial man-made boundaries are activated. The millenniums old monuments connect to
one
another via low frequency sound waves, but no one knows why the activation started or what the
intent is. Many feel it is the end of the world as predicted by the Mayans. Scientists from all walks
of
life turn to the once dormant ancient artifacts seeking to interpret a recurring symbol that will
either
prove the final devastation of humanity or its savior. As China and the United States stand ready
to
battle over possession of this arcane force, humanity has one week to uncover a truth from the
sunken depths of Atlantis that has been ignored for twelve millenniums. Decipher is the blending
of
myths and ancient history inside an action packed modern day science fiction thriller. The story
line
never slows down as the pace is at a rate faster than the speed of light. None of the key players
really stands out as they seem to all behave in a standard heroic script manner. Still, in spite of the
insubstantial nature of the cast, the audience will enjoy this loaded doomsday thriller.
The Detective And The Investor
Robert Hagstrom
Texere
Oct 2002, $24.95, 262 pp., ISBN: 1587991276
The premise of this book is that the techniques used by reasoning literary detectives can be
applied
to investment options. Though sounding more like a post graduate thesis, the book is quite
entertaining as Robert Hagstrom explains the inductive and deductive reasoning techniques used
by
Dupin, Holmes, and Father Brown. The author than applies those same techniques to Wall St.
providing specific examples of how his approach works. This is a well written, intriguing premise
that will excite classic mystery buffs probably more than bottom line portfolio seekers. Still with
the
way Dow Jones is sinking, perhaps legendary sleuths analyzed in Detective And The Investor:
Uncovering Investment Techniques From The Legendary Sleuths can provide investment tips that
will prove more accurate than those tossed by TV pundits. Besides which, this reviewer would
prefer Miss Marple's insider information not released until the case/investment is banked, but of
course without the M. Stewart spotlight.
Explorer
C.J. Cherryh
Daw Books
November 2002, $23.95, 480 pp., ISBN 0756400864
The human spaceship Phoenix is on a course that will take them to the Reunion Space Station,
which was thought to have been destroyed by unknown aliens. On board the ship are the crew,
the
Mosphierans and the alien sentient race the atevi, all who have a stake in the outcome of this
mission. Upon arrival at their destination, the Phoenix communicates with an alien vessel, whose
occupants insists that the Reunion attacked them and demand the return of their crew member and
scout ship. The captain of the Phoenix promises to try but when they dock at the refueling area,
the
Reunion won't give them any until certain conditions are met and don't seem in any hurry to be
rescued. Bren Cameron, a highly trained human diplomat in the atevi court, is the only possible
person capable of negotiating with all the races and groups in the hopes of coming to a peaceful
resolution that will placate all interested parties. This is the final installment in the second
Foreigner
Universe trilogy and it ties up all the loose ends by answering all the questions and resolving all
the
issues in a believable manner. C.J. Cherryh writes excellent space opera filled with plenty of action
and adventure. The sentient aliens add another rich layer to this colorful tapestry and keeps reader
interest not only from first page to last, but back to rereading the previous novels as well.
True Lies
Margaret Johnson-Hodge
Dafina
Oct 2002, $24.00, 368 pp., ISBN: 157566917X
When Corrections Officer Rick Trimmons and teenage drop out Gina Alexander meet, both think
it
is love. However, Rick never recovered from being dumped and remains in a rebound state of
limbo
while Gina desperately wants a baby. When Kanisha is born, Gina learns what an infant does to a
lifestyle so in order to return to the streets, she begins dumping Kanisha on her grandmother,
which
angers Rick. Rick still fantasizes about a loving relationship between he, Gina, and their child, but
he
turns to showering all his love on his little girl. Hardworking Dajah Moore takes no risks in life
even
with her heart. Currently she is lonely having ended her last relationship about a year ago. When
Dajah and Rick meet, perhaps it is the traits they share in common, but they begin to fall in love.
However, Kanisha remains first in Rick's life, which means Gina is still a player and at night by
himself he knows in his way he loves all three women in his life. Will Rick choose the dream that
Gina will change; or select a relationship with Dajah that will limit his time with Kanisha; or opt
for
the status quo of a foot in two homes? True Lies is a strong character study that shows the impact
on people of life altering decisions to include the ripple effect on other individuals in a person's
concentric world. The key cast seems authentic, as readers will recognize similar people especially
when seemingly poor or selfish judgment is used. Fans of complex contemporary relationship
dramas
with strong characterizations will enjoy Margaret Johnson-Hodge's latest spotlight on life.
Resurrection
Karen E. Taylor
Pinnacle
Sept 2002, $5.99, 304 pp., ISBN 0786014717
Deidre Griffin and Mitch Greer are still very much in love and happily married but that is the only
thing in their lives that have remained the same. They reside in Whitby, England where they run
the
local pub and live on the edge ever since vampires have come out of the closet and humans know
that they are real. The Others, beings whose souls enter newborns specially bred for that purpose,
are determined to exterminate vampires. One day while Mitch and Deidre are looking for human
blood, an Other attacks her. They destroy him but Deidre drinks his blood only to realize it has
been
poisoned and that toxin flows within her. Deidre falls ill and everyday that goes by she is losing
more
and more of her memory. A desperate Mitch calls Sam and Vivienne for help because if Deidre is
not cured soon, she will forget all about the deep and abiding love she has for Mitch. Nobody can
ever predict what direction "The vampire Legacy" will take (probably the author as well) and
Resurrection is no exception. Fans of this series will find many surprises in store for them, some
joyous and some horrific. Karen E. Taylor's viewpoint of vampire society is fascinating and
enthralling while her heroine endears herself to the audience with her human emotions of love and
regret. This reviewer will impatiently wait for the next book in this popular series.
A Bicycle Built For Two
Alice Duncan
Zebra Books
Nov 2002, ISBN: 0821772783
At the emergency meeting of the World's Colombian Exposition Agricultural Forum, Illinois
farmer
Alex English pushes for the removal of Madame Esmeralda's fortune telling booth after
yesterday's
incident. Alex opposed the booth even before the World's Colombian Exposition began in
Chicago,
as he did not want the riffraff associated with that type of people ruining the displays. The Forum
members assign Alex to warn Kate Finney that a repeat of the incident will close the booth though
her father Herbert caused the incident when he tried to choke her to death. However, Kate is
nothing like Alex expected as she refuses to kowtow to his air of superiority even though she
needs
the job. As Alex becomes better acquainted with Kate, he learns about her dying mother and soon
sees the vulnerability that churns inside the fortuneteller. He wants to alleviate those fears even as
he
is jealous of the attention drunken louts pay to her because he now loves Kate. The latest World's
Colombian Exposition romance is an engaging tale between two seemingly, at least on the
surface,
opposites who as the exciting plot moves forward share many traits. The story line provides a
strong
look at 1893 at a time when the United States is beginning to flex its muscle on the world stage.
Though the subplot involving Kate's mother and family add angst, it also makes it easier for Alex
to
admire her efforts rather than accepting her and her employment. This exciting historical romance
in
a strong series displays the descriptive narration talents of Alice Duncan.
Reconsidering Riley
Lisa Plumley
Zebra Books
Oct 2002, $5.99, 304 pp., ISBN: 0821773402
Jayne Murphy is urban chic standing on top of the world with her best selling relationship book,
Heartbreak 101, that uses her sorrowful experience with photojournalist hunk Riley Davis. Jayne
fell
in love with Riley, but he did not miss a heartbeat as he skipped town without a look back. Her
current project is a retreat workshop for five "dump-ees" that she plans to use for her next
self-help
book. However, the tour guide turns out to be clueless Riley who does not realize he is the model
starring in Heartbreak 101. Neither one expected the other at this retreat, but there is no question
that urban Jayne and wilderness Riley have different opinions on life yet both desperately desire
the
other. With no common ground except love, this second chance seems doomed to failure once
again. Lisa Plumley is gaining a deserved reputation for her amusing romances and her latest tale
Reconsidering Riley, will strengthen her standing among sub- genre fans. The story line is a
delightful fluff that is fun from the beginning, but really hooks the audience at the retreat. The key
to
this comical, at times slapstick, romp is the cast. The two charming lead characters and the
support
group turn the novel into a marvelous merry mirth.
Scrooge Wore Spurs
Janet Dailey
Zebra Books
Oct 2002, $6.99, 352 pp., ISBN: 0821772252
Banker Billy Joe Wilder uses a stipulation in the loan agreement with Eben MacCallister that
forces
the rancher to furbish a quarter of a million dollar payment within sixty days or lose the Star
Ranch
which has been in his family for over a century. Not long afterward, Maddie Williams visits Eben.
Maddie, a wealthy widow and owner of a dude ranch, loved Eben. Two decades ago she thought
she would be his wife, but he cherished his ranch more than he did her. Attorney Spencer
Davenport
arrives with four young children including an infant. The four-year-old twin girls announce that
both
of their parents are in heaven. Eben's estranged sister named their uncle as their guardian.
Seven-year-old Dillon realizes that Eben does not want them even if they share blood. Maddie and
the four youngsters begin teaching their Uncle Scrooge how to open his heart to love. Scrooge
Wore Spurs is an engaging modern day ranch twist to the classic Dickens tale with the children
serving as surrogates ghosts. The story line will warm cold hearts as Eben learns to laugh and
love.
However, the theme of the tale leans more towards a second chance at love rather then the single
icy
cold cowboy learning to love while struggling with nurturing and caring for four youngsters.
Though
it seems as if Janet Dailey never fully decided which way to take the plot, fans of contemporary
ranch romance will appreciate this version of "A Christmas Carol".
Halloween Murder
Shelley Freydont
Kensington
Sep 2002, $22.00, 312 pp., ISBN: 0758201249
After an extended business trip in Europe, Lindy Haggerty is happy to be home though her
husband
and their daughter are in Europe and their son in Boston. The only family member around to keep
Lindy company, is her son's dirty dog. However, in a definite weak moment or perhaps the
beginning of senility, Lindy agrees to direct an amateur production during the town's Halloween
carnival as part of the Mischief Night Marathon. However, the friendly intent at the onset quickly
converts into people battling over the events. Soon someone takes the squabbles up a notch with
pranks based on Spencer's Seven Deadly Sins. The antics start turning nastier and uglier until
murder
finally occurs. The killer turns towards Lindy as the eighth sinner worthy of death unless the
retired
dancer can find a different ending to this drama that allows her to voice the final coda. The fourth
Lindy Haggerty amateur sleuth mystery, Halloween Murder, is a fun who-done-it that sub-genre
readers will enjoy because the plot seems real due to the bickering of the ensemble cast that
makes
up the Mischief Night Marathon committee. The story line engages the audience from the very
beginning when Lindy, feeling like a sucker, lectures the dirty dog snoozing in her car until the
final
curtain call. Series fans will relish this Halloween treat while newcomers will commence with a
Shelley Freydont marathon.
Good Bad Woman
Elizabeth Woodcraft
Kensington
Sept 2002, $22.00, 342 pp., ISBN 075820258X
Frankie Richmond is a working class London barrister who is very loyal to her friends so when
Saskia asks her to represent her in court on a drunk and disorderly charge, she agrees. When the
hearing is over, a seedy-looking individual asks Frankie for her client's name and her own but she
refuses to tell. When she goes to a local Italian restaurant she spots the same mangy man who was
at
the court. Angry at being followed, she turns the tables on him by following him by car. He
knocks
out her vehicle's rear end forcing Frankie to stop. When she does, he hits her, giving her a black
eye.
Not long afterward, the police question Frankie in the murder of Kevin Latimer. When they
search
her apartment they find his credit card and down at the jail they inform her that her car's license
plate
was on the body. Frankie goes looking for Saskia for some answers but she proves hard to find,
but
locate her she must if she wants to clear her name and have the charges dropped. Good Bad
Woman
is a funky urban noir crime thriller. The who-done-it is very cleverly constructed and multi-layered
with many interconnecting paths. The protagonist is a likable character desperately trying to
figure
out why she is being framed and who is behind it. Along the way, there are several times she
comes
close to losing her life, which makes her think that the perpetrator is becoming desperate.
Elizabeth
Woodcraft is a talented writer who uses humor to defuse tense situations of a strong mystery
thriller.
Kentucky Sunrise
Fern Michaels
Kensington
Oct 2002, $24.00, 304 pp., ISBN: 1575667630
Nealy Clay Littletree accompanied by her new husband Hatch, returns to Blue Diamond Farms,
currently run by her daughter Emmie Coleman. However, Nealy is disappointed with the poor
conditions of the horse farm and appalled over the thoroughbred chosen to represent Blue
Diamond
at the Derby. Being a half owner along with Emmie, Nealy begins efforts to invigorate Blue
Diamond into her the operation. Emmie resents her mother's cavalier attitude and interference. A
rivalry that somewhat existed before Nealy's arrival with Emmie trying to outdo her mother's
success
explodes into full war between the two relatives. Ultimately, the business cannot go on like this
and
a final confrontation between mother and daughter over who runs Blue Diamond is imminent with
their personal relationship on the line as well. The final tale of Fern Michaels' Kentucky trilogy is
an
exciting relationship drama that focuses on the poignancy of two women who love one another
yet
perhaps love the farm more. This leads to an unhealthy competition for top dog (horse?) in what
may prove to be a destructive relationship if they are not more sensitive to the other's feelings.
The
story line is typical of Ms. Michaels' extended Texas-Vegas-Kentucky orb and many of the same
characters appear in this novel adding to the enjoyment of fans, but also takes a trots down a
surprising track.
Rubbed Out
Barbara Block
Kensington
Nov 2002, $22.00, 368 pp., ISBN 1575667096
It's been snowing in Syracuse for over three weeks, which means people are only going out to
work
and doing necessary shopping. Robin Light, the owner of the pet store Noah's Ark, is not taking
in
much cash which means she must find another way of paying her bills. Paul Santini, ex-cop turned
private detective, knows that Robin moonlights as an unofficial sleuth. Buried with a large
workload
he offers Robin a case involving a missing person, which she gladly accepts. Walter Wilcox wants
Robin to track down his missing wife Janet and to notify him when she does. It isn't hard to find
Janet who is staying at a friend's house in NYC but when she tries to contact her client, he doesn't
pick up the phone. She returns to Syracuse to find Walter dead, tortured by someone who
obviously
knows how to extract information from a person. When she calls Paul, he confesses that Walter
stole $250,000 from the Russian Mafia and if they want to live a long and safe life they better find
it
before a similar fate befalls them. The heroine, an unlicensed private detective, does a better job
tracking down missing persons and similar things than the pros and she does it in a way that
makes it
totally believable. Robin Light is the female equivalent of Spenser while this tough woman also
allows the audience a glimpse into her heart.
Icing Ivy
Evan Marshall
Kensington
Nov 2002, $22.00, 223 pp., ISBN: 0758202245
Jane and Ivy were roommates in college as well as best friends. When Jane needed a nanny, she
employed Ivy's daughter Marlene. When Marlene died, through no fault of Jane's, the friendship
was
broken until two years later when Ivy visited accompanied by her boyfriend Johnny. When Ivy lets
it
slip that she has no place to go for the holidays, Jane invites her former best friend to spend them
with her and then go out with her to a writer's treat at Mt. Munsee Lodge. Johnny shows up at
the
retreat but seems more interested in another guest then he is with Ivy. The last anyone sees of
Johnny is a man with a gun chasing him into the nearby woods. Shortly after that Ivy's frozen
body
is found in the snow, knifed to death. Knowing she won't be able to live with herself if the killer
isn't
found, Jane starts her own investigation not realizing that if she gets too close to the truth, the
perpetrator will have no qualms about killing her too. Fans of Winky the cat will be delighted to
know that she is pregnant and gives birth to six kittens during the course of this book. The
childish
wonder Jane's son exhibits at this miracle of birth is a joy to behold. The mystery itself is well
drawn
with so many suspects that Jane, once Johnny is eliminated, doesn't have a clue who did it. She
has
to go to motive and none of the possible perpetrators have one. Evan Marshall has written a
fiendishly clever who-done-it, one that the heroine and the audience will work hard to figure
out.
The Christmas Garden Affair
Ann Ripley
Kensington
Oct 2002, $22.00, 304 pp., ISBN: 0575667770
There have been no recent homicide investigation in Louise Eldridge's life, but the TV personality
has seen her ratings on her PBS gardening show plummet since the vivacious and sexy Bunny
Bainfield hosts the same kind of show in the same time slot though on a different channel. Both
Louise and Bunny are invited to the new First Lady's Christmas Garden Gala, along with other
knowledgeable garden experts who Louise wants to line up to appear on her show. From the time
she arrives at the event, Louise hears one person after another bad mouth Bunny. She has
alienated
everyone in the plant and flower world so it really doesn't come as much of a shock that
somebody
hates Bunny enough to poison her at the eve of the conference. In her own subtle way, Louise
starts
an investigation, independent of the police, to discover who killed Bunny. Louise always seems to
forget that she puts her life in danger when she plays detective and this time it is no different. The
Christmas Garden Affair is an invigorating cozy that is character driven. The heroine uses her
intellect to weed out some suspects and add others but all the time she is trying to put the pieces
of
the puzzle together. It's hard for Louise to quickly finger a suspect because there are so many
suspects with viable motives, which means the audience, once the reader overcomes the shock of
Louise budding in, has an entertaining amateur sleuth tale filled with gardening tips.
The Price of Pleasure
Joan Elizabeth Lloyd
Kensington
Aug 2002, $24.00, 320 pp., ISBN: 1758201087
The taxi that she rides in as a passenger traveling the icy roads of Manhattan crashes leaving Erika
Holland in a coma. Her last conscious thought focuses on the smiling face of friend Stuart
Dunlap.
In her comatose state Erika thinks back to how she became a Manhattan call girl catering to the
wealthy, promoted to a Madam, and eventually CEO of Courtesans, Inc. Erika was a contented
spouse whose husband deserted her for Europe and his younger assistant. He threatened to cut
Erika
off from even child support if she failed to tow the mark. Innocently at first Erika found
pleasuring
men a delight that also brought in income. Though she can have almost any upper class male she
chooses (for an evening) all Erika craves most in the world are the love of her daughter who hates
and scorns her, and a smiling individual who deserves better than a fortyish hooker. She has
neither
as she lies in the coma. As expected by an erotic tale, profanity and graphic sex scenes are as
prolific as some of the charcaters are promiscuous. The story line is told in alternating dialogue,
yet
much of the plot is a cleverly designed first person account as the audience sees the "flashback"
events through the relative eyes of Erika, an enlightened and delightful protagonist. Though the
males seem so easily embracing prostitution to the point of matrimony and marriage proposals,
readers will gain much pleasure (reading silly) from the entertaining The Price of Pleasure.
I, Richard
Elizabeth George
Bantam
Nov 2002, $25.98,244 pp., ISBN 0553802585
Crime novelist Elizabeth George provides five excellent tales with a twist. "Exposure". A college
class visits a British estate to see the artwork when one of the students dies. Thomas Lynley, who
is
visiting too, knows murder occurred. He seeks to uncover the killer in his own indomitable
manner.
This is an-exciting story reminiscent of Agatha Christie. "The Surprise of his life". A man
suffering
from impotence thinks his trophy wife is cheating on him. When he obtains what he thinks is
proof,
he plans to kill her. However, things don't go as planned. Readers will love this story for its
exquisite
irony. "Good Fences Aren't Always Enough". When Anfisa moves to 42 Napier Lane, the
neighbors
hoped she would do needed renovation. Instead her actions attract the rats. When the neighbors
complain she ignores them until the night they decide to take matters into their own hands. This is
a
page- turner with shocking results. "Remember, I'll Always Love You". After Eric dies, his wife
Charlotte tries to track down his family to inform them of his death, but she has no address or
phone
number. She learns why her husband kept his past secret but by then it is too late. This poignant
tale
touches the heart while stimulating the mind. "I, Richard". Malcolm Cousins believes that Richard
III was not responsible for the deaths of his nephews and the town drunk Bernie Perryman has the
proof. To get the document, Malcolm has an affair with Bernie's wife and plans on using her to
get
it. Malcolm obtains his wish, but it doesn't give him the pleasure he expects. This is an enthralling
story of treachery and deceit.
The Fall of The Kings
Ellen Kushner & Delia Sherman
Bantam
Nov 2002, $13.95, 496 pp., ISBN 0553381849
Over five centuries ago the Northern King, his army, and the wizards traveled to the Kingdom of
the
South for a marriage that would bind the two lands into one union. Over time the king and the
wizards fell out of favor with their nobles and were killed. The Council of Lords became rulers of
the land and any talk of wizards or magic is considered treason. For two hundred years the nobles
ruled without any serious threat to their authority but now rumors come to their attention of the
restoration of the monarchy. The council sends spies to the University to see if anyone has done
anything that could be considered heresy. Two names keep cropping up in the investigation.
History
Professor Basis St. Cloud who thinks that magic once actually existed and Theron Campion, heir
to
the Duchy of Tremontaine. These two men are fated to play a prominent role in events that will
usher in a new age of thought. Ellen Kushner and Della Sherman combine their talents to create a
work that is sublimely rich in characterizations and a perspective similar to medieval Europe. The
political infighting at the university adds a sense of the ridiculous to this very serious epic drama.
The characters, fully developed and complex creations, are prisoners of their place in society,
which
makes them all the more interesting when they step out of their station in life. The Fall Of Kings
is
an experience not to be missed.
Vectors
Michael Kube-McDowell
Bantam Books
Nov 2002, $6.99, 400 pp., ISBN 0553298240
He is an obsessed scientist focusing on one goal, to prove that the mind and personality is unique
using the scientific method. Jonathan accepts a position at the university of Michigan because they
have the equipment he needs to map brain activity and photograph minds. He is so enthusiastic
about his quest that he has most of the students and faculty volunteering to be research subjects.
At
a conference where he tries to the sell the concept that all people do not think alike due to
personality differences he meets and falls in love with Alynn Reed. They move in together and
between his love life and research, he is a very happy man. An anomoly appears in his research
showing two identical brain matrixes, that of a five-year-old boy and of a deceased senior citizen
who died just before the child was born. Alynn suggests it is the same mind in two different
bodies
and that proves reincarnation is a reality. When Alynn is murdered, a grief stricken Jonathan tries
to
prove that Alynn's belief system is correct despite the humiliation he receives at the hands of his
colleagues and the suspicions of the police who consider him a suspect in his lover's death.
Michael
Kube-McDowell tackles some very tough questions that have haunted mankind down through the
centuries. The protagonist is stuck on one paradigm until the evidence takes him in another
direction, a journey where the data embraces a different scientific theory scorned by his peers.
Vectors is good work of speculative fiction, filled with wonder and hope.
Lady Liberty
Vicki Hinze
Bantam
Nov 2002, $6.50, 408 pp., ISBN 0553583522
She's called Lady Liberty because she's come to symbolize everything that's good about America.
She is Sybil Stone, the first female Vice President of the United States. Her current assignment
calls
for her to be in Geneva negotiating a peace treaty between former Soviet nations Abdan and
Peris.
Both countries have nuclear weapons and are prepared to use them unless Lady Liberty can
broker a
peace. Midway through the peace talks Sybil is ordered by the president to return home with a
certain briefcase handcuffed to her arm. On the return trip to Washington, DC shots ring out
forcing
Agent Jonathan Westford and Sybil to evacuate the plane by parachute. The plane explodes as the
duo land in The Florida eveglades. They can't make contact because the terrorists following them
on
the ground will find them and destroy any hope of Sybil reaching DC in time to stop World War
III
from happening. Lady Liberty is a romantic suspense thriller that is heavy on the suspense. The
terrorist threat, taken in light of the events of 9-11, is certainly plausible and believable. The two
protagonists represent the ideals America was founded on so it is entirely fitting they would be
attracted to one another. Vicki Hinze has written a techno-thriller with heart.
Crooked Heart
Christina Sumners
Bantam
Nov 2002, $23.95, 304 pp., ISBN 0553803034
Though Harton, New Jersey Chief of Police Tom Holder is married, he has a crush on
Episcopalian
minister Kathryn Koerney and wishes he had a case that he could involve her in so they could
spend
some innocent time together. He gets his wish when George Kimbrough reports his wife Grace
missing. Ten- year-old Tita Robinson saw the Kimbrough's neighbor Bill Stanley put a woman
body
into his car. Since Tom has no children of his own, he asks Kathryn to help him question her. Tita
comes across as a very credible witness and on the strength of her testimony, Tom is able to
obtain a
search warrant to look inside Stanley's home. The police find enough evidence to arrest Bill but
there are still some very questions that need answering. Carolyn Stanley has gone missing in San
Francisco and it is Kathryn who tracks her down. Kathryn brings Carolyn back to Harton where
she
and Tom begin to put together all the pieces of the puzzle. This debut crime thriller of Christina
Sumners has plenty of action but very little actual violence in the story line. Tom and Kathryn
make
a very good team, each of them having qualities that allow them to finally solve one of the most
convoluted cases to happen in New Jersey in a long time. Crooked Heart will appeal to fans of
police procedurals and cosies.
The Texan's Wager
Jodi Thomas
Jove
Nov 2002, $6.99, 336 pp., ISBN: 0515134007
In 1883, the Roland Wagon train tosses out ailing Sarah Andrews whose husband and daughter
just
died and for helping the ailing woman Bailee Moore and teenage Lacy Dillavou. Bailee takes
charge
leading the other two women south to Texas. Within a day of Cedar Point, vicious killer Zeb
Whittaker tries to take their wagon and Lacy. The women turn the tables and think they killed
Zeb.
They reach Cedar Point and turn themselves into Sheriff Harmon Riley as murderers. Harmon
knows no Texas jury would convict these women especially here when there is a shortage of
females. He decides the best course of action is to host a "wife lottery". Surprising entrant Carter
McKoy, who rarely speaks after a childhood trauma, wins the hand of Bailee. As they become
acquainted they begin to fall in love especially when he risks his life to save hers and when she
sees
how tenderly he communicates with a frightened lonely little girl, but Zeb lives and wants
vengeance
on the three women. This is an exciting western romance filled with engaging characters
especially a
deaf five year old girl who watched her mother and others die in a deliberate train wreck. The lead
couple is a delight as both, but particularly Carter, must overcome their respective demons in
order
to become a couple for life. Though the villainy of Zeb seems at times to overwhelm a wonderful
love story fans will know they won The Texan's Wager by reading Jodi Thomas' deep historical
novel.
Ballyrourke
Linda O'Brien
Jove
Oct 2002, $5.99, 261 pp., ISBN: 0515134090
In 1893 American Katherine Rourke learns she has inherited property in County Wicklow,
Ireland.
Escorted by her uncle, she journeys across the ocean with the intent of selling Ballyrourke, but is
stunned by the beauty of the estate that she inherited from her grandmother. Katherine also
quickly
learns more about the feud between the Irish O'Rourkes and the British Lawthrops with her
deceased parents being from both families. Ballyrourke estate manager Colin MacCormack wants
to
buy back the property for his family clan even as Katherine plans to sell the estate so that she can
use
the proceeds to build an orphanage in her homeland. To their chagrin, Colin and Katherine are
attracted to one another. However, he knows she has to be the enemy as her escort is the most
hated
person in the county and she recognizes that she is not staying in Ireland much longer. Then there
are her malevolent mischief-maker of an uncle, the good intentional matchmaking of his relatives,
and the machinations of the fairies that split the duo further making permanent impossible.
Ballyrourke is a wonderful historical romantic suspense that seems magical when Linda O'Brien
describes the land, the people, and the fairies. The lead couple is a delightful duo whose distrust
of
one another conflicts with their desires. Though her uncle is a key player in terms of propelling
the
tale forward, his evil deeds never sit well inside a breathtakingly beautiful and often lyrical late
nineteenth century romance.
The Laird
Juliana Garnett
Jove
Oct 2002, $6.99, 320 pp., ISBN: 0515133884
In 1327 the war between the Scottish and English monarchies heats impacts everyone in both
lands.
Robert Campbell knows how deadly the fight is becoming, having lost family members to his
dangerous foes. Still he successfully captures Mairi, the child-fiancee to a powerful rival. In
addition
to his young prisoner, Robert also incarcerates Mairi's guardian, her widow aunt by marriage
Judith
Lindsay. Robert quickly finds Judith an exciting, intelligent, and brave person protecting her
charge
like a lioness would with a cub. He knows he should feel contempt, but instead is gentle towards
both of his prisoners. As Robert and Judith fall in love and war creeps closer, one must wonder if
their feelings are simply the Stockholm Effect that will end if she returns home. Though this era is
most likely one of the five most written periods in romance novels, fans will enjoy and admire The
Laird for its clever blending of numerous historical tidbits and people within a cross-starred
lovers'
story line. The characters bring to life the early fourteenth century as a background to Robert and
Judith's growing need for one another. The support cast augments the plot by providing the
reader
with deep insight into the protagonists and a microscopic look back at a bygone era. Though
structured like many other fourteenth century novels, Juliana Garnett furnishes a jewel of a book
that will gratify historical romance readers immensely.
Always a Lady
Rebecca Hagan Lee
Jove
Oct 2002, $6.99, 304 pp., ISBN: 0515133477
The will of the Marquess of Templeston instructed his son the heir to discretely take care of his
mistresses and offspring. As Andrew Ramsey went about cleaning up his father's mess he fell in
love,
married, and together with his wife raised his half brother Kit as his own son. In 1838, an adult
Kit
inherits an estate in Ireland. Though his adoptive parents are saddened by his departure, Kit
knows it
is time to venture into the world. However, Kit may feel like a bit of d‚j… vu as he learns that
along
with his earldom, he is the guardian of a nearly twenty-one year old baker, Mariah Shaunessy. Kit
realizes he must teach Mariah to behave like a lady so she can have a London season. However,
she
wants his love more than anything else she desires in the world. As they begin to bond and learn
of
their shared past, an unknown enemy has ugly other ideas for their future. Always A Lady is an
engaging historical romance starring two charmingly delightful lead protagonists. Though the
return
of the stars of Once A Mistress is short, fans of Rebecca Hagan Lee will enjoy seeing how
gracefully
they have aged together. The intrigue adds little but suspense to an enchanting early Victorian
love
story.
Return to Oak Valley
Shirlee Busbee
Warner Books
Dec 2002, $TBA ISBN: 0446611891
Seventeen years ago, Shelley Granger fled her home in St. Galen, a small town in Northern
California's Oak Valley to escape the failed romance with Sloan Ballinger. She has never returned
to
the valley until now. Her older brother Josh, who raised her when their parents died, killed himself
and she needs to straighten out certain estate matters as well mourn him. However, her image of
Josh does not reconcile with those of others as she soon meets the son of a servant claiming to be
her illegitimate nephew. She also runs into Sloan whose opinion on Josh is that the man was an
SOB. Finally, a second cousin and law official tells her that Josh was hanging with bad people
and
may have allowed marijuana to grow on the vast ranch in exchange for erasing gambling debts.
Shelley realizes Josh dipped into her trust fund without telling her. She even begins to wonder if
he
was murdered. With everything going on, she still has time to realize she is falling back in love
with
Sloan. Though the dead Josh seems to have carried too much baggage for Shelley to have missed
the flaws in his character, readers will enjoy this exciting romantic suspense tale. The support cast
including the four prime males that have impacted on her life (Sloan, Josh, he cousin, and her
"nephew") enables the audience to understand the depth of the tribulations eating at Shelley's soul.
Still Return To Oak Valley is Shelley's tale as she wonders if she should continue her quest for the
truth at the cost of tarnishing the image in her mind of a beloved dead one.
A Place Called Rainwater
Dorothy Garlock
Warner Books
Dec 2002, $22.95, 400 pp., ISBN: 0446529508
In 1929 Jill Jones recently moved to Rainwater, Oklahoma to manage her dying Aunt Justine's
Byers
Hotel. Running the hotel seems quite easy when compared with keeping the advances of the
women
hungry males away from her. However, Jill becomes angry with her beloved aunt when Justine
hires
Thad Taylor to help around the hotel. Thad is a close friend of Jill's brother and insists he only
came
here as a favor to Joe to watch over his sister until her sibling can arrive. Jill wants nothing to do
with the man from her hometown until someone murders a woman. However, Jill soon realizes
she
wants more from her hometown neighbor, but he insists he will remain here only until Joe arrives.
A
Place Called Rainwater is a strong historical romantic suspense that is at its best before the
murders
begins. The story line provides insight into a bygone era through the lead couple and the support
cats. Though the who- done-it is well designed and intriguing, it does take the audience away
from
the novel's strength that of the bickering between Jill and Thad that shines a light on the late
1920s
in Oklahoma.
The Crush
Sandra Brown
Warner Books
Oct 2002, $26.95, 474 pp., ISBN 0446527041
When surgeon Dr. Rennie Newton is picked for jury duty she does not try to get out of it because
she believes it is her civic duty to serve. She ends up being the jury foreman hearing the case of
Ricky Roy Lozada, a high priced free-lance hit man on trial for murder. Even though Rennie
believes
Lozada is guilty, there is not enough evidence, in her opinion, to convict him and she convinces
the
other jury members to acquit. During the trial Lozada looks at Rennie constantly, so much so that
the Fort Worth police thinks the two of them have some kind of relationship. They set up a
surveillance on her house and one of the team members is Wick Threadgill, the brother of the
police
officer Lozada killed. During the course of the observation, Wick gets to know Rennie (think
Stakeout) and concludes she is not guilty of collaboration with the killer. Both are attracted to the
other, but they have personal demons to overcome and Lozada to put away before they can try
for a
happily ever after ending. One of Sandra Brown's trademarks is that she can draw out the
suspense
in her romantic thrillers until the readers is eagerly turning the pages to find out what happens
next.
Both protagonists are broken personally but the way they heal each other is a beautiful thing to
behold. The Crush is a chilling work about obsession taken to the ultimate limit.
The Gold Swan
James Thayer
Simon & Schuster
Nov 2002, $25.00, 338 pp., ISBN 0684862867
It has taken almost four years and millions of dollars but the 2,500 feet high building is only a few
weeks away from completion. It is the tallest man-made structure on earth with the base of the
building being a man made island in Victoria Bay. It serves as a symbol of the new China, strong,
unique and majestic and is affectionately called The Gold Swan because the structure is in the
shape
of the neck of a swan. Ex-FBI agent Clay Williams, a senior security consultant for the Fifth
Millennium China tower has come to love the one of a kind shaped building. When it becomes
obvious to insiders that it is structurally flawed Beijing goes to extraordinary lengths to repair the
damage and suppress the news. It is only thanks to a Chinese gangster that he has befriended that
Clay and his co-worker Anne are not caught up in the ensuing madness of the ruling Chinese
regime.
One of the trademarks of a James Thayer thriller is that it is totally unpredictable and predictably
The Gold Swan is no exception. Hong Kong under China's rule is an interesting mix of capitalism,
political ideology, but especially pragmatism that would make William James envious. The
protagonist is a likable character yet the unique star of this work is the Gold Swan, a totally
unique
edifice that captures the hearts of a nation.
Ghost Image
Joshua Gilder
Simon & Schuster
Nov 2002, $23.00, 346 pp., ISBN 0743223128
Doctor Jackson Maebry is the golden boy of San Francisco Memorial hospital. He is the chief
resident in reconstructive surgery and the prot‚g‚ of Dr. Peter Brandt, the head of the
department.
At a party given by Dr. Brandt's biotech company Genderm, he meets the beautiful Allie and for
both of them it is love at first sight. They have four perfect months together before tragedy
strikes.
Jackson is summoned to emergency where a woman beaten and burned almost beyond
recognition is
struggling to stay alive. At first Jackson doesn't recognize it's Allie on the table and when he does
he
stays at her side until she wakes from her coma. When she awakens from her comatose state, she
doesn't remember anything about the attack. For some reason, the lead detective on the case
zooms
in on Jackson as the prime suspect. When Jackson starts looking into Allie's past, he comes to a
conclusion that sets him on a path that will change his life. Joshua Gilder's debut novel is an
exciting
psychological thriller with so many twists and turns that readers will have to read it in one session
just to see how everything is finally resolved. The hero is a flawed person with many
psychological
problems but he lives his life to the fullest, which is only one of the reasons the reader will adore
him. Though why he is singled out as the prime suspect besides being the victim's lover is not fully
explained, Ghost Image remains a strong tale that is unlike any other novel on the market
today.
Meanwhile Back At the Ranch
Kinky Friedman
Simon and Schuster
Sep 2002, $24.00, ISBN: 0684864886
For private sleuth Kinky Friedman working on more than one case at a time is just too much
work.
Yet now he is stuck with two distinct investigations in different parts of the country. The first case
involves the search for a missing eleven-year-old autistic child, Dylan Weinberg, whose entire
vocabulary consists of one expression "shnay". The other case focuses on a vanished cat in Texas.
For Kinky, the case he prefers to work on is the missing boy, not because he is altruistic, but
because Dylan's sister Julia is a sexy siren. However, he finds himself at Utopia Animal Rescue
Ranch in Texas seeking the lost Lucky whose owner Cousin Nancy Parker plans to call in the
Feds
of several nations if Kinky does not find her purloined feline soon. However, Kinky decides to
work
both cases with the hope his consoling Julia turns more into her consoling him. The latest Kinky
Friedman novel can be summed up in one word (not shnay, but kinky). The hero remains as
irreverent and wild as ever and his support cast, including the irregulars as well as his current
clients,
enables Kinky to be wackier than ever. Fans of the series will fully relish his dividing time between
Manhattan, the Texas ranch, and even Schenectady, as he takes no prisoners in solving his
cases.
Nine
Jan Burke
Simon & Schuster
Nov 2002, $24.00, 366 pp., ISBN: 0743223896
Malibu, California is the location of Sedgewick a school where the rich send their offspring who
get
in trouble with the law. These juvenile offenders bought their way out of jail time and while
Everett
Corey was there he put together a gang that stayed close friends once they left the school. These
wealthy adults are, with the help of friends in very high places, kidnapping and killing the
members
on FBI's ten most wanted list. They are not doing this for altruistic reasons but for the adrenaline
high and to thumb their noses at authority. The group is also going after people they have a
grudge
against including LAPD homicide detective Alex Hartwick, Meg Taggert and former Sedgewick
student Kit Logan. To lure this enemy threesome into a trap, they use the people that the trio care
most for as hostages. Nine is a dark and gritty urban noir crime thriller that is nothing at all like
the
author's Irene Kelly series. For the most part readers don't care about the villains or heroes one
way
or another. The good guys and gals are remote and distant while the villains are simply nasty so it
is
difficult to relate to anyone, yet the story line is very exciting and is full of action packed high
drama
and adventure.
Into the Night
Suzanne Brockmann
Ballantine
Dec 2002, $6.99, ISBN: 0345458850
With several years of SEAL assignments under his belt including Afghanistan missions, Lieutenant
(junior grade) Mike Muldoon is assigned the most career-threatening job of his naval life. Mike
must
escort White House staffer Joan DaCosta while she serves as liaison for a visit to the San Diego
naval station by the president's fortyish daughter, Brook "Wild Child" Bryant. President Bryant
will
follow that in a reelection campaign photo-op visit to Coronado. Mike and Joan are attracted to
one
another from almost the first moment they meet, but she acts aloof as she feels he is a kid next to
her. As he breaks her barriers down one at a time and they begin to fall in love, the duo is thrust
into
a terrorist plot to assassinate the President unless Mike and his cohorts can save the day. Highly
regarded romantic thriller author Suzanne Brockmann provides her myriad of readers with a
strong
suspense tale that never slows down until the final confrontation occurs. The story line is
fast-paced
and loaded with action. The amiable, not so friendly, and often sexy (once Mike loosens up)
dialogue between the lead couple is fun for romance readers who will enjoy the older woman (a
few
years) and the younger man coupling, but also slows down the terrorist subplot for the thrill
seeker
crowd. Still Into The Night is an exhilarating romantic suspense that will thrill the sub-genre
audience.
Prairie Moon
Maggie Osborne
Ballantine
Nov 2002, $6.99, ISBN: 0804119902
Ten years has passed since the Civil War ended yet Della Ward lives one day at a time filled with
guilt and remorse. A child bride Della regrets her last hateful letter she sent her spouse Clarence
just
before he died in battle. Della has no friends in the Two Creeks, Texas area and for the most part
never speaks with or has anyone talk to her. It only took him a decade to work up the courage,
but
Lawman James Cameron comes to see Della. James is the bravest person in the west as he does
not
fear death ever since the Civil War, but is frightened of telling Della his secret about her husband's
last moments alive. As he remains on her property helping her, they begin to fall in love.
However,
Della carries so much shame and James is loaded with his own culpability so that unless a miracle
healing occurs, he will eventually head off into the sunset. Known for her award winning
humorous
romance novels, Maggie Osborne takes a serious turn with her powerful Reconstruction Era
romance, Prairie Moon. The story line is totally angst as two severely wounded people share a
tenuous thread through Clarence. Readers will shed tears as a mature Della looks back at her
spoiled
behavior with deep sorrow for leaving her husband to conclude that she just did not care beyond
her
own selfish needs. James feels almost as bad though he knows he can justify his actions. This is
another triumph for the magnificent Maggie.
The Edge of Doom
Amanda Cross
Ballantine
Nov 2002, $22.95, 272 pp., ISBN 0345452364
At age fifty-six, Kate Fansler feels very contented with her life. She's very happy in her marriage
to
Reed, loves her job as a professor teaching literature to graduate students, and has made peace
with
the fact that she and her three brothers have nothing in common and very rarely see each other.
Thus
she is surprised when her oldest brother Laurence calls with an urgent request to meet at his club.
When she arrives, he tells her that a man going by the name Jason Smith claims to be her
biological
father and is willing to take a DNA test to prove it. Kate agrees to this and when the results are
in,
the tests prove conclusively that he is her sire. Kate wants to get to know her father, not realizing
that she is in danger from a killer who needs to avenge a crime committed twenty-five years ago
involving Jay even if it means using innocent dupes like her as a tool to insure success. It is always
a
treat to read a Kate Fansler mystery and The Edge Of Doom is no exception. Readers get to
know
the heroine in a way they never have before and they will feel closer to her as they are privy to her
thought processes. Fans of Shakespeare and literary mysteries will definitely want to read Amanda
Cross's latest work, a novel that humanizes her heroine.
Tart Noir
Edited by Stella Duffy and Lauren Henderson
Berkley
Oct 2002, $13.00, 309 pp., ISBN: 0425186431
The twenty suspense tales that make up Tart Noir have in common, besides solid writing, turning
the
usually Pauline-like female and the heroic Paul- like male leads upside down with the woman
ending
on top. The stories are quite good and often humorous, but include profanity and do not always
have happy endings (except in the minds of the women behaving badly). Each contribution is well
written, as the story lines will consistently grab Noir fans especially readers who enjoy
gender-bending twists starring characters shouting I am a proud strong woman not afraid to
obtain
what I want so get out of my way or else our cannonball will go through you.
A Crossworder's Holiday
Nero Blanc
Berkley
Oct 2002, $22.95, 193 pp., ISBN: 0425187330
"A Crossworder's Holiday". On vacation with her husband private investigator Roscoe Polycrates
in
Nantucket are crossword editor Belle Graham are interrupted by antiquarian Sir Brandon Drake
who needs her help to solve a puzzle he found in a recent purchase. If he fails, his life may go
down.
"Proof of the Pudding". At the Misty Valley Inn, Vermont, Belle and Roscoe enjoy time away
together until a guest dies. The answers may be in a hastily developed crossword puzzle that
comes
across as a recipe for death. "A Partridge in a Pear Tree". In Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania, Roscoe
assists a college buddy with solving puzzles from the estate of Steve's deceased aunt in order to
interpret the will. ""Mum's the Word". In Philadelphia, mobster Freddie Five sent tips to the
Inquirer
through professionally developed crossword puzzles that led to many busts. Freddie's dead and
the
FBI has his last puzzle. They ask Belle and Roscoe to solve the underlying meaning to the
answers
that inform the police that there will be trouble at the Mummers' Parade. "Ghost of Christmas
Past".
In Cotswolds, England, Belle and Roscoe visit friends Angus and Judith who tell them about a
haunted house. Belle finds a piece of a crossword puzzle that has clues to the haunted house's
past.
Now to find the other two segments and solve the house's mystery. Ignoring the logic of the
gimmick, the mixing of puzzles with mystery while the heroes are away from their home takes
readers on a cleverly designed holiday anthology that crossword puzzle fans and mystery buffs
will
enjoy.
A Draught For A Dead Man
Caroline Roe
Berkley
Nov 2002, $24.95, 321 pp., ISBN: 0425186482
In 1354, a group of investors led by Don Aranu Marca of Perpignan chartered a ship loaded with
high quality goods to sell along various ports in the Mediterranean. Some of the investors wanted
to
sell arms to Aragon's enemies, but Don Marea refused so the conspirators arranged for it to look
like he was committing treason. He was sent to jail and was all but convicted when his clever wife
arranged his escape. During the confusion that followed the escape Don Marca was badly injured
and brought to physician Jacob Bonjuhes who lives in the Jewish section of town. Isaac, a
physician
of Girona, is also staying at Jacob's house to attend the wedding of Jacob's brother to a woman
from
the visitor's hometown. Isaac heals Don Marea and sets out to prove that the man is an innocent
dupe, the victim of other men's greed. Although Isaac is blind, his other senses are heightened
which
enables him to successfully perform as an amateur sleuth. He is a credible and likable character
that
is so skilled readers will forget for long periods of time that he is sightless because he doesn't let
his
lack of seeing stop from being an excellent healer, sleuth, husband and father. Caroline Roe has
written an excellent historical mystery that gives readers insight into an era long gone but not
forgotten due to works like this.
From This Moment On
Lynn Kurland
Berkley
Oct 2002, $7.99, 432 pp., ISBN: 0425186857
Two years ago warrior Colin of Berkhamshire and Lady Alienore of Solgne were to marry.
However, the bride decides not to wed the infamous "Butcher of Berkhamshire instead fleeing
into
the night. No one has seen Alienore since she vanished. Except for his father's machinations of
finding potential wives for Colin to marry and sire an heir, the Butcher is very happy to remain
single. Meanwhile Ali hides in plain sight by donning knight armor and going about as Sir Henri
though she worries that her malfeasance stepmother will uncover her identity and foster her on
Colin. Ali currently escorts Colin's latest intended, but when she ends up in his garrison, he takes a
liking to the disguised woman. As he starts training her in the art of warfare, she begins falling in
love with her host as she finds him to be kind hearted and not the harsh Butcher she expected.
Colin
wonders why Ali is in every dream and thought he has since he always loved the women. From
This
Moment On could have been a poorly crafted homophobic tale, but Lynn Kurland insures that this
medieval romance never falls into any stereotyping traps. Instead readers obtain a wonderful,
often
amusing historical romance starring two characters whose personalities are so complete that the
Butcher shows his "feminist" side and the gentle rose shows her warrior thorns. Fans will relish
Lynn
Kurland's latest entry that is all a reader can ask of an author.
Making a Killing
Iain McDowall
St. Martin's Press
Sep 2002, $23.95, 276 pp., ISBN: 0312278489
Just back from his vacation, Crowley DCI Frank Jacobsen uses every excuse to avoid the
paperwork
that has piled up while he was away. So though he loathes that the Crowley Crawler has been
paroled and returning to the town where he raped numerous women, Frank uses Robert Johnson
as
a legitimate pretext to escape his office work. Led by Frank, the police place Robert under
surveillance not only to keep their women safe, but also to insure the victims or their families do
not
enact vengeance. A second event occurs when the postal carrier discovers the corpse of Jenny
Mortimer, who was leaving her husband Gus for her lover. The police think Gus killed his spouse,
but soon revise that theory when they find him dead too. When Johnson eludes his tail, most
townsfolk including the police conclude he killed the Mortimers, but Frank thinks otherwise. He
believes the two cases are separate with an unknown killer to methodically uncover and to decide
which victim or family member abducted Johnson. The second DCI Jacobsen police procedural,
Making A Killing, is an intriguing Scottish investigative tale that provides readers with a
discerning
look into the department coping with two high publicity cases that may interconnect. The story
line
is gritty due to the homicides and the reputation of the Crawler, but it is Frank who turns the
novel
into a powerhouse as he carries out the plot. The secondary cast rounds out the edges, but the
strong lead protagonist endears the reader from the moment he sneaks out the back door for a
pint.
The Inquisitor
Catherine Jinks
St. Martin's Press
Sep 2002, $25.95, 400 pp., ISBN: 0312308159
Early in the fourteenth century in Lazet, France Dominican Brother Bernard enjoys his pious
position as assistant to Father Jacques, the Head of the Inquisition into Heretical Depravity.
However, Brother Bernard's comfortable lifestyle abruptly ends in 1318 when someone kills
Father
Jacques, dismembering the corpse. Ailing ascetic Father Augustin replaces Father Jacques and
quickly digs deep into the homicide as well as several incidents in which his predecessor declared
local VIPs free of heresy. Demanding the accounts of the Inquisitorial registers, Father Augustin
learns several are missing. Father Augustin also makes inquiries into an enclave of women living
just
outside of Lazet, thinking females living alone practice witchcraft or prostitution. However, a
massacre occurs as someone(s) slices up Augustin and his ensemble. The new Inquisition leader
Pierre-Julien plans to prove that the women and Bernard are ritual murdering heretics even if he
lacks any evidence. Those readers who demand authenticity in a historical novel will prefer the
uncompromising and invigorating look at the fourteenth century through the mindset of a
Dominican
Inquisitor. Bernard's first person narration enables the reader to observe what seems so
hypocritical
from the perspective of modern times as the Inquisitors use biblical doctrine to defend their
"under
God" actions. Catherine Jinks' well written and insightful debut novel is a triumph for those who
desire accuracy, but the audience should realize that it will take the paradigm switch of a
historiographer to appreciate this deep look at a period of religious fervor and terror.
Jamaica Blue
Don Bruns
St. Martin's Press
Oct 2002, $24.95, 310 pp., ISBN: 0312304900
Internationally famous and highly regarded rock critic Mick Sever accedes to writing an article on
a
new reggae group Derrick and the Laments headed by the charismatic Derrick Layman, whose
songs advocate violence especially against women. At a recent Derrick and the Laments, two
women were killed. Now at the celebration party after the group's debut American event,
someone
kills another girl. The Miami police arrest security guard Roland Jamison, since he is standing
over
the body holding a bloody knife. Sever was on the scene when the police found Jamison hovering
over the corpse, but he noticed the confused face of the accused. The police reject Mick's plea
that
Jamsion is an innocent dupe so he begins his own inquiries fueled by his success as a true crime
writer of one book involving a murdered rock star. The police and the music industry refuse to
help
Sever and even try to physically remove him from derailing the rise of a potential reggae
superstar,
but the author-journalist keeps trying to uncover the truth. The murder mystery takes a back seat
to
the insightful look at the music industry especially the publicity behind luminaries, famous people,
and future stars. The investigation has some action as assailants try to stop Sever, but feels more
like
a cozy even with sex and drugs in the background. Readers who enjoy a comprehensive look at
the
world of rock from the perspective of an insider rolled into a who-done-it will enjoy Don Bruns
debut tale.
The Prince of Deadly Weapons
Boston Teran
St. Martin's Press
Nov 2002, $24.95, 368 pp., ISBN 0312271182
Taylor Greene is The California golden boy as heir to a huge fortune, but he is not tainted by the
power money can buy. He loves and is loved by his parents and his godparents until the mask of
perfection melts away on the day he learns his parents and godparents are money launderers and
murderers. Taylor sets up a meeting with William Reynolds, an agent of the Federal Government,
but before that meeting can come to pass the Fed is murdered and two weeks later Taylor is dead
as
well. Dane Rudd, the recipient of Taylor's corneas comes to Rio Vista, California ostensibly to
thank
Taylor's parents for giving him the gift of sight. In reality Dane has infiltrated Taylor's intimate
circle
in the hopes of finding out what Taylor was going to tell the dead agent. He has the help of Essie,
the woman Taylor loved and ultimately died for, but the investigation he started to stay out of jail
becomes a chance for redemption for Dane because until he came to Rio Vista he was no better
than
the Greenes were. Boston Teran has a lyrical and literary style of writing so readers feel that they
are
reading a poetic ballad. Although Taylor only has one scene in the book, he makes an impact on
every character through their actions and reaction to his death. The author has captured the
essence
of evil and imbued several of his characters with it, making them monsters as malignant as
Hannibal
Lechter ever was. This is a very powerful novel that impacts the reader strongly on the emotional
level.
Night Pleasures
Sherrilyn Kenyon
St. Martin's Press
Oct 2002, $6.50, 336 pp., ISBN: 0312979983
During the height of the Roman Empire, no opponent lasted long against the mighty legions. That
is
except Kyrian of Thrace, who led his people to victory against the invincible Romans. Just when it
seemed as if Kyrian would rule the known world, betrayal left him for dead. However, instead of
a
simple death, Kyrian "dies" as he lived by becoming the "Ruler of the Night" seeking two things:
to
hunt the soul stalking Daimans and to find a woman who does not betray him to his immortal
foes.
Desiderius, an elder Daiman, binds Kyrian to modern day New Orleans resident Amanda
Deveraux,
the accountant in a family of psychics and vampire hunters. As Kyrian struggles to liberate him
and
Amanda from their magical handcuffs, the bound couple begins to fall in love. However, the last
time he fell in love, his beloved betrayed him to his enemy. Amanda does not want some soulless
wandering killer for a mate when she only desires a faithful CPA. Fans of romantic fantasy will
gain
plenty of pleasure by reading Sherrilyn Kenyon's latest offbeat tale. The store line is loaded with
action in a world that feels real while the key cast members seem genuine too whether they are
paranormal, mythical or human. It is that feeling of authenticity in her plots that makes Ms.
Kenyon
one of the leading sub-genre authors with cross appeal to pure fantasy readers as both groups will
enjoy this novel and her previous work Fantasy Lover.
A Fine Line
William G. Tapply
St. Martin's Press
Nov 2002, $24.95, 320 pp., ISBN 031284960
Every Tuesday, Boston lawyer Brady Coyne visits his friend Walt Duffy, once the foremost bird
photographer in the country until he too had a bad fall and ended up a paraplegic. Now he lives in
his Boston townhouse and spends much of his time bird watching in his garden. He lives with his
college age son Ethan and their dog Henry. On Brady's latest visit, Walt asks him to get some
letters
appraised by antiquarian book dealer and fellow bird lover Ben Fyre. The next day Walt asks
Brady
to visit him at his home but when the lawyer arrives he finds his friend/client dead with the police
calling it a homicide. Ethan is nowhere to be found and Ben insists Brady take back the letters.
When Ben is murdered too and Ethan remains missing, Brady finds himself in the middle of a FBI
investigation involving eco-terrorists. A Brady Coyne novel is always a treat and A FINE LINE is
especially fine. It's cute watching Brady taking care of Nathan's dog Henry and decide whether or
not he's brave enough to make a commitment to his girlfriend Eve. The plot is a clever adventure
in
misdirection and readers will find themselves caught up in the non-stop action of William G.
Tapply's latest work.
Record Time
Beverly Brandt
St. Martin's Press
Oct 2002, $6.50, 320 pp., ISBN: 0312981848
At a party hosted by Gamble Records CEO David Gamble, guest Kylie Rogers uses the first
opportunity to escape the boredom of the lout with her by climbing out a window. However,
Kylie
will never make it as a cat burglar as she lands in a hedge. David watching her performance frees
her
from her predicament. She tells David that she is Kylie McGillicuddy before kissing him and
escaping in a red Mustang. David Gamble wants to see the fascinating Kylie again so he searches
for
his mysterious guest, but fails to find her. Meanwhile, Kylie's sister, the hottest singer under
company contract, uses her influence to obtain an accounting job for her sibling with Gamble
Records. At fist David is delighted to see her again but when costly errors begin appearing in
accounting David wonders if his new hire, who he is attracted to, is trying to destroy him.
Though
tracing a red Mustang does not seem so difficult, readers will enjoy Record Time, an amusing
romantic suspense novel that is a top ten hit for Beverly Brandt. The lead couple is a delightful
pair
and the support cast, especially her sister, propel the story line forward. As the plot moves briskly
between industry intrigue and humorous romantic interludes, both sides of the tale blend nicely
together to provide an enjoyable novel.
The Hot Pink Farmhouse
David Handler
St. Martin's Press
Nov 2002, $23.95, 336 pp., ISBN 0312280157
Dorset, Connecticut is a quaint New England town, which is home to world renown sculptor
Hangtown Frye. He has two daughters living with him, Moose the apple of his eye and Takai an
evil
slut. Moose is coming home after a night of sex with her married lover when someone using a
sniper's rifle shoots out the engine causing it to explode. When the police determine somebody
murdered Moose, Resident Trooper Desiree Mitry finds herself in the middle of homicide
investigation that confuses her because the victim was driving her sister's car and Takai had more
enemies than anyone else in town. Before they can flush out the perpetrator they have to find out
who was the intended victim. Mitch Berger, Desiree's lover and Frye's movie critic pal finds
himself
in the unique position of being able to give Des all the answers to her questions if he doesn't get
himself killed first. Mitry and Berger are a great team both personally and professionally but the
star
of the book is the town of Dorset, which looks perfect on the surface but has all the problems and
eccentric characters of the inner city. There are a surplus of suspects who could have killed
Moose
but the actual perpetrator will come as a total shock to readers, who will enjoy this regional
mystery.
Visions of Sugar Plums
Janet Evanovich
St. Martin's Press
Nov 2002, $19.95, 160 pp., ISBN 0312306326
Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is not having a good time. It is only a few days before Christmas
and
she hasn't sent out any cards, doesn't have a tree, and has yet to go shopping for gifts. She has had
no luck in finding Sandy Claws, a senior citizen who failed to appear in court on a burglary
charge.
If all that wasn't bad enough, a man materializes in her kitchen who goes by the name of Piersel
and
says he was "sent" to her. She can't lock him out of her apartment because he can magically
unlock
any door and the more time she spends with him, the more she believes there is something
mystical
about him. While Stephanie is running around town trying to find Sandy, Diesel is trying to find
Ring
who is Sandy's mortal enemy. Little does Stephanie know that Ring is somehow connected to her
and if he's not stopped he will ruin the Plum Christmas. Fans of the Stephanie Plum mystery series
will definitely want to add this book to their collection. It makes a great gift, captures the holiday
spirit, and is a fun reading experience. Diesel is a unique, one of a kind superhero who would be a
perfect foil for Joe Morelli in future Plum mysteries.
Bad Faith
Aimee & David Thurlo
St. Martin's Press
Nov 2002, $23.95, 304 pp., ISBN 031229081
Once she was known as Mary Naughton, aninvestigative reporter, but a tragic event in her life set
her on a new path. She is now known as Sister Agatha an extern nun living in the cloistered
monastery of the Sisters of the Blessed Adoration in Bernalillo, New Mexico. She is one of two
nuns who have contact with the outside world while the rest of the sisters remain isolated dealing
only with one another. One day when Father Anselm is giving the sacrament to the nuns, he has a
seizure and dies. At first everyone thinks he had a heart attack but it isn't long before it is
discovered
that he has been poisoned. It is unthinkable to Sister Agatha that anybody from the monastery
could
have done such a horrendous deed but she uses the skills she obtained as a reporter to prove to
the
police that the nuns are innocent of committing murder. Readers get an insider's look at a
cloistered
monastery and will find themselves fascinated by a group of gentle women who have chosen to
cut
themselves off from the world. The audience will find it very entertaining to see the heroine piece
together who did it and why. The Thurlos have another winning series to their credit.
Biggie and the Devil Diet
Nancy Bell
St. Martin's Press
Nov 2002, $22.95, 224 pp., ISBN: 0312301847
When J.R.'s father died and his mother proved unable to care for him, Biggie took him into her
heart
and home in Job's Crossing. He's going to take his best friend to the school dance but before that
can
happen, some excitement comes to the small bucolic town. Biggie's first love, Rex Barnwell and
his
young wife open up a camp for overweight girls. In all good conscience, Biggie is forced to tell
J.R.
and Rex they are grandson and grandfather, respectively. When the duo visit Rex, they are forced
to
stay overnight due to a bad storm. That same night somebody shoots and kills Rex. Biggie is
determined to find out who the killer is and Officer Red Upchurch is reluctantly getting used to
her
involvement in homicide investigations. He encourages her to see what she can find out. Biggie
And
The Devil Diet is the perfect cosy to snuggle up with on a cold winter's night. Biggie, her
grandson,
and the small Texas town where the story takes place will beguile readers. J.R. narrates the tale so
everything is seen from his perspective. This makes for a pleasant change from books that are told
from an adult's viewpoint.
Out On A Limb
Joan Hess
St. Martin's Press
Nov 2002, $23.95, 272 pp., ISBN 0312266804
Farberville, Arkansas is usually a quiet little town but every once in a while trouble seems to erupt
and everyone just knows crime solver Claire Malloy will be in the middle of it. To make way for
more housing, a group of trees have to be cut down but environmentalist Miss Emily Parchester
plans a protest by living in a tree until she wins her point. Claire, who aided and abetted the
elderly
woman before with a false murder charge, tries to talk some sense into her but fails in the face of
the
Emily's determination. When she returns home, Claire finds her sixteen-year-old daughter nearly
hysterical. A newborn baby only four weeks old has been put on Claire's doorstep. Clair delivered
the baby whose the teenage mother lived in the streets but she has no idea who she was. Anthony
Armstrong, the developer who wants to cut the trees down, is murdered and his daughter,
arrested
for the crime. Claire recognizes her as the baby's mother and enlists her friends into helping her
prove the young mother is innocent. Out On A Lamb is an entertaining and poignant cosy that
intertwines several social issues into the main story line. Joan Hess is a witty writer who uses
subtle
touches of humor to diffuse the tension when it reaches too high a level. The author is an expert
at
characterizations and readers are pulled into the plot because they want to know what the
characters
will do next especially since they are so unpredictable.
With All My Heart
Barbara Dawson Smith
St. Martin's Press
Sep 2002, $6.99, 368 pp., ISBN: 0312982208
In 1815 England, former soldier Lord Joshua Kenyon fights a duel of honor with David Pankhurst
over the death of the latter's sister following the former ending their engagement seven years ago
the
day before the ceremony was to occur. Josh fires at a tree only to see his foe fall to the ground
wounded. Someone else shot Pankhurst. Josh sees that his fallen adversary is a woman. Being a
doctor used to gunshot wounds from his military time, Josh tends to the female before taking her
to
his home where he can treat her. Josh learns that Anne Neville, fearing for David's life, drugged
him
and replaced him at the duel. Though she thinks he is the enemy, Anne admires the way Josh took
charge. As she reluctantly agrees to work with him in uncovering her assassin or perhaps David's,
their pretense of courting turns into love. However, for years she thought the worst of her
beloved
and finds it difficult to believe otherwise. With All My Heart is an engaging Regency romance that
sub-genre fans will enjoy due to the mystery investigation that provides freshening suspense to the
story line. Though readers will wonder why Anne behaves out of character for the period by
risking
her life in the duel and tire of her shrilling accusations, the audience will admire her courage and
fully
appreciate the fortitude and moral fiber of the honorable Josh. Barbara Dawson Smith renders a
wonderful historical romance that will send the Regency crowd seeking her novels starring
siblings
of the lead male protagonist.
Now You See Me
Tina Wainscott
St. Martin's Press
Oct 2002, $6.99, 352 pp., ISBN: 0312979096
When she was eight years old, a kidnapper abducted Olivia Howe. With help, she managed to
escape her ordeal, but pays more than just the psychological price as she goes blind. However,
Olivia gained the psychic ability to "see" events through the mind's eye of another person even
when
she has never met nor is in line of sight of that individual. Sixteen years later in Florida, a
kidnapper
snatches seven-year-old Phaedra Burns from Toyland. Olivia was in the same store and 'witnessed
the event. No one believes what she says occurred and is happening as she can "see" through a
frightened Phaedra's eyes. As his partner Sam O'Reilly believes Olivia is the kidnapper, Detective
Max Callahan begins to believe Olivia is telling the truth. They have less than five days until
Christmas and f they fail by then, Phaedra will be dead. This romantic suspense novel with
paranormal elements is an exciting adrenaline grabbing tale that engrosses the reader from the
moment Olivia reacts to Phaedra's abduction until the final scene. The female protagonist is an
intrepid heroine and Phaedra acts just like a kidnapped little girl should behave as seen through
Olivia's "vision". However, what makes the story line fun to follow and different then the usual
tale
is that the cynical Max slowly transforms into a believer with his heart propelling him to trust in
the
power of his beloved. That metamorphosis evolves over stages and not abruptly, turning Tina
Wainscott's novel into a book worth reading by fans of both sub-genres.
Kisscut
Karin Slaughter
Morrow
Sep 2002, $24.95, 341 pp., ISBN: 0688174590
In the parking lot of the popular Heartsdale, Georgia teen hangout skating rink Jenny Weaver
threatens to shoot Mark Patterson. Police chief Jeffrey Tolliver is forced to kill the teenage girl.
His
former wife pediatrician and Grant County coroner Sara Linton witnesses the fatal shooting.
Inside a
toilet of the rink resides a dismembered fetus. Sara's autopsy of Jenny provides several strange
clues
that do not add up. The deceased was a long time abuse victim, Her battered vagina had been
sewn
shut and there is no evidence of any recent sexual activity to produce a fetus. Detective Lena
Adams, a victim of rape and grieving the death of her sister interrogates Mark. Soon she learns
the
horrifying perverted secrets of a town with quite a sideshow of pediophile, incest, and child
pornography and prostitution. Living up to her surname, Karin Slaughter provides readers with a
graphic thriller that combines elements of a police procedural with that of a medical examiner tale.
The story line catches the audience from the start, but fans should not dive in with a full stomach
as
Kisscut tears into boundaries rarely seen in a thriller. The author eases some of the tension by the
use of puns and other humorous devices that at times can be missed due to the high level of
excitement. Those who enjoy Patricia Cornwall will relish this novel and Ms. Slaughter's previous
book (see Blindsighted), but this writer adds more red meat in her recipe.
Four Blind Mice
James Patterson
Little Brown
Nov 2002, $27.95, 400 pp., ISBN 03166930006
The elite assassination team, The Three Blind Mice, knew they were the best, but realized while
operating in the An Lao Valley that they also loved to kill. When they left the army, they hired
themselves out as mercenaries and are now killing innocent people and framing people who
served
in Vietnam as the killers. They don't know who hired them or why the men were targeted but the
money is too good to ask any questions. Washington DC police detective Alex Cross becomes
involved with the Three Blind Mice when his friend John Sampson asks him to help prove the
innocence of Ellis Cooper who is waiting on death Row because he was convicted of the wanton
slaughter of three women. Both Alex and Sampson are convinced after talking to Ellis and
examining the evidence that he is innocent but no one will listen to them. Ellis dies and his two
friends vow to find his killers and bring them to justice. As similar deaths occur across the
country,
The Three Blind Mice come to the attention of Alex and Sampson and when the two sides finally
meet, only one will walk away. James Patterson always delivers a fascinating, action-packed
thriller
and Four Blind Mice is no exception. Readers familiar with the hero will find he has to use all his
considerable skills to counter the deadly precision of his enemies. The plot is well constructed and
the action holds up to scrutiny though some of the best scenes in the book occur in the
protagonist's
personal life. Anyone reading an Alex Cross novel can't help but want more of him.
Burning the Map
Laura Caldwell
Red Dress Ink/Harlequin
Nov 2002, $12.95, ISBN: 0373250215
Casey Evers seems to have it all. She just received her law degree and landed a job with highly
regarded Billings, Sherman and Lott. She is seeing one person, a nice attorney. However, with her
future looking bright, Casey is unhappy, but not sure why. She wonders if it is the job that feels
like
jail sentence, her parents' imminent break-up, or her boyfriend's toiling seemingly twenty-four
hours
day. Casey and her two friends from the University of Michigan, Kat and Lindsey travel to Rome
and the Greek isles on a three-week vacation. In Rome, Casey feels estranged from her two pals
unable to tell them about her concerns. Further separating her from her two friends is that Casey
meets a nice Italian in Rome and another male in Greece. What will Casey do when the vacation
ends and the rest of her life begins? Burning The Map is an interesting character study, done in the
"chic" mode. The story line mostly focuses on the lead protagonist especially her doubts, but also
provides insight into her friends, boyfriend, and parents at least from Casey's perspective. Genre
fans
will empathize with Laura Caldwell's intriguing look at a young lady at the threshold of adult
decisions and responsibilities.
Fishbowl
Sarah Mlynowski
Red Dress Ink/Harlequin
Oct 2002, $12.95, 320 pp., ISBN: 0373250207
When you are young and near the bottom of the employment ladder, renting an apartment in
downtown Toronto can be quite a slice of one's income. Individuals can go it alone if they do not
mind skipping three meals a day. However, when three incomes split the rent and utilities
suddenly
the costs are not just bearable, there is some cash for other things. Allie, Emma, and Jodine
become
roommates with the immediate reactions being less expense and more clothing to share though
Allie
is a petite and much shorter than the other two. However, the trio quickly learns the downside of
rooming as every move they make someone is watching and every trait they contain grates on
someone's nerves. Each member residing inside this Fishbowl begins to take a close look at her
personality through the other two sets of eyes, as the shortcomings appear very undesirable. This
is
an engaging look at the lifestyle of twenty something-single females. The story line rotates first
person narration between the three roommates so readers watch unfold the same event from an
entirely different perspective as each character brings interpreting baggage to the observation. The
problem with this novel is the prime traits often displayed by the trio leaves the reader indifferent
as
Allie turns from na‹ve cute to irritating just fell off the turnip truck, Jodine appreciates nothing
especially her roommates and men, and Emma is a selfish user. Still, fans of chick lit will enjoy
the
insightful look at group dynamics done so well by Sarah Mlynowski.
Forever
Jude Deveraux
Pocket Books
Oct 2002, $7.99, ISBN: 067101420X
The vague ad never explained the job, but offered a 100K so the lines of females stretched for
blocks
seeming more like a wait for tickets for a Harry Potter book. Among the tired attendees is Darci
Monroe, a waif from Putnam, Kentucky. At her interview, the employer Adam Montgomery
immediately eliminates Darci as a hillbilly who cannot help him with his paranormal problem.
However, after Darci departs, Adam's consultant Helen says, "she is the one". Adam grievously
recalls that as a toddler, a malevolent individual killed his parents and kidnapped him, but before
murdering his mother waited until she gave birth to his sister capable of using Nostradamus'
mirror.
Adam and especially Helen believe that Darci with her "True Persuasion" mental skills to persuade
people to behave in a manner she deems suitable will unlock the past. However, as they work
together, they begin to fall in love, Adam has begun to comprehend Darci's skills and wonders if
she
has employed her "True Persuasion" to make him want to cherish her in the way Kim Novak does
to
James Stewart in Bell, Book, and Candle. Forever is a combination romance, horror, and a touch
of
fantasy that cleverly blends together into a strong novel that readers from all three genres will
enjoy.
The story line contains humor to ease some of the tension. However, what will amaze the
audience
is how Jude Deveraux uses the same device to either cleverly amuse or frighten the reader such as
"True Persuasion". The charming country hick and the desperate big city hunk will beguile fans
with
this entertaining, fast-paced return to the Montgomery brood.
The Dark Highlander
Karen Marie Moning
Dell Books
Oct 2002, $6.99, ISBN: 0440237556
Druid mage Daegus MacKeltar used his powers to travel back in time to save the life of his twin
brother Drustan (see To Kiss A Highlander). However, Daegus pays a high price for his good
deed
as he released the spirits of thirteen evil Druids that share residency with him in his body.
Desperate
to re-incarcerate these malevolent beings, Daegus steals ancient Celtic texts in search of the spell
that will do this. The Manhattan press dubs the thief the "Gaulish Ghost". Medieval expert Chloe
Zanders is shocked to learn that a curator of the Cloisters collection wants her to deliver a five
century old reprint of the third book of Mannannan to some private collector who has provided
artifact donations in exchange for reading the text. A wary Chloe delivers the book to Daegus,
who
recognizes his soul mate has arrived. Holding her prisoner, Daegus and Chloe travel to Scotland
where he hopes to free his soul by imprisoning the Druids and to persuade her that they belong
together through time and space. This sequel is a great romantic fantasy that should provide
Karen
Marie Moning with a loyal cross genre audience awaiting her next book. The story line is
action-packed, filled with tension, and never slows down even when the lead heroes debate their
fate
and attraction. The good vs. evil battle will hook fantasy readers with its feel of authenticity even
with magic, incantations, and otherworldly demons. Ms. Moning seems heading to the read realm
of
greatness with The Dark Highlander proving she is one of the best writers on the market
today.
Ruled Britannia
Harry Turtledove
New American Library
Nov 2002, $24.95, 464 pp., ISBN 0451207173
On an earth that never was but could have been, The Spanish Armada was triumphant and landed
in
England. Queen Elizabeth was sent to the London Tower and King Phillip II of Spain's daughter
Isabella and her husband Albert rule the land, forcing the Protestants into hiding and making
Catholicism the state religion. Spanish soldiers are an army of occupation and the English
Inquisition
is a powerful instrument of the church. William Shakespeare is not a political man. All he wants to
do is have his plays produced for the masses to see. Will is approached by Sir William Cecil,
Elizabeth's prime advisor to write a play that will appeal to England's sense of patriotism so that
they
will, when called upon, overthrow their Spanish masters. Will rises to the occasion and begins
writing a drama while knowing that one mistake will mean his and the troupe's death by the
flames.
Ruled Britannia is a fascinating stand-alone work of alternate history as Harry Turtledove departs
from his American opus to provide a compelling work that is believable and shows what might
have
been if the storm and Drake had not caused havoc on the Armada. Using William Shakespeare as
the
hero and the reluctant catalyst to signal the beginning of the revolution is an inspired plot device,
one that guarantees reader interest for more than just Mr. Turtledove's legion of fans.
Rosamund
Bertrice Small
New American Library
Oct 2002, $14.00, 448 pp., ISBN: 0451206371
During the last decade of the fifteenth century, she was an orphan as a young child and a widow
twice before she turned thirteen including her first marriage to her five-year-old first cousin. Her
Uncle Henry Bolton knows that his niece Rosamund is a prize he manipulates because though she
owns Friarsgate, he controls the estate. To avoid further machinations, Rosamund marries a much
older, but kind Hugh Cabot. He surprisingly treats her like a favorite daughter rather than a
possession to be displayed and used. Hugh even teaches her how to manage her vast holdings.
Finally, he also arranges for King Henry II to be her guardian upon his death. Now a lovely fixture
at
court, Rosamund becomes a lover to Prince Hal, but eventually meets Logan Hepburn who she
begins to fall in love with though she has doubts about anyone becoming her latest spouse as she
has
developed a taste for the regal courts. Rosamund, the first novel in Bertrice Small's Friarsgate's
Inheritance series is a wonderful tale that brings to life the final years of the fifteenth century and
the
first decade of the sixteenth century. The story line will delight Ms. Small's fans as the heroine
shares
the same traits found in the O'Malley women (DNA testing anyone?) and could easily exchangee
places. Still readers will enjoy the feel of life in a bygone era mostly through the eyes of an
intrepid
woman.
All My Desire
Margaret Moore
Avon
Oct 2002, $5.99, 384 pp., ISBN: 0380820536
Sir Alexander DeFrouchette lives for revenge against Connor of Bellevoire who killed Alexander's
father and took his family's land as his own. Alexander and his mother were left with nothing but
a
destroyed life filled with scorn from those who were their alleged friends. Alexander's plan is quite
simplistic. He is going to kidnap the woman he was to marry until the pivotal incident changed his
life and gave her to his enemy. However, Alexander abducts the wrong woman as he takes the
sister
in law of his foe, Lady Isabelle who was accompanying Connor at the marketplace. As Alexander
and his prisoner become better acquainted, they begin to fall in love. However, the shadow of
Connor remains overwhelming to both them to the point of distrust and probable destruction of
their
growing love. Though very typical of medieval romance story lines, ALL MY DESIRE entertains
sub-genre fans through two strong lead characters. Readers will enjoy the antics and especially the
debates between the brooding sexy hero and the intelligent captive who knows where her safety
lies.
As usual the audience gets more from a novelist who always provides an inviting tale.
The Woman Most Likely To
Jennifer Greene
Avon
Oct 2002, $6.99, 384 pp., ISBN: 0380819724
Becca Sinclair visits her grandmother in Copper Creek, Michigan for some solace and advice as
she
is pregnant and wary of repeating the mistake her mother made when she gave birth to her. Becca
knows how hard Susan worked to raise her alone at the sacrifice of any happiness. However,
Becca
finds her staid widowed grandma Lydia acting like a teenage woman in love for the first time.
Becca
asks her mom to return home to insure grandma is okay. Susan comes back to Copper Creek, the
town she fled over two decades ago, only to see the one male she has always loved Jon Laker.
Becca and Lydia believe that Jon and Susan still love one another and want the best for the
sandwiched generation so they begin to intercede to propel this couple back together regardless of
the consequences. This is an insightful relationship drama that will provide gratification to fans
that
relish a complete family drama inside a strong romance. The story line enables the reader to see
deeply inside the heads of the lead characters, especially Susan because her two female relatives
add
an extra beacon on her soul. Jennifer Greene displays her skills as an author most likely to receive
audience appreciation for this warm second chance at love novel.
The Bride Bed
Linda Needham
Avon
Oct 2002, $5.99, 384 pp., ISBN: 03808125249
In the middle of the twelfth century, six times in the recent past, soldiers conquered her castle,
followed by the leader trying to force Lady Talia into marriage. However, the last victor came a
bit
to close to the alter as she only escaped holy matrimony when Alexander de Monteneau
interrupted
the ceremony as the wannabe groom flees. Alex needs to prove to King Stephen that he is not just
a
loyal supporter, but can also manage an estate by turning this rundown keep around before giving
it
to another lord to run along with marriage to Talia. Alex's ambition is much greater than this land
and its dowry poor lady that is until he falls in love with his intelligent, but belligerent hostess.
However, though Talia reciprocates Alex's feelings, her work on keeping her people permanently
safe from the constant conquerors that seem to never stop coming is more important to her than
her
heart's yearning. The Bride Bed is an exciting medieval romance that shows the impact of the
constant back and forth state of war had on civilians, but could have been any era as the medieval
period never focuses into view. Talia is a nasty individual, but her motives are solid and pure so it
is
difficult not to admire her courage. Alex feels like he belongs to a past century as a kind person
who
believes conquering is more than just his job, it is his right. Sub-genre fans will enjoy the
relationship war that highlights Linda Needham's historical romance.
Shadow Dance
Susan Anderson
Avon
Sep 2002, $6.99, 384 pp., ISBN: 0380819201
Experienced with ending the careers of serial killers, Seattle detective Tristan MacLaughlin is sent
to
Reno to head the task force trying to stop the Show Girl Slayer who has killed three local chorus
line dancers. Tristan finds himself not wanting the job because he detests hoofers believing they
are
high-class hookers. Dancing has been Amanda Rose Charles' life, however currently she is afraid
of
the killer who murdered a close friend. When Amanda meets Tristan, they immediately share a
mutual dislike for one another. He thinks she is a whore and she believes he is a terse egotist. As
they become acquainted, they begin to realize their stereotyping is way off base. Tristan sees
refined
elegance and Amanda observes a caring soul. Soon the couple falls in love, but the show stopping
Show Girl Slayer still stalks the ballrooms. Albeit a serial killer thriller, the lead couple's distinct
and
opposite personalities turn Shadow Dance into a strong police procedural romance. The
investigation is fun to follow, but the relationship between the cop and the dancer lightens yet also
intensifies the mood, which leads to the chase to stop the killer seemingly real. Readers will adore
the intrepid yet reticent Tristan and cherish the lively Amanda. Though a reprint of Susan
Anderson's
debut novel, the tale remains a strong blending of mystery and romance that fans of both genres
will
appreciate.
Cherokee Warriors: The Lover
Genell Dellin
Avon
Oct 2002, $5.99, 384 pp., ISBN: 0060001461
In 1870 Texas, widow Susanna Copeland interviews inmates of the local jail because she needs to
hire a man to pose as her husband so her "spouse" can hire males for a cattle drive as no one will
work for a woman. Everyone scorns her except Eagle Jack Sixkiller who resides in jail because
two
thugs beat him up while stealing his racing horse. Desperate to move her nine hundred-member
herd
to Kansas to keep her ranch, Susanna hires Eagle Jack. He will take her herd to Kansas, but not
with
her along, as Susanna demands. He fails to persuade her that women don't belong on the trail.
Eagle
Jack informs his boss that if the decision involves life and death he makes it. On the trail, Eagle
Jack
teaches an eager to learn Susanna how to lead as a trail boss, work a herd and scout ahead. As
they
travel together as a pretend couple, they fall in love, but it appears neither will take the key next
step
needed to make their arrangement permanent. Cherokee Warriors: The Lover is an entertaining
tale
that provides readers with a vivid description of what happens on a late nineteenth century cattle
drive, which will thrill fans of western novels as much as those who relish a strong romance. The
support cast delightfully brings out either the traits of the lead protagonists, the trail, or both.
Though the obstinacy of the heroine becomes weary, the audience will appreciate riding along
with
Genell Dellin on this exciting cattle driven story line.
Shadow Planet: Quest For Tomorrow
William Shatner
Eos
Nov 2002, $23.95, 336 pp., ISBN: 0061051195
In the far distant future, mankind has colonized so many worlds that they are perceived to be a
threat by the Communers, an insect like race with a hive mentality. Humanity doesn't know about
this deadly enemy because the Communers prefer to remain in the shadows using guerrilla tactics
and other races to destroy their enemy. Terran colony ships housing ten million humans are being
given drugs that will cause mass destruction. The Stone Cowboys, led by teenagers Kerry
Korrigan
and Jim Endicott figure out the truth and hijack the Kolumban ship, the Endeavor, killing all its'
crew
save one. Somehow, some way, they intend to stop the Kolumbans from producing the drugs that
will harm humanity. However when he learns that the Communers deceived the Kolumbans, Jim
must come up with a plan that will save both races from their common enemy. William Shatner of
Star Trek fame has made the transition from actor to writer very successfully. His "Quest For
Tomorrow" series is great space opera in the tradition of Arthur C. Clarke and Andre Norton.
Shadow Planet is full of heroic action, exotic aliens, and a young, bright, charismatic leader (think
Luke Skywalker) who takes an ex-gang and forms them into a fierce fighting unit.
One Man's Leg
Paul Martin
GreyCore
2646 New Prospect Road, Pine Bush, NY 12566
Oct 2002, $16.00, 224 pp., ISBN: 0967185157
Growing up in a wanderlust household (from Gardner, Massachusetts to Boulder, Colorado to
Central America, etc.) Paul Martin found solace in sports, but mostly stayed in trouble especially
with his martinet father. Though he attended University of Lowell, Paul's life truly begins at
twenty-
five when he loses part of his left leg in a car accident. Instead of quitting, Paul resolved to prove
to
himself, his father, and the world that he had no handicap. He accomplishes his goal when he
becomes a world champion triathlete, a Para-Olympic contestant, and most of all an inspirational
speaker traveling to encourage youngsters to be all they can be rather than use rationalizations to
alibi failure. Simply put, Paul Martin is a winner and his autobiography is a powerful statement on
what a person can achieve if they put their heart and soul into their efforts. The key to this
nonfiction work is not the inspirational message that lifts anyone fortunate enough to heed its
wisdom. Instead Mr. Martin never preaches, but always advocates going for the gold as an
individual and even more significantly as part of a team because it is the accomplishment of
reaching
the finish line whether one wins the race or not because it is the feat that provides fulfillment.
The Golden Leopard
Lynn Kerstan
Onyx
Oct 2002, $6.50, 384 pp., ISBN: 0451410572
In 1821 India, charming con artist Lord Hugo Duran stands trial for stealing the Heart of
Alanbad.
Needing a lie when he knows the truth of innocence will not work, Hugo insists a dream brought
him here and that he is to go home to England to find the Golden Leopard and return it to its
rightful
owner. The court rules if he fails to restore the jewel within a year, he will die. Hugo needs help
to
succeed and at the same time he sees this as an opportunity to finish his business with Jessica
Carville, who he once hurt badly. After Hugo failed her, Jessie plunged deeply into her other
passion, dealing rare antiquities. Though she wants to tell Hugo to go to the devil, Jessie, tempted
by his quest, agrees to accompany him, but does not relish the idea of marrying him to keep her
reputation in tact. As the excursion turns dangerous, both realizes they still love one another, but
if
they survive, she does not trust him to stay. The Golden Leopard is a combination of Indiana
Jones
and Romancing the Stone. The story line is fast paced and loaded with action, twists, and gender
bending (at least for the regency period) subplots. The support cast feels like they come from
Peter
Lorre clones while the lead couple is a delight though why Jessie suddenly worries about her rep
after shredding it as a dealer seems a bit stretched. Still Lynn Kerstan keeps the reader enthralled
with this suspense thriller that has just enough romance to please readers of both genres.
Cold Silence
Danielle Girard
Onyx
Nov 2002, $6.99, 384 pp., ISBN 0451410599
She was a FBI agent, happily married to another agent. They had a son and they thought their
whole
lives were ahead of them until Mark Riggs was killed in a shoot out with Russian Mafioso Viktor
Kirov who also died in the incident. Viktor's father Oskar swore vengeance on Megan and her son
Ryan forcing them to go into the Witness Protection Program. When Oskar and his minions trace
them to their new location, Megan and Ryan use their escape plan to leave the program. Three
years
later, under different names Megan and Ryan feel safe living in a small California town until the
day
Ryan fails to come home because an unknown assailant thought the child is a millionaire's son.
Just
when Megan thinks thing can't get any worse she finds out that Oskar has learned Ryan's location
and is going to kill him. The frantic mother races the clock in a frantic attempt to reach her son
before a determined murderer can carry out his plan of vengeance. Danielle Girard is a superb
thriller
writer who never disappoints her audience. Cold Silence touches on the primal fear of every
parent
so that readers will finish the book in one sitting to find out the fate of the child. Even though the
heroine is a trained agent, she is a mother first and her fear endears her to the audience even more
than the typical protagonist. Cold Silence will appeal to fans of Barbara Parker and Jeffrey
Deaver.
An Eye for Murder
Libby Fischer Hellmann
Poisoned Pen Press
Nov 2002, $24.95, 316 pp., ISBN 1590580354
Film and TV producer Ellie Foreman lives in a suburb of Chicago. She has gained local fame for
her
"Celebrate Chicago" televised show. When senior citizen Ben Sinclair dies of an apparent heart
attack, his landlady Ruth goes through his things and comes across Ellie's name. The landlady gets
in
touch with Ellie whose curiosity takes her to Ruth's house to see if she ever met the deceased. She
comes away with his zippo lighter and the positive feeling that knowledg she never met the man.
When she shows the lighter to her father he recognizes it as belonging to a man he once knew as
Ben Skulnick, who fought in the Resistance, but later was sent to prison for murder. Very shortly
after that Ben's landlady dies supposedly of natural causes. A string of murders and attempted
murder follow with every victim connected to Ben Sinclair leading Ellie to wander if his death
was
really natural causes. As she connects the dots to the puzzle, she puts her own life in danger.
Libby
Fischer Hellmann's debut novel is a very entertaining cerebral thriller. The story line is plausible as
the characters and their motives are considerably realistic while the link between Nazi war crimes
and a present day politician running for office seems plausible too. An Eye For Murder will not be
this author's sole published mystery as fans will encourage Ms. Hellmann to publish more tales
starring a delightful TV producer turn amateur sleuth.
Cretaceous Sea
Will Hubbell
Ace Books
Nov 2002, $6.50, 352 pp., ISBN 0441009891
Con Greighton's father John is one of the wealthiest men in the year 2059, but to his daughter he's
just an absentee father more interested in business and women than he is in her. When John invites
Con on a mysterious journey with his fianc‚e and the trip's sponsor, the enigmatic Mr. Green, she
accepts because it's a chance to do something never done before, journey back in time to the
Upper
Cretaceous period when the dinosaurs roamed the earth. When they arrive in prehistoric Montana
Isle, paleontology student Rick Clements is elated to see in real life what he has only seen in
fossils.
Rick's job is to keep Con occupied while her father and Mr. Green discuss business, but when
Rick
realizes that they are on ground zero of the K-T meteor strike, a dream vacation turns into a
nightmare. Fans of Jurassic Park are going to love Cretaceous Sea as they glimpse into an era that
has inspired many novels and movies. There are many surprises in this work so readers will never
become bored or put the book down until they have all their questions answered. Will Hubbell has
written a science fiction novel that will appeal to the action-adventure crowd.
A Fistful Of Sky
Nina Kiriki Hoffman
Ace Books
Nov 2002, $23.95, 368 pp., ISBN 0441009751
The LaZelles are rich, own a beach front estate in California, and are witches and warlocks except
for the patriarch who is not descended from a line of mages. The children come into their powers
after they reach adolescence, all that is except for Gypsum who at the age of nineteen shows no
evidence that she will wield magic. She accepts the fact that she is the odd sibling and just when
she
thinks her life will be normal she "transitions' into a witch." Gyp's powers are not like her brothers
and sisters. Her specialty is curses and she must curse someone or something several times a day
or
she will get sick. Some of her curses turn out to be funny, some are very scary, but none are ever
dull. The longer Gyp practices, the more she refines her gift and something very surprising occurs
that shocks not only her but her entire family. A Fistful Of Sky is a very beguiling and magical
coming of age tale. The heroine goes through some very funny experiences as she comes to grips
with her new found powers that will bewitch readers by her looking like a teenage version of
Samantha's befuddled aunt. Nina Kiriki Hoffman has a flair for the dramatic and the unusual.
Coyote
Allen Steel
Ace Books
Nov 2002, $23.95, 400 pp., ISBN 0441009743
In the twenty-third century, the United States is no longer the home of the free. In fact it is no
longer the United States since Pacifica and the New England states are separate nations. What is
left
of the once proud country is the United Republic of America, a fascist right wing country ruled by
the Liberty Party. It is a nation where dissidents are placed in reeducation camps and the party's
young are encouraged to enroll in youth hostels where they are indoctrinated to believe the
propaganda as gospel truth. As a testament to it's glory, the party has funded the starship
Alabama, a
one hundred billion dollar space ship that is to send one hundred supporters to colonize a
habitable
planet. Thanks to the bravery of key personnel the ship is successfully skyjacked by dissidents
who
plan to form a colony based on the radical concept of democracy. So begins the story of the
Founding fathers and mothers. Coyote is a rousing tale of revolutionaries starting over on a new
planet much the way the pilgrims started over in the New World. The characters are well drawn,
complex and totally believable as they escape a police state to pioneer an uncharted planet. Allen
Steele has written a fine work that appeals to the patriotic spirit.
What Would Joey Do?
Jack Gantos
Farrar, Straus, Giroux
Oct 2002, $16.00, 228 pp., ISBN: 0807209481
Dad is back in Lancaster, Pennsylvania causing problems for poor Joey Pigza, who worries that
his
dad Carter returned by roaring motorcycle to abduct him. However, he revises his theory to that
of
his father using him because he wants to either irritate or get close to Joey's mother. Joey's
grandmother knows the world is coming to an end perhaps because of her emphysema, but more
likely because Carter, who drives her nuts, is back. Due to the game of my kid is better, smarter,
or
whatever than your kid, Joey finds himself, at is mother's insistence, joining Olivia Lapp at home
schooling. With the urging of his "dying" grandma, Joey tries to befriend the sight-challenged
Olivia,
but his bratty teammate just wants to keep him in trouble. Between her and his family, Joey learns
why a dog is a boy's best friend and wonders if hyperactivity out of control is better than trying to
relate to these normal maniacs. Apparently What Would Joey Do? is the final novel of the JP
trilogy
to the dismay of this reviewer because this tale, like its predecessors, is a refreshing look at life
from
the perspective of a preadolescent child coping with hyperactivity. The support cast is a
distressing
yet delightful group of lunatics, but the story line belongs to the title character, who makes
reading
fun. A personal plea to Mr. Gantos: please turn Joey into a teenager with hormones running amok
because he is too good an individual to be shelved.
The Adventurer
Jaclyn Reding
Signet
Oct 2002, $6.50, 320 pp., ISBN: 0451207408
In 1747, as her Paris vacation comes to an end, Lady Isabella Drayton meets Comte de St.
Germain
at the King's court. Believing she is the virtuous one, the Comte asks Bella to return a stolen
enchanted mermaid stone to its rightful owner, MacAiodh. However, her quest is complicated by
the
existence of two potential "Sons of Fire". If she chooses the wrong one, history will be altered,
but if
she selects correctly than everything will flow as it is intended to proceed. Clan chief Calum "The
Adventurer" MacKay abducts Bella as she tries to return the stone to its rightful owner. He is
shocked that she possesses what is considered a legend among his fellow Scots. Though he wants
to
steal the stone from her, he knows he must not desecrate the stone. She must willingly hand it to
the
right person, so he tries devious means for her to give it to him. However, his seductive efforts
may
have hooked the stone bearer, for he now loves her too. The latest Highland Hero tale is an
exciting
Scottish historical romance with a fantasy backdrop. The story line starts slow though the
audience
observes the happenings at the court of King Louis XV, but once the plot takes off from the
moment
the Comte enlists Bella as his delivery person, the tale goes into hyperspeed. The lead couple is a
delight to watch together while readers ponder whether their love was fated to happen due to the
stone. Jaclyn Reding shows she is no Pretender, but a contender, to the sub-genre throne.
Ravished
Virginia Henley
Signet
Oct 2002, $6.99, 416 pp., ISBN: 0451207378
In 1792, Lady Kathleen Hatton gives birth to twin boys, but dies as the second child is born. Her
husband Henry is elated with his heir Christopher, but blames the second infant Nicholas, named
by
a servant, for the death of his spouse. Over the years Henry gritted his teeth whenever Nicholas
was
in his presence and blamed him for all misdeeds whether the lad or Christopher, called Kit, did
them.
As much as he wanted nothing to do with his murdering son, Henry spoiled the older twin. Over
two decades later, their two families expect Alexandra Sheffield and Kit to marry, but she knows
she
does not love him. Instead, she secretly covets his brother. When she seeks adventure before
doing
her duty, Nick protects her. However, as they fall in love, circumstance forces the siblings to do
what they do best, switch places to keep everyone safe. As expected from Virginia Henley,
Ravished
is a delightful torrid Regency romantic suspense that drives in first gear from the moment Henry
cuts
off his youngest son until the final identity stripping by Alex. The story line is loaded with action
as
the two rogues and the adventure-seeking lady will delight the audience with their antics. Though
twins switching identities is an over used theme trap, Ms. Henley's brand of pandemonium in and
out
of the boudoir makes for an invigorating reading experience for sub-genre fans.
The Chocolate Bear Burglary
JoAnna Carl
Signet
Nov 2002, $5.99, 240 pages, ISBN 0451207475
After divorcing her husband and leaving her Texas hometown, Lee McKinney moves to Warner
Pier, Michigan where she begins to make a new life for herself. She moves into her Aunt Nettie's
home because the prices for real estate in Michigan are sky high and serves as the business
manager
for her aunt's TenHuis Chocolade store. The merchants in the business district are doing a teddy
bear winter promotion to attract tourists and TenHuis Chocolade exhibits very valuable antique
molds. In the middle of all the festivity and commotion, Lee's former stepson Jeff arrives in town,
refusing to tell her why he's there. She puts the troubled youth to work at her aunt's store and he
becomes a hero when he foils a robbery that insures the molds are returned to Gail, the antique
dealer who lent them to the store in the first place. The next thing anyone knows is Gail is dead
and
her stepson is in jail on suspicion of murder. Lee is determined to prove his innocence and sets
herself up as a target for a killer without mercy. Do not read The Chocolate Bear Burglary on an
empty stomach because the luscious, mouth-watering erotic descriptions of exotic chocolate will
have you running out to buy gourmet sweets. JoAnna Carl's amateur sleuth tale is a delectable
treat
starring a heroine impossible to dislike. This woman gets the job done, whether its selling
chocolate
or solving the case as she follows up every clue and lead.
Duel of Hearts
Diane Farr
Signet
Oct 2002, $6.50, 352 pp., ISBN: 0451207203
After her mother died Lilah Chadwick and her father Sir Horace became very close having no
secrets between them. She assumes she is the only "woman" for her dad until she learns he is
marrying a "harpy" whom she knows obviously bullied him into wedlock. Lilah plans to stop her
father from foolishly wedding this trickster in a relationship she assumes he neither needs nor
wants.
Earl Adam Harleston is appalled to learn his cousin is marrying an older gentleman when he
himself
has plans to wed Eugenia. He will stop this nefarious act by rescuing his cousin and stop this
womanizing seducer from ruining Eugenia's life. Due to misfortune or perhaps a Cupid like
kismet,
Adam and Lilah meet in their respective mad dashes to London. However, instead of halting
Horace
and Eugenia, Adam and Lilah have a new problem to confront. They are falling in love. Duel Of
Hearts is a madcap Regency romantic romp that never takes itself seriously (to the delight of the
audience) as Diane Farr relocates those crazy 1930s movies into an amusing quite pleasing
historical
tale. The story line focuses on the plans of Lilah and Adam going astray as their own hearts take
the
duo on a detour away from what they started to accomplish. Sub-genre fans will laugh a lot at
this
charming novel that surely stars K. Hepburn.
Brainwaves
Leonard Goldberg
Signet
Nov 2002, $6.99, 416 pp., ISBN 0451207386
Forensic pathologist Dr. Joanna Blalock is highly regarded in her field and frequently works with
the
police when their jobs overlap. Her favorite homicide detective to work with is her friend and
live-in
lover Jake Sinclair. They are now working together on the case of Dr. Karen Crandell, a
neurologist
who was found dead in her office. At first all signs point to a suicide, but Jake and Joanna soon
figure out that somebody killed her but made it look like a realistic suicide. Dr. Crandell was
working on some cutting edge research that has mysteriously disappeared. Jake and Joanna are
able
to trace the theft and the killing to her colleague at the Brain Research Institution at Memorial
Hospital but from there the trail goes cold. Joanna and Jake set a trap to catch a murderer, but can
only hope he takes the bait. Fans of Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs are going to like
Brainwaves, a cutting edge medical thriller based on actual ongoing research. The mystery itself is
fast paced and exciting but what makes this novel a scalpel cut above the rest is the way current
technology is interposed throughout the story line, giving it a futuristic feel without slowing down
the pace.
Marry a Man Who Will Dance
Ann Major
Mira Books
Oct 2002, $6.50, 384 pp., ISBN: 1551669560
When they first met, Roque Moya Blackstone teased fourteen year old Ritz Keller Evans calling
her
princess, telling her that her friend was prettier, and taking her horse from her. The encounter
ends
in an incident with his father hurting him and her father warning her to stop acting the whore and
stay away from that evil family. Rogue's half brother Caleb and Ritz become friends and dance
together in public. Her drunken brother Steve and her boyfriend, both filled with liquor, go crazy
and chase after their enemy. In an ensuing car crash, Caleb dies. Separately Steve also crashes and
is
left a paraplegic. Not long afterward Ritz saves Roque from a beating and takes him to Mexico.
They make love, but he is married. Her father rejects a pregnant Ritz as a whore and eventually
she
loses their baby from working too hard to support herself. Ten years later, a bitter Roque still
blames
Ritz for the baby's death. Marry A Man Who Will Dance is a modern day southwest West Side
Story starring a half-Mexican-half American and an American whose fathers hate each other. Ritz
is
an intrepid individual whose morality shines through the novel in spite of overwhelming pressure
by
her parents, the townsfolk, and her beloved to break. Her only oases as the eye of the storm over
the
years are a kind grandmother and Caleb. The deep character study requires the audience to accept
some improbable pivotal points that ring untrue for the characters hurting an insightful story
line.
Danger Zone
Shirley Palmer
Mira
Oct 2002, $23.95, 304 pp., ISBN: 1551669439
All their neighbors and friends know that Sam and Maggie Cady share a loving relationship raising
their four year old son Jimmy together in New Orleans. However, their idyllic world ends when
someone kills their dog and abducts Jimmy. The police and Sam, a former New Orleans cop, are
clueless, but Maggie knows she must go back alone to the hell she left behind in New York City
to
save the life of her son. Maggie stops at a New York cemetery to look at two plots about six
years
old. The stones remind her of the deadly meeting between her Bellini kin and Michael O'Malley's
Irish gang that led to the deaths of her father and brother and Michael's brothers. She knows she
must confront Michael while praying that her son does not share the violent death of his
grandfather
and that Sam stays out of this though in her heart she knows he is tracking her. Does the plot
seem a
stretch? Probably most rationale people will say yes because this story line is not based on the
recent
headlines of child abductions. However, readers will not care because through her cast Shirley
Palmer makes the improbable seem genuine. This suspense thriller never slows down until the
final
rites. Though the tale is loaded with action, it is the behavior of Maggie and Sam who hook the
audience in such a deep ways fans will want to be active Good Samaritans entering the Danger
Zone
rather than passive observers.
Lilith's Dream
Whitley Strieber
Atria
Oct 2002, $25.00, 324 pp., ISBN 07434 51524
Lilith wakes up from a millennium long sleep in a cave in Egypt to find that the world has changed
since the vampire created the human race. She finds that the rest of her kind is dead, slain by
vampire hunter Paul Ward who has vampire blood flowing through his arteries. His son Ian is the
product of a mating with a full blood vampire Miriam Blaylock. Paul watches him closely for he
knows that if he turns, he will have to kill his son. In New York, at a rock concert, Lilith connects
with the last vampire Leo Patterson and Ian. The two women immediately know each other for
what
they are and they kidnap Ian in the hopes of turning him so that their race will promulgate and
once
again roam the earth. Paul and his wife follow them, determined to save their son or die trying.
This
is last book in the vampire series that began with The Hunger and it is a haunting work that will
thrill
fans of horror by allowing readers to empathize with beings wanting to turn us into fodder as they
react to their own biological imperatives. Whitley Strieber has written a fast-paced supernatural
thriller that deserves at least a Bram Stoker nomination if not the award.
Man Down
John Douglas
Atria
Nov 2002, $24.00, 325 pp., ISBN 0671023926
Wealthy power broker Mrs. De Vries funds Broken Wings, a unit with broad investigative powers
headed by the charismatic Jake Donovan, a brilliant profiler with a very high-resolution rate on the
cases he investigates. When an airplane blows up over Washington, killing everyone aboard, FBI
Director Ravan asks Jake to investigate. When Jake arrives at the bureau he is told to go home
and
he realizes that his old enemy, the Attorney General has yanked him off the case. He is then asked
by
Mrs. De Vries to find her missing niece who was supposedly having an affair with William Rush, a
scientist who had been working on a top research project, but is now dead. Jake and the team
learn
that Mrs. De Vries' niece has also been murdered. When the Broken Wings start putting the
missing
pieces together, they have their funding cut off, their investigative credentials destroyed, and the
final blow comes when Jake's son Eric is kidnapped. They have to find out how all these events
are
linked if they hope to rescue Eric. Man Down is an exciting crime thriller that has so many
unexpected twists that readers will make this a one-sitting reading experience because they want
to
find out who is the mastermind behind all the interconnected incidents. The hero of this novel
holds
up under adversity in such a stoic manner that the audience will be rooting for him to triumph
over
all his enemies, known and unknown, though his seeming unconcern is tested with the abduction
of
Eric. Fans including this reviewer will eagerly await the next Broken Wings thriller.
The Nominee
Brian McGrory
Atria
Sep 2002, $25.00, 376 pp., ISBN: 0743403525
Boston Record publisher Paul Ellis informs his expert investigative reporter Jack Flynn that a
hostile
takeover of the newspaper is in the works. He also states that the sudden heart-attack death of his
predecessor five years ago may have been a homicide. Paul wants Jack to learn what is going on
with the buyout attempt and the strange death of the previous publisher. Jack already has
interesting
information that Massachusetts Governor Lance Randolph inflated his r‚sum‚ by recalculating his
conviction record as a district attorney. Since the President plans to nominate Lance as the next
Attorney General, a fabrication may prove almost as embarrassing and damaging as it did to
college
football coaches. Then again one must consider the standard of an Attorney General vs. that of a
head football coach at Notre Dame. Jack flies to Florida to talk with the retired detective who
apparently failed to investigate thoroughly the former publisher's death. Upon his return to
Boston,
Jack learns that Paul was killed in the head during what appears to be a robbery turned ugly. Now
Jack seeks the connections that if he lives long enough may more than just abash a president and
his
nominee. The Nominee is an urban noir starring a modern day Sam Spade tough guy clone. Jack
is
an interesting hero who keeps the tale from spinning out of control with his colorful descriptions
that uses bodily parts as metaphors and similes. Though the shifting between first and third person
jars the reader, the investigation is fun and Jack's way with words will keep the audience thinking
did
he really say that?
Immortal Image
Jaye Roycraft
ImaJinn Books
Jan 2003, $13.75, 197 pp., ISBN: 1893896838
The Directorate is the organization that decides the rules and regulations for vampire behavior. If
a
vampire disobeys them he can be sanctioned with the ultimate punishment of the True Death.
Revelin Scott is the chief enforcer of the Directorate and his latest assignment sends him to Baton
Rouge. A group of rogue vampires are flaunting the rules by creating aberrations, humans forced
to
take vampire blood and become slaves to the vampire they drink from. Revelin must destroy all
the
vampires and he is forced to accept the help of the mortal woman Deni Geron whose brother was
killed by the rogues. When they arrive at their destination, Revelin, with the help of Deni, is able
to
infiltrate the group, but he finds he is unable to kill the head of the group. Again, he must depend
on
Deni to help him but if she fails, they will both die. Revelin Scott was chosen for this job for his
supposed immunity to the charms of mortal women yet it is Deni's love for him that will be his
salvation. Their co-dependence in the work arena spills over into their personal lives forming a
bond
that is necessary for the story line to work. Immortal Image is a delightfully refreshing vampire
romance that will satisfy any one interested in the nosferatu.
Chasing the Shadows
Keri Arthur
ImaJinn Books
Dec 2002, $13.00, 230 pp., ISBN 1893896846
Michael is a three hundred and sixty year old vampire who works for The Circle, an organization
of
paranormal beings dedicated to destroying their evil kin. Nikki is a thrall, a being similar to a
vampire without the need for blood. She and Michael are a couple in trouble because he wants to
protect her and she wants to work with him for The Circle. When Michael arrives home after an
assignment, he finds that Nikki is not there, she has gone to help her partner in their private
detective
agency track down a killer who is abducting, torturing and killing women. When Michael arrives,
they learn that the killer is a vampire out to settle some old scores from his high school days. Only
through teamwork can this killer be stopped, but even working together that remains a dangerous
proposition since he has targeted Nikki as one of his victims. Keri Arthur is one of the best
supernatural romance writers of the new millennium. Her books are always refreshingly different
and
she has a knack for creating characters it is easy to care about. Chasing The Shadow is one of her
best works to date because equal attention is given to the relationship and the hunt. Vampire
lovers
are going to love this book and want to read the next book in the series because there are
questions
that need answers.
What She Wants
Lynsay Sands
Leisure
Sep 2002, $5.99, 357 pp., ISBN: 0843950455
He inherits his uncle's estate, but the will contains a special clause ordering Hugh Dulonget to
marry
Lady Willa. A highly regarded knight, Hugh can handle anything even the most formidable enemy
in
combat. However, Willa is another matter as he inadvertently insulted her when they first met
thinking she was a peasant. His friends offer him advice when it comes to the ladies, but they are
warriors used to tossing a jewel to succeed in bedding a wench. Willa's crone of a guardian tells
him
to crawl on his wretched belly before pleading on his knobby knees for Willa to forgive his
transgression. However, Hugh has always been his own man. Ignoring everyone, Hugh wants
Willa
with him forever so he does the unthinkable. He courts her to persuade her that the key to What
She
Wants is the bliss of always being together. Though the roles of the support cast seem more like
two-dimensional comic relief and the plot centers on a one-joke phenom, readers will laugh loudly
and long at the amusing medieval romantic story line. The lead couple is a charming pair as Hugh
works harder than he ever did before because the stakes are as high as he will ever faced.
Previously
he only risked his life, but now he must convince the woman he loves and desires for herself and
not
for the estate he gains if he wins her hand. Lynsay Sands creates a humorous twelfth century
romance that her fans will appreciate.
Knight on the Texas Plains
Linda Broday
Leisure
Oct 2002, $TBA, ISBN: 0843951206
In 1880 in Cactus Springs, Texas Duel McClain believes he has nothing to live for, ever since his
loved ones died. However, he still almost has cardiac arrest when he draws the Deadman's Hand
in a
poker game and nearly suffers a stroke when a nasty player raises the ante by tossing a female
infant
Marley Rose into the pot. Duel wins and decides to take Marley to his sister in hope she and her
husband will adopt the child. A badly battered bloodied Jessie Foltry wanders into Duel's camp.
The
blood is not hers, but the bruises testify that someone beat her up and branded her shoulder with a
diamond J. Jessie and Duel reach an agreement to keep Marley safe. On the trail they begin to fall
in
love, but when they reach his home, his brother a Texas Ranger arrests Jessie for killing her
husband. Duel stands with the woman who has brought him back among the living as she stands
trial. Knight On The Texas Plain is a graphically vivid western romance that focuses on spousal
abuse and to a lesser degree child abandonment. The story line is at its strongest when a
bewildered
Duel "consults" his horse on what to do with his new dependents as this tells so much about the
hero. Jessie is a wonderful protagonist but her inner strength that enables her to easily overcome
her
traumas contradicts her remaining in an abusive relationship for years. Linda Broday shows her
talent with her ability to paint a three dimensional picture of life in post Reconstruction Era
Texas.
Beneath a Silver Moon
Deborah Schneider
Leisure
Sep 2002, $5.99, 338 pp., ISBN: 0843951052
In 1883 while her father visits Egypt, Sinclair Readford leaves Philadelphia to meet her Aunt
Matilda
"Tilly" Haynes whom she never knew existed. Her aunt's letters to her were hidden for no
apparent
reason that Sinclair could fathom. Sinclair's plan is to travel to the Montana Territory to introduce
herself to her aunt, a successful businesswoman, before returning to her home prior to her father
coming back from overseas. Sinclair reaches the Blue Willow, which is not quite what she
expected
since the place is a whorehouse. She learns Aunt Tilly is on extended vacation and apparently is
the
Madam of this cathouse. Shocked, Sinclair climbs out a window to escape the bordello, but lands
in
the lap of rancher Jefferson McCloud. He takes the scantily clad Sinclair with him to his ranch as
they agreed where she could stay for now if she becomes the teacher caretaker to his sister
Maddie.
As they live in close proximity, they fall in love, but she is boisterous east and he is taciturn west
leaving both of them and Maddie to wonder if that is enough. Beneath A Silver Moon is an
entertaining western romance that captures the attention of sub-genre fans from the moment the
heroine nose dives in her "failed" attempt out a third story window. The story line vividly
describes
the old west while the lead couple is delightful opposites. However, the tale belongs to Maddie
who
steals the hearts of the audience. Deborah Schneider's character driven plot provides pleasure to
those readers who prefer a strong cast starring in a western romantic cozy.
Lair of the Lion
Christine Feehan
Leisure
Sep 2002, $6.99, 366 pp., ISBN: 084395048X
The goal seems simple enough: rescuing her brother. Finding anyone capable o aiding her in his
enormous duchy like pelazzo in the Alps is so formidable that everyone tells Isabella Vernaducci
to
go home. She has heard tales about the Don that strike fear in the hearts of the bravest souls, yet
aristocratic Isabella obstinately continues her quest to find the enigmatic, more myth than man,
Nicolai DeMarco. When Isabella locates Nicolai (or perhaps it is more the other way around), she
does not see the Don who allegedly controls the beasts to do his dirty work. Instead she sees a
man
haunted by a curse that the intrepid Isabella is determined to free Nicolai from it. When Nicolai
offers to save her sibling on the condition she marry him, Isabella readily agrees as she knows she
needs no stipulation to wed the Don. Still as she risks her life to save her tortured beloved, she
wonders if she will ever gain his love even if she eliminates the beast that holds his soul. More
than
just Christine Feehan fans will enjoy this delightful paranormal romance as the rarely used early
nineteenth century Alps setting (almost Gothic in nature), the intrepid heroine, and the tortured
male
protagonist come together in exciting fashion. Though readers will admire and question Isabella's
bravery at the same time, the audience will relish her efforts to emancipate the two men she
cherishes from their respective "incarcerations". Lair Of The Lion is a wonderful novel that
readers
will appreciate if they set aside the time to luxuriate in a one sitting read.
The Last Male Virgin
Katherine Deauxville
Love Spell
Sep 2002, $5.99, 355 pp., ISBN: 050552497X
He spent fourteen years living among the remote New Guinea Antorak tribe following a plane
crash.
Anthropologist Dr. Peter Havistock is a minor celebrity sponsored on a tour of American colleges
by the Wimberly Foundation. However, Peter's fifteen minutes of fame becomes much longer
when
he gives his lectures in native costumes that have the Ivy League students acting like they are in a
Spring break wet T-shirt contest. Wimberly director Leslie Hall-Grumman thinks the native
G-string
is a bit too much or perhaps too little, but she feels Peter goes to far when he announces on the
Harry King TV show that he is a virgin in search of a bride. Women want the handsome hunk in
their bed, but Leslie believes he is courting her, a thought she finds delightful yet frightening.
Though timelines involving Peter seem off kilter, readers will enjoy this wacky romantic romp
with a
not so subtle satirizing message on what is civilization. The amusing story line is refreshing yet
provoking due to the sparring of the lead couple. Leslie deploys her "superior" western
philosophy
while Peter employs "Stone Age" spears. Katherine Deauxville provides her audience with a way
out
romance that will delight all readers including that endangered species, The Last Male Virgin.
Bait and Switch
Darlene Gardner
Love Spell
Oct 2002, $5.99, 368 pp., ISBN: 0505525216
In the middle of the night, Cary Mitchell flees Charleston to obtain help from his twin brother
Grant
better known as "Mitch". Cary owes bookie Flash Gorman twenty grand that if he does not pay
now
will lead to broken kneecaps. Cary also mentions that he has stolen from the till of a bar filled with
dirty money to pay off some of the debt. What he fails to tell his sibling, an Atlanta cop, is that the
reason he fled town is that Flash expects Cary to pay his tab by breaking the kneecaps of other
clients behind in their remittance. Mitch decides that the best course of action is to hand Flash
over
to the police so when Cary refuses to play, he offers to go undercover in a "bait and switch"
operation. The first problem surfaces when Cary's girlfriend Peyton McDowell, daughter of a DA,
arrives yelling at the switched Mitch. Others surface, but as he tries to solve his brother's
problems,
nothing goes right especially when it comes to Peyton because he begins falling in love with his
sibling's girlfriend. Siblings switching places is a theme that is as old as the Old Testament yet
Darlene Gardner keeps her story line fresh by enabling the readers to distinguish between the
twins
because their personalities remain in tact. This especially occurs with Peyton confused by Mitch's
change in behavior and attitude. Thus amusing situations arise, as nothing is smooth as expected
with a long-term identity exchange. The Bait And Switch of Mitch and Cary leads to a fun frolic
for
readers.
The Shadow Prince
Jan Zimlich
Love Spell
Sep2002, $5.99, 304 pp., ISBN: 0505524856
Arkanna killed Shalelle because the High Priestess of the Arizanti Tribe refused to bend to her
will.
The murderer offers the same deal to Shalelle's daughter Lorienne, who rejects her too. Arkanna
informs her prisoner that she sold her to the Prince of the Busae Empire to insure safe passage for
the tribe. If the Busae arrive in time Lorienne might live long enough to pleasure her owners.
Prince
Busae rescues Lorienne, but gives her as a present to ensure the loyalty of his half-brother, the
demon trained sorcerer Adrik. As the couple becomes acquainted with one another, they begin to
fall in love. However, Adrik knows the anointed time of swapping his life to enable his demon
mentor to use his body is upon him. Besides the demands of his teacher, Busae abducts Lorienne.
Will Adrik rescue his true love or go along with his demonic induced fate that he has spent a
lifetime
training to accomplish? The Shadow Prince is a powerful romantic fantasy inside a vividly
described
BC setting. The story line is loaded with action from the very until the final confrontation, but the
key to this book is the strength of the key characters (villains and heroes) so that readers
understand
their motives and backgrounds (though Arkanna's role seems short changed). Jan Zimlich
provides
fans with a deep tale that will appeal to the tastes of the cross genre audience.
Captivity
Linda Suzane
Wings Press
July 2002, 165 pp., ISBN 1590889045
Wade and his two friends are camping in The Sanrtiam Wilderness when they are attacked by
three
vampires. His two companions are killed but Cassandra the leader of the vampires has Wade
taken
to their lair where she makes him her sex slave. Her actual intention is to turn him into a vampire
but
he breaks her hold on him Donavan, a very strong and ethical vampire, is a psychiatrist who treats
humans and vampires that have just crossed over. He reads newspapers accounts about the
savaged
two boys and their missing companion and that leads him to conclude that this is Cassandra's
doing.
Before he reports it to the Darkhour Foundation he scopes out the situation for himself.
Cassandra
captures Donavan and chains him in the same room containing Wade. Unless one of them can
figure
out how to escape their imprisonment, they will suffer a grim fate. Linda Suzane has written a
vampire novel that is on the par with the works of Anne Rice. She has given readers a scientific
reason for why vampires exist involving genetics and crossbreeding that make the fictional species
seem real. It is going to be very difficult to wait for Captivity's sequel, Freedom.
Slayer
Karen Koehler
Black Death Books
Aug 2002, $18.00, 351 pp., ISBN: 0967922003
Covenmaster Amadeus of the New York City half-human and half-vampire dhampires informs his
top slayer Alek Knight that he chose him to replace him in the near future as Covenmaster.
Apparently Amadeus has seen a vision of one of his prot‚g‚s turning traitor and killing him. Alek
rejects the notion that any of them would betray their guide and mentor. However, soon Amadeus
concludes that the defector is Alek and apparently the other Dhampires in the coven led by Sean
Stone want to slay him. Alek defends his life even as he begins a quest to find the long lost
Chronicle, that tells the In the Beginning story of vampires. Joining him on his quest is his natural
enemy Teresa the ancient vampire and his deceased sister Debra, who he sent to the grave
apparently from the spirit world. Ultimately, tome or not, a final confrontation between master
and
student is imminent. Slayer is an exciting vampire tale that takes the creatures of the night and
their
archenemy dhampires and places them in modern Manhattan where the two species seem to fit in
with the human populace as if Karen Koehler chronicled the real world. The story line is loaded
with
gory action, plenty of biting excitement as the Covenmaster and the top slayer step closer to a
final
conflict, and a gritty view of New York that enhances the battles of blood. Though one must
wonder
if Amadeus caused a self- fulfilling prophecy onto himself and his top gun, and several questions
remain unanswered (perhaps in future tales), sub-genre fans have quite a treat with this powerful
horror thriller.
Scarabus
Karen Koehler
Black Death Books
July 2002, $18.00, 330 pp., ISBN 096792202X
Christian owns a thriving gallery, has a beautiful visage, and is wealthy beyond most people's
dreams. Yet he is the most miserable being walking the earth. He is a three thousand-year-old
demon who has no internal organs except a brain. His body contains uncountable scarabs
(beetles),
flesh eating bugs that must be feed every night otherwise Scarabus, as he calls himself, knows the
pain of the damned. Scarabus was not always like this. Once he was a man who lived and loved in
Middle Egypt. The Scarabus cult performed a magical ritual on him, hoping to create a demon
they
could bind to their will so they can use him to rule upper and lower Egypt. Their plan failed and
Scarabus killed all his creators including his own father and father-in-law. Now he walks the earth
searching for a way to end his existence and halt the use of his body as a vessel of the scarabae
who
want to bring him under their control. Scarabus the demon is a monster who killed over two
million
people in his lifetime but yet readers will not feel contempt towards him as if he was Hitler, Stalin,
or
Pol Pot. They will pity him for he did not choose his existence, but was betrayed into it by the
very
people that he thought loved him. His perspective of humanity throughout the ages is fascinating
and
readers will understand his desire to end his unholy existence. Karen Koehler has written an
enthralling, cutting edge novel that will please fans of horror novels.
Lord Brother
Carolyn Kephart
Sterling House Publishing
Aug 2002, $11.95, 185 pp., ISBN: 1563152770
The Lord Adept of Markul Ryel Mirai allegedly seeks the truth behind the death of Edris, his
mentor
for twelve years, but the wysard actually searches for a spell that would enable him to bring back
to
life his teacher by rejoining the soul with the body. As Ryel starts on his dangerous quest, the
daiman
Dagar has other plans for the wysard. Dagar plots to return to this world by occupying Ryel's
"corpse" after his obedient servant Lord Michael Essern completes a special mission deadly to his
chosen "host". Ryel continues his quest to save Edris, but has side adventures on the way. He
liberates individuals suffering from Dagar's sorcery and nears the inevitable battle with the daiman.
The price of defeat is not just losing his life for defeat to Dagar will allow the daiman to use the
wysard's body to commit atrocities at a level unheard of on the unsuspecting world. Lord Brother
is
a fabulous, vividly descriptive epic fantasy tale that brings to life a different real that seems so real
under the brilliant tutelage of Carolyn Kephart. Though the action never lets up, the support cast
makes this good vs. evil novel so much fun to read. Also adding to the fun is that Ryel is a strong
hero but Dagar is an even more powerful villain. Newcomers to the series will want to obtain
WYSARD while joining in the chorus of readers shouting at the author to release the next tome in
the Ryel saga.
Operation Roswell
Kevin Randle
Tor Books
Aug 2002, $25.95, 432 pp., ISBN: 0312867107
In the summer of 1947, many people claim they witnessed unidentified flying objects soaring in
the
proximity of the White Sands nuclear testing grounds. The crafts show up on radar. As far as the
American military is concerned, the UFOs perform operations light years ahead of anything the
US
Air Force can execute such as almost instant acceleration and deceleration and on a dime curve
maneuvers. President Truman assumes that the desert show is just that a clever hoax as he
concentrates on the real menace, Stalin's Soviet Union. However, to ease concern, especially with
an
election next year, he assigns General Curtis to do whatever is necessary. Fire first and damn the
consequences LeMay orders his pilots to shoot down one of the crafts. Soon luck occurs near
Roswell as a triangular shaped craft with no wings crashes. Four dead humanoid aliens are inside,
but one survived. Truman orders a full cover-up to prevent a public panic even as the craft and its
occupants are taken to Nevada where LeMay insures a nuclear weapon remains on stand by alert.
Operation Roswell is a fun and plausible fictionalized account of the famous Roswell incident.
UFOlogists and the ET crowd will enjoy this well written action thriller that uses real people to
add
to the feel of authenticity. Kevin Randle may be a believer, but he insures that doubting Thomas
and
Thomasina will enjoy the story line yet find the plot quite feasible, making this a novel for anyone
who relishes the "truth is out there".
Manta's Gift
Timothy Zahn
Tor Books
Sep 2002, $24.95, 432 pp., ISBN: 031287829X
Jakob Faraday is part of an expedition exploring Jupiter when intelligent animals Qanska
apparently
attack his Skydiver 7 bathyscaph. Jakob fears his vessel will be crushed, but he fortunately
escapes
back to the mother ship. Twenty years later, the Five Hundred fund a project involving the
Qanska
want Jakob to arrange for college student Matt Raimey, a quadriplegic due to a skiing accident, to
be placed inside the womb of a Qanska. When Matt is reborn, he will retain his human
consciousness
inside the body of a Qanska. Thus Matt, who felt he had nothing to live for before this
opportunity,
would serve as a bridge between the two species. As the Five Hundred and the Qanska each have
hidden agendas, Matt now known as Manta, finds himself pulled in two directions that test his
loyalty to his former life and to his current family. Manta's Gift is an action-packed futuristic tale
that
also coaxes the reader into deep thinking about biological issues that are not easily resolved unless
you are a die hard a democrat or a republican. The key characters make the worlds of the future
seem real, but especially critical is that the audience believes the human Matt essence was indeed
reborn as the Qanska Manta. The criticality works as the conscience center of the novel that leads
to
the audience wondering what the biological possibilities of today's technology can achieve
tomorrow. When creative Timothy Zahn goes for all out action, he succeeds with a powerful
adventure, but also takes the audience away from the biological debate that makes this a gift to
those
fans who relish a thinking terse thriller.
The Dragon Reborn
Robert Jordan
Tor Books
Sep 2002, $14.95, 624 pp., ISBN: 0765305119
The legend says that the power of the individual who is The Dragon Reborn will save the world
by
destroying it. Signs point that the time for the appearance of the One is now so different wannabes
and hanger on retinues journey to the Heart of the Stone locale of the sword Callandor that only
the
Reborn can yield. Rand, sole user of the One Power, believes he is destiny's darling. He leaves
behind friends like Perrin and his teacher Moriaine to begin his quest for the sword. Perrin joins
forces with Moiraine and others trailing after Rand. However evil abounds in the land as the
hideous
Black Ajah not only proves to exist in reality, but has a plan too. Allies and enemies will assemble
at
the Heart of the Stone where Rand will try to grab Callandor to defeat his amoral opponents while
claiming the mantra of the Dragon Unborn. Though well written and filled with incredible detail
that
vividly describes a world and gives depth to the key cast members so that the Jordan realm seem
real, the theme of The Dragon Reborn is typical of many Tolkien fantasy adventure series. Still
Robert Jordan is quite a talent and provides profundity to all of the ten Wheel of Time books so
that
the audience knows this magical domain exists outside the fertile imagination of the author. That
is
the charm of the series. This particular novel is a trade reprinting of the third tale and can stand
alone, but is easier to understand early on if one has read the first two stories.
White Apples
Jonathan Carroll
Tor Books
Aug 2002, $24.95, 384 pp., ISBN: 0765303884
Out of control womanizer Vincent Ettrich recently died, but in spite of his many women no one
truly
mourns his passing. However, ironically the philandering Vincent is a key player in the grand
cosmic
scheme. Thus, he is brought back to life to perform a key role that will enable the great plan to
occur. He had left behind besides a wife, a pregnant lover. That unborn child is the critical person
in
the universe to insure the future goes according to the grand plan. Though the fetus Anjo needs
his
mother Isabelle, Vincent is to teach his offspring what he has learned from his death. The problem
is
Vincent remembers nothing of his death or what it is he should be teaching his son. If he fails to
do
his part of the mission, Anjo will lack the knowledge needed to insure implementation of the plan
leading to a failed future yet Vincent cannot accept that he died and came back. When it comes to
way out fantasy where readers peeping through the looking glass at death see a certain signpost
ahead, it means Jonathan Carroll. His latest spin is all over the place as the story line is not linear
in
any sense with strange flashbacks that make the time continuum seem concentrically circular. Yet
somehow the talented Mr. Carroll provides an insightful, weird, but entertainingly different
perceptive on life, death, and the free will vs. pre-determinism debate that is not for everyone
except
those fans who want something unusual in their novels.
Psychamok
Brian Lumley
Tor Books
Aug 2002, $24.95, 304 pp., ISBN: 0765304813
Two decades have passed since Richard Garrison entered Psychosphere to cleanse evil from the
planet. The world has surprisingly lived in harmony since as Pax Psychomech has descended on
the
Earth. However, the tranquillity ends when the Psychomech goes insane seeking balance in the
differing universe. People become victims of the Gibbering, an irreparable plague of insanity and
some die. Though Richard Stone uses the power he inherited from his father, the prime inventor
of
the Psychomech machine running amok, he has had limited success containing the disease. With
the
world out of control as the Psycho device makes an effort to return the planet to its normal state
of
equilibrium, villains such as Gubwa and Craig resurface leaving Richard wondering what to do
next
to end the Chaos Psychomech era of destruction. The reprint of the third and final Psychomech
tales,
Psychamok, is an exciting science fiction tale that will please readers of the series and those
individuals who enjoy a world going amok. The story line is fast- paced, loaded with action, yet
uses
a mundane but practical climax. Fans of the books will relish this novel while newcomers need to
start at the beginning to fully appreciate and comprehend the complex story line(s) created by
Brian
Lumley.
Scared Stiff: Tales of Sex and Death
Ramsey Campbell
Tor Books
Oct. 2002, $22.95, 239 pp., ISBN: 0765300044
This collection is a combination of a reprint of a previous anthology containing seven repeat tales
plus three new short stories released in the nineties and a new afterward. Each tale is well written,
cleverly designed and clearly show why Ramsey Campbell is the father of erotic horror, as they all
star a perverted individual either as a tormentor or a victim. Not for everyone, Scared Stiff: Tales
Of
Sex And Death consists of ten frightening and horrifying yet erotic somewhat perverted stories at
least from the mindset of this middle age female boomer who loves the macabre but is often
disgusted by the plots. This anthology provides a voyeur's look into the soul of this award
winning
horror author great.
Probability Space
Nancy Kress
Tor Books
Sep 2002, $24.95, 367 pp., ISBN: 0765301709
The war between mankind and the Fallers goes unabated as humanity's enemy still ignores any
transmissions from their opponents. If anything, the hostilities are turning worse at least for
humans
as it looks inevitable that the Fallers are going to win. An alien victory means the end of humanity
because no one survives a battle let alone a war with the enigmatic Fallers. The taste of defeat
leads
to an earthly coup with the new leader apparently willing to use a "not of this earth" doomsday
machine (that the Fallers also possess) to annihilate the enemy. However, not everyone agrees
with
the wisdom of deploying a device not fully understood as to its ramifications and most likely will
also rip the space-time continuum. Physicist Capelo, Major Kaufman, and sensitive Grant try a
Hail
Mary ploy to communicate with the Fallers before the galaxy as it is relatively known is ripped
asunder forever. The final novel in the "Probability" trilogy (see Probability Sun and Probability
Moon) is an exciting climax to a strong series. The story line of Probability Space can stand alone
yet brings closure that will please fans of the series and coax newcomers to seek out the previous
books. Though the probability of some of the events occurring as written seems statistically
unreliable, Nancy Kress furbishes a strong climax to a delightfully intelligent triad.
The Collected Works of Greg Bear
Greg Bear
Tor Books
Sep 2002, $29.95, 704 pp., ISBN: 0765301601
Greg Bear is the winner of numerous prestigious awards in all the categories. This particular
collection contains many of his short stories (21), and three novellas. The stories have all been
printed before, but not in one volume and would be impossible to obtain in their original format.
Each tale includes an introduction that is new. Fans of the author and science fiction readers in
general will relish The Collected Works Of Greg Bear in spite of the near breaking of the $30.00
barrier as this anthology displays the talent of one of the late twentieth century genre's top
spinsters.
Wolf's Head, Wolf's Heart
Jane Lindskold
Tor Books
Sep 2002, $27.95, 608 pp., ISBN: 031287426X
When Queen Gustin abdicated the throne she fled with three magical artifacts that she plans to use
to regain her power. However, others, some much nastier than Gustin, want the relics as well. For
instance, self-centered sorceress Melina Shields is forging an alliance to gain the artifacts that will
restore, at least in her mind, her "natural place" of power following the recent tarnishing of her
image. While intrigue swirls around these items and competitors, Firekeeper continues to adapt to
living among humans after being raised by wolves, though she finds the difference between the
two
packs as insignificant. Firekeeper is surprised when she and her companions (Doc, her
humanizing
transition teacher Derian, and future baroness Elise) begin a quest to obtain the magical artifacts
before they are used as weapons of destruction by malevolent beings. Though a sequel (see
Through
Wolf's Eyes), Wolf's Head, Wolf's Heart is a stand alone quest tale that readers will want to
journey
on because it is loaded with action, fast-paced scenes, but also contains a strong coming of age
character study to freshen and strengthen the plot. The cast is further developed from where they
stood in the debut novel. Though unnecessary to enjoy this story, it is easier to understand their
motives if the audience reads that book first. Fans of fantasy quest novels will appreciate Jane
Lindskold's second Wolf's book while rereading the first novel and desiring future stories in this
beguiling realm.
Preternatural3
Margaret Wander Bonanno
Tor Books
Sep 2002, $24.95, 368 pp., ISBN: 0312877609
Apparently, Govannon's race's effortlessly traveling through the gats of time ends when a hiccup
occurs that leaves the alien people stranded in a void between dimensions. Govannon may be the
last
of the Mohegans unless he can patch up the flaw in the timeline. He is also stranded and forced to
don a human form, which obviously equates to death or marriage and taxes. His human friend
Karen, whom he met while Julius Caesar ruled, knows she must save Govannon from either
odious
fate. Karen visits Govannon's home planet Relic though he cannot do so for some unknown
reason.
She enters the Museum, an edifice that contains the history of Govannon's race, in order to create
the story of Govannon and his travels. Her theory is that everything will return to normal
(whatever
that disgustingly is) when Govannon re-finds his alien self once she writes up his memoirs. As
with
the first two Preternatural novels, 3 is a wild science fiction ride that tears into anything and
everything that gets in its path. The plot contains multiple story line to include that described
above
and a Neo-Nazi kidnapping that Margaret Wander Bonanno blends together while acerbically
satirizing the universe, ironically including the publishing world being a road kill victim too.
Margaret Wander Bonanno takes HG Wells and turns him upside down, in and out, and around.
No
one does time travel quite as zany and entertainingly as this author does proving that great things
obviously comes in threes.
A Coldness in the Blood
Fred Saberhagen
Tor Books
Oct 2002, $25.95, 378 pp., ISBN 0765300451
He has lived for over five centuries by keeping up with technology so Vlad Tepes better known as
Dracula and AKA Matthew Maule asks Andy Keogh to help him design a website. Andy,
descended
from the bloodline of Mina Harker, agrees to help his "Uncle Matt", whom he thinks is human.
While at Uncle Matt's apartment, a nosferatu named Dickon, along with a human, ask for Vlad to
help in their quest for learning alchemy. Someone puts a spell over everyone in the apartment and
when Dracula awakens, Dickon is gone, the human is dead, Andy is dazed and an Egyptian statue
is
smashed. The next day Sobeck, a being once worshipped by the Egyptians as a God, confronts
Matthew Maule. He wants the Philosopher's Stone, a magical artifact hidden in one of six small
statues smuggled into the country. Dracula declines to help but Andy becomes involved when
Dickon asks his dead partner's granddaughter Dolly to assist him. Andy's father and Uncle Matt
search for the Philosopher's Stone while trying to keep Andy and Dolly out of danger. Thy also
hope
to send Sobeck back where he belongs. It's been six long years since Fred Saberhagen has written
a
Dracula book but the wait was well worth it. His eighth installment in this series is imaginative,
colorful and sometimes even quirky. Dickon is comic relief as a millennium old vampire afraid of
his
own shadow. The race for the Philosopher's Stone is filled with action and adventure as the
protagonists keep running head long into villains coveting the same artifact.
Elvenborn
Andre Norton & Mercedes Lackey
Tor Books
August 2002, $24.95, 382 pp., ISBN 0312864566
In Evelon, a civil war amongst the Elves led to the losing side escaping through the Gate into
another world where they promptly conquered the land and enslaved the native humans. Each
Elvenlord has his own estate with human slaves bound to him by a magical collar and spell.
However, the world is in a state of chaos because the Elvenbane, a female wizard was able to get
the
half bloods to revolt. The Young Lords, the second and third sons of the Great Lords, are in open
revolt of their sires, wanting power of their own. Kyrtian, an elven lord who lives on a backwater
estate, is different than his depraved brethren. He cares about the humans on his estate and treats
them like servants. Their slave collars are only decoration and their loyalty to him makes them an
army to be reckoned with. His military knowledge gets him the position of the commander of the
army, his mission to put down the rebellion. On the alert for betrayal, Kyrtian also searches for the
Gate in hopes of learning what happened to his missing father who sought the Great Portal. When
Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey, two of the premier fantasy writers in existence, collaborate
on
a work, the readers can expect an excellent tale. ELVENBORN is an exciting fantasy novel filled
with action and adventure, a stand-alone work even though it is part of the half blood chronicles.
Elven society and culture is so intricately detailed that one would think that the authors visited the
place.
Harriet Klausner
Senior Reviewer
Midwest Book Review
James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
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Oregon, WI 53575-1129
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