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Volume 2, Number 9 September 2003 Home | MBW Index

Table of Contents

Shelley's Bookshelf Shirley's Bookshelf Laurel's Bookshelf

Kaveny's Bookshelf Klausner's Bookshelf Cindy Penn's Bookshelf

Donovan's Bookshelf

Shelley's Bookshelf
An Affinity for Murder
Anne White
Oak Tree Press, 915 W. Foothill Blvd.#411, Claremont, CA 91711-3356
www.oaktreebooks.com
ISBN: 1892343169 $8.50 (U.S.) $13.25 (CAN)

Anne White has spent her life as a writer, editor and librarian. She has had short stories published in several magazines, including McCall's, Career World, Lake George Arts Project Literary Review, and Glen Falls Post Star. She holds degrees in English and Library and Information Studies. Affinity for Murder is her first novel. She lives in Glen Falls, NY.

Ellen Davies is occupying her uncle's old house in Lake George. Georgia O'Keeffe is one of Lake George's most notable figures, during the summers she spent in Lake George with her husband. Ellen is set to interview an art expert acquaintance of her new friend Diane's who is staying at her and her estranged husband's bungalow when they discover smoke, a fire in the bungalow...and a dead body:

"The partially burned body of a man lay on his side facing away from me. The handle of a long, thin knife or letter opener protruded from his back. Blood had puddled up around the wound and formed a grotesque strawberry mark on the man's tweed sport coat. The smell coming from the body and from the singed hair was sickening enough but it was the face, when I leaned sideways to look at it, that really started my stomach churning."

Anne White has written a thorough entertaining tale with punch lines galore, masterful description, and a plot intricate enough to pull the reader along until the final exciting denouement. Using Georgia O'Keeffe as a backdrop, her story has a "what if" and "it could happen" air about it that is compelling. Ms. White knows her O'Keeffe, and the stories and descriptions of her painting and life alone are enough to make this a great mystery. But, not content to rest on her laurels, Ms. White proceeds to write just about the perfect mystery.

An Affinity for Murder has it all...great characterization, action, eloquent writing, a heroine who is fun to follow, and a crackerjack plot line. She hides the culprit until the very end, and adds a witty twist just for fun. Excellently done, Ms. White! We would all love to keep following Ellen Davies! She is devilishly independent, intelligent, and savvy.

Murder Canyon
Joan Blacher
Zumaya Publications
www.zumayapublications
ISBN: 1894869648 $14.00

Joan Blacher is a former professor and licensed psychotherapist. She has had articles published in counseling and educational journals, magazines, newspapers, and has published a book entitled Teens: A Parents Guide for Coping. She has lectured throughout the United States. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and the American Psychological Association, as well as serving on boards that provide help to troubled children and their families.

In Murder Canyon we are introduced to Ardis Jensen, a former forensic psychologist who currently holds the position of campus counselor at a small liberal arts school called Clarion University. When a body is discovered brutally murdered close to her home, Ardis is horrified to find that it is her former student assistant Meggie Robard, a psychology major who just graduated. The list of suspects is long, because Meggie was a beautiful and vibrant young lady who attracted many members of the opposite sex, including one male faculty member who was a known philanderer:

"She told me he'd move in on her when she was working in his office. She tried to ignore him, but he wouldn't stop. The creep actually threatened her about her grades. She wanted to graduate, so she strung him along and tried not to be trapped alone with him. 'Did that work?' Ardis leaned forward. She didn't want to miss a word of Julie's story. Last April he lost it. He locked his office door so Meggie couldn't get out. He was furious because she'd avoided him for so long. He said nasty things, pushed up against her, kissed her and unbuttoned her blouse. The only thing she could think of to do was to knee him in the groin. When he was doubled over, she grabbed the key, unlocked the door, and ran out.'"

Besides being a great cliff hanger, Murder Canyon works on many levels. It is a great mystery; it deals very effectively with problems encountered by anyone who works in the health care industry; it points to some of the abuses in the higher educational system; and it is just plain a good plot with well crafted characters. It is obvious Joan Blacher has a lot to contribute to the publishing world. Ardis Jensen is a likeable, intelligent and resourceful heroine. A great read!

Dead Whales Tell No Tales
Ron Lovell
Sunstone Press
PO Box 2321, Santa Fe, NM 87504-2321
www.sunstonepress.com
ISBN: 0865343837 $18.95

Ron Lovell is presently on the Journalism staff at Oregon State University. His career has spanned several writing positions in New York, Houston, Denver, and Los Angeles. He has written thirteen textbooks, and Dead Whales Tell No Tales is the successor to his first Thomas Martindale mystery, Murder at Yaquina Head.

Thomas Martindale is co-teaching a seminar on whales with Susan Foster, a marine biologist and former lover; Randy Webb, a journalism colleague; and Howard Phelps, professor and world renowned expert on marine biology. Several special interest groups are among the student body, including a Japanese fisheries minister, and Eskimo whaling commissioner, and a fringe radical environmental group. Naturally, the atmosphere is tense with whaling interests verses environmentalists, and it is not surprising that the Susan Foster's indubitably accurate report on the whale population is discredited and a new report more in tune with whaling interests is substituted. But when Howard Phelps is found murdered in the mouth of a beached whale, the plot thickens, as they say:

"Susan Foster. I have a warrant for your arrest for the murder of Howard Phelps. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in court. You have the right to talk to a lawyer and have him present while you are being questioned. If you cannot afford a lawyer..."

Marine biology is just another area that is begging for a great mystery to be written. The plight of the whales is an International concern, and Lovell does a thorough job of outlining the forces locked in battle and the reasons for the fight. He spins a straightforward tale full of interesting side trails, such as the lure of big money to professors who are supposed to be our leading minds, but who all too often succumb to the temptation of money and sex to undermine their position in our society. His characters are bigger than life, and his description of the Oregon coastline is simply stunning. Dead Whales contains a first-rate plot that snags the reader from the first page and doesn't let go until the final denouement. Thomas Martindale is an entertaining hero who exacts his revenge on his former love who has done him wrong just as he rescues her from certain doom. An excellent read from an accomplished writer.

Murders at Brent Institute
Jerry Labriola
Strong Books
PO Box 715, Avon, CT 06001-0715
ISBN: 1928782388 $21.95 U.S./$26.95 CAN

The area of medical, technological, and biological research is indeed a heady one, with the possibilities for regenerative options never before known to mankind being awesome and humbling. There are those who would hold back every scientific discovery in the name of caution and prudence, and these forces create the perfect backdrop for a mystery.

Dr. Jerry Labriola, adds a new mystery to his David Brooks series, entitled Murders at Brent Institute. Dr. Labriola practiced medicine for nearly thirty-five years, has held a seat in the Connecticut state senate, and has always loved writing. His character, Dr. David Brooks, is a medical doctor who is fed up with the paperwork associated with medicine, has recently solved a string of murders at Hollings General, wears bow ties, has a black belt in karate and a girlfriend who is herself a cop, and carries a briefcase on his investigations he calls Friday. His unlikely sidekick is a taxi driver he calls Musco who is pretty good in a fight:

"David yelled spot, Musc, spot!' Stonzo and Frankie pulled out their guns and stiffened their arms toward David. Musco tackled Stonzo and somersaulted to his feet. The gun popped up. At the same time, David gave Frankie's wrist a karate chop. The gun squirted down. Flommer grunted as he scrambled to the floor, picked up the guns and handed them to David."

Jerry Lambriola spins a darn good yarn about the use and misuse of funding for scientific projects. He effectively combines the academic world with Third World bullies and a chocolate maker to build his tale about political thugs, cloning, secret accounts, and scientists who have allowed themselves to be compromised by money. Dr. David Brooks is sort of a medical James Bond who uses his disciplined training to track down all the nebulous strands and pull them into a coherent plot that twists and turns and constantly changes direction as Brooks zeroes in on the killers.

Murders at Brent Institute is a remarkable second effort in the Dr. David Brooks series. Dr. David is coming into his own as a great investigator, and his love interest with Kathy keeps developing. Dr. Labriola's areas of expertise stick out on every page. A good read!

Murder in Maine
Lori A. Gordon
PublishAmerica
PO Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705-0151
publishamerica.com
ISBN: 1591295165 $19.95

Lori A. Gordon lives in Vestal, New York with her family. She is not new to the publishing world, having had several articles published, but Murder in Maine is her first mystery.

Anne Wyndham has had a rough life thus far. Her parents were killed in a car accident which she herself survived, and the nightmares are vivid. In the opening to Murder in Maine, Anne is in bed and realizes her apartment and her landscaping business below are on fire and that the only way she will survive is if she jumps out of her window. But at the last moment she is rescued by tall, dark, and handsome Brock Cameron, who has come to tell her that her beloved uncle has committed suicide. Anne and Brock hurry back to Maine, where strange happenings have been afoot:

"'The accidents started about the time that Mr. Brock came...Mr. Brock promised that he'd get to the bottom of things, but he never did...A few days before your uncle died, he sent for Mr. Brock...they had a terrible fight.' Mrs. Monroe's words echoed in Anne's mind as she sat in the gathering darkness. Could Brock have had anything to do with the accidents? Why? What did he stand to gain?"

Murder in Maine is a delicately written story about the quest for meaning in a world filled with unhappy and bitter events. Anne Wyndham and Brock Cameron are both orphans who are looking for meaning and connection in their lives. The death of Anne's Uncle James brings them together and then threatens to tear them apart. Their characters are both sweet and uncomplicated people who are driven by the need to do the right thing when everything around them is falling apart.

Ms. Gordon writes an inspirational tale, but also does a good job of following the mystery genre in this unusual whodunit. She has a nice grasp of how reality can turn people around to the point where they don't know where to turn, and she offers more than a few biblical quotations as a means of not only redemption, but as a guidebook on how to transcend the problems of the world. Anne and Brock and good people caught in bad circumstances, and Ms. Gordon's loving handling of their situation gives hope and insight into everyday events. A good read.

St. Abient Run
Jeana Kendrick
Panther Creek Press
116 Tree Crest, PO Box 130233 Panther Creek Station, Spring, TX 77393-0233
ISBN: 0967834384 $14.95

Jeana Kendrick is well acquainted with the countries she writes about in St. Abient Run. Her credentials are most impressive, as she is managing editor for the Door of Hope Magazine, as well as overseeing the Door of Hope International publishing concerns in the US and Canada. She has published articles in several newspapers and books, and is at work on her second novel of international intrigue.

Susan Pardue, a journalist who is struggling in her job, finds herself assigned to St. Abient Run school in France with her boss, Mark Ashley. Both she and Mark have a personal stake in the investigation, as both of them have lost siblings to the increasing drug traffic. Mark's cousin Benjamin has been acting erratically, has spent a considerable sum of his inheritance, and refuses to discuss it. Susan's life is suddenly in danger, after she innocently retrieves a package dropped by a man who bumped into her. She and Mark have to call in the heavy guns after they have a suspicious bag of white powder planted on them and they are picked up by the cops after a tipoff:

"Zach continued. Our agency only has the bare bones on the story. But last year a grand jury indicted Nebut Electronics, a U.S. Corporation, and Dower Consolidated of South Africa for conspiracy. At the time the two companies held eighty percent of the $600 billion global market for industrial diamonds. We're after two of their top men, Peter Frazier and Ewald Lauter.'"

Jeana Kendrick states her inspiration for St. Abient Run came about after twelve years of working behind the Iron Curtain with Door of Hope International. Susan's experiences mirror her own, which makes the plot that much more meaningful. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, and Kendrick does a nice job of translating her experiences into a first rate international spy story. Her characters are well drawn and fascinating, with just the right amount of allure and mystery. Susan has the added pleasure of having several suitors vying for her attention, which always adds spice to a plot. Kendrick teases the reader on that score, as we won't know until the next installment what Susan actually has on her mind. An entertaining read, with underlying drama.

Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer

Shirley's Bookshelf
The Big Balloon Race
Eleanor Coerr
Carolyn Croll, pictures
Harpercollins Juvenile Books
Harper & Row
New York, NY
ISBN# 0064440532 $3.99

I was very impressed by the great illustrations in this book. Colorful and eye drawing they gave a clear picture of the words you were reading. Very nice job!

The story is about a little girl named Ariel and her mother Carlotta who flys balloons. Ariel wanted to be with her mother on the day of the big race and she stowed away, not telling her Mother.

This is where the fun begins as Ariel and her Mom battle to win the race and Ariel ends up in the lake. A cute read, one you will enjoy reading to your child.

Toshomee
Richard P. Tanos
American Book Publishing
325 East 2400 South Salt Lake City UT 84115
www.american-book.com
email: info@american-book.com
Author Website: http://www.rtanos.com
ISBN # 1589821344 $18.95

I have read and reviewed several of Richard's works, but I have to say Toshomee is probably my favorite one so far. Set in Canada, this novel is packed with suspense and thrills that I never would have dreamed could be found in a novel about moose.

I immediately felt a liking for Bob Cole, one of the main characters in this novel. Bob is a sergeant with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and is assigned to a very strange case. It seems people are turning up with their heads missing. Yes, you read that right. What or who could be doing this, Bob had to find out.

The plot thickens as Bob Cole finds out the first victims were a US congressman, and his family. Cole is surprised when Special Agent Hooks, from the FBI,shows up to join in the investigation. Cole wonders what else is hidden that has yet to be revealed concerning the congressman. He knew he would find out soon enough.This adds more mystery to the read.

Cole and Hooks team up nicely for this job and I was glad. Sometimes you don't want to go through pages of authority figures battling out who is in charge, and in this read you don't have to lose your thought of the true storyline because of it.

I loved the character Naam, the local native, and his telling of the Legend of the Toshomee, the great white killer moose. I read with excitement as Naam told the legend to Hooks and Cole. What a story! I knew I was in for an exciting read, as these two investigators traveled into the wild, to find and kill the legend moose, taking Naam and several others with them. I was not disappointed.

I know the plot may sound silly to you,after all, how thrilling could a read be about a killing moose; but believe me, the author leads you into suspense that will make your hair stand on end. Excellent! If you want a story about a legend that comes to life before your eyes, you will love this one.

Suspense, excitement, fear, all rolled up in a roller coaster read of a lifetime.
You out did yourself Mr. Tanos! Bravo! Superb!

Life's a Smelling Success
Alan Hirsch, M.D.
Authors of Unity Publishing
211 N. Mt. Shasta Blvd #200, Mt. Shasta, CA 96067
http://www.authorsofunity.com
ISBN# 0972525017 $16.95

What a great book, not only was it a wonderful read, but I got to enjoy a pleasant odor each time I picked it up. OK, what am I talking about right? Dr. Hirsch's book "Life's a Smelling Success" is about smells, yes you read that right, and will you be surprised how your nose can help you in your everyday life.

Dr. Hirsch explains how certain smells help you remember things like birthdays, what you need to buy at the store, and will even unlock your mind to memories that you felt were forever gone.

Want to relieve stress, or sleep better? How about this, want to use your sense of smell to curb your appetite? The answer lies in the pages of this delicious smelling book. I'm serious, you will just have to run out and buy yourself a copy and begin to sniff your way to success.

Thank you Dr. Hirsch, I assure you that I will be using much of what I have learned from your informative book. Great read! Highly recommended!

Moments of Clarity
K.A. Francis
SynergEbooks
1235 Float Shoals Road, King, North Carolina
http://www.SynergEbooks.com
SynergEbooks@aol.com
ISBN # 0744304288 $3.99

Moments of Clarity, this title fits this book to a T! The author writes about what she knows best, her family, her life and the world around her, and she does a fantastic job in sharing it with the reader.

She covers many topics,such as her parents, who share her life with everyone they meet, sound familiar? Her sister, who seems to think she is the authority on every subject since she is the oldest; yes I have one of those as well! Her daughter, who is in the mindset that mom can do everything and has the money for everything,do you have one of those at home? And her loving, home repair man, husband, well we all know what that's about, don't we?

I really enjoyed this book, I laughed and related to many of the stories, also picked up some good advice, although I am not sure I will use it, and had a great feeling of satisfaction come upon me knowing someone else was going through what I was
in this life. Good read! Recommended!

The Magic Carpet Ride
Teddy Stater Margulies
Kenny Thompkins, illustrator
Gary Eggleston, painter
Western Publishing Company, Inc.
Racine, Wisconsin 53494
ISBN# 0307301443 $5.99 12 pages

Do you love magic carpets, genies and magical lamps? Do you love stories about beautiful Princesses and handsome Princes? If you do this little tale is for you.

A poor boy named Aladdin asks for a wish from his genie, that wish is to be a Prince so he can win the heart of the beautiful Princess Jasmine. The wise genie does not want to grant this wish, for he knows that it is better for someone to love you for who you truly are, than to love you for something you are not. But Aladdin does not listen. What do you think happens?

The story has a good moral lesson, some magic for the children and bright, colorful illustrations. All in all a very nice read.

My Brother Needs An Operation
Anna Jaworski
Linda Ball, illustrator
Baby Hearts Press
6618 Sunrise Drive, Panama City Beach, Fl. 32407
http://www.babyheartspresss.com
ISBN # 0965250822 $20.00

I want to exalt Anna Jaworski for writing one of the most thoughtful books that I have read in a very long time. Inspired when her son Alex had to be hospitalized for open-heart surgery, the author saw the trauma on her other son, Joey, and realized there was a need not being addressed in this area.Her work has met this need with flying colors.

Of course when a child must undergo an operation, we all zero in our attention and affection on them, and we should. However, without meaning to, we often forget the other children in the family and do not realize the emotional conflicts that they are encountering. This book will open your eyes to their feelings.

Ms. Jaworski does a wonderful job in "My Brother Needs An Operation" in showing, with honest words and colorful illustrations, what will happen during this time.

She establishes the family relationship, the different activities they share and the bonding between siblings.She speaks of the fear that the sibling feels when he hears his brother will be in the hospital and she begins to deal with that fear in many constructive ways. She takes you into the mind of the child, what he is thinking and feeling. Excellent!

Ms. Jaworski includes in the back of the book a Hospital Diary and Activity Pages.
This is great. She has pages for the child to fill in his name, feelings, draw pictures and play games.

I can not even imagine the heartache a parent feels when their child must undergo an operation, but I will tell you this. If you are experiencing this trauma,and you have other children in your home, this book is a must for you. It is one of the most outstanding books, touching the emotions of a hurting child, that I have read in a very long time. If I could stand and applaud this author, I would. But all I can do is write a review that I hope will touch you enough to make you seek out this book, if you have this need or know someone who does, it is a must read.

My Brother Needs An Operation, words from the heart of one who knows.

Highly Recommended!

The Red Umbrella
Margaret R. MacDonald
E.t.S. Designs, illustrator
SynergEbooks
1235 Float Shoals Rd. King, N.C.
http://www.SynergEbooks.com
Synergebooks@aol.com
ISBN# 1931540659 ebook $5.99

Colorful, eye catching illustrations await you as you begin to read this upbeat story about a little boy and his red umbrella.

It is Mike's sixth birthday and he is having a party. He gets lots of presents, like a ball and a bat, paints and books, but his favorite present is from his Grandfather, a bright red umbrella.

Mike can't wait to use his new umbrella and wishes for rain, tries to make it happen, but it never does, until finally! Read this delightful story of a little boy and his cherished birthday present from someone he dearly loves. Tenderness at its best!

Possibilities
Janet Sue Terry
JUMB Publishing
PO Box 644, Springboro, Ohio
http://www.justmybest.com
jmbpub@justmybest.com
ISBN# 0972034412 $16.99

Nora is an orphan with extreme hurts and fears deeply embedded within her spirit. Abused, rejected and angry, Nora grows up determined to make it on her own and to never allow herself to love.

Blake Baxter is not a man to be ignored and his heart is yearning for Nora. His determination finally wins out and Nora becomes his wife, taking into the relationship baggage of deep emotional hurts. Blake also brings his past into their marriage as he hangs onto a friendship with Sam, a young woman whom he was to marry. His Mother spices up the read as she is anything but overjoyed that Nora is her new daughter-in-law. What a way to start a marriage.

The author takes you deep inside the heart of Nora, her search for her parents, her battle with her deep seated emotions of rejection. At times your heart goes out to her, at other times you want to tell her to stop using her past as a crutch in her present. It is a sea-saw of emotions.

I loved the way the author takes you to the end of the story and surprises you with quite a turn of events as Nora disappears after losing her unborn child in an accident. You are not sure if she is dead or alive, as you anquish with Blake on the possibilities.

A very good read that definately, I feel, reveals what an orphan may truly experience in their life as they learn to unlock deep emotions, free themselves to live and to love.

Now, I must wait to see what happened to Nora and Blake and their future together. If indeed there is one!

The Day I Woke Up an Ostrich: An Odd Collection for Christians
Kristi Sayles
SynergEbooks
http://www.SynergEbooks.com
ISBN# 0744303788 Download $5.99

I sat down to read this little book not knowing for sure what I might find, I was pleasantly surprised. Starting off was a Mom and wife who woke up an Ostrich but no one seemed to notice.
Hey! I could relate, can't you? That gave me a good chuckle as I relaxed in my read. Much to my delight this book was packed full of good insight for any Christian as the read turned to advice based on solid Scriptural backing. For example, one topic is " 10 Reasons Christians Make The Best Lovers!" Has that wet your appetite? Want to know what those reasons are? I'm not telling! Do you like to read poetry that has a message but is gentle and tender, you'll find it here much to your enjoyment, along with a listing of gentle correction to those of us who might misquote, misuse or even think a saying is Gospel Truth when it is no where to be found in the Word of God! Interesting! All in all a quick relaxing and informative read that I think you will enjoy.

The X-Mas War
Scott Malensek
Virtualbookworm.com Publishing Inc.
P.O. Box 9949, College Station, TX 77842
ISBN# 1-58939-281-7 Soft cover $24.95
ISBN# 1-58939-282-5 Hardcover $29.95

At first this read seemed quite overwhelming to me, but slowly I began to read the many stories that were presented, and I was impressed.

An anthology of four books, the author overlaps storylines, using letters from soldiers, news reports, and stories to bring the reader into the world of the soldier and the world of war. This is an excellent work, portraying the heart of the soldier in each word read, as the author writes to bring you, the reader, an understanding of human conflict from past, present and future! I was engrossed with the story of Manny, I believe that was my favorite part. Mr. Malensek words allowed me feel Manny's tribulations. His fears and concerns, very good! My husband and father-in-law asked me to please let them read this work after I was finished. They are both prior military, and I am sure will devour the words of this book in no time. I still have not decided if I will let them. (smile)

I believe for a man, or a woman, who is in military service, this read would be like a delicious piece of their favorite cake; however, a harder read for those not interested in this arena. I do however feel, if others would take the time to read this work, they would understand fuller the heart of man, the horror of war. I take my hat off to Mr. Malensek for the intense labor that surely had to go into completing this work, and highly recommend this for any that are interested in the deep recesses of military conflict, and are wanting to share in the heart of a soldier. Mr. Malensek's skill as a writer is evident in "The X-Mas War" as he weaves his words on the paper,as an artist would paint their picture on a canvas!

Adam Raccoon and the Race to Victory Mountain
Glen Keane
Chariot Books
David C. Cook Publishing Co
Elgin, Illinois 60120
ISBN# 1555133630 $4.99

This is an outstanding story teaching children biblical truths. The author uses delightful characters such as Adam Raccoon and King Aren the Lion.

In this story Adam Raccoon is running to race to Victory Mountain, but he does not realize all the ways it is easy to stray from the path but kind King Aren gently leads him back. This story symbolizes our walk with God and how easy it is to stray, but also shows how Jesus is always there to gently leads us back.

The illustrations are colorful and pleasing to the eye. This is a great little book and I recommend it.

The Language of Letting Go
Melody Beattie
Hazelden Information & Educational Services
Pleasant Valley Road, Center City,MN 55012
ISBN# 0894866370 $16.00 1-615-213-4000

Melody Beattie's book "The Language Of Letting Go" is a tender caring work of art. Gently she speaks to the spirit inside of us and lets us know that it is ok to be ourselves. Something most of us are not use to doing, something we need to be allowed to do.

Her words are those of one who has tasted of the emotions that she shares and her advise is like sweet honey to the reader. Sometimes what we need is just someone to say, it's ok to be you! The author does this and more. A very well written meditation book that will soothe many that read the words between the covers of this work. Recommended!

Evil, Be Gone
Robert John Estko
Writers Club Press
iUniverse, Inc.
2021 Pine Lake Road, Suite 100, Lincoln NE 68512
http://www.iuniverse.com
ISBN# 0595220037 US $16.95 Canada $27.95 UK $14.49

I have to say from the onset of this review that Mr. Estko's novel "Evil, Be Gone" is truly a readers delight. Drawing you into the story from page one, the author quickly assimilates you with John Lelankevitch the main character.

John or Lilly, as you will soon find yourself calling him, is a good man, a man of strength and character, but one that in his past committed certain acts on behalf of his country; acts that haunted him deep in the recesses of his mind. But that was behind Lilly now, as he made a new life with his wife and son, or was it?

William Randolph Pritchett wanted his son in the White House and would stop at nothing to see that achieved. That was his dream and he would make it happen. When his son's wife decides she has had enough of her husbands affairs and bowing to his controlling father, she announces her intentions to divorce her husband. This could not happen at a worse time, as public opinion would turn against William Randolph Pritchett IV and he would never win the election.

Father Pritchett was not about to let this happen and devises a plan using the kidnapping of Lilly's young son as a controlling devise, to make Lilly bring his plan to fruitation. The plan was dark and evil and would involve Kidnapping and killing the Senators wife in hopes of swaying public opinion and win the election.

Lilly only killed to rid the world of evil, never had he killed the innocent; would he begin now, to save his son? The pressure was on!

There are many twists and turns to this chilling novel. I breathed a sigh of relief when Lilly's son was rescued, only to moan when his wife took his place as the captured. Who was betraying Lilly and why? Emotions covering father-son relationships, friends, husband and wife are all dealt with as you ride along the journey of this story. It held my interest from beginning to end. A very good suspense novel, with some interesting turn of events that will surprise you.

Good read!

Complete Earthly Woman
Genie O'Malley
Sonra Enterprises
211 N. Mt. Shasta Blvd #200, Mt. Shasta, CA 96067
http://www.rrselfawarenesspublications.com
ISBN# 0972298002 $14.95

It takes the heart of a woman to know the heart of a woman and author Genie O'Malley
shows this attribute in her work "Complete Earthly Woman."

In this tender read she takes you through exercises that help you learn about yourself and your needs. She takes you step by step through exercises that allows you to release stress, speak peace and learn to become the woman you so long to be. There are many avenues that we seek to bring us fulfillment. For some it is deep commitment to their faith, not all things are right for each person. We all must find what works the best for us. The author gives you another avenue to explore that perhaps will help you find that inward peace. A very interesting read!

Shirley Johnson
Reviewer

Interview With Robert John Estko (RJE), author of EVIL, BE GONE

Mr. Estko's book "Evil, Be Gone" is quite a page turner that I greatly enjoyed. I wanted to know more about the man behind the story! Let's begin!

SPJ: Robert, please tell us what gave you the idea for your novel, "Evil, Be Gone!"

RJE: The notions of Good and Evil, Right and Wrong have always fascinated me. Many of us have heard or read about the fine-line that supposedly separates the good and the bad. We have been led to believe that perhaps our most talented law enforcement professionals ride that fine-line. I just wanted to explore that further and represent the scenario in fiction, especially from the perspective that military service and specifically combat experience has a way of blurring that line.

SPJ: I thought you did an outstanding job with your main character Lilly. Your words brought me right into his thought life and let me see things through his eyes. Did you fashion your characters from people you know?

RJE: Lilly is an alter ego of sorts for me. His friends, Benny Post, Ron "Rocketman" Kallstrom and Tim DeMornay have their bases in three incredibly talented people with whom I am very close.

SPJ: What about the location, was it chosen because it goes with the story, or is it a place you are familiar with as well?

RJE: Living in Silicon Valley, I find it a setting that has all the ingredients for an interesting and intriguing story. Chicago is the city where I was raised. It is a metropolis of great character that I know and will always love. As for Washington, D.C., well...you can't really write a political thriller without some scenes in our nation's capital.

SPJ: Yes, I believe you are right on that one! How long did it take you to complete this work?

RJE: Truth be told, I started the book in 1993 and finished it in 1999. However, I only wrote the first three chapters in 1993, then I became very busy in my professional life for six years, and wrote the last 63 chapters from March 1999 to September 1999. In 1999, I became a disciplined writer, setting a daily word count metric for myself. My goal was 1100 words per day, but I often exceeded that number. Typically, I would write and/or research for about five hours per day.

SPJ: What did writing this novel leave you with as the author?

RJE: I had a sense of great accomplishment when I finished EVIL, BE GONE. It represented another step toward self-actualization for me. I still feel good about completing my first novel, but now I need to move on and work towards being a prolific writer.

SPJ: For your readers, what would you hope they will take away with them after the read? Pure pleasure, or a hidden meaning?

RJE: I hope readers find EVIL, BE GONE to be a fast, entertaining read. Although there are no hidden meanings, I definitely attempted to spotlight the psychological struggles that many combat veterans are left to deal with when they come home, especially Vietnam vets. Combat changes men. The extremes to which the emotions associated with fear, horror, sadness, and desperation are stretched are beyond the conception of most people. A combat veteran must create a psychological reality that puts his experiences into a context congruent with his upbringing. He has to still love himself and believe that he is a moral being acceptable to the society to which he has returned.

SPJ: Will we be hearing from Lilly again in another novel?

RJE: John "Lilly" Lelankevitch is poised to appear in two more novels, EVIL DENIED, and a yet untitled third book in the series. In EVIL DENIED, Lilly confronts his psychological challenges with the assistance of his wife, Susan. Susan will play a far more significant role in the second novel. There will still be plenty of action and suspense.

SPJ: How long did it take you to find a publisher?

RJE: Finding a publisher is a very interesting conundrum, especially for a first time writer. Do you submit unagented? Not a good idea. Going unagented is like trying to fly a plane without a good navigator. Do you try to find an agent that is accepting more projects? Yes. However, finding an agent can be as difficult as finding a publisher if you have no credentials or evidence of ability. I often told people that I never had writer's block, but I did have marketer's block after writing quite a few query letters. Eventually, I decided that I would go with a POD publisher so that I would have evidence of my writing ability and the marketability of my product. This approach worked and with the assistance of another author, I was able to find an agent that has been very good to me. My agent's name is Jeanette Lundgren of Book-to-Screen Management in Santa Monica, California.

SPJ: Do you have any words of wisdom to pass along to our readers in this area? Any stumbling blocks that other authors should be weary of?

RJE: My only words of wisdom are be disciplined and persistent in the pursuit of your writing goals, find a great editor and get some of your work out there anyway that you can.

SPJ: Let me ask you something's about yourself. Do you have other works published and if so what are they?

RJE: EVIL, BE GONE was my first attempt at a novel. I began by writing poetry and short prose. I do have a published poem, "The Old Man." Although not published, I have a short story, "the Dealer," that has caught the eye of a Columbia University film student who wants to shoot a short film based on it. I may develop it into a novel some day.

SPJ: Do you have other writings in the works? If so in what genre are they and when can we expect to see them released?

RJE: Right now I am focused on completing EVIL DENIED, the sequel to EVIL, BE GONE.

SPJ: Do you have a special place where you are the most creative?

RJE: Another passion I have is gardening with a focus on outdoor living spaces. So I have created areas on my property that can be tranquil, inviting and inspiring.

SPJ: How many hours a day do you spend writing?

RJE: On a good day, I will get in about five hours of research and writing.

SPJ: Do you have the support of friends and family in your writing endeavors?

RJE: My family and friends have been very supportive of my writing, especially my wife. The dedication inside EVIL, BE GONE, reads "To my wife, Julie, who believes in me. She even thinks that I can fly (Nantucket, 1997)." That is another interesting story!

SPJ: Hum, perhaps you will share it one day! Do you ever have writer's block and if so how do you remedy it?

RJE: Fortunately, I have never experienced writer's block.

SPJ: If we may be so personal, when you do not have on your 'writer's hat', what do you do for a living?

RJE: I am an active member of the California Bar. I have been an attorney and corporate executive for many years. Presently, I work part-time as a vice president for a small high tech company that develops and markets DVD software. There have been so many lawyer-turned-novelist stories out there that there is almost an implicit pressure to go in that direction. As attorneys, we read so many interesting cases that I guess we become pretty good storytellers.

SPJ:My brother-in-law is also an attorney. I'll have to get him on the move to write a book, I think he would like that! Tell us, do you have an agent, and how important do you think that is for an author?

RJE: As I mentioned earlier, I do have an agent, Jeanette Lundgren. I believe that a writer's agent can be a trusted confidant, advisor, editor, promoter and friend. I believe that I have that relationship with Jeanette. Without an agent, the murky waters of the publishing world are nearly impossible to navigate.

SPJ: Do you belong to a 'writer's group', and again, how important do you think that is for an author?

RJE: I don't belong to a writer's group; however I can definitely see how that might be beneficial to a writer. Many years ago, I lived for a summer with a talented writer, Robert L. Helstrom, Jr. He worked a day job and I worked a night shift. While he was at work, I wrote and then left whatever I had written on a certain table in our apartment. When he came home and I left for my job, he would read what I had written, provide critical comments and then he would write and leave his creation for me to review the next day. It was a fun and productive cycle for us.

SPJ: If you would, please share with us where you see your writing career in 3 years and what you are doing to achieve that goal.

RJE: In three years, I would like to see a broad commercial distribution of the three books planned for the "Evil" series. I would also love to see EVIL, BE GONE made into a movie. Additionally, I would like to have written a book with sufficient literary value to potentially find its way into high school and college literature classes someday. Currently, I am pounding away at the "Evil" series trilogy.

SPJ: If there anything you would like our readers to know about yourself/your works/ or writing in general that I have not asked you in this interview?

RJE: I always say, "Don't wait for inspiration just write." Shirley, thank you so much for this interview. Your questions have been thoughtful and thorough. Much appreciated.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Mr. Estko's book can be found on www.amazon.com, www.bn.com, and www.iuniverse.com
Email: restko@aol.com

Thank you Robert for allowing me to interview you. I highly recommend Robert's book "Evil Be Gone!"(Please see review in this column) I know that we will be hearing a lot more from this talented author, and I wish him the best of luck in his endeavors!

INTERVIEW WITH SCOTT MALENSEK - Author of Numerous Works

Scott Malensek is a very talented author, one that I am sure we will be hearing about in the future. I am thankful that he consented to this interview and I believe you will find it very interesting and will enjoy getting to know Scott and learn of his talent. Let's begin!

SPJ: Scott, please tell us what gave you the idea for "The X-Mas War!"

SCOTT: Like all authors, there are a few works that were really inspiring. I've been interested in the military fiction motif since I first watched Tora Tora Tora when I was 2 years old. It sounds strange, but I distinctly remember watching the Japanese pilots diving down through incredible smoke and fire to make their attacks. That kind of resolve was too mysterious to comprehend-then and now. Later, I read All Quiet on The Western Front, and the picture became a little more clear. It seems like when put on the frontlines or at the receiving end of enemy fire, the human condition becomes one of survival, and since the dawn of organized warfare the best way to survive seems to be teamwork. As conditions increase in lethality and danger the teamwork seems to transcend into a brotherly love and respect. All Quiet made a huge impact on my perspectives of war. Finally, I read Tom Clancy's Red Storm Rising.

This book was the best novel that I had ever read about a WWIII scenario. I loved the format, the overlapping storylines, and the technical details. In 1994 I had to write my Senior Portfolio for Kent State University. Most people created a small collection of poetry, but I'd already been writing short war stories for 10 yrs, so I tried to put some of the best ones together into a single storyline. At the time, it looked like the US and North Korea were going to war, so I based it around that scenario. KSU was nice enough to give me an A+ on it, but the story still needed a lot of work in my mind. So, I spent a year researching the Korea scenario and creating a fictional WWIII. The next thing I knew, I was loaded with storylines, characters, and more than enough details for several books ie, the X-MAS War series.

SPJ: I have to say even as a woman, who at times does not understand things about war, your characters came alive to me. Did you fashion your characters from people you know? True events? Tell us about that.

SCOTT: I think all writers initially build characters based upon people they know, have met, or just seen at a mall while people watching. After a few pages, the character MUST be let loose to create their own lives otherwise the author is just molding fiction from non-fiction, and no matter how clear one is with their title, Author Notes page, or disclaimers,that's about as honest as twisting historical events. Inevitably some of the characters are much closer to people that I have known than others. I once did a few years of intense, dangerous, and rewarding environmental work with a serious born-again Christian, and it gave me a lot of insight into one of the characters in the series. Other characters started out similar to friends or co-workers, but actually took on lives of their own as the scenes unfolded. It was a LOT of fun!

As for the true events, I can honestly and categorically say that NONE of the events in the book are related to actual events. There was some speculation that the downed spyplane/China confrontation was too similar to the actual historical event that happened in 2000, but I wrote that part of the story back in 1994. I think that in a book that's the size of XMAS, there are bound to be similarities between historical events and those in the book. There is also an amazing similarity between the hangar deck rock concert dance scene and the Operation Iraqi Freedom music video from the group Three Doors Down for their song "Love me When I'm Gone" (I absolutely LOVE that video). The smaller character experiences, some were based very loosely on experiences that I've had playing paintball games over the past 15yrs., but none of the drug, relationship, or sexual scenes are related to personal experiences. I'm just not that exciting a person I guess.

SPJ: There had to be an incredible amount of time researching for this work, would you tell us a little about that?

SCOTT: WHEW! Well, it all started out when I was driving past a new shopping center with a place called The Map Store inside. I thought that might be a good place to get maps of North Korea (very hard to find in 1994 because of the nuclear crisis). They had some, but they also had some really nice and big wall maps of the world-cheap. I stocked up on all the maps I might need, then I setup a little war room in the basement of the apartment that I was living in at the time. I bought some pushpins too.

Over the years I've collected a serious library of military reference books (There's a very good list on my website at finchfactory.com). I started putting pushpins on some maps to detail where military divisions, corps, and armys were located. Then I found a website (not available anymore) that actually gave the longitude and latitude of all the American carrier battlegroups. Another website listed out all of the US Navy ships in mothballs or otherwise. Soon, I had a very nice battle map of the world.

I started off with my spyplane incident from my Senior Portfolio. Then I made a list of things and events that I wanted to illustrate in my book. From there, I tried to figure out a chain of logical events that would lead to from the spy plane incident to the scenes that I wanted to depict. When I came to a battle, I went to the wargames.

The military has long used wargames to simulate battles. Back in 1990, I lived in San Diego, and I wanted to try and figure out how to identify the different navy ships. Frigates, destroyers, cruisers...they all looked the same to me. So I bought a game called HARPOON. It turned out that HARPOON was created by Larry Bond. He and Tom Clancy used it to write The Hunt for Red October and Red Storm Rising. It was also used by the Naval Academy and the US Navy War College for serious wargaming (this was a seriously detailed game!). So, I studied it with a passion. Just as I was getting the hang of it, I bought a computer for work (a high speed 286 16hmz!), and found that there was a video game version of HARPOON that eliminated all of the die rolling and chart hunting. This enabled me to model out some of the battles in Operation Desert Storm before it happened, and when it came time to model some of the battles in my books it was perfect. I also used Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six series of video games to model some of the small unit infantry combat actions. I used Jane's Publications Fighters Anthology flight simulation and Jane's Publication's Fleet Command to get some more perspectives and to try out battle scenarios until they seemed to make more logical sense. There were a lot of other sources and computer modeling programs, but in the end I wanted even the most remarkable battle scenes to be as close to reality as possible, and so I wound up using a little literary license to add the human elements to those scenes.

SPJ: Thank you Scott for sharing that with us. How long did it take you to complete this work?

SCOTT: It took me about a year to create the fictional chronology for the WWIII scenarios. Then it took me about 18 months to write the first book. After that, the rest of the books fell into place in rapid succession over the following 18 months.

SPJ: What did writing this work leave you with as the author?

SCOTT: Excellent question! I learned an incredible amount about writing a book in general. For instance, it's very hard to write a 5 or 10 page report for many people. Writing a double-spaced, 20 page report is a huge effort for most college students. When you cross that 100 page barrier, it's very hard to control the course of the storylines. After 200 pages, I think everyone should have at least some sort of outline or chain of events list. After 300 pages, you better buy stock in a coffee company. After 400 pages, I found that switching to single space made it easier to breathe when looking at the manuscript. After 500 pages (double space), I think an author might as well cut loose. Hey, at that point you're already well into the work, and it's taking a life fully of its own!

Most books are about 50,000-80,000 words. The X-MAS War is a collection of 4 books with overlapping and independent storylines. That makes it come in at a whopping 450,000 words. To the best of my knowledge it's the largest technothriller ever written.

I also learned that I'm most comfortable with the expository 1st person structure. I'm working on the traditional narrative format, and I'm getting better at it, but diaries, letters home, and the like are my favorite. I also like using fictional news reports to let the reader keep up on the chronological events of the setting-the war itself. That kind of makes the event-the war- more of a character by itself.

Most importantly, I've found that writing is a drug. Honestly, anyone who reads this interview will see that I love to write-a LOT. Those first couple of pages are hard. Editing, publishing, marketing, these all have their ups and downs, but when a writer is on a roll writing a story that they really like or they really want to tell....step aside and let 'em go. Getting those stories out of one's head and into typed words is something that is very very hard to stop. Thank God for lactic acid muscle build up because without out, I think I would type or write until my hands fell off in those situations. I've never met a writer who had not been on a roll at one time or another, and let me tell you that after a few hundred pages-when a writer just cuts loose on their story-it is soooo much fun!

SPJ: Yes Scott, I agree with you a hundred percent! For your readers, what would you hope they will take away with them after the read?

SCOTT: I wanted The X-MAS War to be a kind of All Quiet on the Western Front and Red Storm Rising combination. There were plenty of other influences (especially The Illiad), but I wanted people to see that the technology of modern warfare and the constant human condition of warfare are colliding to make a new kind of experience out of the traditional battle scenario. Trenches will always be muddy, but today we have guided missiles that can actually choose their own targets and the best way to attack them. These technologies are readily available too. I've even mounted a wireless video camera on the barrel of my paintball gun, and it only cost me $25 on eBay.

I did NOT want this to be a shoot 'em up action adventure, and although there is a necessary amount of that, I think that it really expresses the famous MacArthur quote that no one hates war more than the soldiers who are called upon to fight (survive) it. I dedicate all of my books in the series to the men and women of the US armed forces for good reason. I think it's important for people to realize that there are millions of 18 and 19yr olds going through all kinds of hardships in our name. People can debate political causes until snowballs go in sale in hell, but the people who are sleeping in mud think that they are enduring the hardships for our sake in one way or the other.

I also want people to remember that those 18 yr old kids are not at some summer job between high school and college. We don't trust these kids-kids who were in study hall talking about prom less than a year before going to war-we don't trust them with a single light beer, but we'll also train them to use machine guns and 120mm cannons. We don't trust them to drive daddies expensive car to school, but we trust them to target and fire $1,500,000 Tomahawk missiles. We call these kids slackers when they play their video games instead of taking out the trash, but then we call them heroes when they conduct special operations with night vision goggles.

SPJ: Very interesting! Now for a question all writers would like to know. How long did it take you to find a publisher?

SCOTT: I tried for about 6 months to get an agent and go through a traditional publisher. The experience was more than disheartening. I spent hundreds of dollars on How-to books, printing and shipping materials, copies of manuscripts, countless hours writing queries, outlines, synopsis', etc. In the end, I only had three responses. One was a form letter. One was downright nasty. The last came almost 9 months after I sent out the query. The agent was dead, and his family sent it back with a form letter.

I couldn't just let the work sit idle for the rest of my life, so I stumbled upon a Print-on-Demand publisher online, and tried it. It was a good experience that taught me a great deal about publishing, but more importantly, I HAD MY BOOK IN PRINT! I even drove all the way to Washington DC to see my book in the Library of Congress database (Everyone should go there. It's the most beautiful building in DC!). I tried a few more POD's, and finally found one that I really like. That's the one that I used to publish The X-MAS War.

All total, the publishing process normally takes about 6-12 months, and I took about 12-14 for all of my books combined-much faster than a traditional publisher.

SPJ: It sounds like you didn't let anything stop you, good for you! Do you have any words of wisdom to pass along to our readers in this area? Any stumbling blocks that other authors should be weary of?

SCOTT: Don't be afraid to write. Just do it, and do it a lot. In college we did an exercise where we took 5 minutes at the start of every class and wrote freely. By the end of the semester everyone was cranking out 2-3 pages of good notes.

Don't be afraid to delete. C'mon, there's plenty of room in your hard drive to save and start over if you need to.

Don't be afraid to try and publish. If agents and publishers ingore, insult, or even delay you, just go the POD route. Once you do your research, it's easy, extremely rewarding, and the sense of closure lets you move on to the next work. In this era of new technology, traditional rejection shouldn't slow you down, it should make you dig your heels in, lean into the rain of commentary (and it will come), and plow through until you get your work in print. Do NOT let yourself be put down by the opinions of others. If they won't publish it, then you can publish on your own for under $200, and believe me you can spend that in a heartbeat trying to find an agent alone.

Don't get concerned about a page count being too high, too low etc. There are far different criteria for queries, editors, publishers, and yourself. As a work becomes bigger, these little differences become huge. For example The X-MAS War is about 2100 pages in dbl space 12 pt Times Roman font, but in single space it's down to about 900. In single space 10pt fonts with margins setup for publishing, it's down to 720. These same differences occur on a % basis with smaller works. You'll probably find that you need to write more to fit the most guidelines put upon you.

SPJ: Good advice, thank you for sharing! Let me ask you something's about yourself. Do you have other works published and if so what are they?

My first book was Black Rain For Christmas, and that's been re-published with a new publisher, a bit better editor's editing, some DoD pics to help visualize things for those less familiar with military hardware, and the various fonts for the different types of storylines.

My second book was The Weekend Warriors: Paintball War Stories from 1988-Today. It's had GREAT reviews all across the paintball games media. It was a fast and simple book that just follows the growth of the paintball sport, the mega-high-tech developments in technologies, and the growth of myself and other players. It's just a simple auto-biography, but the pictures and the "war stories" are a lot of fun. I think it does a great job of illustrating just how dangerous real bullets would be in a real fight, and why paintball can be fun-the bullets/balls aren't real.

My third book was a companion to Black Rain For Christmas called, The Secret War in South Asia. It was about a possible nuclear war in India/Pakistan, a kidnapping of an American, a daring special forces rescue, and a Dept of Homeland Security tracking system. This book never really sold. When I submitted it for publishing, it was great, but the publisher dragged their feet a bit, and it came out at the same time that India and Pakistan were about to go to war over Kashmir (again), Daniel Pearl was kidnapped, and the Department of Homeland Security was being created. I felt bad about the similarities between the book and the Pearl kidnapping so I never marketed it at all.

Fourth was a short book for fun. I wrote 50+ Ways to Play With Your Paintballs. It's a quick list of different kinds of paintball games; everything from generic tag to a game I call Lemonade. It was designed to for submission to paintball marker (paintgun) manufacturers for sale with their markers, but by the time the book came out (same publisher as The Secret War in South Asia and The Weekend Warriors), the big manufacturers had included videos in their packages, and the opportunity was lost.

Fifth was Sixth Fleet Under. In this book, I wanted to detail a principle that I call Missile Math. The idea is that most air and sea battles can be determined well in advance with a simple database of ship and air platforms. In this database one only needs to determine the number of potentially attacking missiles vs. the number of defending missiles. Percentages can be determined for hit/miss ratio, and speculation can be done to determine the size and number of warheads needed to typically do a certain amount of damage to a plane or ship. I also wanted to point out the futility of the Arab/Israeli conflict, the danger of genetic drugs being turned into genocidal chemical weapons, and the possibility of vigilante terrorism (ie crime) as a spin off from politically motivated terrorism. This book has some very scary scenes that even made my editor call me in the middle of the night just to sullenly say "wow."

The sixth book was The Sugar-Sweet Smell of Fear. This is my favorite. It has some fun photos, and the bulk of the story is told through letters home. It has some great twists and really shows how early industrialized warfare techniques can/will be adopted to counter some of today's most dangerous battlefield threats. I think this has the best personifications of all my books.

The seventh book is The X-MAS War. This massive finale combines:

Black Rain For Christmas
The Secret War In South Asia
Sixth Fleet Under
The Sugar-Sweet Smell of Fear

All four books are great stand-alones, but together, in The X-MAS War, they really give the reader an incredible, detailed, and ultra-realistic window into today's and tomorrow's warfare. I'm very proud of it!

SPJ: Do you have other writings in the works? If so in what genre are they and when can we expect to see them released?

SCOTT: I had planned to have all of The X-MAS War series done before my daughter was born. I finished the last bit of it 3wks after she arrived. Since then, I've been busy as a stay-at-home dad and chronic newshound. I've worked very hard to keep updated on the complexities of the War in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the War on Terror. I've also been roughly-very roughly-outlining my next book. It will be very similar to XMAS, but it will focus more on news reports, guerrilla warfare in the mass media age, and the incredible potential of tomorrow's non-violent opposition. There will be some combat and high tech weaponry too though.

SPJ: Do you have a special place where you are the most creative?

SCOTT: I have a room at home-some call it The War Room because of the library-where I do most of my research, reading, and writing.

SPJ: How many hours a day do you spend writing?

SCOTT: I generally don't get to write too much anymore with a 1yr old in the background. It sounds great being at home and all, but until you list out the things you need to do....
wake at 5 change diaper, feed munchkin, turn on Sesame Street, feed dog, feed birds, change diaper, naptime, change diaper, feed munchkin, change diaper, naptime, feed munchkin, change diaper, naptime, shower etc., eat brunch at about 3pm. And so on.... Essentially, there are no 2+ hour spans when I can get rolling. Sometimes I do get to at night when everyone has gone to sleep, and that is becoming more and more frequent, but it's never enough.

SPJ: I can relate to those days, although they were many years ago! Do you have the support of friends and family in your writing endeavors?

SCOTT: OH YEAH! My wife has been great. She pulls me back in whenever my storylines get too far into the fiction realm. The rest of my family and friends never stop asking about the stories, and it's very strange to meet friends of friends who have heard of me, bought my books, and then quote ME when I meet them. That's cool-weird, but very cool!

SPJ: Do you ever have writer's block and if so how do you remedy it?

SCOTT: I can't say I have ever really had writer's block. I've had writer's motivation block before where I just didn't feel like writing, and in those cases, I just do more research or some gaming/modeling. There is a good book for those with writer's block. It's called The Writer's Block, and it's a small little 3" cube that gives ideas to spark ideas in your stories. I highly suggest that everyone get one!

SPJ: If we may be so personal, when you do not have on your 'writer's hat', what do you do for a living?

SCOTT: I used to be an environmental consultant, but that was getting too dangerous (going into zero O2 atmospheres, wearing a plastic suit every day, playing with toxic waste, and getting shot at in high crime areas), and there was way too much travel. When it got to be too much, I quit and went to work for a temp agency. My first assignment was at a high-tech tool and die manufacturer, and I wound up staying there for over 5 years. When I left, I was running all of the administration, and it was as much fun as it was informative. Now, I'm a full time stay-at-home dad and part time author.

SPJ: Do you have an agent, and how important do you think that is for an author?

SCOTT: I don't have an agent right now. I would like one though because I think their services are valuable, but they are NOT invaluable.

SPJ: Yes, sometimes it is just as hard to find a good agent as it is to find a good publisher. Do you belong to a 'writer's group', and again, how important do you think that is for an author?

SCOTT: I get together with some writers every Friday, but it's not a dedicated writer's group. I've been to those, and they're great writing exercise, they're great support groups, but they are limited by the people in the group. That is to say if you take good people and put them in any situation, they'll make it better or the best it can be. If you take people who are not open, fun, intelligent, and/or caring, then you might not get as much from the experience as you want. You have to search around for a group that you like. A good one is well worth it, but a bad one can be detrimental.

SPJ: If you would, please share with us where you see your writing career in 3 years and what you are doing to achieve that goal.

SCOTT: I had planned to take 2-5 yrs off from writing to be a dad, but as you can see I've got the bug to write-BIGTIME. I'd like to get another 1-3 books out over the next 3 yrs. Right now, I'm doing my best just to get the next one thought out.

On a wider note, I think that 3 years from now I'd just like to be making more of a difference with my books. A writer shouldn't write for money. They should do it for fun and for a reason-to express an idea. My idea is that the military doesn't get enough respect anymore. Since Vietnam people have put so much focus on the politics of a military deployment or the actions of the military that they forget about the people, their families, and their hardships. I honestly get sick when I see rich warhawks saying that troops should be sent here or there for whatever reason. At the same time, I can't stand it when uninformed people hypocritically and arbitrarily declare that one madman or another is not a serious threat. I would really like people to read my books and say, "I want to know all about the capabilities of a weapon system, the country that has them, and the morality of the leaders who will own them by the thousands." For the most part, people just do not realize how dangerous today's weapons have become. It's like we want to apathetically ignore it-like most did for the nuclear Armageddon scenario of the Cold War.

In Sixth Fleet Under, I did a very good job of describing how a simple change in the blueprint for a genetic therapy drug can be used by a terrorist to effortlessly wipe out a race! Can you imagine if some of the world's leaders of the past or present ever had their hands on something like that? Such a thing will make Dachaau and Hiroshima look like playgrounds.

3 years from now I would love for people to read my books, get scared to death about some of today's weapon systems, and commit themselves-commit their morality, conviction, and politics-to removing those systems from the ready grasp of people who are right now committing genocide with machetes, assault rifles, or otherwise. It's not about the politics. It's about the fact that all men are created equal-regardless of race, religion, or nationality. Everyone has the right to live, and hopefully my books will help move people to defend the rights that our founding fathers seemed so set upon.

SPJ: If there anything you would like our readers to know about yourself/your works/ or writing in general that I have not asked you in this interview?

SCOTT: I would like people to know that I'm not a warmonger or a hippie. I'm a writer who has always had an interest in the Human Condition under the crucible of war. I want people to know that since the Soviet Union has collapsed, the world is a far far more dangerous place-0911 proved that, but many outside NYC or DC seem to have already pacified that as a local issue more than anything else. I want people to seriously take a look at what will happen to them specifically when a modern military, guerrilla, or terrorist force is let loose with today's weapons. People used to fear the dreaded red button or red phone on the President's desk. I think that the development of increasingly lethal weapons is unstoppable especially if we ignore all of the world's psychotic leaders who are controlling them.

I want people to know that I write not for money, fame, or even for so much for fun. I write the books that I have written because I love my little girl. If she wants a new dress, I'll get her one. If she wants an education, I'll teach her and send her to the best school I can. I want her to have a safer world-where people realize that everyone is created equal, entitled to live and to pursue happiness (not just those few people who have been lucky enough to have been born between the big oceans). I'll do anything to get those little hugs, and I'll do my best to inform people about today's threats by illustrating them as realistically as possible. Maybe that will help my little girl to grow up in a safer world?

Scott......please list here all titles of books you have written and contact information.(email address, url's etc.)

Black Rain For Christmas (out-of-print),
Black Rain For Christmas-Illustrated 2nd Edition (Llumina Press),
Sixth Fleet Under (Virtualbookworm.com Publishing),
The Secret War In South Asia (Infinity Publishing),
The Sugar-Sweet Smell of Fear (Virtualbookworm.com Publishing),
The XMAS War (Virtualbookworm.com Publishing),
50+ Ways to Play With Your Paintballs (Infinity Publishing),
The Weekend Warriors: Paintball War Stories From 1988-Today!!! (Infinity Publishing)

All of my books are available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, from their respective publishers, and from my website www.finchfactory.com

I hope you enjoy them all!
-Scott Malensek

Thank you Scott for allowing me this wonderful interview. Please see my review for The XMas War in this column and go out and buy yourself one of Scott's books, he is a very talented writer and you will enjoy the experience! The best to you in the future Scott in all you put your hand to!

Laurel's Bookshelf
Azucar! The Story of Sugar
Alan Cambeira
Belecam & Associates, Inc.
www.belecam.com or www.cambeira.com
ISBN 0972082115 $14.50 paperback

Azucar! is a beautifully written, starkly realistic story of life on a Caribbean sugar cane plantation. Alan Cambeira constructs this tale with vivid prose and memorable characters. Readers will be enchanted and horrified in turn, as they are transported into the lives of those who toil in horrible conditions from sunup to sundown harvesting the cane fields. Those living in comfort around the world, enjoying the fruits of such labors, may be unnerved to learn the harsh realities revealed in Azucar!

Azucar is an innocent young girl when she is brutally raped by the son of a cane plantation overseer. Dona Fela is the grandmother who raised her, the matriarch of those who come and go from this plantation. She vows to find a better life for Azucar somehow, and calls up island mysticism to fulfill that vow. Life for laborers on the present day plantation is no better than it was centuries ago. Men, women, and able children are forced to labor long hours under the brutal tropical sun. They live in squalor, without electricity, indoor plumbing, or running water. Food provided them is minimal. Still, the workers band together to survive and maintain their humanity as best they can.

Through a series of chance happenings, Azucar is taken from her life in the cane fields to one of privilege and comfort. It's a long way from the sugar cane fields to Toronto's Victoria College, but she makes that transition with ease. She is tranformed from a slave into a young woman of natural beauty and intelligence. When Azucar meets the wealthy and successful Lucien St. Jacques, the attraction is immediate and lasting. His face and voice remind her of the islands and passion swiftly follows.

Mr. Cambeira has captured the mysterious and sensual rhythm of the tropics in his prose. He clearly portrays the beauty and courage of its native people, and helps the reader understand Caribbean history. Azucar! is a troubling tale set in a breathtaking locale. The author does an outstanding job in the telling.

Waking Walt
Larry Pontius
iUniverse.com, Inc.
2021 Pine Lake Road, #100, Lincoln, NE 68512
ISBN 059525425X $22.95 www.iuniverse.com

Walt Disney was an American icon, a purveyor of dreams, a man who proved that it truly "makes no difference who you are." He was a midwestern boy with a gift that found life with his first famous cartoon character, Mickey Mouse. Through the dark years of the American depression, Walt's cartoon characters brought laughter, hope, and promise to a country that had very little to dream about. Mickey was quickly followed by Pluto, Donald Duck, Goofy, Snow White and her Seven Dwarves, Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket. The world lost Walt Disney to lung cancer in 1966. Supposedly he was cremated, but rumors circulated and continue to persist that he was cryogenically preserved until a cure for cancer could be found. Larry Pontius takes that rumor and runs with it, and thereby hangs a tale.

Failed projects, modern problems, and mismanagement by men who lost sight of Walt's original dream have brought the Disney Corp. to a serious predicament. Several elderly men - Walt's secret Circle - know the time has come to activate his resurrection. Disney HAS been cryogenically preserved and an as yet FDA approved cure for cancer has been developed. When the old friends try to steal ampules of the experimental cancer drug, one of them dies from the excitement and the plan fails. On to Plan B of a very well-planned out return of Walt Disney to life and power. Younger members join the inner circle. Walt is thawed, rejuvenated, and the cancer treatment begins.

Waking Walt is a fun, exhilarating read. Mr. Pontius writes very well and creates his story so plausibly that I had no problem whatsoever believing the fiction. The characters were top notch, especially the cranky opinionated Walt Disney who hides his Peter Pan-Jiminy Cricket heart under a gruff exterior. His Circle of protectors and friends is an unlikely mix of quirky personalities. Their devotion to Walt, his dream and its bright promise, was quite touching. And in the end, everyone learns a fitting lesson, including Mr. Disney.

Nicely rendered resurrection, Mr. Pontius.

Simplicity
Mark Dirschel
PublishAmerica
PO Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705-0151
ISBN 1588512967 $29.95 www.publishamerica.com

If anyone had told me I would read a book about vampires, let alone become engrossed in the story, I would have laughed in their face. But that was before I read Simplicity. Mr. Dirschel creates a provocative tale here. The narrative was finely crafted and the characters memorable. Be warned. The subject matter is often troubling and sometimes grotesque, but that does not negate the fact that Mr. Dirschel writes very well.

Patrick has been homeless since his middle teens. A hopeless alcoholic, he considers himself to be "an invalid eyesore of a man." His crib is wherever he can find shelter for the night. His days are spent begging to buy whiskey and a little food to keep himself alive and moving. One night he sees a lovely young girl contemplating jumping off the bridge above his concrete shelter. Her blonde hair, sweet face, and soft skin stir feelings in him that he thought were long since pickled into nothingness. To his shock, this lovely vision talks with him as if he were human, treats him kindly. One night later, Patrick watches Lori jump to her death from the bridge. And that is where the real story begins.

Before the moment of impact, Lori is swept away by a dark spirit - Van Pierre - and turned into a vampire. The next night she returns to Patrick with Van Pierre. Because of his soft feelings for Lori, he is rather easily turned into a creature of the night. Patrick has always believed that hatred, disgust and apathy poison man's soul. But he soon experiences hellish scenes so horrible that even a soulless vampire creature is sickened. Despite his status as human stalker, Patrick retains a bit of his softness. He lives by certain rules, refusing to kill families or children. And he still loves Lori. By night Patrick prowls for sustenance. By day he is tormented by his vile demon keeper, Pink. Tortures too graphically horrible to comprehend are inflicted in Pink's attempts to turn Patrick to Satan's way and break his spirit. Patrick writes a journal in an attempt to purge the final ghastly cries of love from his black heart. Simplicity is that journal.

Scenes of graphic violence and vampire sexuality make this book too disturbing for sensitive readers or children. I cannot recommend it for all, but will repeat that - despite the sometimes horrible depictions of Patrick's life - Mark Dirschel's writing is powerful.

Daniela
Stephen Weeks
www.dandelionbooks.net
ISBN 1893302377 $29.95

Mind haunting, soul chilling, heart shattering prose brings clarity and truth to Stephen Weeks' Daniela. Moments of simple beauty are skillfully interspersed with human degradation most of us alive today cannot imagine. The story, and the author's writing style, are simply stunning.

Nikolei Nowikovski tells his story in first person. This young Jewish Ukrainian survives the battle of Stalingrad but moves from one hell to another when taken prisoner by the Germans. By blessing or strange coincidence of Fate, Nikolei transforms himself into Sergei Bambura and successfully masquerades as an Aryan Wehrmacht officer in Prague. As Russian cannon fodder and then Nazi, he witnesses atrocities and cruelty beyond human comprehension. And all the while, he hides his Jewishness behind a well-contrived facade.

The loss of his past and the murder of a once-proud Europe are starkly told through Nikolei / Sergei's eyes and thoughts. Amidst the carnage and hopelessness, he meets Daniela Zaviskova. Daniela is young, beautiful, and a Czech prostitute. Despite the pain that causes him -- imagining this wondrous girl having sex with other men -- she swiftly becomes "the flesh on which to hang new hopes." He is obsessed with Daniela, loves her, wants to spend his life with her, prays she will one day love him and forsake prostitution.

The apartment they share in Prague holds amazing secrets. As Nikolei experiences Nazi Occupation, Stalinist Russia, and the carving up of Europe by the allies, one secret after another is revealed to him. The end of war is overwhelming, "a mixture of grief and joy with only numbness in between." He learns why Daniela prostitutes herself, and for whom. It's then that Nikolei begins to understand the depth and breadth of unconditional love.

This review barely scratches the surface of Daniela. Stephen Weeks has clearly researched Europe of the Nazi era, the battles, the heroes and malefactors. I felt transported to the time and place, suffered, loved, and marveled at the courage, cried at the losses and atrocities. It's not for the faint-hearted or those disturbed by graphic sex and violence. Be prepared to be surprised, outraged, touched, and sometimes shocked at every twist and turn of plot. I give my highest recommendation to Daniela.

Escape
Brian Seifrit
www.electricebookpublishing.com
ISBN 1553520890 $13.95 US, $18.95 Can.

Author of The O'Brien Series, Manhunt, and Flesh Craves - The VanFell Legacy, Brian Seifrit stays true to his course in this contemporary action adventure thriller. Strong characters and macho action are his trademark.

The Cold war may be over, but Hayden Rochsoff still has an axe or two to grind. Life under communism has been grim for Hayden. He's become one of the best shooters in the Russian Rebel Army but he's weary of the game. No longer able to tell the good guys from the bad guys, beaten and tortured to within an inch of his life, Hayden vows revenge. He longs for freedom and safety, but first he must rescue his long time friends, Monique and Alex Farrell. This brother and sister team have not fared well and Hayden has his hands full pulling off their rescue from a commie prison. Their run for freedom is interrupted by Ellis Leroy, an unsavory operative from Hayden's past who plays both ends against the middle for monetary gain. He suggests a plan to the trio that will provide millions of dollars and guarantee their freedom. The only drawback is that the money must be stolen in Alaska from the DEA and US Navy. It's not an easy go, even for the accomplished Hayden and his friends.

Escape takes our hero and his friends from Russa to a cruise ship on the Bering Strait and finally to Alaska. Action and intrigue abound. Will Hayden and his friends survive to reach freedom and pull off the caper that will make them millionaires? You'll have to read the book to learn the answer.

Depths of Savagery
Steven L. Shrewsbury
www.double-dragon-ebooks.com
ISBN 1554940515 $4.99 e-book

This author's stories have attracted quite a loyal following for good reason. These tales of barbarism and the human animal past, present, and future are a prime example of the genre. The stories are exciting - rousing, and beutifully written - featuring warriors of every era. Blood thirsty Vikings, Celts, Picts, Angles, Saxons, Africans and Missouri Raiders come alive thanks to this author's prolific imagination and vivid prose.

Since I was unfamiliar with the author's work, it was a delight to meet a popular Shrewsbury icon. Several stories in Depths of Savagery feature Prof. Elijah Blackthorn, the Native American psychometric archeologist. If you don't know what psychometric means, you are in for an intriguing time! This character is choice!

Steven Shrewsbury is a fantastic story teller and Depths of Savagery is an entertaining read. Barbaric warriors and sly paybacks, ancient relics and sexual obsession, shattering bones and undying love are mixed together skillfully by a man who knows history and human nature. I hope to read more of this author's work in the near future.

Ruth Fever
Beverly J. Scott
PublishAmerica
PO Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705-0151
www.publishamerica.com
ISBN 1591296455 $19.95 paperback

As was her first book Righteous Revenge, this author's second book, Ruth Fever, is a well written and entertaining read. In fact, I'll go on record here and state that anything this author writes deserves a devoted following. Each book is different, well plotted, with strong characters.

Ruth Dennison is 29 years old, a school teacher still grieving over the loss of her parents to a car accident. She prays every day to forgive the drunken driver who killed her parents and filled her days with sorrow. She treasures fond memories of her parents and the home they cherished. There has never been a special man in Ruth's life. She's lonely and depressed, but fills that empty void by devoting herself to the children in her classroom. One of her students troubles Ruth. Eight year old Jason Winters has swiftly gone from excellent happy student to pensive and withdrawn child. She suspects trouble on the home front and hopes to learn more from Jason's father.

Wyndom Winters is a 34 year old widower whose marriage was a heart breaking sham long before his ex wife died in a car accident. He and his son live with his alcoholic mother-in-law so Jason will have supervision while Wyndom works. When he meets Jason's teacher, Ruth Dennison, he's impressed by her sweetness. What follows is a gracefully written story of a troubled frightened child and the adults who try to bring joy back to his life.

Yes, before too many weeks pass, Wyndom has "Ruth Fever." He struggles with desire and hopes to establish a strong relationship that will lead to marriage. Theirs is a tender and passionate love story, but there are some tough obstacles standing in the way of happiness. Jason's cruel, alcoholic grandmother has plans for Wyndom and Jason that do not include Ruth. And the truth of how her parents died in the same accident as Wyndom's wife is a bitter pill for Ruth to swallow.

Ruth Fever is a satisfying read, a heart warming tale of two decent, lonely people drawn together by their love for Jason and each other. It gets my highest recommendation.

Laurel Johnson
Midwest Book Review

Linda Lee Hillegass and James Lee McKee are a husband and wife team who own Lee Booksellers, a popular and successful independent book store in Lincoln Nebraska. Together they also own and operate a publishing company and are both published authors. I thought this triple threat team would make an interesting interview for our readers around the world.

LJ for MBR: Thank you for agreeing to an interview. Let's begin with an overview of Lee Booksellers. When was it founded and what is your vision or philosophy as an independent book store?

Linda / Jim: We opened the business in 1979, one year after we were married, calling it Lee Booksellers because both of us have the middle name Lee. Jim was feeling a little romantic and wanted the store name to represent both of us. Our full name is J&L Lee Booksellers, but we figured out a long time ago that it's quite a mouthful to say by phone and make it understood. We know the old-time customers when they make the check out to J&L Lee Booksellers.

Although we didn't get around to writing it down for several years, our mission for the store was always the same: We love books and the people who love them. The personality and individuality of a small company set us apart from the big boys from back east (or out west). We miss no opportunity to communicate happiness, humor, good will, personality, soul, book knowledge, and book love to our customers. We are a Lincoln store and express that connection to our customers always. We want Lee Booksellers to be a fun place to shop and we aim to retain loyal customers and give them more reasons to be word-of-mouth marketers.

LJ for MBR: Lincoln has several book stores against which you must compete for business. What sets Lee Booksellers apart and keeps your customers coming back?

Linda / Jim: Four things come to mind. First, we like our customers and it shows in the way we deal with them. We treat them like friends and go the extra mile for them. Second, we really know books. When we started our business, I had an undergraduate degree in English Literature, a Masters Degree in library science, and had been a librarian for 13 years, besides having grown up in a publishing family. Jim had worked in publishing for 17 years. He had already written a couple of books himself, and had collected quite a library. And both of us were (and still are) avid readers. We've always made it a priority to hire staff who love to read. We can train anyone to operate a cash register and stock shelves. It's loving books that needs to come first. Third, we are aggressive about communicating with our customers. We offer lots of store events (book signings, book clubs, and other events) and publicize them every way we can. We keep track of book clubs we deal with and keep them posted on events of interest. We do an irregular newsletter (about 6/year) and send it to a sizeable loyal customer list. We're proud to say that people actually ask to be put on our mailing list. We do a monthly emailed newsletter, too. And last, but not least, we offer a free customer discount card that hasn't changed since we opened 24 years ago. A customer told us when her stolen purse was recovered, the only things missing were the cash and her Lee Booksellers Book Club card!

Jim adds: We mail books free...anywhere.

LJ for MBR: You feature the books of many local and regional authors. Are there specific guidelines you follow in approving selections?

Linda / Jim: Customers love books with a local flavor and we try to carry a wide selection. Local author/local history books sell well to travelers visiting our area, to newcomers to the city, and to people of 50 who can relate to tales of the way things used to be in the city and state. Self-published books are stocked as consignment items. We don't turn down much, however we don't carry print-on-demand books, because the nature of that business makes turning a profit impossible for us.

LJ for MBR: Print on demand (POD) technology has complicated the book buying process. Please explain to our readers - from your unique point of view as bookseller, author, and publisher - why the stocking of POD books in brick and mortar bookstores is difficult.

Linda / Jim: Print-on-demand publishers want to sell books to the bookstore at a discount that is much less than standard publishers offer. They also do not accept returns, so that if a book does not sell, we lose money on it. If we order small quantities (to reduce the risk) they sometimes arrive damaged. To make things worse, the print-on-demand book is likely to receive no (or only a smidgen) of press attention. All of this creates a pretty big risk for us when what we are dealing with is a book that mainstream publishers were uninterested in publishing, i.e. one they considered unlikely to sell. All this was learned from bitter experience.

Jim adds: POD, like vanity publishing. is tricky to explain in a short statement. Both are the bane of booksellers. POD offers to literally create a single copy of a book, printed as ordered and paid for in advance. Typically there is no discount, postage often adds several dollars to the cost and the books are nonreturnable. POD books therefore represent a lose/lose proposition for any retailer.

LJ for MBR: Jim teaches History and is also a historian who has written several books about the history of Lincoln. What sparked this affinity for times past, Jim?

Jim: A Cub Scout project on genealogy led me to my great-grandparents on both sides of my parent's families, and a box full of artifacts like handcuffs from the first jail in Havelock, NE (now part of Lincoln.) Then the hobby grew like Topsy leading me into not only Lincoln but Nebraska history of all sorts.

LJ for MBR: Tell us about your published books, and are there any new books in the offing?

Linda / Jim: Our publishing side, J&L Lee Co. typically carries about 30 nonfiction titles in print, mostly history and all with an emphasis on Nebraska and the Great Plains. In the next cycle we will be publishing a biography by Jack Hart, retired editor of the Lincoln Journal Star. His subject is Virginia Smith--Nebraska's only woman elected to the U. S. House of Representatives. We're also doing a collection of historic Lincoln photographs culled from the private collections of over 200 Nebraskans.

LJ for MBR: Tell us about Lee Publishing? What do you publish? How often? How can interested readers order Lee published books?

Linda / Jim: We have been publishing since 1967 and do two or three books a year. Our titles are available at our own stores, at many drugstores, gift shops, and museums in Nebraska, and as a special order at any bookstore. They can also be ordered through our website: www.leebooksellers.com or by phone toll-free at 1-888-665-0999. We mail books free...anywhere.

LJ for MBR: Is there any question you wish I had asked, or any further comments you would like to make?

Linda / Jim: We mail books free...anywhere.

LJ for MBR: Thank you so much for your time. Those interested in information about Lee Booksellers and their featured books may go to www.leebooksellers.com.

Linda: Or phone us toll-free at 1-888-665-0999. The website does not feature our publications, so "and their featured books" may be misleading.

Kaveny's Bookshelf
This month's Kaveny's Bookshelf starts off with my reflection back across 21 years of participation in academic conferences, starting with the 1982 Chicago World Science Fiction Convention and continuing through the Oct 25th & 26th 2003 University of Wisconsin System Women's Studies Conference where I will be presenting a paper on Standpoint Theory. In the twenty years between, I have presented at least a hundred papers and sat on at least that many panels. Of course all my papers were not really papers, they were rather me learning from my audiences as I read from huge piles of illegible notes. But some have eventually made their way into print and one yet may become a framework for a collection of essays my wife and I are proposing to edit. To anyone who would wonder why I would do this, the answer is really pretty simple. I like to be a party to intelligent conversations, and academic discourse and conferences are some of the best places to do this.

But of all the papers I presented, the one I remember most was the one I did not present. The event took place at the 1997 -- 32nd (Kalamazoo, Michigan) International Medieval Congress Session 166, Military Technology, where I had proposed a paper entitled "The Printing Press as a Component of Military Technology and Knowledge Transfer in the Late Middle Ages.." About two minutes into the paper I withdrew it because it became clear I had not sufficiently organized my evidence to support the conclusion, which I wished to suggest.

At the time, I was an advanced graduate student at the University of Wisconsin Madison In library and Information studies trying to keep my head above water while working full time 40 hours a week and trying to complete a dissertation (which I completed successfully in the summer of 1998.) Before I withdrew the paper, nothing would have appeared to be a worse thing to happen to a graduate student than to admit in person before an audience (some of whom where world experts) that he was really not sure what he was talking about. Well sometimes the worst thing that you think could happen turns out to be the best, and several members of the audience complimented me for doing something that they really wished some others would have done.

Six years later, my paper still exist as a viable thesis, but to do it justice I would have to devote most of the rest of my life to learning enough Greek and Latin to read primary sources. However, in a real world, real-time sense, one of my favorite publishers (The Chivalry Bookshelf: Arms & Armour, Medieval History, Swordsmanship http://www.chivalrybookshelf.com/) is doing in practice with several of their new titles what I was interested in theory. But the fascinating thing is that they are translating and transmitting ancient and medieval and Renaissance Martial and Military Knowledge, some of which has not been available except in manuscript form, locked away in virtually in accessible archives for over half a millennium. But they are doing a lot more than that because they believe that the study of western historical martial arts is a vital and interpretive process.

For example,

Spada: An Anthology of Swordsmanship in Memory of Ewart Oakeshott
Ewart Oakeshott, Gregory Mele, Stephen Hand, Steven Hick, Paul Wagner, Brian R. Price,
Russell Mitchell, John Clements, William E. Wilson, Ramon Martinez
Swordplay Symposium International
ISBN: 1891448374 $24.95.

Overall, this text Functions as the flagship publication of the Swordplay Symposium International (SSI), which was conceived as a place where scholarship relating to the sword arts could be published to the very highest standards. This artfully presented and handsomely packaged premier issue consists a wide range of articles including Ewart Oakeshott's final article, "Studying Arms Within the Circumference of History;" Also found within are "The Art of Parrying," (Greg Mele); "Counterattacks with Opposition," (Stephen Hand); "Dom Duarte's Advice on Swordsmanship," (Steve Hick); "Early Medieval Sword & Shield Techniques," (Stephen Hand & Paul Wagner); "Hungarian Sabre Techniques," (Russell Mitchell); "Grappling in Renaissance Fencing," (John Clements); "Handedness in Staff Arts," (Paul Wagner); "Foundations of Italian Rapier," (William E. Wilson); "Spanish Rapier in Saviolo," (Stephen Hand & Ramon Martinez); "Highland Swordsmanship," (Paul Wagner).

I found all of the articles to be well illustrated with both historical and contemporary material, and all the articles both informative and well written. But I do wish the late Ewart Oakeshott's article was about 30 pages longer since at 87 he seemed to have almost an intuitive grasp of the leading edge of interdisciplinary research, something that, sadly, many modern scholars shun, because it forces them to take too many risks. Yet another value-added feature of Spada is the reports on some of the most important recent activities undertaken in the WMA community. This issue of Spada should reach a very wide audience and I feel it is a must for school, college, and research libraries since its scope would include all these audiences. At 59 I cannot help but wonder if I could still swing a broadsword.

The next book I will feature is

Ars Gladitoria: 15th Century Swordsmanship of Master Fillipo Vadi
Fillipo Vadi
Luca Porzio, translator
Chivalry Bookshelf
http://www.chivalrybookshelf.com/
ISBN: 1891448161 $59.95

This book is fascinating because the quality of its production and reproduction allows it to functions equally as well as an art book or a manual at arms, and it could as easily grace the bookshelf of an art historian, as an historian of western martial arts because Luca Porzio and Gregory Mele have brought this text vividly to life with a clear translation and explanatory notes. All 56 beautiful plates are reproduced at full size in full color.

Vadi's book focuses on the use of the long sword, dagger, spear and poleax, both in and out of armour. His instructions are clear and precise, enabling reconstruction of medieval swordsmanship from 15th century Italy. But at the same it is clear that Filippo Vadi's prologue which is beautifully presented as a face-en-face translation embodies the sprit of a renaissance man at arms. Filippo Vadi' seems as much a poet as a warrior. His approach gives the book a very broad and humanistic scope. I wish I had the technical resources to include some of the authentically reproduced color illustrations from this beautiful book, but if you go to The Chivalry Bookshelf (http://www.chivalrybookshelf.com/) you will see that sometimes at least a few pictures are worth a thousand words.

Jousts and Tournaments
Geoffroi De Charny, Steven Muhlberger
Chivalry Bookshelf
http://www.chivalrybookshelf.com/
ISBN: 1891448285 $27.95

Steven Muhlberger's new work is at the cutting edge of the study of medieval tournaments in the 14th century. Jousts and Tournaments: Charny and the Rules for Chivalric Sport in Fourteenth-Century France is given added depth by his face en face translation and analysis of the writings of a knight who was no stranger to the field of honor, or the battlefield. A knight who's other writings has come to embody the 14th Century Chivalric code. Sir Geoffroi de Charny is a historical figure in own right, who was much renowned, and highly regarded in the mid 14th century. Sir Geoffroi de Charny was knight who rose through his prowess at arms and his strong moral a religious convictions which lead him to become one of the most highly regarded chivalric men of his age.

The Steven Muhlberger has done more than a translation he has created posthumously collaboration across five hundred an fifty years Which brings Geoffroi De Charny to life for the contemporary reader. Who is presented was a multi faceted gentleman who brought the Shroud of Turin to Europe and died a warrior's death in the saddle with his boots on while carrying the celebrated Oriflamme at the Battle of Poitiers in 1356. The Oriflamme a sacred banner used by the kings of France in the Middle Ages in times of great danger and distress. According to my research the Oriflamme was distinct from the heraldic banner of the French kings (semis of fleur-de-lys on azure, as expected). Its history is fairly continuous from 1124 onward, when it is first mentioned. It is first described in 1225. It consists of two parts: a gilded lance, to which is attached a silk banner, red with green fringes.

Steven Muhlberger face en face translation of Geoffroi De Charny's "Questions" on the Joust, Tournaments and War--translated here for the first time into English is a work of art. The questions are accompanied with an insightful analysis, and promises to become a critical resource for students of medieval chivalry and tournaments of the later Middle Ages. I found the questions a delight to read and the more I moved through them the more the questioner and the period seemed to come alive. These questions are the stuff that high narrative is made of.

At the same time I am certain as a book seller that the book will have a much broader interest because of its authentic sense of time and place will be of great interest to both re-enactor and the casual reader who has an almost unshakeable thirst for this sort of work. The book is a must for libraries on all levels particular school and public.

I would also add from my nearly quarter of a Century as a bookseller that all of three works are the sort that will find their way to the reference shelf of any writer (or any aspiring) of high fantasy who wants to produce a work, which will be taken seriously. You see there is an open secret among those in the know that the fantastic in history dwarfs and at the same time feeds the fantastic in fiction.

As I mentioned previously, I attend and participated in a number of conferences each year and one of my favorites is Mythcon, the annual Conference of Mythopoeic Society. So let me tell you about the Mythopoeic Society. It's a non-profit international literary and educational organization for the study, discussion, and enjoyment of fantasy and mythic literature, especially the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Williams. Members of the Mythopoeic Society include scholars, writers, and readers of mythic and fantasy literature. The Society sponsors an annual Mythopoeic Conference (Mythcon), Discussion and Special Interest Groups, the Mythopoeic Awards, and three periodical publications. If you want to find out or join the organization I suggest you check out their website. http://www.mythsoc.org/mythsoc.html.

This year's Mythcon (number 34) took place at the Scarritt Bennett Conference Center in Nashville, Tennessee not far from the campus of Vanderbilt University and it focused around the theme from Athena to Galadriel, wise women in mythopoeic fiction. It was a huge success but my eyes go weary as I write late into the night so I will get to some of my own personal high points for the conference of 150 or so souls, among them some of the foremost scholars on, and writers of, Mythopoeic Fiction on the Planet.

I was not invited to do a presentation at this conference which was just as well because it allowed my to concentrate on my other love: book selling, just meeting people, which is one of the biggest reasons I do it. That is how I met the Reverend Perry C. Bramlett, who turned out to be one of the best customers at the conference. In the course of bookselling I mentioned that I was working on some research on C.S Lewis WWI experience and its effect on some of the Motifs, and word choices he used in his religious writings. Bramlett was very encouraging and mentioned he had done some work on Lewis and written a book on Tolkien. Well it turns out I was talking to one of the world experts on C.S Lewis as is apparent from his website. http://www.win.net/~pbramlett/, which I highly recommend you, visit.

But what I am going to write about here is his book on J.R.R.Tolkien.

I Am in Fact a Hobbit: An Introduction to the Life and Works of J.R.R. Tolkien
Perry C. Bramlett
Joe R. Christopher, contributor
Mercer University Press
ISBN: 086554851X $29.95

This book reminds me of its author in a very special sense. That is to say, it at first appears to be a bit modest and almost understated. It is in fact a long-awaited and highly competent and updated introduction to the Life and Works of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Further, its title is drawn from a 1958 Letter that J.R.R. Tolkien wrote to one of the dearest and most giving person I have met in my life, Deborah Rogers, who I believe wrote one of the first doctoral dissertations on Tolkien in Comparative literature at UW-Madison in The late 1960's

Here is a section drawn from the text of the letter J.R.R Tolkien wrote her as it appears on the back dust jacket of Bartlett's book.

"I am in fact a Hobbit in all ways but size. I like gardens, trees and un-mechanized farmlands. I smoke a pipe and like good plain food (un-refrigerated), but detest French cooking. I like and even dare to wear these dull days, ornamental waistcoats..."

Bramlett starts with a concise 25-page overview of Tolkien's life and works and systematically continues by going through the body of Tolkien's lifetime of writings, carefully and accurately presenting and summarizing other critical opinion in an authoritative and clear manner. And perhaps the best of part of the book is that Bramlett seems to have no ax to grind of his own. This makes a lot of sense since he is in fact a C.S Lewis expert.

What I particularly like about Perry Bartlett's approach is that he does not set up his new readers to be disappointed, if they are looking for more of the Hobbit, as some have, by miss-representing and encouraging them to purchase and read Tolkien's posthumously published works. Perhaps the best example of what I mean is the heavily edited Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien's (1892-1973) project of a lifetime. The Silmarillion was first published ( by George Allen Uwinn in 1977, four years after Tolkien's death), in a hardcover edition of 600,000 which made it one of the most bought yet least read books ever written in the English Language. The work did not go into a later English or American edition until late into the 1990's.

I am not making a value judgment of the literary quality of The Silmarillion, which is as beautiful as the King James Bible version of the Old Testament with the high dramatic overtones of a Norse Saga. I am only arguing that someone who bought it and expected more of The Hobbit or The Lord of The Rings would be disappointed. I also like the way he uses and attributes his sources, and uses a number of classic works on Tolkien, in a way that his reader can easily follow them up if more information is necessary.

Another value added feature of the book is its six appendices consisting of 55 pages. These include a chronology of Tolkien's life, the published works of J.R.R Tolkien, (listed in chronological order of appearance), and a resource bibliography, a listing of Tolkien Journals, newsletters, societies, and archives. They also include a section on Tolkien on the Internet, and Tolkien sound recordings. I also thought that preceding section by Joe R. Christopher "The impact of Tolkien's writings, a personal reflection", added a nice touch to the book from a scholar who first read The Lord of The Rings nearly 50 years ago. Had he bought all three of the volumes as first editions when they appeared in hardcover in 1954 and 1955 from a UK bookseller he would now be sitting on an investment worth over $40,000 according to The Advanced Book Exchange A.B.E. http://www.abebooks.com/, just in case you want to check it out.

This is the sort of book that I strongly believe should be part of the collection of every public library in the English speaking world no matter how small. Because, through the wonder of inter-library loan, nearly all of J.R.R. Tolkien's works have been made available through access to the resources of larger library systems. It would also be used in the reference collection of an undergraduate or even a research library. I know it has found a place in mine, because it is useful to someone like me who has been writing about Tolkien for the last 20 years.

In early August we found we were on the road again, or should I say in the air. In late June we found that two of our dearest friends from the United Kingdom would be attending the International Society of Anglo-Saxonists (ISAS):"Conversion and Colonization conference " 4 - 9 August 2003. Hosted by ACMRS (Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Arizona State University. So we decided this would be a good opportunity to meet our friends and for my do some research. I was able to get space in the bookseller's room. So, we were barely back from Nashville before we headed for Scottsdale Arizona.

We did not spend the whole week locked up in the conference center even though the temperature regularly hit 110. The most dramatic thing we did was take a 500 mile round trip to The Grand Canyon which looked like God dug it with a soldier's entrenching tool and finished it off with colors from the palate of a Dutch master oil painting. The trip took sixteen hours only three of which we spent off the bus, and I think I annoyed my Uk friends when I suggested we could drop the whole country of Wales into The Grand Canyon and not miss it.

Speaking of Wales (the county rather than the Sea Creature). I guess it is time to return to the conference where I met fellow bookseller and author Garner Scott Odell, who was a very interesting character indeed. Garner Scott Odell, retired after forty years as a clergyman therapist and professor, He resides in California with his wife, also a writer. Garner currently divides his time between writing and enjoying his children and grandchildren, in addition to serving as Chaplain aboard a major cruise ship line that travels the world's oceans. If you want to find more about him check out his Website http://www.twoauthors.com/Garner.htm .

I have for review a copy

Sir David
Garner Scott Odell
Xlibris Corporation
ISBN 1401078362 $34.99

His first novel, which he refers to as a labor of love based upon one of his own ancestors a historical character found while climbing down the Odell family tree. The book is a product of his fifteen years of painstaking research.

The book is a handsomely and professionally produced and printed on demand product which is indistinguishable from a major publisher trade edition complete with an attractive dustjacket and interior illustrations maps.

The character Odell creates, or perhaps better said breaths life to would not would not be unfamiliar to fans of Scotland's William Wallace in that they were both Giants for there time well over six feet seven inches tall, both embroiled in wars with England. But of course they differed in many ways also since Wallace Died on an English rack at the end of the 13th Century, and Sir David died in bed as an old man towards the end of the 15th.

The picture we have of Sir David is a Broad one with many fine detailed stokes which included sections on the politics of England and Wales during the Wars of the Roses 1455-1487. The book is a careful blend of the personal and political and family life of one of the players who walk across this very tumultuous in which England was going though the first the agony of transformation from a Medieval Monarchy to a modern state a transformation would be another 200 years in the making. I would add the book is written in an informed an at the same time accessible manner making it interesting to the adult but at the same time accessible to the bright young adult reader and it would be a fine item to add to a public library collection.

One last note someone who helps me edit this project strongly urged me to take out some of the personal items I mention about myself particularly the part about my finishing my advanced degree in 1998. I had no answer to why I would not but I am grateful that my Editor & Chief allows me editorial freedom to include. Of course the first reason I left it in was I sweated blood to finish it but a very strong second is I feel it is one of my credentials allowing to make informed library purchasing recommendations.

Something occurred to just at this instant as I am finishing this project. It must be as a result of having immersed my self in items Medieval for this months bookshelf particularly The Chivalry Bookshelf: items I started to sense that many parallels between Medieval Warfare and 21 st Century Sports. I think I feel another paper coming on. Please will somebody through a bucket of water on me before I get out of hand.

Philip Kaveny
Literary Editor
Midwest Book Review

Klausner's Bookshelf
But Inside I'm Screaming
Elizabeth Flock
Mira
ISBN: 1551667274 $12.95

In NYC, Isabel Murphy is a rising anchorwoman at the American News Network (ANN). However, voices in her head keep telling her that her family feels she is worthless and her catastrophic marriage adds to her lack of confidence and emotional belief that her parents are right when they call her a disappointing failure. Isabel has a chance to prove otherwise when she is the only newsperson at the station when the death of Diana Princess surfaces. She goes on the air to report the breaking news, but freezes and is unable to say a word as her brain just drums to the beat of failure. Knowing her broadcast career is over and how she has disappointed everyone, Isabel opts for suicide, but fails at that. She enters Three Breezes Psychiatric Facility where she finds the lunatic asylum worse than anything she ever imagined. She will only fly above the cuckoos nest when she accepts that she can't please everyone so she should try to please herself. This is an insightful character study that looks extremely close into the psyche of someone whose mental breakdown and depression places her over the edge. The bleak yet at times amusing well written story line focuses on Isabel whose collapse will stun the audience even while we follow her thoughts and actions. Isabel's disintegration with a frightening glimpse of the goings-on at the psychiatric facility is not for everyone, but readers will agree that Elizabeth Flock provides a powerhouse.

Clear and Convincing Proof
Kate Wilhelm
Mira
ISBN: 1551666979 $23.95, 352 pp.

In Oregon, the Kelso-McIvey Rehabilitation Center is known locally as the Rehab Center. The facility provides non-profit medical care for people. However, neurosurgeon David McIvey, son of one of the founders, has other plans for the place as he sees an opportunity to make money although the clinic was his mother's dream and his wife enjoys her volunteer work there. The current clinic leaders Dr. Greg Boardman and his wife Naomi oppose changing the clinic, but soon may have no say as David inches closer to taking total control. However, someone takes exception to David's plan and kills him just outside the clinic. The police suspect that the victim's wife, in cahoots with a physical therapist working at the Rehab (who they believe is her lover) committed the homicide. Attorney Barbara Holloway thinks otherwise and plans to prove her clients are innocent. CLEAR AND CONVINCING PROOF is an exciting legal thriller that will keep the audience guessing as the evidence affirms the police position as to who is the killer though clues are provided throughout the tale. The story line is fast-paced especially while Barbara explores alternate motive theories. Though the reason for the murder seems soft, it is reasonably established so fans receive a powerful investigative tale wrapped inside a strong legal thriller.

Black Sheep
R.J. Kaiser
Mira
ISBN: 1551667266 $23.95

Veering towards sixty, Jonas Lamb has been married six times with five ending in not so harmonious divorces. Currently wife number six is wealthy and dying; Jonas does what he does best, muddle relationships by having an affair with another woman angering his stepdaughter. Jonas' son Patrick has discovered a cheap oil substitute that will rock the pillars of modern geo-politics. The amoral Jonas sees this as a chance to gain affluence and power while reconciling with his son who he has ignored forever. Jonas needs seed money so he goes to an almost as sleazy friend, Hong Kong billionaire Jimmy Yee for the investment capital. However, a secret of this magnitude and impact cannot stay hidden for long. Soon the Feds want to control "BLACK SHEEP", not necessarily for altruistic reasons. To do so they and others will gladly slaughter the two Lambs. This is a fast-paced, dark and gritty thriller that never slows down for a moment. Perhaps except for Patrick and his mother there seems to be no good guys including the lead rogue, whose behavior lacks anything remotely ethical or at least facetiously charming. Though there is a minor romance subplot, fans of grim action-packed story lines will want to read this testosterone thriller.

Silent Wishes
Fiona Hood-Stewart
Mira
ISBN: 1551667282 $6.50, 448 pp.

Harcourts International CEO Sylvia Hansen is stunned when her company's upcoming new product line is stolen and issued at a great discount by rival Marchands. She knows immediately that the dastardly deed is the work of Aimon Thackeray. To save her firm and her reputation, Sylvia races to London where she meets with her bitterest opponent inside the company, Lord Jeremy Warmouth. After a week of struggling without finding the leak, Sylvia leads a worldwide campaign selling products at a major loss, but recouping the lead global position, saving their market share. As Sylvia and Jeremy work closely together, they begin to develop respect for another and fall in love. However, Sylvia has many secrets that she prefers to stay buried and when someone tries to blackmail her she finds herself in a dilemma. Will she stand firm in her ethics and love and take the chance her "sordid" past will come to light or will she pay the price to hide her Louisiana background from the man she loves and the board of directors? Readers who enjoy a strong lead female overcoming a horrendous heritage will want to read SILENT WISHES. The tale provides a deep look at the cutthroat international business world where government regulations are ignored. Though Jeremy acts at first too much as an aristocratic snob and Aimon behaves more like the nasty is more important than the bottom line, Sylvia makes the tale into a winner with her caring personality.

Haunted
Heather Graham
Mira
ISBN: 1551667509 $6.99, 384 pp.

Though he scoffs at the thought of ghosts at his Colonial era manor Melody House, Stoneyville, Virginia Sheriff Matt Stone agrees to allow a ghost hunter to look into the sightings. Sweetening the pot is that his friend Adam Harrison of Harrison Investigations will pay him for the honor. However, to his chagrin, Adam fails to show up, but instead his associate Darcy Tremayne arrives. Matt displays animosity towards Darcy because she reminds him of his selfish former wife and he ridicules her so-called abilities. However, she quickly shakes everyone up when she finds the century plus old skull of a battered individual in the nearby forest. Soon through her connection to her deceased beloved teen pal Josh, she makes contact with an agitated spirit. She begins to worry over falling in love with the Sheriff, who may be a serial killer. This exciting paranormal romance will provide sub-genre readers with plenty of entertainment. This fun tale stars two charming lead characters and a strong support cast. Though the twist into a serial killer seems off kilter, fans will enjoy Heather Graham's HAUNTED because everyone including the Amazing Randi will believe in Darcy's abilities via her pal Josh.

Flamingo Diner
Sherryl Woods
Mira
ISBN: 1551667223 $6.50, 400 pp.

Her sixteen year old brother Andy calls pleading with Emma Killian to come home because their dad is acting strange; Don has even yelled at his beloved wife and two sons in front of patrons of the family run FLAMINGO DINER. Emma, busy working at the DC based Fashionable Memories Antiques store, blows away her sibling as being an alarmist. Two days later, Don apparently committed suicide driving his car into the nearby lake. Emma returns home to bury her father and to help her mother and siblings cope with the tragedy. Police Chief Matt Atkins who witnessed the death tries to help the family too, but especially Emma, a woman he loved since his teen years. As the four surviving Killians try to regain their equilibrium, Emma falls in love with Matt, but she feels that Winter Cove is not cosmopolitan enough for a big city antiques dealer like her. This is a strong character study as each one of the four Killians struggles in their personal way to cope with the apparent suicide. They go through the various stages of grief starting with none of them accepting that Don killed himself. Returning to normalcy is impossible as each copes with their feelings of guilt. Sherryl Woods provides her audience with a taut touching tale and readers will appreciate the depths the author reaches.

In Hot Pursuit
Suzann Ledbetter
Mira
ISBN: 1551666871 $6.50, 384 pp.

Over two decades ago, Police Officer Liz Rivas watches her husband Rick, a detective on the force, shot while both were off duty. Liz testifies against her spouse's murderer at the trial, but the Mafia hitman's lawyer manages to keep his client free. The Feds place Liz and her young son in the witness protection program. For the next two plus decades, Liz has lived in Pfister, Missouri, as Jenna MacArthur, managing and operating the MacArthur's Park combo flee market and coffee shop. Her son now works as a cop. A stranger who looks vaguely familiar buys a Grisham novel from Liz. Paul Haggerty, a former cop, made a vow to Rick that he intends to keep. He found Liz via the Internet due to a site managed by her mother. As he and Jenna fall in love, he realizes he may have inadvertently brought danger to the woman he now cherishes. This a strong romantic suspense thriller though why Rick's killer acts after two decades of walking the streets even if he risks eventual conviction is hard to grasp. Still the lead couple is a delight and the support cast adds the depth of small town Missouri into the mix. Fans of terse tales will be IN HOT PURSUIT of Suzann Ledbetter's fine novel.

311 Pelican Court
Debbie Macomber
Mira
ISBN: 1551667193 $7.50, 384 pp.

In Cedar Cove, Judge Olivia Lockhart informs the divorced couple, schoolteacher Rosie and accountant Zach Cox, that instead of their fifteen year old daughter and their nine year old son shuffling back and forth between them in joint custody, the parents will. In other words the kids keep the house and a parent will reside in Zach's apartment when he or she is not with the children. The Judge's former husband Stanley keeps visiting from Seattle hoping to reconcile with her as his second marriage ends. The Judge would like her former beau Cedar Cove Chronicle Editor Jack Griffin to show gumption and make a commitment to her. Olivia's best friend librarian Grace Sherman suffers from depression while still grieving the suicide of her husband Dan. Their Maryellen is pregnant, but refuses to allow the father Jon Bowman access before during and after she gives birth. Finally, at the Thyme and Tide bed and breakfast, a guest is dead. The owners Bob and Peggy Beldon are shocked, but more so he because the deceased looks hauntingly familiar from his Nam days that he shared with Dan. 311 PELICAN COURT, the sequel to 16 LIGHTHOUSE ROAD, is an interesting slice of life tale that reads more like a series of rotating vignettes than a novel. Each story line representing a slice is well written and brings insight into the key character(s) as well as the small town. The prime protagonists are fully developed and remain consistent with the prequel so those fans of the previous novel, Debbie Macomber, or just a deep contemporary drama will value the return to Cedar Cove.

Into the Fire
Anne Stuart
Mira
ISBN: 1551666944 $6.50

At the urgings of her mother, boarding schoolteacher Jamie Kincaid drives from her Rhode Island home to Cooperstown, Wisconsin to learn what happened to her cousin, Nate. Officially, Nate was found murdered in the garage of his best friend Dillon Gaynor. Jamie's car breaks down near Dillon's establishment, forcing him to provide hospitality to her. She stays under his hostile roof with her money and credit cards soon missing and while she waits for her vehicle to be repaired. Only his "pal" Mousy treats her nice. Still though a dozen years have passed since they last saw one another the attraction between the daughter of wealth and the bad boy blossoms into an adult love. However, the specter

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