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Reviewer's Bookwatch

Volume 2, Number 5 May 2002 Home | RBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Emily's Bookshelf Jade's Bookshelf
Maggie's Bookshelf Marjorie's Bookshelf Shirley's Bookshelf
Rose's Bookshelf Paul's Bookshelf Sullivan's Bookshelf
Harold's Bookshelf Jennifer's Bookshelf David's Bookshelf
Laurel's Bookshelf Harwood's Bookshelf Gorden's Bookshelf
Cindy's Bookshelf Roger's Bookshelf Hodgins' Bookshelf
Bill's Bookshelf Dana's Bookshelf Sandra's Bookshelf
Klausner's Bookshelf Shelley's Bookshelf Judy's Bookshelf
Kaveny's Bookshelf Bethany's Bookshelf Buhle's Bookshelf
Betsy's Bookshelf Donovan's Bookshelf  



Reviewer's Choice

Living Parallel
Alexander Kliment (translated from the Czech by Robert Wechsler)
Catbird Press
16 Windsor Road, North Haven, CT. 06473
ISBN 0-945774-51-6, c. 2002; 238pp; $21.00

Ginny Parobek
Reviewer

"Does no one know the no-man's land right in the middle of Europe?"

This is a frustrated, plaintive cry-in-the-wilderness in 1960s Czechoslovakia, as voiced by fictional anti-hero, Mikulas Svoboda, a 40 y/o architect living in communist Prague. "Thanks to decisions of Presidents in drawing rooms," Mikulas' "little slab of Bohemia' is controlled by men with a thirst for power. In order to survive a dreary existence of gray tedium, condemned to a 'career' designing prefabbed highrise apartment "housing cells," Mikulas finds himself literally living two separate lives.

Like Saint Mikulas, his namesake who on his nameday is purported to walk with both a devil and an angel, Mikulas Svoboda must walk hand-in-hand with his double lives which are unable to intersect either personally or professionally. However, he is not a one-dimensional character by any means; nuances and complexities affect his every decision. Divorced from Jarmila, a wry blunt woman who provides a delightful foil to his oft-dreamy perceptions of life, he finds himself involved again with Olga, an old flame. Olga, tiring of the communist regime, has made plans to emigrate to the West and has invited him to join her.

With all of his frustration against the State, one would think that Mikulas would jump at the chance to leave the downtrodden Prague, but not so fast: he isn't just a one-dimensional, run-of-the-mill discontent, for Mikulas confesses that he finds "a kind of freedom" in his parallel lives! Jarmila even thinks he is in love with his discontent, for as much as he complains about his "barebones life," Mikulas is "a narcissist condemned to himself.' He even describes his disparate lives as "an oasis of my own, an internal world..."

Originally published in 1977, Living Parallel was written by Alexander Kliment, a writer whose work was banned in his native Czechoslovakia for years under the Soviet regime. Catbird Press, a US publisher dedicated to publishing contemporary Czech literature, has just released this work to English readers. It is the first booklength translation for Robert Wechsler and is a story filled with the beauty of language and images; its prose and diction are flawless and the translator must be commended for what had to be painstaking work.

Like others of his generation that grew up under Stalinism, Mikulas professes no religious affiliation, yet the claim can be made that he is merely suppressing his spirituality, and not only out of the Marxist influence but also out of anger with God for permitting a world that has "no right or wrong; just power and chaos." For someone who claims no spiritual faith, though, there is an awful lot of mention of wayside crosses, angelic spirits and whispered prayers in Mikulas' story. Statues of saints and martyrs become almost animinated in his everyday world; as he walks through Vrtbovsky Gardens or along the Charles Bridge, statues smile, nod and watch him go by. (If God won't watch out for him, maybe they will?)

Mikulas is a bit of a dreamer and a drifter. He confesses to a certain amount of contentment in life and occasionally engages in philosophic debate on Marxism with a profession of architecture. Flashbacks of past conversations with Jarmila yield some interesting clues to our anti-hero. Jarmila provides comic relief to the melancholic, dreamy Mikulas whose "abstract talk drives her crazy." Jarmila is strong enough to make it on her own without him. Not that Olga isn't a stark contrast to Mikulas, either--she's similarly independent and capable of living alone. Whether or not he accompanies her to France is purely his own decision; she twists no arms.

Without disclosing whether or not Mikulas will emigrate West with Olga, he will survey his life in Prague and evaluate whether to leave his native city or not. He seems to have an almost spiritual connection with Prague--"my city with its everyday liturgies and little miracles." In fact, Mikulas may very well transfer much of his innate, suppressed spirituality onto the Prague landscape and countryside itself. A similar angsting choice is seen with Iva Pekarkova's 'Fialka' in the 1994 Truck Stop Rainbows (Pera a Perute) who also has the opportunity to emigrate West with a lover and escape the police state of her native Prague. Fialka agonizes over the larger question of leaving home and wrestles with the questions of "just what is home, anyway?" Both Fialka and Mikulas ultimately make some interesting decisions for their futures.

Sacred Woman, Sacred Dance
Iris J. Stewart
Inner Traditions International
One Park St, Rochester VT 05767
ISBN 0-89281-605-8, $29.95 (CAN $48.00), 2nd Edition 2002, 256 pages, 56 Illus.

Steve Cochrane
Reviewer

An immersion into the mystery that is existence:through the body, through dance-that is journey Iris Stewart takes us on, if we so choose.

Dance, of course, is well known for its capacity for freedom of expression: though at that, not practiced by many in modern life. In this wide-ranging philosophical, spiritual, archaeological, historical, and personal search, Iris experiences, finds and intuits that dance is and can be something even more encompassing-spirituality at its deepest. It would seem that dance was the earliest means of tuning into that essence which is better felt than described or conceived; practiced through the whole cycle of life-nativity, survival, passing.

It also seems that tracings can still be found in dance that link us to the whole range of hominid life, and of all life, and of all time and space; but here again we get to where words fall short. In the book, however, you will find suggestions gently directing to many of the myriad physical paths to explore, individually or in communion with others.

You will also find that the dance community, primarily women, is and immense repository of philosophy and tradition, that has been given little respect or acknowledgement in mainstream circles. Say, Anna Halprin back through Martha Graham, Ruth St. Denis, Isadora Duncan, Antonia Merce`-seen as free spirits most certainly, but beyond that very in touch with that deep range of life that is mostly lost in modern life. Also profoundly able to express it through all the senses, as well as intellectually. Much has been written about this by these and other dancers, but that rarely reaches beyond a small circle.

This book, then, especially holds the potential to benefit individual people (including males!), as well as the world as a whole, for what it explores really is the feminine principle in its deeper aspects, which of course involves all of existence. The realm includes ancient and modern Temple dances, Liturgical dances from all the major religious traditions (yes, Christians have/do dance in worship); the shallowly named Belly Dance (which the author calls WomanDance from its association with childbirth), Tribal Dancing, Sufi Dancing, Circle and other Folk dance, Flamenco, and Modern Dance.

Finally, it also includes extensive source notes, bibliography, and other resources, such that it could be considered a bible of sacred dance!

Manhattan Sharks
Thomas Sipos
Xlibris Corporation
436 Walnut Street, 11th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106-3703
ISBN 0-7388-2774-6, 278 pages ($32.99 list price), 1 (888) 795 4274 , www.xlibris.com

Hank Schwaeble
Reviewer

Manhattan Sharks is a fictional attempt to reexamine the 1980's, the so-called "decade of greed," through the microcosm of Manhattan "tweeners"--those born at the tail-end of the baby boom-- trying to begin their adult lives in the commercial center of the free world. Thomas Sipos uses Manhattan Sharks to put the lie to an enduring myth: the idea that an emphasis on free market competition at the expense of socially-conscious idealism caused the1980's, a decade generally associated with tax cuts and government disengagement, to be a cataclysmic failure. Sipos reveals the true angst of those who hated the era of "Reaganomics" to be rooted in their own generation's fixation on class, prestige, acceptance and symbolism, a fixation exacerbated by that same generation's disdain for actual work.

At times humorous, at other times satirically somber, Manhattan Sharks follows the quotidian trials of Henry Willoughby, a recent college graduate thrust uncertainly into the early 1980's New York City labor market. Henry's plight is contrasted with several other characters directly or indirectly connected to his low-level job as a TV ratings analyst in Manhattan, a place repeatedly characterized in the book as shark-infested. With one exception, however, none of the novel's characters is a"shark" at all. Like Chuang Tse's butterfly that may be dreaming he is a man, most of the characters in Henry Willoughby's world are guppies dreaming they are apex predators, or harboring dreams of becoming one. The sea in which these schoolfish swim is actually an ocean of upward mobility, a social eco-system into which they are the first generation born. This was a new economy, in no small part the product of Reagan administration policy initiatives and efficiency gains in industry that created excess wealth. It is also an environment these children of relative privilege only think they understand, one whose rules have been inchoately learned by them through the filter of institutions hostile to the values and attitudes needed to navigate these uncharted waters.

The combination of wide-eyed idealism and abstract, impractical education found in Sipos' characters results in a comical mix of self-pity, apathy, neuroses and delusion. Henry accepts things as they seem to be, but still struggles to understand them without losing his sanity in the process. Henry's friend Russell believes outward displays of success are the key to landing a good job. His other friend Rupert approaches interviews like a long-tailed cat does a room full of rocking chairs. Cathy is too busy hiding her true self to even realize either her own success or the keys to it. Simon Seltzer, Cathy's vision of the perfect man, turns out to be less than meets the eye, while Kyle, a smart and youthful ad exec smitten with her, lacks the shallow criteria she has absorbed as being crucial in a mate. What almost all these characters have in common is that each of them, save Kyle, fails to realize what they lack and, even more tragically, what they want. Their goals have been defined by others, as have their self-images. So convincing is the apparent insanity of the market to such people that even to the reader it is only the two characters that do understand the true nature of things--one aggressive in pursuing his goals (personal as well as professional), the other passively enjoying a quiet success by keeping his nose to the grindstone--that illustrate the free market is not the problem at all. It ultimately becomes clear the real problem is the attitudes and values of those who cannot move past the hopelessness produced by a worldview that simultaneously nurtures a sense of entitlement and envy on the one hand, and a sometimes subtle, sometimes not-so-subtle, disdain for the system that provides each their only real opportunity for success on the other. Interestingly, the rather libertarian Sipos champions not so much the Reagan Republicans of Wall Street, as one might expect, but instead someone who typifies the Reagan Democrat. Sipos' most self-assured, self-actualized character is Tony, a rugged Union, blue-collar maintenance type unconcerned with the obsessions of those shark wannabe's whose failure to understand the purpose of employment has relegated them to very the bottom of the food chain without their realizing it. Tony's ultimate fate is both poignant and ironic as he is victimized by the very type of person who pays incessant lip service regarding the welfare of people like Tony in theory, but from whom people like Tony in reality ask nothing.

Stylistically, Sipos leans toward the minimalist. He does not immerse you in the Manhattan of twenty years ago with detailed descriptions and metaphors. Sipos' focus is on the characters, but even there he is sparing in his use of adjectives. The result is a sort of fleshed-out screenplay effect, where the characters come alive primarily through their words. The reader ends up being transported into surroundings wallpapered more by ideas and actions than visual patterns and scenes. That is not to say Sipos abjures all description; rather, he uses descriptions to convey concepts more than he does verisimilitude. This is a difficult style to master, since if not done with care it can make the experience harder for the mind's eye to maintain, but it is highly consistent with underlying theme of the novel: too much description would suggest the presence of depth rather than the lack of it. It is, of course, the very lack of depth in the social and political zeitgeist of Manhattan circa 1983 that Manhattan Sharks attempts to illustrate.

Sipos is an obvious admirer of Reagan, and that is sure to turn some readers off. Whether one admires our former President or not, Sipos' humorous indictment, not so much of the limousine liberal as of the limousine liberal mentality, has such a firm grasp upon the essence of an important truth that only the most doctrinaire of ideologues could deny it. People who enter a "career" field where little is produced and even less is accomplished, who attain a status of education without the actual benefit of one, who are as convinced of their own value just as surely as they are of the cruelty of a system that requires its participants to prove it, are souls condemned to live lives of quiet desperation. Sipos described their lot on the book's back cover as one of yuppie hell, but it is more akin to middle class purgatory, a place where the sins of a permissive, irresponsible culture must be purged before any meaningful life change can take place. As Sipos reveals, the true sharks of that culture have hidden their dorsal fins behind a fleece of compassion, but it is their insatiable appetites that have shaped the attitudes of the guppies that dream of growing fins of their own.

Manhattan Sharks is well-written, fast-paced, and unapologetically caustic in its humor. Check it out--you'll be glad you did.

The Last Slow Dance
Mary Gauden Hughes
Henri Butler Press
PO Box 1075, Roebuck, SC 29376
ISBN: 1-930847-05-X, $12.50, 117 pages

Jan McDaniel
Reviewer

This novella is one of those little books with special appeal. It sneaks up on readers with a unique twist all its own. Michael McCain, a musician and the main character, thinks he knows what he wants. Bruised from a failed marriage and the struggles of single parenting, he comes to the proverbial "fork in the road" when two worlds offer what he has almost decided is beyond his reach. Material success tugs him in a direction he has longed to go . . . but is onstage with legendary Abbie Rhodes the place that will make him truly happy? If not, has he tossed away the most important people in his life?

The story of how this novella came to be published is as interesting as the book itself. Though southern author Mary Gauden Hughes doesn't look like a revolutionary, she has become one of a new breed of talented author/publishers producing quality books and shaping the future of the industry. What's more, Hughes has a message for all the kitchen table writers out there: You already have what you need to achieve your dreams!

In her book, she says, "Life doesn't just happen to us. There is one spectacular moment when it happens for us. It happens to change us somehow, to pick us up just when we're heading in the wrong direction . . . "

Along with her character, Michael, and the traveling writer who becomes a predominant figure in his future, Hughes finds responsibility is the key to happiness and fulfillment . . . and successful publishing. Going beyond getting her own books into the hands of readers, she is now helping other authors reach their dreams. Read more about this author and how she is doing this at her website: http://henributlerpress.webnow.com

Deep Midnight
Shannon Drake (aka Heather Graham)
Kensington
$6.99, paperback, 478 pages, ISBN 0-8217-6837-9

Lyndy Littel
Reviewer

While visiting the beautiful city of Venice, Italy, Jordan Riley a syndicated book critic, finds herself being sucked into the most extraordinary and terrifying events during the Carnevale pre-lent celebration. Decked out in her rented Renaissance costume, and feeling like a fifth wheel, Jordan reluctantly agreed to accompany her cousin and his wife to the most prestigious event of the night, an invitation only ball given by Nari Contessa della Trieste.

As Jordan was watching the night's entertainment, a mummer who was playing the Odo, Conte of the Castello had decried his lack of an heir. The mummer selected three women to play his wives who could bear the Conte no sons. Each one was given the "kiss of death" and pretends to go limp and fall to the ground. The mummer suddenly paused, looked at Jordan and began walking through the crowd. Jordan started shaking her head, but he already had his hand on her. As the mummer walked around the room with Jordan, the guests laughed and moved about. It was then that Jordan saw the crimson spill coming from beneath the head of the first woman who had fallen to the floor. Blood. She gasped, drawing a hand to her mouth, and began to scream. Suddenly, the mummer was wrenched away from her, and she looked into the eyes of the wolf. Before Jordan could even draw a breath, the wolf whisked her away, placed her in a small launch, instructed the oarsman to row, and then was swallowed into the mist.

Jordan knew she should let it go, nobody believed her anyway. Her cousin thought Jordan's imagination was overworked because she was reviewing a book about vampires, and that she had still not gotten over the tragic death of her fianc‚. The police had search the ball and came back with nothing. The only thing they found was a ballroom filled with costumed guests still enjoying the festivities. The Contessa, who had made a rare appearance at the police station, was trying to be patient but was visibly angry and impatient with the accusations Jordan was making. The Contessa tried to reassure Jordan that it was all just a charade. Jordan wasn't convinced. As Jordan tries to uncover the truth, her mysterious savior appears to always be a shadow behind her.

Deep Midnight is a tantalizing romance that intertwines the characters in an intriguing journey into the satanic cult, the underworld of the undead, and the exotic festivities in an elegant Venetian city. Sharon Drake meticulously unfolds the plot, taking you back and forth between the present and a dark place a long time ago.

Then Is The Power
Gerry Mills
Double Dragon Publishing
ISBN: 1-894841-33-6, $4.99, March 2002, 484 pages, http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com

Michael LaRocca, Reviewer
http://free_reads.tripod.com/

This is a very hard book to review without giving away much of the suspense. But just to get started, imagine what would happen if a weapon could shut down all of America's solid-state electronics. Think of something that doesn't run on transistors or computer chips. Now try to think of an even worse weapon. Gerry Mills has. Can you?

Writing at its finest, with nothing neglected. Gerry is a marvelous author, and this book compares quite favorably with anything I've seen in print or electronic format.

The characters are realistic and distinguishable, never an easy task with a broad sweeping novel on this scale. The plot is so gripping that I read this rather lengthy book in a single sitting. The author has a wonderfully understated sense of humor. The writing is excellent, and the description is so well done that I feel like I've been to these places. Healthy doses of international espionage and the supernatural thrown in to add to the fun.

Balance. Gerry prides himself on character-driven stories, and rightfully so. But he could just as easily mention perceptiveness, plot, description, beautiful writing... Whatever you're reading for, it's in this book.

I've given out five-star reviews before, and I stand by them. But just once, I wish the rules would let me give out a six-star review for Gerry Mills' Then Is The Power.

Long before I reached the author's bio at the end, I knew that Gerry had seen the world. It shows in his writing. Some people have traveled the world and remember so much but find themselves unable to write convincingly about it, and in this respect Michael LaRocca comes to mind. But others, like Gerry, can capture the essence of a place so well on paper that some people and again Michael LaRocca comes to mind could possibly become sick with jealousy.

Okay, let me say it. Robert Ludlum and John LeCarre are mere pretenders to the throne. Gerry Mills is the genuine article. The reader can travel around the world with some truly interesting folks in a memorable adventure. Some folks we love and some we hate, and they tackle some problems that will leave you thinking long after you finish reading.

So to whip out yet one more cliche, seeing as how I can't write as well as Gerry Mills... If you only read one book this year, make it this one. (If you want to read a second book, get one of mine.)

Creature Comforts
William L. M. H. Clark
The PinPrickPress,
c/o Frogmore Publications
320 4th Street, Algoma, WI 54201
No ISBN, 18 pages, $4.00

Karla Huston
Reviewer

Poet William Clark looks to literature and language and the everyday to create poetry. He gleans his poems from the ordinary as well as the classic, the uncommon as well as the mundane.

In his book Creature Comforts, Clark's words play well with others--several others, in fact--from the mythical Prometheus to the classic adventurer Robinson Crusoe to the most monstrous of all, the creature formed by Dr. Frankenstein from the Mary Shelley story from so long ago. In fact, Clark names Frankenstein's creature Prometheus, a man condemned by the gods to suffer forever for having the nerve to challenge the status quo. Clark plunks these characters smack in the middle of pop culture, points out that they are all too human-even by today's standards, all looking for love in the wrong places, looking for acceptance in the most unexpected spaces: university campuses or the rock onto which Prometheus is chained or under tree where those amputated body parts reside together, so that one lonely hand finally rests longingly on someone else's knee:

In a very special graveyard
for the limbs of amputees -
because (in life) they weren't allowed
such promiscuities -

now, tossed together, as it were,
the situation frees
each little finger, each great toe,
to go where (in life) it longed to go;

Clarks poems are often filled with wit--that quality to perceive or know, especially in a humorous way, that which might have gone unnoticed. The poet considers Frankenstein's monster in a modern context, a man searching for a meaningful relationship in the most common and contemporary of places--the classified ads where the Creature reports that his interests as: "mountain climbing, dog sledding, walks in the woods, a glass of fine wine and romantic music." While into "light bondage," the creature seeks "electrifying encounters," and while "looks aren't important, a good brain is. Your picture gets mine." And isn't this wishful thinking by all of those who place these kinds of ads?

In addition, Clark's poems are filled with wild and crazy riffs of language. An outrageous penchant for the alliterative, Clark himself is perhaps the only one who can actually verbalize his tumbling clatter of ""p words in his poem "O Victor:"

O puny prometheus,
O pusillanimous O paltry
O pompous polygenesist

for you no plaudits no paeans
no pleasant pentametrics
no palimpsest parentheticals

your pretentious parabiosis produced
no plausible prototype (though
potentially pentadactylic) it proffered .

Or in another poem where the Creature searches for a mate in a skin magazine using a veritable flood of "f" words describe her as:

fascinating and fastidious and somewhat fastigiated;
fleshy but not fat-a pulchritudinous playmate-who
admittedly fissipalmate-is, for all that, pretty much
faultless, but certainly not fault-finding though perhaps
a bit faustian yet not obfuscating, rather, favorably
forthright and, truth to tell, downright famously funny .

--words, which of course, could describe all of us under similar circumstances, if we could pronounce them, that is, and a less vocally astute reader might find himself or herself tied up in verbal knots and Freudian slips of tongue. But not so with Clark. When he does alliteration, he makes the reader believe it, and s/he doesn't even have to know what these words mean to enjoy the rowdy and riotous ride of his line.

Finally, Clark has great fun exploring forbidden subjects, like those amputated body parts, "joined in the delicious arts beneath a sheltering tree," seeking each other for comfort. He suggests that Dr. Frankenstein might get into serious hot water by augmenting the monster's male appendage. The narrator considers how Crusoe might find sexual solace in the forbidden, how Dr. Frankenstein can't be satisfied and constantly fiddles, much to the fear and frustration of his creation, perhaps to expand his own shortcomings, how the Creature finds comfort in a blow up doll, how finally Prometheus comes to love his tormentor the "angel-eagle." Clarks poems are inhabited by the wounded, yet not hopeless, even those penises lopped off from Greek and Roman statues still hope to be united and one day stand proud and tall.

Put aside your expectations of what poetry should be. You will enjoy these poems, their sense of humor and language and just plain fun.

Guns And Roses
Taffy Cannon
Perseverance Press
c/o Daniel & Daniel, Publishers
PO Box 1525, Santa Barbara, CA 93102
ISBN: 1880284340 - 240 pages - $12.95, 1-800-662-8351

Terry Mathews
Reviewer

Roxanne Prescott is a shell-shocked ex-cop from Austin who flees to California after her partner is killed.

With time on her hands, she decides to try her had at being a tour guide. Her aunt, Maureen O'Malley, owns Irish Eyes Travel agency. When O'Malley comes down with chicken pox three days before the departure of the 'Guns and Roses' tour of colonial America, Roxanne joins O'Malley's staff.

The trip through history is not without its own peril. A woman slips and breaks her ankle at a cocktail party. Salt and sugar are swapped from their respectful holders, causing much consternation to the surprised guests. Late night phone calls make people cranky. And that's before they ever make it to their final destination, Williamsburg.

Roxanne is at a loss to explain the pranks, but her investigative skills are a blessing when the ultimate prank goes seriously awry.

I like Roxanne and the concept of a mystery series based on a travel agency. Cannon peoples her books with interesting characters and having them be included in a tour group is a great way to have all layers of society intermingle, sometimes with some pretty funny results.

This is my second Taffy Cannon book, but it won't be my last.

Enjoy!

Foreseeing The Future: Evangeline Adams And Astrology In America
Karen Christino
One Reed Publications
P.O. Box 561, Amherst, MA 01004
ISBN 0-9628031-6-2, $14.95, 218 pages, www.OneReed.com

Marina Akaziz
Reviewer

Many professional avenues were virtually closed to women in the late 19th century, and some women turned to the occult. Evangeline Adams was the most famous astrologer of the early 1900's. Astrologers revere her, and many fantastic predictions have been attributed to her. What we can say for sure is that she was a hugely successful businesswomen for her time in a very unusual field. Women's history within the occult has often been neglected, and this book begins to make up for the omissions.

An astrologer herself, Karen Christino is the author of Star Success (Pocket Books), American Astrology magazine's "Choose Your Career" column and features in magazines like Marie Claire and Modern Bride. Nevertheless, she tries to be objective and sort out the facts about her biographical subject. Do we believe that Adams was a terrific astrologer or someone who exaggerated her successes in order to impress the public? Did she really forecast World War II or the stock market crash of 1929? It's up to the reader to decide, since Christino documents the facts and examines Adams as a real person and not just a legend. We're given insight into what drove Adams to such an unusual profession in 1900, her troubles with the law and her unfulfilling marriage to a much younger man.

I especially enjoyed the sections describing the development of the occult in the U.S., including information on palmistry and spiritualism and Adams' relationship with the infamous magician Aleister Crowley. There aren't many sources on these topics which address them in a sensible manner. There's also an intriguing section on Evangeline's radio show which describes how the Federal Radio Commission was able to effectively censor radio occultists in the early 30's, despite the First Amendment. Christino provides generous chapter notes, a bibliography and index for those who are curious to know more. If you're intrigued by astrology, the occult or New Age topics and are tired of all the flaky, off-the-wall books out there, you will enjoy Foreseeing the Future. It brings a sometimes mysterious topic down to earth and tells an entertaining yarn at the same time.

Business-To-Business Golf: How To Swing Your Way To Business Success
Michael Andrew Smith
InfoPro Publishing
P.O. Box 4201, New Windsor, NY 12553-0201
ISBN 0-9703662-0-5, $14.95, www.business2businessgolf.com

Peter Hupalo
Reviewer

"Golf brings out a person's character. You will observe your guests' character and they yours. Accept it for what it is." Michael Smith

If you're an entrepreneur who likes to play golf or if you think playing golf could be a good business networking opportunity for you, you'll enjoy reading Business-To-Business Golf: How To Swing Your Way To Business Success by Michael Smith.

Smith divides his book into eighteen chapters, one for each hole of golf. Smith begins by posing a question about business-golf etiquette, answers it, and then discusses solid business ideas based upon his experience in the financial services industry and as an entrepreneur in the field of manufacturing.

On the 6th hole, Smith gives us this scenario: "... You're on the green putting for a birdie from about twenty-five feet away. Your guest is standing quite close to you and does not seem to realize how much it is bothering your concentration. You wish to communicate using one of the following:"

Smith gives three possible golf-etiquette answers:

"A. Wave your arm at your guest to have him or her move a little and say nothing.

B. In a pleasant way, ask your guest to move away since it is bothering you.

C. Don't rock the boat since this is an important client and you do not want to miss any sale opportunities. Go ahead and putt."

What? Whack the guest on the shin with your putter is not an option? Smith says the correct answer is B because it shows diplomacy and shows you're willing to confront problems without hesitation. Smith says C is the worst choice because it may indicate a personal weakness your guest is trying to probe--a lack of assertion which might well lead you to hide problems from the client.

On the 8th hole, Smith poses the question: "...Your second shot finds you just off the fairway in the rough. While addressing the ball, you inadvertently touch the ball with your club and the ball moves from its original position about an inch or so. You know full well that the golf rules mandate a one stroke penalty."

What do you do? Smith gives these choices:

"A. Do not worry about it since your guest was on the opposite side of the fairway and could not have possibly noticed.

B. Your intention is to say something but wait until later in the round.

C. You immediately add the penalty to your score and hit the ball. You advise your guest right away of your score."

The birdie (correct answer) is C. However, since the film "The Legend of Bagger Vance," I question people who call strokes against themselves for just touching the ball. Are they really just being honest or are they sacrificing an insignificant golf stroke to impress me with their Matt Damon honesty?

So, maybe, if you are playing the skeptical, untrusting sort, it's better to ignore the minor touch. Or, if you feel it's really a question of ethics, take a huge swing and run it over the top of the ball! Personally, I feel that the rules of golf should be changed to exclude any stroke, excluding putts, which moves the ball less than about five feet!
Many of the golf-etiquette lessons are pretty basic, but some are also more advanced and could really help you in a business-golf situation. For example, I didn't know that the rules of golf disallow a person to search for a ball for more than five minutes. That probably explains the looks I got while I searched for a ball just outside the pond. I saw it land just outside the pond right by the duck and didn't think it rolled in. Lesson: Don't use ducks as ball markers.

While half of Business-To-Business Golf: How To Swing Your Way To Business Success is devoted to golf etiquette, the other half is devoted to business lessons entrepreneurs will find useful.

For example, Smith tells us about the 80/20 principle which says that for many businesses only 20% of all customers account for 80% of the company's sales. Smith compares business measurements to golf scores. How can you know how well your company is doing if you don't keep proper score?

Smith writes: "Do you list your most important statistics? Can you readily assess your key costs? How are your sales listed--by type of units or services, volume or profitability? Who are your most profitable customers? Why do they place their business with you? Are there others that you can add to your list of key customers? Do you know what your tip customers represent in overall sales to your business?"

Smith suggests listing your top 20% of customers by both gross sales and profitability and then looking for similarities between these customers so that you'll have more insight into finding profitable customers.

Business-To-Business Golf: How To Swing Your Way To Business Success also contains a short glossary of golf terms (bogey is one over par, birdie is one under par) and a short list of some basic golf rules which people new to golf can use.

Overall, if you enjoy golf (or, are just learning to play it) and you enjoy reading about business, you'll probably enjoy Business-To-Business Golf: How To Swing Your Way To Business Success.



Emily's Bookshelf

I Say A Little Prayer For You
Adapted from Burt Bacharach and Hal David's original song (Illustrated by Karin Littlewood)
The Chicken House/Scholastic
555 Broadway, New York, NY 10012-3999
0439296587 $16.95. Ages 3-7, 1-800-242-7737

Singer Diana Ross romanced and soothed us during the perplexing 60s and 70s with Bacharach and David's composition, "I Say a Little Prayer for You."

Now the lyrics paint a picture of maternal, rather than romantic, love in this large-format picture book: "I run for the bus, dear. While riding I think of us, dear I say a little prayer for you. At work I just take time, and all through my coffee break time I say a little prayer for you." The illustration depicts Mother showing off photos of Daughter to co-workers over their coffee cups.

In her watercolors, Littlewood conveys a warm, caring relationship without spilling over into the saccharine.

A CD accompaniment of a vocalist performing this adaptation would have been welcome; today's young parents may not be familiar with the original hit and thus unable to catch the text's lilt and cadence.

Hush, Mama Loves You
Anna Strauss (Illustrated by Alice Priestley)
Walker & Company
435 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
0802788068 $15.95, Ages 3-7, 1-800-289-2553

Whenever Sara has a rough time, whether with a childhood "oowie," a poor grade on a fifth-grade test or the heartbreak of a first love, Mama is there for her.

She comforts her daughter with this ode: "Close your eyes, my baby. This too shall pass. Hush the hurt, my heart. Tears may fall but I am here, so hush."

Sara eventually marries and has a daughter of her own. Both mother and grandmother again make use of the soothing lyrics.

"Hush, Mama Loves You" is a reminder of the ways in which mothers and grandmothers have gently reassured and comforted children throughout the years.

The Shrouding Woman
Loretta Ellsworth
Henry Holt & Company
115 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
0805066519 $16.95, Ages 8-12, 1-888-330-8477

Eleven-year-old Evie, growing up on a Minnesota frontier farm, has recently lost her mother to consumption. Even though her 4-year-old sister readily welcomes Aunt Flo into their home, there is no way Evie is going to do so.

For one, Aunt Flo is a shrouding woman, mysteriously "dealing in death." For another, no one can or will replace Mama in Evie's affections.

Evie doesn't give Aunt Flo an easy time, sometimes displaying a mean streak in her interactions with her. But Aunt Flo is a wise, patient soul who gives Evie space and time, and makes allowances for her grief.

Evie eventually learns what the "shrouding" is all about, and comes to admire her aunt's giftedness in it. Evie also discovers she has opened her heart to this down-to-earth woman, while also remembering her Mama.

A Present For Mom
Vivian French (Illustrated by Dana Kubick)
Candlewick Press
2067 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02140-1338
0763615870 $13.99. Ages 3-7, 1-800-526-0275

With just one day before Mother's Day, little Stanley, the youngest of four, wants to find Mom a special gift.

Stanley consults his brother and two sisters and likes the presents they have decided upon. Alas, he has too few skills--or too few coins in his bank--to duplicate their efforts.

So the whole family is surprised when Stanley comes down the next day carrying a big cardboard box with a red bow. What could he have put in that big box, they wonder. Only something a creative, caring son would come up with!

The vibrantly colorful, clean illustrations, done in watercolor and pencil, highlight the humor of Stanley's antics and the poignancy of his situation.

Queenie Farmer Had Fifteen Daughters
Ann Campbell (Illustrated by Holly Meade)
Silver Whistle
c/o Harcourt Brace Children's Books
525 B Street, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101-4495
0152019332 $16.00, Ages 3-7, 1-800-543-1918

This book's preposterous premise carries with it both merriment and truth. "The day that Queenie Farmer gave birth to fifteen daughters, her beloved prize cows got loose," the story begins. "Mr. Farmer went after them and never came back. The cows never came back, either."

Queenie Farmer and her daughters always dress in black-and-white polka-dot clothing, resembling the prized runaway piebald cows. Queenie has neither the time nor energy to cater to her daughters' individual requests, but occasionally she wants to treat each specially.

When they want their own birthday cakes for their sixth birthday, Queenie spends a day baking five chocolate layer cakes, four yellow sponge cakes, three pound-cakes, two ice-cream cakes, and one angel food cake.

At 12, the girls wish for their own bedrooms and at 16, for individual party dresses. Queenie comes through for them in her own unique way. After they marry (all on the same day) and have children of their own not 15 apiece, however Queenie Farmer decides it's time to pursue an interest she has put off for the last 20 years or so. What could that be?

Grandma And Me: A Lift-The-Flap Books
Karen Katz
Little Simon
c/o Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 4th floor, New York, NY 10020
0689849052 $5.99, Ages 1-3, 1-800-223-2336

Mommy, Would You Love Me If...? : A Pop-Up Book
Carla Dijs
Little Simon
c/o Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 4th floor, New York, NY 10020
0689808135 $8.99, Ages 2-5, 1-800-223-2336

The youngest booklovers have some new titles designed especially for them by the Simon & Schuster imprint, Little Simon.

"Grandma and Me," a lift-the-flap board book, is endearing in its simplicity. The large, easy-to-open flaps reveal to a little girl what is in Grandma's suitcase, in the oven, under a pillow

The zip-zapping colors will attract babies' and toddlers' eyes, and light up their faces.

"Mommy, Would You Love Me If...? " is aimed at the toddler/preschool set. Done on lighter card stock than "Grandma and Me," it features both pop-ups and flaps--and a story line.

Little Elephant is a worrywart with many worst-case scenarios in his head. He asks Mommy Elephant what would happen if a camel put him on his back and ran away with him, if a tiger tried to bite him, if the wind carried him to the other side of the world, and so on.

Clever Mommy Elephant has satisfactory answers to her child's worries, reassuring him that she will always take care of him.

Emily Will
Reviewer



Jade's Bookshelf

Kiss Of The Highlander
Karen Marie Moning
Dell Books
1540 Broadway New York, N.Y. 10036
ISBN: 044023655X, Price: $5.99, URL: http://www.randomhouse.com/bantamdell/index2.html

At 25, Gwen Cassidy wanted two things in life: to lose her virginity and to find out if true love really exists. So she hops on a plane and heads for a vacation in Scotland.

Drustan MacKeltar, 15th century druid and laird of the Keltar clan, receives a message to meet his brother's killer. Unfortunately, the message is a trap and soon, an unknown enemy uses gypsy magick to put him under a spell that makes him sleep for 500 years.

While she's out hiking in the Highlands, Gwen falls into a deep cavern and finds an unconscious Scot buried in its depths. Drustan wakes up with a stunningly beautiful woman on top of him, and is soon disoriented by the news that he's been asleep for centuries. The two of them escape from the cavern and begin a time-traveling quest to learn who placed the spell on Drustan, an act that lead to the death of his clan and the loss of his family's druid lore knowledge.

Gwen has a sharp mind, but it's often dulled by emotion. She's also courageous, brazen and open-minded. The way she falls for Drustan is completely understandable though -- he's absolutely gorgeous, strong, intelligent and sexy. What isn't understandable is how such a beauty like Gwen managed to make it to her 25th birthday without sharing her body with a man. This book begins in contemporary times, after all, and she has no religious leanings keeping her untouched. In fact, she wants little more than to "have her cherry picked."

The heat between Gwen and Drustan is so palpable, the pages of "Kiss of the Highlander" practically light on fire. Their romance is well-plotted and intense, sizzling with sex appeal and "mating heat." Their conversations fairly crackle with the strength of their attraction and the strange situation of their meeting.

Karen Marie Moning handles the time travel elements with a deft hand. She also sprinkles humor throughout this tale, and keeps the point of view transitions smooth. Her external dialogue is witty; her internal ruminations a bit overdramatic but they are characteristic of the hero or heroine's thoughts.

Kiss Of The Highlander is a fun romp filled with intriguing paranormal elements and romance. The love affair between Gwen and Drustan is both memorable and enjoyable to read, one I simply didn't want to end.

A Caress Of Twilight
Laurell K. Hamilton
Ballantine Books
1540 Broadway New York, N.Y. 10036
ISBN: 0345435273, Price: $23.95, URL: http://www.randomhouse.com/BB/

Meredith NicEssus, a faerie princess and private detective, has one goal -- to get pregnant and ensure her ascendance to the Unseelie throne before her evil co-heir can get out of prison. To attain this goal, Merry's been given six months and a handful of gorgeous faerie men to serve her as bodyguards and in the bedroom.

There's more to A Caress Of Twilight than that, of course, but the gist of the book involves this plotline. The other part of the story centers around faerie politics, mass murder and an exiled faerie of the Seelie Court who has spent the past 50 years living in Los Angeles as the golden goddess of Hollywood. Picture a Marilyn Monroe type who never ages.

Merry really comes into her own in this book, the second of Laurell K. Hamilton's faerie series. In "A Kiss of Shadows," Merry was swept into the faerie realm like a piece of driftwood caught in a rip tide. She had no control and was weakened by it. In "Caress," Merry knows she must become the queen of the Unseelie Court, and in these pages, she starts acting like a queen. A fair, caring and just monarch-to-be at that.

Accompanying her on the journey are her men: Doyle, Frost, Galen, Rhys, Nicca and Kitto. Each man has a completely different personality, and um...attributes. Some are more suitable for friendship, others clearly hope to get Merry pregnant and rule by her side. In any case, this book shows their character features and flaws along with their prowess in the sack.

Without a doubt, "Caress" is a book that will warm any lonely person's bed. If the reader is part of a couple, the sex scenes in these pages will lead to real life adventures once the lights are turned out. Like the first book in the series, "Caress" playfully borders on the erotica genre, but it also includes some thrilling and horrific aspects. A good thing, too, because Hamilton excels at writing up an exciting and realistic fight. One such encounter had me reading frantically, with knuckles white and heart racing.

Hamilton worried some of her fans by leaving the popular Anita Blake vampire slayer series to delve into the world of the fae. They can fear no more. Princess Merry has a backbone, a healthy sexual appetite and a powerful intellect -- all the traits necessary to create her own league of readers and admirers. "A Caress of Twilight" is a fantastic tale, one that will leave you hungry for more action, more bed hopping and more Merry adventures.

Jade Walker, Reviewer
http://www.jadedwritings.com



Maggie's Bookshelf

The Boy With The Big Ear
Barbara Toledo-Linder
Mountain Mist Productions
March 2002, $A5.00, http://www.ebooks.plann.com.au/BarbaraToledo-Linder.htm

I don't think that e-books for preschoolers work very well. I make this pronouncement as a parent, as the reader of countless stories to my boys, to our playgroup, and to visiting friends, rather than as a reviewer. However, for older children, such as those targeted by The Boy with the Big Ear, there is the potential for e-books to work as a kind of online learning experience. A book which encourages interactivity, using variable interactive storylines, animation, and combining verbal and visual challenges. Since my children are 4.5 and 2.4, and we were looking at an all text version, I had to print my version of The Boy With The Big Ear.

The story is a good one, and although pitched at a slightly older audience (that difficult to cater to 5-8 year old group, according to the promo) than my boys, it was still well received, and generated some excellent post story discussion about difference, and values like kindness and sympathy. The boy with the big ear has no name in this story, and lives in a kind of scared inner world, conscious of his unusually large ear "An ear grotesquely/shaped since birth/could hear what no one else could". In the classroom he is teased, especially by bully Tom, and ignored, until he meets Sophia, "a friendly face in sight". While riding his bike with Sophia, his sensitive ear hears Tom crying in pain and finding him hurt, helps him. Tom is filled with remorse at his bad behaviour, and the story ends with Tom asking the boy what his real name is.

Author Barbara Toledo-Linder is an experienced Montessori teacher/early childhood educator, and has written a number of poems, songs and stories. This is her first published book. The prose style of Boy with the Big Ear is a kind of gentle rhyme, and it is easy enough to read, just off rhyme enough to avoid the kind of Seuss sing song that can produce headaches over extended reads. The rhyme also makes the story more memorable to children, but the real power of this story is not in its prose, or even the slightly submerged and attractive poetic quality of the writing: "The sun crashed/through his window/and made a rainbow/on the chair". What makes The Boy with the Big Ear a story worth reading to your children is its message - one which involves looking beyond people's appearances, and into their natures - a message which children need to hear. Tom learns his lesson, and the boy turns his handicap into an advantage and saves the day. Everyone wins. The story works best, when read to young children, if you discuss its theme and work through some real life examples.

The book will shortly be released in a fully illustrated hard copy version.

INTERVIEW WITH BARBARA TOLEDO-LINDER, MARCH 2002

Magdalena: Why did you feel the need to write this book?

Barbara Toledo-Linder: What drove me to write this book is what motivated me to teach in the first place. It's more about having something I want to teach children. Whether it's my personality or life experience or training, I've been drawn to the realm of emotions. I've known from a young age that handling feelings, identifying, understanding and expressing them are a key to living a quality life in a meaningful way. It's no wonder that I've applied a Montessori philosophy, that includes interactive discovery and hands on experience, for the purposes of developing the child's emotional life. The Boy with the Big Ear is a story that children may be able to identify with; about how two very different young people become friends. It brings to life the emotional trials and tribulations along the way.

Magdalena: Do you think the message of tolerance is one which we need to get to our children?

Barbara Toledo-Linder: Yes, And with urgency. I grew up feeling teased, hurt and isolated in school. I didn't see too many people treat each other with respect, kindness or acceptance. A lot of times it made me feel not good about myself and the world. But I eventually learned to rely on the strength I had from within to cope and feel like a worthy, capable and loveable person.

Magdalena: Does bullying continue to be a problem in our schools?
Barbara Toledo-Linder: I have seen young children act in bully-ish ways as a way to make contact, gain recognition and acceptance, as counter productive as they may be, coming at another child's expense, especially if the child is different or vulnerable in some way. At these early ages, children often lack the language and behavioral skills necessary to articulate their feelings and initiate positive contact.

Magdalena: The book is targeted at children aged 5-8. As a teacher, do you feel that this age group is one which is often ignored by authors - too old perhaps, to still enjoy the picture books, and too young to read books which are more complex? How do you cater for this group?

Barbara Toledo-Linder: Children 5-8 yrs old adore picture books and being read to. This age group is one in which emotions are bursting forth, still for the most part is pre-verbal, their imagination can easily be stimulated. They can emotionally immerse when engaged by a story.

Magdalena: Do you feel that the book can also be enjoyed by younger readers, with parental involvement?

Barbara Toledo-Linder: Absolutely. Endless opportunities exist for exploration and conversation. It can be quite nurturing to talk with our children about their feelings as they relate to situations that they are uncomfortable with. We can learn about how our actions are separate from our feelings.

Magdalena: Tell me more about the animation you talk about on your web site. Will an illustrated, interactive, animated e-version be available at some point in the future?

Barbara Toledo-Linder: I am currently working on a narrative animated clip of The Boy with the Big Ear with an artist from Sonoma State University in Northern California. He and I would like to make an interactive e-version as well.

Magdalena: Who did the illustrations for the hard copy? Can you tell me a bit about them.

Barbara Toledo-Linder: I have asked Lise Vebel, a very talented artist from Denmark (currently living in London) to illustrate The Boy with the Big Ear. The reason I chose Lise was because she is capable of bringing the character's emotional life to light.

Magdalena: Are you working on another book or project that you would like to tell me about?

Barbara Toledo-Linder: I recently became involved in marketing my husband Daniel Linder's book: Dating, A Guide to Creating Intimate Relationships. Daniel has been a licensed therapist in the San Francisco area for the past twenty years. Dating provides basic and necessary information for transforming the quality of relationships.

Maggie Ball, Reviewer
http://www.compulsivereader.com



Marjorie's Bookshelf

The Complete Tales Of Winnie The Pooh
A.A. Milne
Dutton's Children's Books
375 Hudson St., NY, NY 10014
ISBN 0-525-4573-2, $35.00, 344 pages

When We Were Very Young
A.A. Milne
Dutton's Children's Books
375 Hudson St., NY, NY 10014
ISBN 0-525-44445-9, $10.99, 100 pages

Now We Are Six
A.A. Milne
Dutton's Children's Books
375 Hudson St., NY, NY 10014
ISBN 0-525-44446-7, $10.99, 101 pages

In these frightening days of world peril, it's sometimes hard to get to sleep at night after watching the late news on TV. Imagine what this stress must be like for little children. Even though we do our best to protect them, keep them busy with playtime activities, it's particularly difficult if we are away at work all day.

More to the point, what are we doing to awake our own inner child -- the one that finds pleasure and fun in an imagined world -- the small person in us that truly connects with and reassures our own children that they are safe?

What a delight, then, to find that Dutton Children's Books division of Penguin Books USA has now reproduced a fresh set of the original "Winnie the Pooh", "House at Pooh Corner", and the two Christopher Robin poetry books "When We Were Very Young" and "Now We Are Six." Dutton published the First Edition of A.A.Milne's Pooh books in 1926, and the 214th printing in 1958.

All of the current set are complete with Ernest H. Shepard's original drawings (called "decorations", presumably in the British manner.) Shepard's inside cover map of "100 Aker Wood" showing the locations of Pooh's Bee Tree, Eeyore's Gloomy Place, Pooh Trap for Heffalumps, and the houses of everyone in this eclectic stuffed animal cast, is printed in color at the end of "The complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh." It does help to know where Owl lives in relation to Kanga, and the location of Christopher Robin's house.

American children have a surfeit of Disney glitz-enhanced Pooh on TV and the Internet. The Pooh characters, portrayed more as cartoon characters than as easy to bond with make-believe friends, can be purchased as dolls. These are not, however, the same as the quiet, whimsey filled personalitites which A. A. Milne painted for his son in 1924, and which are now back in print after many years, for a new generation. Nor is watching Pooh on TV the same as hearing his adventures read to you by the familiar voice of a parent, grandparent or other trusted adult.

Christopher Robin is a comfortable friend with whom to identify. He's not awesome or threatening; neither brilliant nor stupid. He's a very ordinary boy with Winnie the Pooh (whose real name is "Edward Bear", and who properly is called "ther" Pooh), Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, Kanga and Roo, Owl and Rabbit to play with, to keep from harm's way, to rescue on demand. Author Milne portrays Christopher Robin as undemanding and easy going, a regular young English gentleman in short pants, polite to the core; a true Boy Guide, the noblest of children. Not too bad a role model. He's even naughty at times.

Christopher Robin's final thought "Now how to amuse them today?" after he'd had a bout of "Sneezles", been bundled to bed and probed on and pontificated over by "all sorts and conditions of famous physicians" still gets giggles from kids, and knowing smiles from parents. The poem is one of the wonderful "gentle humors and playful rhythms" (book jacket) in "Now We Are Six."

In the other illustrated 100 page poetry book "When We Were V ery Young", intended to reach the hearts of the littlest children, Christopher Robin asks himself, in the poem "Nursery Chairs":

"Shall I go off to South America?
Shall I put out in my ship to sea?
Or get in my cage and be lions and tigers?
Or ---shall I be only Me?"
Not a bad thought to implant in a child.

When I was very young, Winnie THER Pooh was the comfort of winter days of measles, mumps, bronchitis, fevered colds, when reading-to was on demand to keep me entertained. Thus Christopher Robin and Friends entered my life, and have stayed lovingly there, preserving the enchantment of childhood, for over sixty-five years.

How wise of Dutton to re-publish the original A.A. Milne books at this time,with authentic Shepard portraits of all the delightful friends who still tug at hearts and warm imaginations. Children today need these milk and honey stories and poems more than ever as security blankets against the bombardment of TV newscasts, outrageous wizards and monsters, and battling robot computer games.

Alice's cagey Wonderland romps for the slightly older set are classic. The Oz books carry on where Grimm and Aesop left off. But nowhere in the eras before or after Dr. Suess's collection, and E. B. White's "Charlotte's Web" is there such an endearing group of pre-school "Frends and Raletions" (sic Rabbit) as A.A. Milne's animated collection of his son Christopher Robin's stuffed animals.

Three cheers for Dutton's publishing acumen. Forty-five years ago, when I held court in a Manhattan office, my closed office door at noon held a sign which read, in Pooh language, "Gon to Lunch Bakson". Staff members passing by smiled, nodded and understood. They, too, had been raised on Pooh Bear.

With any luck, and the devotion of parents, grandparents, teachers, booksellers and librarians, today's little kids will be given the snuggle-up loving romps of the original A.A. Milne and Ernest Shepard's unique personalities to carry them beyond the realities of drug and gang wars and global village terror. Perhaps in their advanced years, regardless of world events outside their bedrooms, some of them -- like me -- will go to sleep at night with an arm reassuringly curled around a stuffed "Bear of Little Brain". My bear is named "Edward:, of course.

A large print 344 page hardcover edition, "The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh" contains the original two books "Winnie the Pooh" and "House at Pooh Corner." The two illustrated 100 page poetry books are available only as separately printed hardcover editions. A boxed set of all four separate books, replicating the original 214 printings, is once again available.

Author Alan Alexander Milne, a successful magazine editor, playwright, and novelist in the early 1900's was inspired to write this ageless series by his only child, Christopher Robin. What? You don't have any small children around to read to? How about letting the stories of a stout, "somewhat confused" and cherished stuffed bear revive and inspire your own inner child.

Reap
Eric Rickstad
Penguin-Putnam
375 Hudson St., NY, NY 10014
ISBN: 0140298371, $13.00, 272 pages

The Salt Of Broken Tears
Michael Meehan
Arcade Publishing
141 Fifth Av., NY, NY 10010
ISBN: 1559705671, $24.95, 304 pages

Sometimes two books of similar plot are so stunning in describing the unique environments in which the stories take place that they beg to be reviewed together. Such is the case with two recent and unusual first novels. Neither will probably make Oprah's "list", which is just as well, for it permits readers to be swept freshly into these tales by the impact of the authors' literary skills.

In "Reap", youthful author Eric Rickstad, just out of college, has created a startling bas relief of human desperation and degeneration against the background of Vermont's lushly productive forests. One is not surprised to learn that these woods are home ground for the outdoorsman author himself.

Rickstad paints his characters' lives slogged down in a debris strewn corner of Vermont's timberland whose residents are narrowly supported by jobs in commercial mills. Perhaps it's the confining economic isolation of these backwoods; certainly it's the functional illiteracy of the people who inhabit the broken down shacks and trailers surrounded by rusting autos.

This is the story of Jessup, a naive "economically deprived" (so says the dust jacket) sixteen year old boy, his search for evidence of a father he never knew, and his abrupt coming of age. As you get into the story and can get past the phonetically spelled language of the unschooled, you're into "boys in the hood" lifestyles set in an edgy lumber logged corner of the State.

Surrounding this ugliness, is the pungent scent of pine, abrasively cold spray from clear streams, the sight of fish darting in rippling brooks. Rickstad should try poetry. His love and devotion for the nature of northeastern Vermont where he still lives, flows easily in his writing. Overlaying the ugliness of squalid personal reaity with the beauty of the author's home countryside is often disturbing, as seen in the harsh demands of one of the hardened adults who shape young Jessup's life:

"'My hero. My brother, get in here and get me in a fucking chair that works.' The voice like the shriek of an outdoor spigot wrenched open after a bitter winter .... Jessup clawed at his scalp, tore bits of burdock from his hair."

This is New England's Appalachia, uncomfortably more common in the rural areas of many states than the reader may like to hear about in this 21st Century. Halfway through this immersion into a "vividly conjured natural world" (the dust jacket again), the story picks up in a haze of marijuana and stink of stale beer. The action of the plot takes off as if trying to catch up with iself, tearing Jessup from his teenage cocoon.

If Eric Rickstad's dirt hard descriptions of unvoiced emotional longings and outward violent actions are in any way autobiographical, the author is to be commended for apparently emerging whole, unlike the disparate lives of his characters. Young Rickstad slams his story home in a superbly envisioned ending. His writing is potent and shows promise of an enduring future as a novelist.

A vastly different setting surrounds the search for self in Australian journalist Michael Meehan's novel, "The Salt of Broken Tears.". "The boy", nameless, entering puberty, seeks the only answer he believes will provide the solution to the puzzle of how to begin to live.

The first page of the book left me stunned:

"Well how I remember how she blew in off the track that windy day more than a year ago, borne in like a thistle seed on the hot winds that beat in from the north, clothed in nothing but the green cotton dress that flicked and chopped about her, a patched and faded relic of some other person's life...."

The description of the girl Eileen's entrance into the boy's family circle is a mind numbing assault on the senses, a portent of strange encounters to come. The paragraph continues with references to "sandwhipped hair", "taut bare freckled body", "impertinent white teeth". It took a second slow reading of these passages to digest the confronting poetic pictures the author paints of the Australian Outback. "Stark lyricism and immense gift for imagery ... deep love for the landscape" is how one book jacket review put it. I, myself, felt dry mouthed and sandscraped, drawn against my will into this unrelieved vastness of wind and desert.

It is obvious how much the unforgiving country influences the boy (never named until the end), son of the woman whose observations open the book. As one moves with him on his journey across the parched miles of lifelessness in his search for a wandering Indian hawker and the strange and mysterious young woman Eileen, the reader senses his confusion about the coming-of-age which is his personal "holy grail."

Storyteller Meehan has managed an intriguing method of pealing back the layers of the boy's twelve years of life, which attach to him like a shadow, through his encounters with "a bizarre array of lost souls scattered across the wasteland", as the dust jacket puts it. I felt compelled to flip each page of the book as if it were I who was searching for The Answer; I who felt the frustration of being turned aside from my goal, time after time, just missing the mark. A student of mythology will recognize some ancient journeying here.

The well described settings in which these two personal search stories occur are as foreign to each other as they will be to many readers, and as well suited to their unique tales as their authors. Yet, as the stages of life go, these two journeys to find meaning are parallel: on the one hand, to a life on the edge of manhood; on the other hand, to a life just becoming aware of itself in the world.

These books are page-turners of a different sort. Even weeks after the reading, the vulnerability of the young heroes as they attempt to overcome the confounding circumstances of their physical environments is alive in my memory, and probably will be in yours. If elegant literary styling can be said to be disturbingly satisfying, you will find it dramatically so, here.

Marjorie J. Scott
Reviewer



Shirley's Bookshelf

Everything You Need To Know About Being A Woman Can Be Learned In The Garden
Patricia Fish
DLSIJ Press
ISBN 1-928973-12-4, $4.95 Download, $18.95 Paperback, 216 pages, http://www.dlsijpress.com

A witty, laugh out loud, all around enjoyable book. These are but a few words, that I can use to describe Ms. Fish's book, Everything You Need To Know About Being A Woman Can Be Learned in the Garden.

Her usage of the comparison between natures creatures and humans is exceptional. Not only did I truly see it, but learned a considerable amount about our friends. I will not look at them the same.

Ms Fish uses humor to bring across many important issues facing women today. Each and every story, as told by the women of the book, sparked within me a deep emotion. I laughed with them, I cried with them, I became one with their anger, as their words took on the visions of situations women must face. Some had victory, some had defeat, but through this, Ms. Fish's book, produces a joining of the spirit of women everywhere.

Cindy will forever be grafted in my mind. I think we all have a Cindy in our lives. I saw my Cindy's face, as I read Ms. Fish's Cindy's words, and chuckled. She was the delight of the book, as her personality flashed at you from the pages. It was with great anticipation that I waited to see what Cindy was going to say or do at the next discussion session. Her final act at the end of the book, was not something I was prepared for.

If there is any down side to this book, it would be that the read was over too quickly. I look forward to another book in the future with more wisdom from my garden sisters, and especially from Cindy.

This is a must read for all women, and men if you dare!

Eat First You Don't Know What They'll Give You!
Sonia Pressman Fuentes
SynergEbooks
ISBN: 0-74433-0231-5, $5.00 PDF, $3.00 CD Rom, http://www.synergebooks.com

Ms. Fuentes book is her life story. She takes us through her childhood, adolescence, marriage, motherhood and career. I delighted in Ms. Fuentes stories of her family. I fell, almost instantly, under the charm of her father. I awaited each story with anticipation of his wonderful antics, his strong will to achieve what he put his mind to, and his tender heart towards his child. He may not have had a formal education, but his knowledge of life and his ability to conquer situations made him a fascinating character. Sonia's Mother was a wonder . In every line her love and loyalty for her family was prevalent. I saw in both of her parents a strength, loyalty, and determination that I feel Sonia inherited.

Sonia did a wonderful job of allowing the reader to join in her families travels, laughter and heartache. Knowing the area, of which Sonia writes, I was able to visualize clearly many of the towns and areas that she spoke of.

Although Sonia's achievements are to be applauded, I feel that the best part of this book were her family stories. I loved reading of Sonia's young years and older years, under the roof of her parents home. It was both amusing and sensitive. A book that the intellectual would truly enjoy from start to finish. Also, a book for those of us, perhaps not as intelligent, to sample a few simpler morsels of entertaining stories. I wished there were more of them.

Sonia Pressman is truly a woman of many achievements. She was the first woman attorney in the General Counsel's Office at the Equal EmploymentOpportunity Commission, a founder of the National Organization for women and is a well known speaker on women's rights. Ms. Fuentes work for the advancement of women's rights should be an example for all of us to follow.

Shirley Johnson
Reviewer



Rose's Bookshelf

Yesterday Cate Blanchett said something that amazed me.

The superb actress was being interviewed on "Fresh Air" over Public Radio. Terry Gross asked about her experience with psychics. The actress explained that she'd never been to a psychic, not until she interviewed several to research a film role. The gist of what Blanchett discovered is that, to her surprise, she found many good, genuine psychics who never advertise their abilities. The implication was that the good ones wouldn't dream of charging for their services, which is how it should be.

This lofty view of free labor came from an actress who's so hot she can now be seen in movie theaters in three different major films (including The Fellowship of the Ring. What do you want to bet, Cate Blanchett doesn't volunteer. In fact, her income from any of her films, at conservative estimate, is triple the monthly income of every psychic who reads Pathways-every psychic plus every healer plus every spiritual teacher combined.

Many people feel that holistic practitioners or spiritual people, in general, would be sullied by payment. Isn't that strange? Especially since we cheerfully pay actors big bucks to do work that is, fundamentally, intuitive.

Yes, actors and holistic practitioners have so much in common: We work from a spiritual basis (what someone like Blanchett would call "going deeply into a role"); we work in service (whether it's for a personal reading or a theater audience); we carry out our work with non-judgment (one of many impressive things I heard Blanchett say in this interview related to non-judgment; when asked if she could believe in a particular character, she insisted that an actor must always accept each character on her own terms); finally, we must passionately believe in what we're doing to be any good at it.

Considering all we have in common, isn't it odd that most Americans feel that actors can't be paid too much or spiritual practitioners too little?

Maybe it's time for more of us to be published.

According to my dictionary, publishing means "To bring to public attention."

What do you have to present to the world? If it's something genuinely new, and you can write, consider publication. The books in this column could help.

Get Published!: An Author's Guide To The On-Line Publishing Revolution
Penny C. Sansevieri
1stBooks Library
2511 West 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN 47404
ISBN: $TBA, 165 pages, $15.54, www.1stbooks.com, www.booksbypen.com, 1-800-839-8640

There's a new kid on the publishing guru's block. She's spunky, energetic, encouraging and an especially appealing mentor for young writers. Her book shows you how, thanks to today's latest print-on-demand technology (P.O.D.), you could publish a book with a company like Trafford Publishing for $500. And you might even make money. Of course,

Cate Blanchett could earn $500 just by blowing her nose on camera. And even for ordinary mortals living in America at this time, that sum isn't astronomical.

Sansevieri's reader-friendly how-to shows you how to comparison shop for having your book printed in very small batches (that's what P.O.D. makes possible), how to start approaching the media, and other practical details it would be good to know. She practices what she preaches, too-does an excellent job marketing her own work.

Bottom line: Self-publishing can be intimidating. This book isn't.

The Self-Publishing Manual: How To Write, Print And Sell Your Own Book, 13th Edition
Dan Poynter
Para Publishing
ISBN: $TBA, 430 pages, $19.95, 800-PARAPUB, orders@ParaPublishing.com

The Complete Guide To Self-publishing, 4th Edition
Tom and Marilyn Ross
Writer's Digest Books
c/o F&W Publications, Inc.
1507 Dana Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45207-1005
ISBN: $TBA, 521 pages, $19.99, 800-221-5831, www.writersdigest.com, 1-800-289-0963

When you're ready to consider self-publishing, these comprehensive reference books are your best resources.

Poynter, the original self-publishing marketing guru, has the enterprise down to a science. If you like fact-filled how-to's, based on a hugely successful real life person's experience, his manual will quickly become your bible. The latest edition has useful updates about e-books and P.O.D., plus plenty of e-mail addresses for resources in the contact-rich appendices. As always with Poynter, photos enliven the text, and you'll find encouraging paragraphs like this one:

"Have you ever heard anyone say 'Simon & Schuster, I love their books, I buy everything they publish'? Of course not. People want to know what this book is about. Is this something I need to know? Who is the author? Is she a credible person? No one ever asks, 'Who is the publisher?'"

The competing title by Ross & Ross is strong at offering perceptive analyses of the publishing field. Penny Sansevieri, for instance, might cry after reading their five-page section on P.O.D. They point out serious flaws in Print on Demand that novices might never consider, which makes their five pages on the subject more helpful than Sansevieri's entire book (to me, at least).

I've bought Poynter and Ross & Ross and consult both regularly. Still, if I had to choose just one, my favorite would be the latter. Partly, it's a matter of style. Ross & Ross offer encouragement at every turn, always striving to serve the reader; the pitch perfect writing may be the best you'll find in any self-help book. By contrast, Poynter's approach is no-nonsense, with an emphasis on good business practice to earn a profit.

Cate Blanchett doesn't need books like these, of course, but like other wildly successful actors or writers, she's in the minority. For the rest of us, especially those who are both spiritual practitioners and writers, reading either Poynter or Ross & Ross is better than waiting for lightning to strike.

The Writer's Friend
Linda Davis Kyle, Joseph Gregg, and Nancy McAlary
WritingNow.com Publishing
P.O. Box 270070, Austin, TX 78727
ISBN: $TBA, www.writingnow.com

If $500 still sounds like a lot of money for bargain basement self-publishing, consider how much it costs to send out the query letters to land writing contracts so you can be published by others. Over the past 31 years, I've easily spent three times that much-you know, the amount that Cate Blanchett might earn, on camera, by waving hello. Over 99% of my author's queries have landed rejections, not contracts. Personally, I wish I'd encountered The Writer's Friend years ago.

If you've ever dreamed of writing for magazines or newspapers, this is a great book to buy. Sure, you'll also need to consult a current edition of Writer's Market, but you can find that in your library reference section. This little book brims with good advice, culled from interviews with editors from all over the world.

Alert reader, did you catch that phrase "all over the world"? Assuming that you've taken the brave leap and learned how to work the Internet (and this is probably a must for serious writers today), you can e-mail your queries internationally. That's a good thing, since many American markets in our newish millennium paid the same wages as a quarter century ago. That pitiful fact is common knowledge among writers, though not played up in The Writer's Friend.

Books for America's millions, yes millions, of aspiring writers are a huge industry. For the newest and best, check out "The Writing/Publishing Shelf" by clicking on http://www.midwestbookreview.com, then "Internet Bookwatch." (To receive The Shelf directly for free, send a request via e-mail to MWBOOKREVW@aol.com and request to be signed up). Chances are, however, that a freelancer will read far and wide before encountering a book more useful than The Writer's Friend.

Kids Rule The World
Susan Todd
EFG
ISBN, 96 pages, $9.99, quicknews@aol.com, Available in bookstores

Kids rule the world? Not in my house, they don't. But even a strict parent wants to encourage her kid to write, and this book can help. Definitely geared toward children without being patronizing, this book is full of ideas to help children discover the fun in communicating through the written word.

Given that today's children grow up in a digital age, many a parent worries about declining interest in reading and writing. This book offers incentive in the form of writing activities: things to do, write about, and then publish in www.kidnews.com or other places.

Topics include sports, features, reviews, advice and opinions, and creative writing. The book even includes a CD with writing and reporting forms. (No sightings of Cate Blanchett, though. Pity.) Kids Rule the World would make a great gift for any child who likes to write-or any child whom you would like to like to write.

Rose Rosetree, Reviewer
http://www.Rose-Rosetree.com



Paul's Bookshelf

Literary L.A.
Lionel Rolfe
California Classics Books
P.O. Box 29756, Los Angeles, CA 90029
ISBN 1-879395-22-3, $14.95, softcover, 223 pages, calclass@earthlink.net), 2002,

Based on a series of newspaper pieces written in the late 1970s, this book profiles some of the people who made Los Angeles' bohemian culture in the 20th century. Many people think that San Francisco, with the Beat Generation, was the "center" of bohemian living, but the City of Angels had quite a thriving culture of its own.

It all grew out of the coffeehouse scene, where a constantly changing group of poets, literary gypsies, writers in exile (real or self-imposed) and others, would get together and weave pieces of the literary tapestry of Los Angeles. Rolfe profiles the famous, and not so famous, including Theodore Dreiser, Charles Bukowski, Henry Miller, John Steinbeck, Aldous Huxley and the Mann brothers (Thomas and Heinrich). There is also a piece on Upton Sinclair's 1934 campaign for Governor of California. Running on the Socialist Party ticket, he received 45 percent of the vote despite a major smear campaign against him.

As part of a musical family (the virtuoso violinist Yehudi Menuhin was an uncle), Rolfe grew up in a household that offered a place to go for musicians and other artists-in-exile. This book was not written as some piece of dry literary history, it was written by someone who was there and lived through that era, and has spent much of his life writing about it.

As a lifelong voracious reader, I very much appreciated Rolfe's putting a person and life to the names I have seen on book covers my whole life. Anyone with an interest in 20th century American literature will enjoy this book. I think I'll visit my local library and see how many of these authors are in the stacks. Meantime, this book is highly recommended.

For The Sake Of Peace
Daisaku Ikeda
Middleway Press
c/o SGI-USA
606 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 9040
ISBN 0-9674697-2-4, $25.95, 252 pages

This book is based on many years of lectures and proposals to the United Nations, looking at the subject of peace from the Buddhist perspective of respect for human life and the interconnection between all things. Ikeda is the head of Soka Gakkai International, a worldwide Buddhist organization that follows the teachings of a 12th century reformer named Nichiren.

Any societal change must start within each of us, learning compassion and tolerance and being able to see the negative in ourselves. Then comes dialogue, which, among other things, can open closed minds and transform opposing viewpoints. Education is always very important, not only to show the threat of nuclear weapons, but to fight world hunger and poverty and to get people out of the mindset of ethnic world views. Communities need to get together to build an international ssytem of hope and justice and to get away from the "survival of the fittest" ethos of competition. One way to build such a system is through art, which connects us with each other, with nature, and with the universe.

The author feels that it is time for the United Nations to get involved in education on a global scale and to move away from the usual military-centered conceptions of security. Disarmament is about overcoming the hatred, distrust and debasement of humanity of the 20th century.

This book is surprisingly good. Having survived World War II in Japan, Ikeda has seen the horror of war up close and personal. He has written a clear and easy to understand book, that doesn't lack for passiopn, on a subject near and dear to everyone. For a different perspective on the world around us, and the world inside each of us, this is definitely worth reading.

Barry And 'The Boys': The CIA, The Mob And America's Secret History
Daniel Hopsicker
The MadCow Press
P.O. Box 2687, Eugene OR 97402;
ISBN 0-9706591-0-5, 518 pages, $29.95, http://www.madcowpress.com), 2001

This book is all about a scandal feared by the White House more than Whitewater, a scandal not touched by the American news media. It's a totally different look at the last half century of American history, and it revolves around a place called Mena, Arkansas and a man named Barry Seal.

Seal grew up in Louisiana and was addicted to airplanes from an early age. While still a teenager, he could pilot nearly anything with wings. Joining the Louisiana Civil Air Patrol, he met a man named David Ferrie (later to be well known in JFK assassination circles) who introduced him to the clandestine world. Soon, Seal would disappear for days or weeks at a time, and come back with, for a teenager in the 1950s, insanely large amounts of money.

Becoming a life-long CIA operative, Seal started his career running guns to both sides in the Cuban Revolution, to Fidel Castro and Fulgencio Batista. Over the next 40 years, Seal was at the center of all the major events in US history, from the JFK assassination (the book blows more holes, as if more were needed, in the Warren Commission's Lone Gunman theory), to Vietnam drug-running, to Watergate, to Iran-Contra. The entire period is characterized by very deep ties between US intelligence and the Mafia, even going back to Cuba before Castro. The author isn't talking about vague ties with minor-league mobsters, he is talking about people like Johnny Roselli and Carlos Marcello, the absolute top of the Mob "pyramid."

Mena, Arkansas was a small town with an equally small airport. It was also a major entry point for a flood of airplane-carried cocaine into the United States (by the ton). Going on for years and years, one must ask if the major players in Arkansas politics, like Jackson Stephens and Bill Clinton, were somehow in cahoots with the CIA and the Mob. The author also explores plenty of ties between Seal and the Bush family.
This book surpasses the level of Wow. It has enough revelations for ten books. It is extremely highly recommended, especially for anyone interested in recent American history.

Paul Lappen
Reviewer



Sullivan's Bookshelf

Blinded By The Right: The Conscience Of An Ex-Conservative
David Brock
Crown Publishers,
2002, 336 pages, ISBN# 0-8l29-3099-l, $25.95

The author also wrote The Real Anita Hill. That book was a vicious attack on the courageous African-American woman who testified, reluctantly, against African-American Claarence Thomas, U.S. Supreme Court nominee and now a member of that court. Brock currently admits that he misinterpreted much of the research data in that book. He's even written an apology letter to Anita Hill.

Brock, as a liberal, gay, young man, entered the University of California at Berkeley. He was soon revolted by students' politically correct stances, including the refusal to let conservatives speak on campus. He soon joined the conservative cause. At the same time, conservative classmates, though anti-liberal and anti-homosexual, accepted Brock.

The new conservative began composing right-leaning articles for the school newspaper. He also hobnobbed with members of the conservative cause.

While that was occurring, his relationship with his adoptive, Roman Catholic, parents was souring. Their attitudes, especially his father's, seemed to be the reason.

After college, through networking with friends, he landed jobs writing for such prominent conservative publications as the Washington Times, American Spectator, and Commentary, penning for them articles with conservative slants. Each published piece brought Brock more fame.

Noticing that many people he was now meeting in the movement were hardcore anti-gay, Brock slipped back into his 'closet.' Over time, the conservative's unremitting gay-bashing repulsed him more and more. Finally, he bravely came out of the closet. At first little notice was taken. He was coasting on waves of admiration from his conservative articles and his Anita Hill book.

Throughout, he had participated in the conservative 'get Clinton' cause, which he exposes in great detail in this book. And it strongly lends credence to Hillary's comments, at the height of Clinton's troubles, that to her it was a 'huge right-wing conspiracy' out to get her husband, President Clinton.

At that time, Brock was hired to write another smear book, this time about Hillary. He took the job to the glee of conservatives everywhere who envisioned another Anita Hill-type trashing. Brock researched his new subject thoroughly. The result: a positive book about Hillary. This, naturally, angered his conservative friends who complained loudly and rudely. They also took notice of his gayness.

Finally, he realized that supporting the conservative cause was impossible. He's admitted as much in this present book. And in it he apologizes for the literal and literary damage he's done through the years to the liberal cause. Unfortunately, they haven't quite forgiven Brock--yet!

This new book also tells intimate details of many well-known conservatives from Anne Coulter to Matt Drudge to Ted Olson. As a consequence, it's hard to put down.

The author, near the end of his book, writes, "On electiion night{l998}, my house in Georgetown was dark. {...} The divisive, hypocritical, and undemocratic GOP, at least under its leadership then, simply did not merit support. The conservative movement, in its pathological quest to expose and unseat Clinton, had succeeded only in exposing itself and unseating its own unworthy leadership. As McCarthyism had set back the anti-Communist cause, the radical conservatives had betrayed whatever of value could be found in conser-vative philosophy. No, I was not one of them, I was not a conservative. And I was free to tell the tale."

Brock lives in Washington DC where he writes and appears on TV shows touting his book. This tome is recommended regardless of the reader's political affiliation.

Wild Solutions
Andrew Beattie and Paul R. Ehrlich
Yale University Press
ISBN# 0-300-07636-3, $29.95, 200l, 239 pages/indexed,

The authors are scientists and they make a strong, reasoned, and persuasive case for protecting the planet's biological diversity otherwise known as biodiversity. "The biodiversity of Earth," write Beattie and Ehrlich, "is our biological wealth, our biological capital. The savings are every gene, every population, every species, and every natural community that inhabits the oceans, the land, and the air.

Whether we believe that God put them there or that they evolved from earlier creatures, the stark truth remains that they are the only ones we have--there are no life forms anywhere else. As yet there is no evidence whatsoever that one day humans wil be able to fly to Mars or some other remote planet to stock up on tree species, order giant panda replacements, or obtain refills of extinct phyla. Nor is there any hope, based on the current status of biotechnology, that we will be able to create organisms through the miracles of science. Biodiversity is, as far as anyone knows, totally irreplaceable. It would be marvelous to be proved wrong, but we're not holding our breath."

In this tome which uses the analogy that biodiversity is money in the bank, there are 12, chocked-full chapters in which the reader learns how medicines, antitoxins, antibiotics, and other beneficial products are obtained from various plant and animal life. Also discussed are a wide range of industrial uses to be found in the animal kingdom from glues to structural materials. Chemical products come from flora and fuana, too, and are elaborated upon. The list of items beneficial to humans is long and fascinating. For example, some spider web material is good for human wound healing and protection. Suffice to say, mankind is aware of only a small portion of the biodiversity on Earth and what it may do to alleviate human suffering and disease. For this reason, and for many more, biodiversity must be fully defended.

Who knows, ask the authors, what animal and plant may contain the cure for illnesses or the solutions to problems that plague humanity today? Who knows what wonderful scientific and technological advances could be made with further study of known and the new study of unknown, undiscovered species on Earth?

Andrew Beattie serves as director for the Commonwealth Key Centre for Biodiversity and Bioresources at MacQuarie University, Sydney, Australia. Paul R. Ehrlich is Bing Professor of Populataion Studies at Stanford University in the U.S. Biological illustrations by Christine Turnbull, also of Macquarie University, are found throughout this volume. Highly recommennded!

Jim Sullivan
Reviewer



Harold's Bookshelf

The Anatomy Of Buzz
Emanuel Rosen
Doubleday
1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036
ISBN: 0385496672, $24.95, Pages: 261

To put it simply, buzz marketing is a technique of getting people to talk about your product and spread the word. Instead of purchasing an advertisement in print media and hoping that potential customers will read it, or purchasing expensive television ads, the basis of buzz is to get friends, experts or other "hubs" to recommend the product or at least to talk about it.

How successful is a correctly implemented buzz program? It continues to break sales records and speed the acceptance of new products in phenomenal fashion. Often referred to as viral marketing, it spreads the same way a virus spreads, from one person to another, between friends, relatives, co-workers and any other social group that you belong to.

This book discloses the principles of buzz marketing, when it can be used, when it is not successful, how it has been most successful in the past and the basic principles that make it work or fail. Thoroughly detailed with many examples, it is an excellent source of information on how to market your product or service in this manner.

Probably the best book available on buzz marketing, it is definitely the most thorough that I have come across. I had the chance to try some of the techniques recently on an experimental basis and had tremendous success opening up new market areas with ease, speed and efficiency. Highly recommended.

How to Sell Yourself
Arch Lustberg
Career Press, Inc.
PO Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
ISBN: 1564145859, $14.95, Pages: 188 plus appendix and index

Arch Lustberg's book "Hot to Sell Yourself" is a basic text of the most important factors in selling yourself, your ideas, your products or whatever else you need to sell to others. The guidance is solid and the writing style is easy to read. These are the basic ground rules that everyone should know. With sections that cover selling yourself as a speaker, in the classroom, in the job interview, as a product salesperson or even selling yourself in a confrontation or media interview situation, it covers pretty much all the bases.

There are more detailed books on persuasion and influence and using them to sell yourself, but this is arguably the best introductory text to the basics of selling yourself that I have read. If you are new to selling yourself or the need to present yourself as credible in a classroom, court, or other situation then this is the book that you should start with. Most of the books on persuasion and influence start a level above this one and assume that you already know this stuff. Start here if you are trying to change your image or learning to deal effectively with customers, friends, relatives, co-workers or any other group. Then graduate to one of the influence and persuasion books. Even if you are experienced at selling yourself there is probably something here that can help you. For me that would be the detailed section on facial expressions, something that I have not seen covered so well in any other text. If you need to start with the basics to build a strong foundation or need to review the basics, then pick up a copy of this book. You won't regret it.

Destiny Of Souls: New Case Studies Of Life Between Lives
Michael, Phd Newton, Michael Duff Newton
Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd.
PO Box 64383, Dept. K499-5, St. Paul, MN 55164
ISBN: 1567184995, $14.95, 409 pages

Many people have heard of past life regressions via hypnosis. There seems to be a multitude of beliefs as to exactly what happens in past life regression. Is it real? Is it something other than an actual past life? Now to add more information to this debate and a whole different fascinating field of study, we have the work of the author Michael Newton, PhD. Instead of just past life regressions, Michael has concentrated on what happens between the different lives? When one life ends his studies begin and continue until the next reincarnation.

The book represents years of study and includes information from dozens of case studies. The subjects covered include reincarnations, angels, ghosts, how evil people are dealt with after they die, soul mates and literally dozens of similar items.

With chapters on Death, Grief and Comfort, Earthly Spirits, Spiritual Energy Restoration it deals with many of the questions that people may have about the after life. In addition it covers an advanced social system of souls that his research has uncovered. That system includes Soul Groups, a Council of Elders, Community Dynamics, and the Ring of Destiny.

Well written and easy to follow, it is a fascinating read that some will find enlightening while others will find offensive and most will find somewhere in between.

The Seventy Great Mysteries Of The Ancient World: Unlocking The Secrets Of Past Civilizations
Brian M. Fagan
Thames & Hudson
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
ISBN: 0500510504, $40.00, 304 pages

I have always enjoyed books about mysterious events of the past, unknown civilizations, strange happenings, etc. This book is full of such items. The Seventy Great Mysteries Of The Ancient World looks at some of these mysteries through the eyes of modern archaeology and other sciences to try to resolve at least some of the questions surrounding them. Each item is subjected to a scientific analysis of the knowledge that we have obtained to date. Generally, the situation ends up being exactly what it has been in the past an unresolved mystery.

Lavishly illustrated, it is written in a conversational style that is easy to read and understand. Logically divided into appropriate sections it starts with Myths and Legends, moves to Mysteries of the Stone Age, then to Ancient Civilizations, Tombs and Lost Treasures, Ancient and Undeciphered Scripts and the Fall of Civilizations. The only thing that I did not like about the book was the short treatment of each item. With seventy chapters (one for each of the mysteries) and roughly 300 pages that is only an average of four pages per mystery. However, at the back of the book is an extensive listing of references to consult for further information on each of the items.

For those who like a complete synopsis of each mystery and the current level of knowledge this is excellent. A fascinating book, it covered not only the mysteries that I was aware of but also many that I had never heard of before. If there is one book that I would suggest to gain a basic knowledge of the greatest mysteries of the Ancient World then this one would be it.

Nonviolent Communication: A Language Of Compassion
Marshall B. Rosenberg, PhD
PuddleDancer Press
PO Box 231129, Encinitas, CA 92023
ISBN: 1892005026, $17.95, 191 pages

In the book Nonviolent Communication: A Language Of Compassion, Dr. Rosenberg takes the reader on a journey first to see how language and it deficiencies are the source of so much conflict and then down the path to resolve this problem and create an environment of growth and nourishing. The book explains the concepts of Nonviolent Communication in detail with specific examples so that it is easy to understand.

The process itself is almost a spiritual journey as you move from a "get even" and "protect yourself at all costs" mentality to one of compassion and connection with others. The book does a very thorough job of analyzing communication and all it's hidden facets.

One of the best books I have read on the subject of communication and how to grow and nourish your relationships with others, whether personal or professional. A strong recommended read.

Age Of Propaganda : The Everyday Use And Abuse Of Persuasion
Anthony R. Pratkanis, Elliot Aronson
W H Freeman & Co.
41 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010
ISBN: 0716731088, $16.95, 320 pages

This book was a real bother! I usually read a 300 page book in about two hours and am used to reading through them quickly and getting onto the next one. This book was so fascinating that I slowed down to make sure that I got every bit of information out of it that was available.

This book should be required reading for everyone who wants to know how they are being influenced by the marketing people, unscrupulous sales people, cult leaders, governments and others promoters of influence. It is a thorough course in how to spot an attempt to manipulate you and how you can analyse the situation to see if it is really something you want or not.

It has some of the most complete advice on how to examine an item and how to respond of any book on influence that I have read. On the "A" list of must-read books.

Influence: Science and Practice
Robert B. Cialdini
Allyn & Bacon
160 Gould Street, Needham Heights, MA 02494
ISBN: 0321011473, $21.99, 262 pages

I've reviewed many books on influence and persuasion and this is one of the top books in the category. Easy to read, excellent writing style, it is a hard book to put down and begs you to read it slowly so that you don't miss something important. One of the fun things about reading it is when the author makes a point and you can look back and realize that you have dealt with someone who used just that technique to get you to buy that candy bar, car, or change your mind about something.

Persuasive speaking is an important part of what I do and I am very successful at it. The ability to persuade others has been very hard to pass on to employees and other speakers who have asked me how I do it. This book allowed me to look at what I do and see how I can transfer that ability to others. It has also helped me see some of the tricks of persuasion that snare the unwary and how they are used by unscrupulous people.

Cialdini not only makes his case by carefully presenting the techniques and the experiments on which they are based, but also details how they are used and how you can use them. For each technique he also indicates how to know when it is being used against you and how to resist the influence.

A highly recommended book and one of the best on this subject, Cialdini's work is often quoted in other books on influence and persuasion.

The Memory Workbook
Douglas J. Mason, Psy.D. & Michael L. Kohn, Psy.D.
New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
5674 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
ISBN: 1572242582, $18.95, 199 pages (plus appendix)

The focus of this book is not on memory techniques such as the LOCI method and while it does mention them and explain them briefly it does not give a lot of detail about them.

Instead it focuses on memory problems as a normal part of aging, medications and diet. Through out the book it mentions Alzheimers and similar concerns and repeatedly speaks about not being concerned about particular memory lapses as you grow older.

It does have thorough coverage of memory myths and how some of these myths create or contribute memory problems as well as the best coverage of diet, medicine, supplements and similar factors of any of the memory books that I have read.

This is a workbook with many excercises to prove their points as well as show how various techniques work and how storing and retrieving memories works in the mind.

If I were asked who I would recommend this book to then it would have to be people in one of two groups.
First would be anyone who is aging and thinks that they are having memory lapses more often and are concerned about them. Second would be those who want to know what drugs, nutritional supplements and dietary factors may increase or harm their mental capacities.

Slapped Together: The Dilbert Business Anthology
Scott Adams
HarperCollins Publisher
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
ISBN: 0060186216, $11.00, http://www.amazon.com

If you are a lover of the office philosophy and observations of Dilbert and the gang then you will love this book. It is truly what the title suggests in that the publisher took three popular Dilbert books and placed them together into one large volume. As always, the biting humor and often accurate portrayal of all things corporate will have you laughing out loud as you realize how absolutely preposterous some of the situations are while also realizing that this sure looks a lot like real life.

Thinkers Way
John Chaffee
Little Brown Company
Time & Life Building, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
ISBN: 0965681076, $13.75, http://www.amazon.com

The author, John Chaffee, Ph.D., is the Director of the New York Center for Critical Thinking and Language Learning and brings to us many years of research into critical thinking. The result is a book that teaches how to think critically and then apply those skills to everyday situations. The world can be very confusing with the tremendous amount of information thrown at us every day. How do you make a decision or analyze information to see if it is valuable to you or not? This book details how to approach the various challenges of life by thinking clearly. With an eight-step process to critical thinking, he provides information and exercises to get you going in the right direction. Whether attacking problems, dealing with difficult people, deflecting propaganda directed at you or just bettering your life through better decision-making and fewer regrets, the collective knowledge in this text points the way to clear thinking.

Stories From Spain: Historias De Espana (Legends Of)
Genevieve Barlow, William N. Stivers
NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group
4255 West Touhy Avenue, Lincolnwood, IL 60712
ISBN: 0844204994, $11.95, 256 pages

This is a true bilingual book in Spanish and English. I love the format of presenting the Spanish on one page and the English equivalent on the facing page. You can easily go from one to the other. Because the stories are short and pretty basic, if you are trying to learn Spanish it is a great tutoring tool. You should already know some basic Spanish before reading the book, but for the intermediate or advanced beginner it is a great way to increase your vocabulary and practice correct sentence structure.

In addition, the stories are from Spain and so teach some of the history and legends to help you get a feel for the country. Finally, there is a small dictionary at the back of the book that contains most of the words that you might encounter in the text.

Whether you use it for a review, to learn Spanish, to increase your Spanish vocabulary or just like the stories, it is a great little book and this style of dual translation books is highly recommended as an adjunct to a Spanish course of any type to recommend to speed your learning of a foreign language.
Spanish Step By Step
Charles Berlitz
Wynwood Press
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
ISBN: 0922066280, $12.99, 336 pages

This is a great book for learning conversational Spanish. It gives minimal information on formal Spanish but instead concentrates or getting the reader up to speed listening to, reading and speaking Spanish. Think of it being like when you were a child and learned to speak English or whatever your native tongue. You did not know all the rules for conjugating verbs or anything like that, but you did know what was the right word in a given situation. That is more the focus of this book and it's method. If you don't need to know technically precise Spanish but want to be able to get around on a trip to a Spanish speaking country or be able to understand basic signs and conversations then I would highly recommend it.

Mastering SQL Server 2000
Mike Gunderloy, Joseph L. Jorden, Joe Jorden
Sybex
1151 Marina Village Parkway, Alameda, CA 94501
ISBN: 0782126278, $49.99, 1201 pages

Mastering SQL Server 2000 is one of the books that I see carried the most often onto a client site when doing SQL technical support. The text covers just about every aspect of SQL from a setup and administrative point of view as well as the basics of database theory. If you want a single general reference then this book works very well. On the other hand, if you want a detailed reference on programming SQL then there are better texts.

The book covers the administration of an SQL Server in great detail including explaining why you would use a particular feature and why you may not want to use it in a different scenario. For setting up a system and managing it this book it hard to beat.

Whether you are a new user, experienced user or an administrator, this book is hard to beat for theory, detailed information and administration of a Windows SQL Server 2000 system. Highly recommended read and required on any administrator's bookshelf.

The Bible As It Was
James L. Kugel
Belknap Press/Harvard University Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
ISBN: 0674069412, $22.95, 700 pages

"The Bible as it was" is a wonderful and exhaustive work regarding scriptural interpretation and the first five books of the Bible. Early Jewish tradition was to fill in interpretive information when necessary to resolve items that were ambiguous or unclear. In addition, notes and commentary were often passed along with the texts and over time tended to become a part of the text. As a result, the Bible of today includes a lot of commentary as well as the original texts.

Kugel's purpose is to try to reconstruct the Bible as it was in its original form as closely as possible.

While we all know that no copies of the original Bible exist today, the King James version was based on the Textus Receptus which was a Greek translation of the Bible and considered the oldest reliable source at the time. Since then there have been many archaeological finds of manuscripts from earlier points in time and in the original Hebrew language. Many of these passages differ somewhat from current translations. In theory, the older versions should be closer to the original version. Working from the oldest texts he examines some of the differences in the way passages were interpreted and what that could mean. This gets us closer to an original version without all the intervening thoughts and interpretations that earlier writers had added in an attempt to make it more understandable and applicable to the people of their time.

Dr. Kugel thoroughly documents his work complete with quotes, sources and annotations as appropriate.

A fascinating book that sheds new light onto many passages it should be read by anyone attempting a serious and scholarly study of the Bible.

The Hidden Book In The Bible: The Discovery Of The First Prose Masterpiece
Richard Elliott Friedman
Harper San Francisco
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022
ISBN: 0060630043, $15.00, 402 pages

Everyone has their own unique way of talking and writing. Where I would use one set of words to describe something someone else would use a totally different wording for the same thing. Where I would use one type of illustration to make a point someone else will use a totally different one. Friedman uses this sort of linguistic analysis along with other techniques to search the Old Testament and find passages that appear to be written by the same author. What results is a Biblical history book that apparently had been scattered throughout several of the Old Testament books and now is brought together as one consistent and highly readable book.

Working from Hebrew sources, his research is sound and scholarly and yet the result is easily understandable and highly readable. Mr. Friedman notes that as he researched this common authorship he noticed that each time one section ended the next section that met the same author's writing style started up from the same place the first left off as if there had been nothing between. This further supported his position that it has at one time been one text and was probably the original work of prose for the Bible.

The book covers the period from the creation until the reign of Solomon and is a wonderful read for those interested in Biblical studies, early Jewish thought, or Biblical history. A recommended read.

The Complete Dream Book: What Your Dreams Tell About You And Your Life
Gillian Holloway, Ph.D.
Sourcebooks, Inc.
PO Box 4410, Naperville, IL 60567
ISBN: 1570717087, $16.95, 244 pages

Got a dream dictionary and find it useless? Think using a dream dictionary is like trying to form a cohesive picture from a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle where all the pieces are cut exactly the same? The Complete Dream Book takes a different angle on dream interpretation.

Based on a database of over 18,000 dreams, the author provides real-life interpretation of common dreams. There are common dreams that occur during certain stages of life, at certain ages, and during certain changes and situations.

This book looks at these common themes in dreams and what they mean to the dreamer. While she does cover common dream symbols such as cars, houses and the like, the fascinating part of the book is the common themes (can't get your locker door open or finding an new room in your home or finding a treasure, for examples).

This is the most useful and pragmatic dream interpretation book that I have ever read and I found myself regularly commenting about how appropriate an interpretation was for a particular dream of mine.

Kudos to Gillian Holloway for what has to be one of the most useful dream interpretation books on the market today.

Reef Coral Identification: Florida Caribbean Bahamas
Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach
New World Publications, Inc.
1861 Cornell Road, Jacksonville, FL 32207
ISBN: 1878348329 $34.95, Pages: 278 plus indexes and workbook area

This Reef Coral Identification book is THE definitive guide. In brief there is not a better guide out there. It thoroughly covers each type of coral and gives identification information as well as full color photographs. In addition to all the corals it covers other plant life likely to be encountered while snorkeling or diving. These include grasses, weeds, algae and coral diseases. With a plastic cover and the pages treated to resist water it can be taken to the beach or onto the boat without much concern about the water damaging the book. For each item the book also discusses any danger to divers that the particular coral may represent (such as fire coral).

This book can also be purchased as part of a three part set that also includes the Reef Fish Identification and Reef Creature Identification texts, each of which is equally as excellent as the Reef Coral Identification book.

Reef Creature Identification: Florida Caribbean Bahamas
Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach
New World Publications, Inc.
1861 Cornell Road, Jacksonville, FL 32207
ISBN: 1878348310 $39.95, Pages: 420 plus indexes and workbook area

Sponges, jellyfish, flat worms, crustaceans, mollusks, star fish, if it is not a fish then it is in this book. This is the authoritative reference for reef creatures (other than fish) throughout the Florida, Caribbean and Bahamas area. The most complete book on reef creatures that I have seen, it is easy to use and beautifully illustrated. Each creature has it's own full color picture along with a line drawing that points out the defining characteristics of that particular species. With a plastic cover and the pages treated to resist water it can be taken to the beach or onto the boat without much concern about the water damaging the book.

Each entry has complete information on the creature from size, depth, range and habitat to the level of concern that a diver should have for their safety around the creature. Whether you snorkel, scuba dive or engage in other activities around a reef, this is the best book to have to identify reef creatures. This book can also be purchased as part of a three part set that also includes the Reef Coral Identification and Reef Fish Identification texts, each of which is equally as excellent as the Reef Creature Identification book.

Reef Fish Identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas
Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach
New World Publications, Inc.
1861 Cornell Road, Jacksonville, FL 32207
ISBN: 1878348302 $39.95, Pages: 481 plus indexes and workbook area

This is the authoritative reference for reef fish throughout the Florida, Caribbean and Bahamas area. The most complete book on reef fish that I have seen, it is easy to use and beautifully illustrated. Each fish has it's own full color picture along with a line drawing that points out the defining characteristics of that particular species. With a plastic cover and the pages treated to resist water it can be taken to the beach or onto the boat without much concern about the water damaging the book.

Each entry has complete information on the fish from size, depth, range and habitat to the level of concern that a diver should have for their safety around the fish. Whether you snorkel, scuba dive or engage in other activities around a reef, this is the best book to have to identify the fish. This book can also be purchased as part of a three part set that also includes the Reef Coral Identification and Reef Creature Identification texts, each of which is equally as excellent as the Reef Fish Identification book.

The Reef Set: Reef Fish, Reef Creature And Reef Coral (3 Volumes Boxed)
Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach
New World Publications, Inc.
1861 Cornell Road, Jacksonville, FL 32207
ISBN: 1878348337 $120.00, Pages: 1179 plus indexes and workbook areas

If there is one set of reef identification books to own then this one is it. A set of three of the best books available, it contains Reef Fish Identification, Reef Creature Identification and Reef Coral Identification. Throughout the Florida, Caribbean and Bahamas areas there are no better books available. Each fish, creature, coral, grass or algae has it's own full color picture along with a line drawing that points out the defining characteristics of that particular species. With a plastic cover and the pages treated to resist water, it can be taken to the beach or onto the boat without much concern about the water damaging the book.

Each entry has complete information on the fish, creature or coral from size, depth, range and habitat to the level of concern that a diver should have for their safety around it. If you snorkel, dive or just have an interest in identification of the various things that you find on a reef then this set will give you everything you need to identify anything you find. Highly recommended.

The Tending Instinct: How Nurturing Is Essential To Who We Are And How We Live
Shelley E. Taylor
Henry Holt and Company
115 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
ISBN: 0805068376 $25.00, Pages: 199 plus Notes, References, etc.

Insightful, provocative, inspired, "The Tending Instinct: How Nurturing is Essential to Who We Are and How We Live" is one of the most interesting texts today on how and why nurturing manifests itself in our society. With thorough detail the author examines current research and examples to uncover how the tending instinct functions in today's society and how it explains the differences in how men and women respond to stress.

Most studies on stress and the "fight or flight" response that we have been taught since childhood have been based on studies of men and/or male rats or other creatures. Shelley Taylor shows that that may be the case for men in general but for women the response is grouping together, reaching out to others, and "tending" each other. Well researched, logically argued, it is a real treasure trove of insight.

The only thing that I did not like about the book is actually a comment more on today's society than on the author's writing style. It is a shame that she feels the need to qualify so many of her comments, but she is probably right in doing so. It keeps breaking up the flow of the writing to the point of being annoying. For example, she writes " women continue to be the mainstay of caring for children by a large margin". That's an observable fact that I think most people would take as true. However she follows it up with a parenthetical " I do not mean that women should or must care for children or that only women can care for children, only that they are more likely to do so." It is a shame that in our politically correct society we have to be so careful not to offend that we need to sprinkle comments like this through a text that would otherwise be so well written.

Still, it is an excellent book and provides a different perspective on many issues related to tending and caring for others. From the first chapter to the last, it is book that I would highly recommend and applaud the author for bringing such an insightful work to the public. Bravo!

Harold McFarland
Reviewer



Jennifer's Bookshelf

Man With Wounded Bird
B. C. Douglas
1st Books Library
ISBN: 0-75965-493X, Price: $11.95 Soft Cover, $3.95 e-book, www.1stbooks.com

Man With Wounded Bird is a wonderful fictional story that tells a stunning tale of imagination using cultures of Jamaica.

Coming from Long Island in a white suburban community, Belle Brair sometimes felt uncomfortable by the Jamaican qualities that her mother so proudly wore. Her mom's accent, strange spice smells, and untraditional Thanksgiving dinners, get the locals attention, thus embarrassing Belle to no end. She didn't like being different.

After Belle's mother dies, she finds herself needing answers to help fill in her emptiness, but while visiting her grandmother in Jamaica, Belle seeks answers to her heritage and soon discovers the disappearance of a priceless work of art.

Man With Wounded Bird is a spectacular, energetic, novel for young adults, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Her well-thought out characters have unique personalities and the setting takes your breath away. Douglas's plot-driven book is sure to be a winner! I highly recommend B. C. Douglas and her book Man With Wounded Bird.

B. C. Douglas was born in Watford, England, but was raised in both England, and Jamaica. She has seen many parts of the world, and she currently lives in Florida with her husband.

Wisdom On The Green: Smarter Six Sigma Business Solutions
Forrest W. Breyfogle III, David Enck, Phil Flories and Tom Pearson
Smarter Solutions
13776 U.S. Highway 183 N., Suite 122-110 | Austin, TX 78750-1811
ISBN: 0-9713222-01-1, Price: $16.95, www.smartersolutions.com

Wisdom On The Green explains Six Sigma business strategies for pursuing everlasting improvement the business process. This book tells it like it is in novel format of how to improve your business bottom line, decrease cost, and at the same time, increasing sales through the metaphor of golf.

In Wisdom On The Green, four friends, who while playing their weekly game of golf, talk about their work and the problems they hold, but who soon come across the benefits of the Six Sigma business strategy.

Cleverly, Breyfogle, Enck, Flories, and Pearson, introduce this strategy by using the game of golf by using the golf course surroundings to explain how executives and managers connect and by comparing the golf game and business as a fields that always needs improvement.

As said before, Wisdom On The Green teaches the Six Sigma strategy. But what is it exactly? Well, you'll just have to read it to find out. However, I will tell you t hat this informational book is easy to read and it is a must for all CEOs, managers, and executives who are continually looking to improve their business.

As an author, reviewer, and wife to a manager in the automobile industry, and golf lover, my husband found this book extremely helpful and plans to use the strategies taught in this book.

I found this book full of useful information, to be well written, ingeniously detailed, and jam packed with encouragement.

East Side Dreams
Art Rodriquez
Dream House Press
2714 Ophilia Court, San Jose, CA 95122
ISBN: 0-9671555-0-9, Price: $12.95, www.eastsidedreams.com

East Side Dreams by Art Rodriquez is full of energy and the struggles that the author himself endured while growing up on the east side of San Jose, California in 1966.

I enjoyed reading this inspirational novel derived from the memories of a teenager who is now a mature and successful businessman.

East Side Dreams has been translated into Spanish to reach the Spanish speaking population in the United States.

As I read the troubling times of Art Rodriquez I couldn't relate to many of his predicaments, but I certainly felt compassion toward him and thanked God for my "normal" life.

Mr. Rodriquez touches your heart as you read his passionate book of self-taught lessons.

As you read East Side Dreams, which captures the hopelessness of growing up with an unpleasant childhood, keep in mind that this life drove the author to his true passion-writing!

The author, Art Rodriquez has been honored by The New York Library System to be on the "2001 Books for teenage List" for his book East Side Dreams. He was also given "The Mariposa Award-Best First Book" at the Latino Literary Hall of fame for this same book. Bravo!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I encourage young readers to read it, as there are plenty to learn from this book. It will bring tears to your eyes.

Lovers' Legends: The Gay Greek Myths
Andrew Calimach
Haiduk Press, LLC
ISBN: 0-9714686-0-5, Price: $25.00, http://www.haidukpress.com

Lovers' Legends by Andrew Calimach is an excellent read depicting nine gay Greek myths in short story format. This book collection is generously illustrated using Greek gods and heroes, such as Achilles, Hercules, and Orpheus, whose sexual preferences were of the same sex.

Mr. Calimach has retold these stories using sources in translation from ancient records. Lovers' Legends shows that Andrew Calimach has performed some serious research to write this fascinating book, which has an assortment of interesting notes along with maps, an index, and a glossary. I learned quite a bit by reading this astonishing bookeven though my cheeks turned red in some spots.

This book would make a great addition to any library or public book service, and it is a must for individuals interested in learning more about ancient Greek homosexuality.

I applaud Mr. Calimach on his efforts for publishing a well-written book that most people now-a-days (even though most Americans think they are "all right" with homosexuality) would be too embarrassed, or skittish to ask. Bravo!

I thoroughly enjoyed Lovers' Legends, suitable for everyone, by Andrew Calimach and I recommend this beautiful book that is amply laden with enchanting ancient art.

Read the true story of Hercules and his lover Hylas, or of Zephyrus and Hyacinthus. You'll be glad you did.

Andrew Calimach is an independent scholar who writes about gender studies and social issues. He runs several workshops on the gay Greek myth, and he is the founder and editor-in-chief of the Androphile Project, a volunteer-run Internet based gay history library and museum.

Mr. Calimach divides his time between Europe and North America and is continuously researching the history of same sex love.

Blue Moon
C. D. Ledbetter
DLSIJ Press
ISBN: 1-928973-37-X, Format: Soft Cover, e-book in PDF, MSReader
Rocket Edition and Braille Printer-friendly

I love this book!

During a visit to a Louisiana plantation as a curator, Boston resident, Mary Corbett begins having strange visions and memories of once living there.

Jack, a curator from New York, and ex-love, is hired to join Mary to draw up inventory sheets of the contents of the house for the owners. Visions from the past emerge the moment she steps out of the car onto the plantation grounds, and old desires surface when she sets eyes on Jack. Feeling the same way, Jack is unable to forget about Mary when he returns to his wife, Audrey, who is in the last stages of ovarian cancer.

Throughout Mary's visit, visions of Jean-Pierre, and Magdalene Laroussard, former owners of the plantation who mysteriously disappeared over a hundred years ago, continue, but after a voodoo ceremony, performed by Sadie, the housekeeper, her experience heightens to nightmares and visits from Magdalene herself.

Unable to bear the nightmares, Mary seeks to solve the disappearing mystery, while trying to keep her feelings for Jack hidden.

Will Mary solve the mystery? What will become of Mary and Jack?

Characters come alive in Ledbetter's haunting suspense novel BLUE MOON. I found this book extremely hard to put down. As I read the setting, from a plantation in Louisiana, New York to Boston, I became engrossed with the well-defined characters-major and minor. Each character had a reason and every word kept me turning the page.

Ledbetter is an author to keep your eye on. Her unique writing style is to die for!

Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Carla Ledbetter is no stranger to plantation homes, Voodoo practitioners, and a love of Louisiana bayous. She now resides in Fort Smith, Arkansas with her husband, who is her soul mate, and her spoiled pets.

I highly recommend Blue Moon by and author with a fresh voice, C. D. Ledbetter. Available now by this author is the sequel to Mary and Jack's loveBreaking the Chain. Get your copy from her publisher DLSIJ Press at www.dlsijpress.com

Alistair On Safari: Adventure At An African Game Reserve
Laura Hurwitz and Amanda Lumry (Photographs by Amanda Lumry, Illustrations by Sarah McIntyre)
Vista Press, LLC
1309 114th Ave. SE, Ste. 200, Bellevue, WA 98004
ISBN: 0-9662257-4-0, Price: $16.00, www.vistapress.com

Alistair On Safari is a splendid book told in a child's point of view about visiting the African safari with his Uncle Max, Aunt Martha, and Cousin Alice.

In this book, Alistair explores the open range safari in search of a leopard so he could take a picture of one for his mother. Alistair sees and learns about several different kinds of animals such as an enormous elephant, a giraffe, zebras, hippos, and many more.

Each page is adorned with drawings and real-life photography, and with each new animal that is introduced, there is a fact box that tells the reader about that specific animal.

My children loved reading Alistair On Safari and found Alistair's adventures extremely exciting. They especially enjoyed the photographs.

Alistair On Safari teaches children about animals in the wild, as well as explaining the definition of what predators and prey.

As an author and reviewer, I found this well written and plot driven book delightful. As a mother to three children ages 10, 5 and 4, I found this book education and informative.

I recommend Alistair On Safari for youngsters any age. Children who are fascinated with animals will enjoy this well-designed book.

If you want to learn more uncovered facts that Alistair learned while on safari, visit him at http://www.alistairadventures.com

Look for more Alistair adventures from the publisher at Vista Press, www.vistapress.com

A portion of the proceeds from this book is donated to World Wildlife Fund South Africa, World Wildlife Fund U.S., and the Endangered Wildlife Trust.

Baby For Sale
Betty Jo Schuler
DiskUs Publishing
http:// http://www.diskuspublishing.com
ISBN: 1-58495-506-6; Price: $6.50 Diskette, $3.50 Download; Formats: HTML

Baby For Sale is another incredible book by talented author Betty Jo Schuler.

In Baby For Sale, the cul-de-sac boys are back! Max and Alex Bailey want to buy more toys, so they gather up some old toys to sell at the "block yard sale" on Greenwillow Lane. Max wants to buy jealous Megan Whitney's baby brother, Jon that she has up for sale for only ten cents.

George and his friend Jeffie figure that the baby can't be any good if she is only selling him for ten cents. There has to be something wrong with him.

All the boys learn how to sell, trade, and buy things that their neighbors don't want anymore, but when baby Jon disappears, everyone, including Megan who realizes just how much she truly loves her brother, decides to search for him.

Where did baby Jon go? Did someone baby-nap him? Did he wonder off by himself?

Find out for yourself by reading Ms. Schuler's children's chapter book BABY FOR SALE. This book is full of exciting twists, delightful surprises, and humorous child-like dialogue.

As a mother of three, and sister to two, I understand how Megan Whitney can feel jealous about her baby brother, Jon receiving so much attention from the grown-ups. Ms. Schuler, once again, has captured the imagination and reasoning that goes on in a young child's head. I enjoyed reading her book and I can't wait for her to write more. I highly recommend this book.

Again, my ten-year-old son, Nicholas, loved Baby For Sale and wondered why he hadn't thought of selling his brother, Cameron, now 5, when he was a baby. He looks forward to m ore adventures of the cul-de-sac boys.

Indiana resident, Betty Jo Schuler is a former elementary teacher who writes for children, teenagers, and adults.
Ms. Schuler has signed up as an instructor for a new Writer's Digest online course, "Fundamentals of Writing for Children," and is looking forward to it. She's also excited over signing with Writers-Exchange for the publication of Brain Man and Double Trouble Ditto Box, books that feature middle-grader Randy O'Rourke and his unpredictable inventions.

Ms. Schuler has two chapter books for younger readers. Baby For Sale and Secret 'Till We're Grown (DiskUs Publishing) were inspired by a cul-de-sac that has twenty-one children, where two of her grandchildren used to live.

Visit her Children's Safe-Surf website at http://home.webworks2000.net/bschuler/children.html You may also e-mail this writer at bschuler@webworks200.netTo read about her other books, which include three young adult books, go to http://home.webworks2000.net/bschuler/bettyjo.html

Hidden Treasure
Judy Miller
Writers-Exchange EPublishing
http://www.writers-exchange.com/epublishing http:// writers-exchange.com/epublishing/judy-htm
ISBN: 1 876962 23 2; Price: $4.95 download, $9.95 CD; Format: e-book, PDF, HTML, RTF, LIT, CD

Matthew wanted to venture into the woods behind his house with his friend Jerry one Saturday afternoon, but his mom had other plans. His day of exploring outside with his friends wouldn't start until Matt cleaned his room.

Angrily, Matt goes to his room and begins to clean, even though he didn't want to. Matt turns the chore of cleaning into a fun-exploring adventure as he digs toys out from under his caveI mean, bed.

There he finds hidden treasure and even a few old toys and rotting food. But when Matt finds a piece of paper stuffed in the corner, his excitement really begins. What is the piece of paper? Could it be a map to more hidden treasure?

Judy Miller, known to her six grandchildren as Gramma Judy, lives in Saginaw, Michigan with her cat named Silly Gilly. She is mother to four grown children. Ms. Miller is a graduate of two correspondence courses at The Institute for Children's Literature. Hidden Treasure is her first book publication. Visit Judy Miller's website at http://www.grammas-tales.com

Ms. Miller knows kids. Her well-written and lavishly detailed story is filled with excellent child/parent-like dialogue. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Ms. Millers delightful book, which is full of exciting exploration and well thought out characters. The dialogue, setting, and personalities are unmistakably life-like. Bravo Ms. Miller!

Every little boy should read Hidden Treasure you never know, it may just inspire them to clean up their own room. My ten-year-old son, Nicholas, loved this book. He is my chapter book reader. Nicholas reads almost all the young adult books I receive and loves mostly all of them.

Hidden Treasure by Judy Miller comes highly recommended for all young readers by A Storyweaver's Book Reviews.

Double Trouble Ditto Box
Betty Jo Schuler
Writers-Exchange EPublishing
http://www.writers-exchange.com/epublishing
http://www.writers-exchange.com/epublishing/betty-book2.htm
ISBN: 1-876962-35-6; Price: $4.95 (download) $9.95 (CD); Format: PDF, rtf, html, lit - download and CD

Double Trouble Ditto Box by Betty Jo Schuler is a charming story. This book is about a young boy named Randy O-Rourke, and his sisterI should say, sisters.

Randy cleverly invents a machine that he named "Ditto Box". This machine copies and makes a duplicate of anything Randy and his friend, Jake, put into the box. Once, Randy wished that he had a baseball glove just like his friend Jake's, so he put the glove into the machine and out came an identical glove. Pleased by what Randy had invented he tries out the copying machine on doubling pizza, doubling games, doubling school work, and even doubling Jake's dog, Asthma.

But when Randy decides to copy his little sister so she'd have someone to play with, he leans what trouble the "Ditto Box" can actually be.

Twozy, is his sister Suzy's twin sister, who acts, whines, laughs, and plays just like Suzy herself. Angry that Randy doubled whiney Suzy, and told him that from now, he will be babysitting two whiney girls instead of just one. Now Randy wants to know if he can somehow get rid of pain #2. But how?

Indiana resident, Betty Jo Schuler is a former elementary teacher who writes for children, teenagers, and adults.
Ms. Schuler has signed up as an instructor for a new Writer's Digest online course, "Fundamentals of Writing for Children," and is looking forward to it. She's also excited over signing with Writers-Exchange for the publication of Brain Man and Double Trouble Ditto Box, books that feature middle-grader Randy O'Rourke and his unpredictable inventions.

Ms. Schuler has two chapter books for younger readers. Baby For Sale and Secret 'Till We're Grown (DiskUs Publishing) were inspired by a cul-de-sac that has twenty-one children, where two of her grandchildren used to live.
Visit her Children's Safe-Surf website at http://home.webworks2000.net/bschuler/children.html

To read about her other books, which include three young adult books, go to
http://home.webworks2000.net/bschuler/bettyjo.html

You may e-mail this writer at bschuler@webworks200.net

I highly recommend Double Trouble Ditto Box by Betty Jo Schuler. My ten-year-old son, Nicholas, loved reading this book. While reading, I'd overhear him giggling. When he finished the book, he asked to read another book by Betty Jo Schulerso I opened my computer screen to Secret 'till We're Grown.

Hyper Harry
Patricia H. Aust
New Concepts Publishing
www.newconceptspublishing.com
e-Book ISBN: 1-58608-307-4; Trade Paperback ISBN: 1-58608-501-8
Price: $3.99 Disk, $3.50 Download, $5.99 Trade Paperback; Formats: Diskette, Download, Trade Paperback

Hyper Harry by Patricia Aust is a delightful book for all middle-grade (9-13) children.

Little Harry is hyperactive. He is unable to control his shocking behavior at times, and it is causing havoc around the Cheltoni household.

Ted, 12, is Harry's older brother, who loves his little brother, but secretly wishes for a normal life.

After Harry gets suspended from school and kicked off the school bus for one week, Ted finds his hyper brother packing to leave home, fearful of causing his parents to separate. Ted then decides to help his brother. Any parent would be proud of young Ted.

Ms. Aust captures some dramatic tension and heart-felt emotions between Ted, Harry and their parents. As all parents know, children can be nerve-wracking, and Ms. Aust pinpoints this behavior in Hyper Harry.

The setting, dialogue, and characters are realistic and encouraging. I enjoyed reading Hyper Harry and look forward to reading more work by this remarkable author.

Connecticut resident, Patricia H. Aust lives with her husband, Erich. She has a grown daughter, son, and son-in-law. Ms. Aust is a part-time social worker with a long-standing interest in kids and adults with ADHD. With this knowledge, she wrote Hyper Harry and her soon-to-come book Spacey Stacey, due out March of 2002.

Hyper Harry is Ms. Aust's first e-book.

I highly recommend Hyper Harry by Patricia H. Aust for all young readers.

The Calico Buffalo
EJ Stapleton (Illustrated by India Baldwin)
BOSC Publishing Company
ISBN: 0-9710283-0-3; Price: $15.95 USA, $26 Canada, ś12 UK; Format: Soft Cover, www.calicobuffalo.com

The calico buffalo was born on a starry night in a canyon by a river to a mother, born of royal blood, and to the powerful chief of all buffalos. Disbelief engulfed the calico buffalo's parents when they saw that their baby buffalo wasn't as other buffalo's, wooly and brown, but the color of a calico cat. His mother tried to cover her speckled baby with brown-red clay, because she was afraid that the herd wouldn't accept him.

When Thorn, a buffalo who is jealous of the chief's position, finds out about their scheme, he thinks of a plan to tell the news to the herd. Together the herd travels on a treacherous voyage to find out where and how their species came about and they want to find out just what they should do about their calico buffalo.

Stapleton's book The Calico Buffalo will give you hope and fill you with joy. The story of the calico buffalo is accompanied with brilliant full-color illustrations by a talented artist named India Baldwin. The Calico Buffalo is a fable that combines Native American culture with the age-old tale of being different.

The storyline teaches open-mindedness, understanding, ignorance, discrimination, mercy, and morality. I loved it. The Calico Buffalos readers will walk away from this book feeling satisfied and that they learned an important lesson in decency.

BOSC Publishing Company donates a portion of funds from every sale to the Jessie Bullens-Crewe Foundation (www.jessiefoundation.org), and to The Home for Little Wanderers (www.thehome.org).

The Calico Buffalo came to EJ Stapleton in a dream. He has spent a lifetime writing, painting, and performing. Mr. Stapleton grew up in Boston, and has since traveled the world. He currently divides his time between New Bedford, Massachusetts and Austin, Texas.

Other books by EJ Stapleton and BOSC Publishing Company include "Audrey Ruth and Jane," and "the Bundlestick People."

My children, ages 10, 5, and 4, loved the story of the calico buffalo and as a mother and children's book reviewer, I highly recommend it.

My Brother Kevin Has Autism
Richard W. Carlson Jr. (Illustrated by Kevin Carlson)
iUnivers.com
ISBN: 0-595-22206-4; Price: $9.95 US, $15.95 Canada; Format: Paperback;
Poetry, children's, ages 9-12, Non-fiction, www.hugsfeelgood.com

Mr. Carlson has written a beautiful collection of poems about his brother Kevin, who has autism. Each of the 40 rhyming poems tells the reader what it is like to have a family member with the brain disorder known as autism. The love the author feels for his brother, shows in every word on every page.

I found each poem enlightening and filled with vivid details of autism and how I learned how people with autism feel about having autism and how they see things differently than the average person.

Kevin, Mr. Carlson's younger brother, drew the delightful illustrations for My Brother Kevin Has Autism, which gives the book a charming feel. There are 50 illustrations included in this book.

Kevin Carlson, since a young child, loved to draw. When he was born, his family had no idea that he had autism. However, they knew that Kevin was different and when he was 5 years old, and still hadn't uttered a word, his family took him to the doctor, where he was diagnosed as having autism. Able to work, Kevin works at Sage, a business that employs handicapped people. Kevin makes crafts and decorative items for the company.

The author, Richard W. Carlson Jr., is known for having an over-active ability to write with vivid imagery. He is a multi-published author of children's books, and has a book of love poems.

I highly recommend My Brother Kevin Has Autism by Richard W. Carlson Jr., and his brother, Kevin Carlson, for all readers. Bravo to the Carlson's

I Don't Want To Be Lunch!
Michael Ambrosio (Illustrated by Bob Langan)
LionX Publishing, Inc.
ISBN: 0-9716085-0-4; Price: $16.95; Children's picture book (ages 3-9), http://www.lionxpublishing.com

Nutsy is a playful, carefree squirrel. One day, before going out to play, his mother warns him of a bear in the woods and tells him not to leave the tree.

Nutsy obeys his mother and has a great time surfing on his tail, traveling from limb to limb, but when he spots one of the biggest acorns he has ever seen, he has to make a huge decision. Should he listen to his mother and not leave the tree, or should he leave the tree, only for a few seconds, to gather the nut?

I won't spoil the ending by telling you what Nutsy decided, but I will tell you that you'll be satisfied by the time you get to the end of this riveting book.

What do you think Nutsy should do? Find out what he chooses by reading Michael Ambrosio's delightful book I Don't Want To Be Lunch!

I Don't Want To Be Lunch is a story that helps children realize that they aren't the only ones that have problems to solve. Michael Ambrosio has written a charming story that will encourage children to make the right decision when they are faced with such a problem.

As a reviewer, author and mother to three children, I found the encouraging lessons taught in I Don't Want To Be Lunch are an important and valuable trait to install in children today.

I enjoyed reading the adventure of Nutsy the squirrel to my children, and by their wide eyes and smiling faces, I assume they enjoyed it, as well.

Michael Ambrosio has written the "I Don't" series of children's picture books after having several near-lunch experiences himself. Using playful creatures, his message is clear, and the tale is enhanced by the comical illustrations by Bob Langan.

Michael lives with his wife and five children in Folsom, California.
Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks
Charles Vald (Illustrated by Cheryl Coville)
Writers-Exchange EPublishing
ISBN: 1-876962-37-2; Prices: Electronic Prices: $4.95 - Paypal, $ 4.95 - Credit Card
CD Prices: $9.95 (+$3.00 Postage) - Paypal, $ 9.95 (+ $3.00 Postage) - Credit Card
Print Prices: $9.95 (+ $2 Postage) - Paypal, $9.95 (+ $2 Postage) - Credit Card
Formats: PDF, HTML, CD, PRINT, www.writers-exchange.com/epublishing

Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks is a wonderful picture book story for children.

Alison is watching her auntie's dog, Tony. She tries repeatedly to teach him new tricks, but Tony doesn't seem to care. Instead of learning to stand, he scratches his ear, and instead of learning to run in a circle, he watches a slow snail make its way through the yard.

Alison's dad tells her that she shouldn't try so hard, because you Can't Teach A Dog New Tricks. While resting on a chair, Tony runs into the house, fetches his leash, and brings it back to Alison. He wants to go for a walk. When Alison tells him later, he won't hear of ithe keeps pushing the leash into her lap. Deciding it's useless to fight the dog, she takes him for a walkrather, he takes her for a walk, and on an adventure.

Mr. Vald's book Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks is a wonderful teaching tool for small children where the child learns that looks can be deceiving.

I enjoyed reading this book to my children, and they loved the beautiful illustrations throughout the book. Mr. Vald's creative writing with Ms. Coville's captivating drawings go hand-in-hand.

Charles Vald is a 28-year-old author who lives in London, England. He writes stories for children and encourages you to visit his personal website at http://www.charlesvald.com

Secret Till We're Grown
Betty Jo Schuler
DiskUs Publishing
ISBN: 1-58495-737-9, http:// http://www.diskuspublishing.com
Price: $6.50 Diskette, $3.50 Download; Formats: Diskette, Download; Stars out of 5: 4 +

Ms. Schuler's children's chapter book is perfect for boys of all ages, tells a comical story of seven cul-de-sac boys, ages 9-8, who camp out down a hill behind their house. No one knows about their secret late night camping adventure except for the boys. They felt that they were big and courageous enough to sleep by themselves in the great outdoors.

The seven cul-de-sac boys decided to keep their special mystery place a secret until they are grown.
The adventure of the cul-de-sac boys is a camping trip you'll never forget!

Ms. Schuler knows boys. Her characters are life-like, right down to their personalities and dialogue. Ms. Schuler's writing style gives a true meaning to young boys and their way of thinking. The seven cul-de-sac boys are boys that we all know and love.

My ten-year-old son, Nicholas, loved reading about Alex, Max, and their friends and he can't wait to read more of her enchanting and hilarious books. He loved it so much that he told all his friends about the incredible author named Betty Jo Schuler.

Indiana resident, Betty Jo Schuler is a former elementary teacher who writes for children, teenagers, and adults.
Ms. Schuler has signed up as an instructor for a new Writer's Digest online course, "Fundamentals of Writing for Children," and is looking forward to it. She's also excited over signing with Writers-Exchange for the publication of Brain Man and Double Trouble Ditto Box, books that feature middle-grader Randy O'Rourke and his unpredictable inventions.

Ms. Schuler has two chapter books for younger readers. Baby For Sale and Secret 'Till We're Grown (DiskUs Publishing) were inspired by a cul-de-sac that has twenty-one children, where two of her grandchildren used to live.

Visit her Children's Safe-Surf website at http://home.webworks2000.net/bschuler/children.html

To read about her other books, which include three young adult books, go to
http://home.webworks2000.net/bschuler/bettyjo.html

You may e-mail this writer at bschuler@webworks200.net

I enjoyed reading this charming book, which is full of mystery and excitement. I highly recommend Secret 'till We're Grown by Betty Jo Schuler. To get your own copy of this book, go to her publisher's website at DiskUs Publishing, http://www.diskuspublishing.com.

Jennifer LB Leese, Reviewer
http://www.geocities.com/ladyjiraff/aswbr.html



David's Bookshelf

The Fine Art Of Small Talk
Debra Fine
Small Talk Press
6041 S. Moline Way, Englewood, CO 80111
ISBN: 0971132208, $12.95, www.DebraFine.com

Everybody can talk, but can you carry a conversation? Or more to the point, can you manage a quality conversation where both (or all) parties feel great about it when they leave? The Fine Art of Small Talk is an excellent manual to help you improve your conversation skills.

Author and seminar leader Debra Fine delivers a snappy, interactive and concise guide to getting the most out of networking and social occasions. The book includes many useful lists, such as icebreakers to get a conversation going, topics to avoid,, great exit lines to retreat gracefully, ways to fuel a conversation, and ways to leap the chasm of pregnant pauses.

One chapter of special interest is on listening. Do you sometimes talk too much to converse? Do you get distracted by other people or happenings in the room? Do you show your boredom by letting your eyes wander? You, too, huh? Then you'll need this chapter as much as I do.

Another chapter of special interest is the one on "conversation criminals", which is essentially tips for dealing with difficult people, such as those who monopolize conversations or brag too much or put you through an interrogation.

The Fine Art Of Small Talk is everything a personal development book should be: short and to the point, interactive and easy to read, and most of all useful.

I'll Never Find Anything In Here!
Susan Younan Attiyah
Neighborhood Press
459 Kingsley Avenue, Orange Park, FL 32073
ISBN: 189310832-5, $12.99, www.NeighborhoodPress.com

If you ever had a child with a messy room (Is there any other kind?), you will react in one of two ways to Susan Younan Attiyah's I'll Never Find Anything In Here.

You might nod your head repeatedly and say to yourself, "That's just like my kid." The crayon in the fish tank might seem familiar. The jelly stains on the couch might look almost real. The pictures might even remind you of your house. And that could make you cringe.

Or you could see this book as the cure for all your problems. Maybe, just maybe, if your child reads this book, he will realize how important it is to keep his room clean. Georgey almost misses his class trip to the zoo because he loses his permission slip under the mess. He also misses out on both a ball game and a video he wants to watch. These are results a child can understand.

In the end, this is a warm, fuzzy book with warm, fuzzy illustrations, appropriate for primary school children. (although I've known a few teenagers who could benefit from the message, too.)

Sold On Seniors
Gary Onks
Sold On Seniors Inc.
13801 Last Line Lane, Fredericksburg, VA 22407
ISBN: 0-9710179-0-5, $29.95, www.SoldOnSeniors.com

If you want to run a successful business, focus on the senior market, says Sold On Seniors author Gary Onks. A former marketer of retirement homes, Onks takes readers "backstage" to see how seniors live, act and think. He leads us into their world and explains how to reach them.

I must state up front that very little of his advice need be limited to seniors. When he speaks of trust and freedom and independence and hearing "I care" from sales staff, I think everyone would agree those are features that would draw customers. But perhaps seniors have the time to look for these qualities and a heightened need for security that makes such features all the more important when pitching to the senior market.

Onks clearly identifies with seniors, sharing with readers his tales of youthful experiences with his "Grandpap" and "Meemaw". He shares this secret with readers: "If you stir it all together and boil it all down to its basic elements, you find my original and Natural' Secret Ingredient in the recipe for successful selling to seniors. It is simply, show them that you Care', and show them with your heart."

Be forewarned, this is not literary writing, nor will your high school English teacher be impressed. And it does not read like a business book (whew!). The writing is no-nonsense, straight shooting, and conversational almost like what you'd expect him to tell you sitting on the front porch of an old farm house. I like that style of writing (perhaps because I wrote Climb your Stairway to Heaven in just as conversational a tone).

Gary Onks convinced me. It's time to get seniorized.

David Leonhardt, Reviewer
http://www.TheHappyGuy.com



Laurel's Bookshelf

A Divorced Mother Talks To God
Shirley Johnson
PublishAmerica, Inc.
P.O. Box 151, Frederick MD 21705-0151
ISBN 1-59129-028-7, 108 pages, $14.95, paperback

Every so often I run across a book that stays in my mind and heart for weeks after reading it. This is just such a book. It was not what I expected in any way. Oh, I suspected it would be well worth reading, but the raw heart of this woman embedded in her prose was overwhelming. Her story made me cry until my nose ran and I couldn't see to read.

Shirley Johnson's non-fiction story is simply written, from a heart that manages to hope despite her struggles. How this young mother with small children found the strength to hope that her marriage would hold together is beyond my imagination. Years of physical and mental abuse, infidelity, and broken promises were all she had to show for her devotion. Despite it all, she still believed her marriage could be saved.

Hope finally dies on a long road trip south. With a callousness I found blood chilling, the author's husband puts on a loving masquerade to lure his wife and children far from home. He abandons his frightened wife and helpless babies, leaves them to fend for themselves. His parting shot is that he's found another woman and he wants a divorce. Reading of her shock and fear, her loneliness, almost broke my heart. In the wake of this abandonment, she turns to an always faithful God in her despair. Her painfully honest talks with God about every aspect of her life are recorded in stark detail. I imagined Shirley Johnson's tears on every page, in every prayer.

Don't expect closure or a happy ending to this first book of a continuing series. She will find her treasure with God's help before the series ends, I'm sure, and I look forward to future books with anticipation. The author's writing style is simple, effective, and her walk of faith is inspiring. I recommend this book to anyone who finds themselves in the throes of a divorce, or to those who need to understand the pain that comes of broken hearts and marriages.

Graven Images
Nancy Mehl
PublishAmerica, Inc.
P.O. Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705-0151
ISBN: 1588515958, $19.95, 196 pages, paperback, 1-877-333-7422, www.publishamerica.com

At age eight, Cally Jo McAllister sat in a crowded courtroom and testified courageously against her mother's murderer. It was a horrifying scene, even to those adults present in that silent court.

The reader feels Cally's fear, her determination to be strong, and shares the overwhelming terror from a child's viewpoint. The evil. The monster. The shadowed darkness. The seeping blood that Cally thinks is strawberry pop. Through Cally's eyes, I saw the monster's face. Her testimony sends him off to prison, where he dies and Cally Jo is safe. Right? Guess again. We accompany her to adulthood knowing full well that the danger did not end for Cally in the courtroom

Nancy Mehl has skillfully crafted a tightly woven suspense thriller.

I was mesmerized. I learned quite early that the wrong man went to prison for the crime. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, became a suspect in my mind. I cringed through Cally's recurring nightmare's, as her subconscious mind attempted to reveal the true monster. And I shuddered as two potential love interests entered her life, fearing one of them might do her in. I met the shadowed monster, made more fearful by his obvious insanity.
The monster could be anybody.

Ms. Mehl is a gifted writer and story teller. She dragged me headlong into Cally's life and held me breathless there until the last page. Anyone who likes the mystery suspense genre, and even those who don't think they do, will be rewarded when they read this book. I can't wait to see what Nancy Mehl comes up with next!

Hiding Places
Richard Alan Nelson
AmErica House Book Publishers
P.O. Box 151, Frederick MD 21705-0151
ISBN 1-58851-608-3, 214 pages, $19.95, paperback

Troubled heroes fascinate me, especially when they live by their own code of decency. Mr. Nelson's Andy Paul is my kind of hero! Andy is strong and capable, a loner who can't fully escape his past as a Navy SEAL. He travels the world as a photographer, capturing beauty and human pathos with the camera's eye, trying to live down what he considers failure as a SEAL commander.

The reader doesn't learn about the origin of Andy's nightmares straightaway. He thinks his solitary thoughts on a much anticipated fishing trip in the Ozark Mountains. Andy welcomes isolation, and seeks to refresh a world weary spirit with the rugged beauty of his surroundings. . His underlying decency and humor come to the fore when he meets Fran Whitler, a widowed mother who keeps a secret past to herself. Their attraction for each other is immediate, and then Fran's hidden past returns to haunt them both. Andy is drawn into Fran's nightmare, and in the process must relive his own shadowed past.

In this first book by Richard Alan Nelson, I found myself at first sharing Andy's love of nature's peace. Descriptive passages of mountain scenery served as a pleasing backdrop to the tension building rapidly around the ex-military hero. While reading, I struggled to "assist" Andy Paul and his top notch SEAL team pals in their unofficial covert rescue of a kidnapped child. It was a thrilling read, regardless of your preferred genre. I won't give any more of the story line away. This author has created an exciting story that proceeds at breakneck speed, with enough twists, turns and surprises to keep the reader guessing.

Voyager: An American Prayer
Brendan Granahan
GreatUNpublished, LLC
5341 Dorchester Road, Suite 16, North Charleston, SC 29418
ISBN: 1588985539, $15.00, 291 pages, paperback, thegreatunpublished.com

At first I attributed a thorough fascination for this book to my great love of all things Irish. After all, Mr. Granahan introduces the voyager in this story as a son of Eire, returning to Ireland after a discouraging sojourn in New York. I must admit that the loving descriptions of Ireland and the people in James the voyager's life made for good reading.

After a few more chapters, I decided that this book appealed because James was traveling Europe on a wing and a prayer, just as I longed to do in my youth. His itinerary included Ireland, Germany, Holland, and France. During James' time in France I encountered more wondrous prose describing the Left Bank, the Parisian way of life. Throughout his travels, James encounters hardships, goes hungry, sleeps rough in cold and rainy places, and learns that friendship is not always true or constant.

Before the read was half done, I knew it wasn't Ireland, France, or the romantic thought of seeing Europe on a shoestring that drew me into this novel. Yes, I sympathized with James and shared his occasional shivers of fear and loneliness in strange places. I struggled with him in his isolation and often self imposed difficulties. And I worried for his safety as he encountered less-than-gracious bullies in his travels. But the heart of this book's appeal is that the author crafts his story out of bits and pieces of his life. Brendan Granahan draws upon his own experiences as voyager in younger years, and does it very well. His voice is reminiscent of Kerouac, but gentler, less harsh. Mr. Granahan says it best with the voyager's closing prayer, quoting a poem by Jim Morrison of The Doors:

O great creator being,
grant us one more hour
to perform our art
and perfect our lives.
We live, we die,
and death not ends it ---

Brendan Granahan is still perfecting his art and his life. I believe he has the capability of writing prose that captivates and haunts the reader's mind. This first book from a talented new writer is well worth reading, and I am predicting that subsequent books will be also.

Little Sisters Of War
Harvey R. Tate
SynergEbooks
1235 Flat Shoals Road, King, NC 27021
0-7443-0384-2 pdf $5.00 E-copy, 410 pages, CD add $3.00 free shipping and handling
0-7443-0359-1 paperback - not determined, http://www.SynergEbooks.com

When I say this book is a true gem, I don't use that term lightly. Mr. Tate is not only a skillful writer, but he knows how to hook readers fast and hold their interest.

At the beginning, the musings of an ancient Iroquois clan mother introduced me to the Native American game of lacrosse. Now, what I know about lacrosse could dance on the head of a pin with room to spare, but I found myself very quickly drawn into this story despite my ignorance of the game.

Mr. Tate introduced his fictional female lacrosse team members early on. I struggled with them, felt each bruise and gash as these underdogs battled their way to the final championship game. These 'little sisters of war' compete at the collegiate level, and the action is heart pounding. The author had me holding my breath and rooting for these fictional characters. I wanted them to WIN, not only at lacrosse but in every aspect of their lives.

I'm not a sports fan in any sense of the word, but the action left me breathless.

And the author made it clear that lacrosse is more than a game to those who play it. To the Native American originators of lacrosse, and to modern day athletes who proudly play the game, lacrosse is a philosophy and a special way of thinking.

This author's vocabulary and command of prose is rich and imaginative. Realistic dialog and action abound through each hard fought game. And his descriptions of fog enshrouded mountains and sweet salt water marshes along the Rapahannock made me long to visit such a place. This book is far more than a discourse on lacrosse. Mr. Tate writes with intelligence and passion. My congratulations to the author for a book well-written.

Laurel A. Johnson
Reviewer



Harwood's Bookshelf

The Hidden Jesus: A New Life
Donald Spoto
St Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York 10010
ISBN 0-312-19282-7, 312 pages, $24.95

As always before reading a book purporting to delineate the reality behind the Jesus myths, I turned first to the bibliography. Conspicuously absent were the names of Arnheim, Crossan, Cupitt, Doherty, Harwood, Helms, Hoffman, Larson, Larue, Lesser, Ldeman, Mattill, Price, Morton Smith, and Wells. Instead, among some valid reference material, was a motley of theobabble no legitimate biblical scholar would ever have cited, most notably The Real Jesus: The Misguided Quest For The Historical Jesus And The Truth Of The Traditional Gospels. A scholar might conceivably read such drivel, to reassure himself that he is not ignoring evidence that the earth really is flat. But he would surely not boast about it.

Spoto makes some valid points: "It is entirely possible, then, that the first Jewish Christians placed Jesus' birth in Bethlehem to affirm his status as the true Davidic King.... Augustus never registered the entire Empire ... and the Judean census, which would not have included natives of Nazareth in any case, was actually called by Quirinius when Jesus was about eight years old. In a small matter of fact, while attempting to establish a specific date in history, Luke has erred." (pp. 3-4)

"If indeed a star had attracted exotic characters from a distant land ... why did this event have no impact on contemporary history, much less on anyone's later knowledge or impression about extraordinary circumstances at the time of Jesus' birth? And if Herod the Great ... took such steps against Jesus, why did his son Antipas have no knowledge of Jesus until late in Jesus' ministry? The answer lies in an appreciation of the star and the wise men as elements of religious truth [?], and their significance for faith is not found by arguing for their literal historicity. At the time of Jesus, the motif of a symbolic star was linked by Jewish stories to the birth of Abraham." (pp. 4-5)

"As for the family's precipitate journey to Egypt ... this, too, is very likely Matthew's religious reflection, for it is incompatible with Luke's account of the peaceful, uneventful return from Bethlehem to Nazareth. More to the point, the slaughter of Jewish babies ... is not even alluded to in the writings of Josephus, who documents, usually with gleeful relish, the king's every reprehensible deed."

On the other hand, while Spoto devotes several pages to the absurdities and paradoxes of the virgin birth myth, and the impossibility of harmonizing it with the rest of the gospels in which it appears, he seems incapable of grasping that it was an interpolation, not originally part of either Matthew or Luke. And his ability to dispute the canonical accounts of Jesus' life, while accepting the reality of Jesus' imaginary playmate in the sky, reminds me of nothing so much as an attempt to find a historical Pinocchio without questioning the reality of the Blue Fairy. Similarly, while rejecting a Bethlehem birthplace for a Galilean preacher, he relocates Jesus' birth to a village called "Nazareth," even though no such place existed until the fourth century. Jesus was in fact born in Capernaum. And when he writes (p. 70), "At home in Nazareth, Jesus' parents would certainly have seen to it that their boy learned enough Hebrew to read the Scriptures," Spoto is not rejecting the reality that Jesus and his parents, as carpenters, would have been illiterate, but rather demonstrating his conditioning that could no more allow for an illiterate Jesus than for a moon made of green cheese.

After writing (p. 102), "Just as the blind were given sight, so the deaf heard and the mute spoke," Spoto then appears to back away from literal acceptance of such fantasy by asking,(pp. 104-105) "How can people of the late twentieth century accept the possibility of miracles? Have not the scientific revolution, the discovery of natural laws and the collapse of magic and superstition done away with belief in miracles. To put the question bluntly: Did such things happen? Can they happen?" But in the chapter that allegedly answers that question, he asserts (p. 107), "It is an interesting paradox to hear professed believers denying the likelihood, or even the possibility, of miracles, thus limiting the divine freedom by insisting they know what is appropriate or inappropriate for Him to do. But cannot God ... alter the usual order of reality? Is God not God precisely because He astonishes?" And if Spoto believes that, I have a bridge for sale in Brooklyn that I think will interest him. (Spoto's capitalization of pronouns is acceptable from a self-confessed believer.
It is the use of such a practice by nontheists that I find indefensible.)

I fully endorse Spoto's conclusion that (p. 114), "As a man of his time, Jesus shared the anthropology as well as the religious language of that day-in other words, he was limited by all the myths and metaphors that then expressed perceptions of reality. Hence, when Jesus commanded an evil spirit to quit someone's body, he addressed what was behind the symptoms-the situation of a disordered personality." In other words, Jesus practised suggestion therapy, still called hypnotism by a diminishing minority.

The sentence that more than anything else reveals the full extent of Spoto's purblindness, also called auto-reinforced brainwashing, is (p. 115), "Disasters are called 'Acts of God,' although it is perhaps not entirely clear why God is blamed for catastrophes and not credited for blessings." That is the precise opposite of observable reality. I have lost count of the number of instances of a plane crashing and killing all passengers except one little girl, who survived because a traffic snarl caused her to miss the plane. And the news media are filled with praise for the wonderful, loving god who chose to save the child's life, while ignoring the transparent (to any sane observer) reality that, if the god could choose to save the one, it must have capriciously chosen to murder the many.

Spoto makes a commendable effort to be objective, and recognizes that bible myths are fiction while maintaining the delusion that the Bible is nonetheless "true." But incurable believers cannot be objective, and Spoto is no exception. If they could, they could not study bible fantasies as intensely as Spoto has done and remain believers. The Hidden Jesus is neither scholarship nor journalism. It is an apology for superstitions that Spoto could not modify even if archaeologists were to unearth a signed confession by the fantasizer in whose imagination "God" first materialized.

But lest anyone think it is the reviewer who is not objective, I will let Spoto convict himself out of his own mouth: "Anyone who expresses belief in miracles is then condescendingly regarded as a child who believes in ghosts, witches, or goblins. Disbelief in miracles, one hears, is demanded by reason: Jesus did not work miracles, because miracles are impossible. But this may be a kind of circular non-reasoning that even serious scientists and historians would question." (p. 118) "Although there are seven 'days' of creation in the first chapter of Genesis and mankind is created last, there is only one day of creation in the second chapter and mankind is created first. Which account is true? Both." (p.121) "Rationalists, in other words, have certain muddy presumptions about both science and history that no serious scholar can endorse." (p.120) What gives Spoto the conceit that he has any idea what a serious scholar could endorse? I get the impression that he has neither read any nor met any.

Spoto claims that it is the persons who recognize resurrection as an absurdity who are not thinking straight. Did I call the man brainwashed? Perhaps I should have said brain dead.

Eye In The Sky
Philip K. Dick
Macmillan Publishing
866 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022
ISBN 0-02-031591-0, 243 pages, $9.00

Picture, if you will, eight persons caught in a beam of uncontrolled radiation and swept into a state of unconsciousness in which they find themselves living in a reality created in the imagination of one of the eight. Now imagine that the person whose fantasy universe has become their real world is a prototype Louis Farrakhan, and the new reality is ruled by a creature known as God, who not only exists but is as all-powerful and capricious as fanatic creationists have always imagined him. In the words of the first of the eight to realize what has happened:

"Physically, we're stretched out on the floor of the Bevatron. But mentally, we're here. The free energy of the beam turned Silvester's personal world into a public universe. We're subject to the logic of a religious crank, an old man who picked up a screwball cult in Chicago in the 'thirties. We're in his universe, where all his ignorant and pious superstitions function. We're in the man's head.... This landscape. This terrain. The convolutions of a brain; the hills and valleys of Silvester's mind."

"Oh, dear," Miss Reiss whispered. "We're in his power. He's trying to destroy us."

"I doubt of he's aware of what's happened. That's the irony of it. Silvester probably sees nothing odd about this world. Why should he? It's the private fantasy-world he's lived in all his life." (pp. 105-106)

As uncomfortable as it may be to live in a reality in which an unelected, fundamentalist moron can be made President by a coup d'etat, and a major political party can become the puppet of America's equivalent of the Taliban, try to imagine living in a world in which the totalitarian fantasies of the Christian Right are the law of the land, a world in which the Ayatollahs' imaginary playmate can do anything the Buchanans and Robertsons would have it do in their ideal America. Philip Dick has constructed such a world, and the end result is chilling.

Dick wrote the stories, "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" that became the movie, Bladerunner, and "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale," that became Total Recall. Only since his death in 1982 has he come to be recognized as one of science fiction's giants.

Robert Heinlein wrote about a future history that included a short-lived theocracy run by a First Prophet. He planned to write a novel about how the First Prophet came to power, but found that he could not because putting such a creature front and center was too nauseating. Having a stronger stomach than Heinlein, Philip Dick was able to spell out the horrors of a world in which religion was transformed from a fantasy of the intestinally challenged into observable reality.
As a logical consequence of focusing on the "what if?" of religion and its Sky Fhrer in books such as Eye in the Sky, Dick was able to summarize, "I hope for His sake that God does not exist-because if He does, He has a lot to answer for."

Eye in the Sky will appeal only to science fiction fans, of whom very few are also God fans. But for anyone who can tolerate extended exposure to the absolute evil of a world in which religion is synonymous with reality, it is illuminating.

Great Quotations On Religious Freedom
Albert Menendez and Edd Doerr, eds
Prometheus Books
ISBN 1-57392-941-7, paper, 250 pages, $18.00

Fully evolved human beings, or "liberals" as they are more commonly called, do not need to be told that capital punishment is subhuman, or that the ability to mistake pre-human tadpoles with zero brainwave activity consistent with even minimal human thought for self-aware sentient beings is a form of intellectual retardation. If they did not already know that, they would be throwbacks to a stage of evolution roughly equivalent to Homo neanderthalensis. So Great Quotations will not tell them anything they did not already know about the difference between right and wrong. What it will tell them, very effectively, is which persons of state-of-the-species evolution said the same things they already know.

Theocracy, the enforcement of the religion of those with the biggest guns on persons who do not agree with it, has been supported historically by persons as rationally challenged as Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Pat Buchanan, Ariel Sharon, Anthony Comstock, Cotton Mather, and Canada's western provinces redneck hate cult; as intellectually challenged as Ronald Reagan, George Bush Jr, Karol Wojtyla, Billy Graham, Danforth Quayle, and the perpetrators of "Touched By an Angel;" as intestinally challenged as William Jennings Bryan; as educationally challenged as creationists; and fanatics such as Torquemada, Khomeini, Hamaz, and bin Laden, of whom no comment is necessary.

In contrast, separation of church and state has been endorsed by Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Kennedy, and hundreds of others whose intelligence and rationality are not questioned even by the theofascists whose concept of morality is taken from the official biography of the most sadistic, evil, megalomaniac serial killer in all fiction, a fellow called "God." Instead of citing a long list of names, I will instead quote the words of some of the most prominent.

PRESIDENT JOHN ADAMS: The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.

PRESIDENT JAMES MADISON: The establishment of the chaplainship in Congress is a palpable violation of equal rights as well as of Constitutional principles.

PRESIDENT THOMAS JEFFERSON: The clergy, by getting themselves established by law and ingrafted into the machine of government, have been a very formidable engine against the civil and religious rights of man.

PRESIDENT THEODORE ROOSEVELT: To discriminate against a thoroughly upright citizen because he belongs to some particular church, or because, like Abraham Lincoln, he has not avowed his allegiance to any church, is an outrage against that liberty of conscience which is one of the foundations of American life.

PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON: My administration has consistently opposed any action that seeks to provide public tax dollars in the form of vouchers to be used at private or religious schools.

PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER: The government ought to stay out of the prayer business.

PRESIDENT JOHN KENNEDY: I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute-where no Catholic prelate would tell the President (should he be Catholic) how to act and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote.

WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS: Once you attempt legislation on religious grounds, you open the way for every kind of intolerance and religious persecution.

SENATOR EDWARD KENNEDY: I believe that religious witness should not mobilize public authority to impose a view where a decision is inherently private in nature or where people are deeply divided about whether it is.

GOVERNOR NELSON ROCKEFELLER: I do not believe it right for one group to impose its vision of morality on an entire society.

MARTHA KEGEL, ACLU activist: Creationism is a Bible story and teaching it as science in public schools violates the rights of religious minorities.

DANIEL DEFOE: And of all the plagues with which mankind are cursed ecclesiastic tyranny's the worst.

ALAN DERSHOWITZ: Let there be no mistake about the ultimate goal of the Christian right: to turn the United States into a theocracy ruled by Christian evangelicals.

CARDINAL JAMES GIBBONS: A civilian ruler dabbling in religion is as reprehensible as a clergyman dabbling in politics. Both render themselves odious as well as ridiculous.

JAMES MICHENER: Religious hatreds ought not to be propagated at all, but certainly not on a tax-exempt basis.

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT: I do not want church groups controlling the schools of our country. They must remain free.

SENATOR SAM ERVIN: Government is contemptuous of true religion when it confiscates the taxes of Caesar to finance the things of God.

POPE JOHN XXIII: Also among man's rights is the right to worship God in accordance with the right dictates of his own conscience.

HAZRAT MIRZA TAHIR AHMAD, author of Murder in the Name of Allah: People who persecute in the name of religion are totally ignorant of the essence of religion.

BALTHASAR HUEBMAIER, 16th century Anabaptist: The slayers of the heretics are the worst heretics of all.

GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE: Is it not strange that the descendants of those Pilgrim Fathers who crossed the Atlantic to preserve their own freedom of opinion have always proved themselves intolerant of the spiritual liberty of others?

BLAISE PASCAL: Men never do evil so completely as when they do it from religious conviction.

VOLTAIRE: The Inquisition is an admirable and wholly Christian invention to make the pope and the monks more powerful and turn a whole kingdom into hypocrites.

HASHEM AGHAJERI, Iranian reformer, July 2000: It is time for the institution of religion to become separated from the institution of government.

CARL SAGAN: The framers of the Bill of Rights had before them the example of England, where the ecclesiastical crime of heresy and the secular crime of treason had become nearly indistinguishable.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: when a religion is good, I conceive it will support itself; and when it does not support itself, and God does not take care to support it so that its professors are obliged to call for help of the civil power, 'tis a sign, I apprehend, of its being a bad one.

SUPREME COURT JUSTICE HARRY BLACKMAN for the majority, "Roe v. Wade": The states are not free, under the guise of protecting maternal health or potential life, to intimidate women into continuing pregnancies.
And on the side of theocracy.

JERRY FALWELL: The idea that religion and politics don't mix was invented by the Devil to keep Christians from running their own country.

JIMMY SWAGGART: It must never be forgotten that this is a Christian country based on the words of [his imaginary playmate].

PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN, who based foreign policy decisions on the dictates of an astrologer: God, the source of all knowledge, should never have been expelled from our children's classrooms.

Great Quotations contains 732 utterances similar to the foregoing. In summary, I can do no better than repeat the accurate description from the publisher's press release:

"This outstanding collection of memorable quotations on religious freedom-the most comprehensive ever assembled-covers many centuries of thought and a wide array of sources. On every page the reader will discover a wealth of thoughtful, wise, and sometimes impassioned statements by all manner of men and women on a subject that has moved the consciences of generations from the distant past to the present. Included are early church fathers, Enlightenment philosophers, popes, anticlerical European statesmen, journalists, famous writers, judges, twenty-six presidents of the United States, and many others. A special feature of this compilation is the inclusion of quotes from major judicial decisions, from 1872 to the present, that bear on religious liberty."

William Harwood
Reviewer



Gorden's Bookshelf

The Legendary Detectives: 9 Classic Novelettes Starring The World's Greatest Super-Sleuths
Jean Marie Stine & J. L. "Frankie" Hill, editors
Renaissance E Books
P.O. Box 494, Clemmons, North Carolina 27012
1-58873-083-2 price: $4.00 electronic download Copyright 2002, 210 pages, www.renebooks.com

This is a set of must read short stories for the mystery reader. It is worth the price just to read the Sherlock Holmes short without Dr. Watson as the narrator. The list of nine authors in this collection is enough for any serious reader to drool over. The characters are just as familiar. Sherlock Holmes and Father Brown are still frequent protagonists in mysteries. But in their day, The Thinking Machine, Craig Kennedy, Moris Klaw, Max Caraddors, Reggie Fortune, Sanders of the River, and The Old Man in the Corner were just as well known.

These stories were all written at the turn of the twentieth century. Science and technology were just making their presence known and many of the stories revel in the use of science. In a strange twist of history, our technology has advanced enough that technological marvels of these early mysteries read fresh and new. A couple stories are dated by information now commonly available but if you put yourself back in time to when the stories first came out you can still get lost in the tale.

I will not claim that I enjoyed all nine shorts to the same degree. A few suffered from changes that occurred in dialogue and culture over the years. But a mystery written well doesn't depend on date or even language. A good mystery is a puzzle to be solved by both the reader and the storyteller and these authors knew how to tell good mysteries.

Headwind
John J. Nance
Jove Books
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
0-515-13262-4 price: $7.99 Jove edition March 2002, 432 pages, www.penguinputnam.com

Nance is a lawyer and a pilot. He uses both as he weaves a complex tale of international law and commercial flight. Stories about trials and the law can be dull. The average law story uses criminal acts as a means of spicing up the necessities of a court's lengthy procedures. Nance uses a Boeing 737 flying between countries while the legal struggle occurs about the arrest of an ex-President of the United States. The actions of the pilots are breathtaking.

Laws have been written by the winners throughout history. It was easy to understand and follow the legal rules in the past. You just had to understand the morals, culture, and laws of the winners. Today that is changing. The world is trying to unify a set of standards that works across all countries. 'Headwind' looks at the question--"What happens when a dictator tries to use international law to bring an ex-President to trial in his own country?" The action is fast and furious as a Boeing 737 pilot tries to keep the ex-President from staying long enough in a country for an arrest to occur while the ex-President's lawyer tries to fight an international legal battle and still travel halfway around the world.

'Headwind' has some minor problems but the story is fast paced and the legal and aviation actions have a ring of truth to them. I have no problem recommending 'Headwind' to any reader. Once you start reading, the story demands to be finished. Make sure you have enough time to finish it before you start.

Spider-Man
Peter David
Ballantine Books
0-345-45005-1 price: $6.99 US March, 2002, 311 pages, www.randomhouse.com

Stan Lee is a very good storyteller. With a bare minimum of words, he created a complex detailed character in Peter Parker, Spider-Man. The story reads like a Greek tragedy. The pathos of a youth, whose life is disrupted by repeated family deaths and the knowledge of his isolated individuality, carries the storyline. Lee's use of a fantasy superhero is what makes the story bearable to the reader. In modifying Lee's stories for the movie, David Koepp has kept the essence of Spider-Man's tragedy intact and Peter David follows through with the novelization. As with all comic book stories, there is a heavy handedness with the storyline but we don't read fantasies for their smoothness or accuracy. We read them for their ability to pull us out of our lives and into another world.

Spider-Man begins with a very intelligent four year old Peter Parker arriving at his Uncle Ben's and Aunt May's home. His parents have been killed in a plane crash and he doesn't understand what is happening. As he grows up, his intelligence, small size, and relative poverty makes him a target of the school bullies. His first love is the girl next door, Mary Jane Watson. M.J. has family problems of her own and escapes them by dating Flash Thompson, one of the bullies who torment Peter. Peter's adolescent misery is just compounded when during a field trip he is bitten by a genetically modified spider giving him superhuman powers and a new set of responsibilities before he even understands what it means to be an adult.

Spider-Man is a story every teenage boy can understand. It is a story everyone who remembers the anguish of youth can appreciate. 'Spider-Man' is not great writing but it is great storytelling. By letting you escape in a fantasy world of superheroes with real life problems, you are distracted from your own. That is what storytelling is all about - escaping to another place and time for at least as long as it takes to finish the book.

S.A. Gorden, Reviewer
http://www.paulbunyan.net/users/gsirvio/content.html



Cindy's Bookshelf

The Misconception
Darlene Gardner
Leisure Love Spell/Dorchester Publishing
276 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10001
ISBN 0505524813, Mass Market Paperback, 320 pages, $5.99

Biology professor Dr. Marietta Dalrymple planned her pregnancy carefully. She advertised in an academic journal and screened the prospects on the basis of such considerations as their IQ and family medical history. Unconcerned with the prospective sperm donor's physical appearance, Marietta wants her baby to have the best advantages possible for a successful future with health and intellect. Marietta selects Harold McGinty to be the donor, with his high IQ, excellent medical history, and position as a biochemist at a pharmaceutical research facility. She does not know that just before boarding the plan, Harold will have second thoughts. A chance encounter with a high school friend sends Cash Jackson, Jax, in his place. The exact terms of Harold's proposed encounter with Marietta were not made clear before Jax boarded the D.C. bound plane. Nor does he appreciate Marietta's conviction that sexuality is a biological function and never one truly of the heart. Events sweep him along and he finds himself spending an extraordinary afternoon in Marietta's arms, leaving them both stunned by their connection. Business interrupts Jax, and before he can return to the hotel, Marietta slips away. Jax hires a private investigator, and two months later learns he is about to be a father. Unfortunately, he is under the misconception that Marietta might want him to be a father. And she is under the misconception that he might give up. Indeed, Jax will challenge every concept Marietta believes regarding marriage, relationships, and fatherhood. Be aware of your surroundings when you read The Misconception. I am not one to laugh out loud while reading very often, but not only did author Darlene Gardner have me giggling and chortling, but by the end of The Misconception I was howling! Gardner captures the heroine's stuffy attitudes of academia and the dialogue of an intellectual with pizzazz, and then contrasts it with a wonderfully sexy, down to earth hero who supports his mother and puts his brothers through college. These character achieve a remarkable depth even as their secrets and fears keep the plot moving quickly. The secondary plot, of an attempt at reuniting a couple of the verge of divorce, adds a touch of spice that will keep the pages turning. As one outrageous event follows quickly on the heels of the next, readers will find themselves wondering what could happen to top this one, and the laughing at the hilarity of the next. A wonderfully entertaining read that belongs on the keeper shelf.

Night Games
Nina Bangs
Leisure Love Spell/Dorchester Publishing
276 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10001
ISBN 0505524805, Mass Market Paperback, 368 pages, $5.99

In 2502 Brian Byrne is every woman's fantasy. In a futuristic world where sex replaces Monday night football, Brian helps his team win the Universal trophy. But satisfying four women at once does not leave Brian fulfilled. He longs for something more, and seeks answers in his ancestral castle five hundred years in the past. There he encounters Allie O'Neill, an American tourist who authored the best-selling series about being the perfect wife before her own marriage ended in divorce. Allie is the first woman who does not act on her desire for Brian; consequently, the challenge makes Allie the first woman he ever truly wants. With a divorce negating her advice in her previous books, Allie's writing career is on the line. Her next book must focus on the sexual compatibility of finding a perfect husband. Now she needs Brian to help with her with the book. Brian needs the experience of being with a woman who creates desire in him without a game on the line. If aiding Allie with her new book will keep her around, then Brian will share more about sex with her than Allie ever imagined. But when the games end, Allie and Brian must face the chasm of years that separates them, and the consequences of playing with fire. A look into a future where sex is the only game worth playing showcases author Nina Bang's talent for witty, irreverent eroticism in Night Games. A sensual time travel that at once titillates and satisfies, Night Games will challenge readers to suspend their disbelief for yet another improbable, rollicking tale of time travel that is worth the walk on the edge of ridiculous. Sexy Brian Byrne is a hero to pant after with his amazing sensual talents and hidden vulnerabilities. Heroine Ally O'Neill's hand off approach challenges Brian in a tempestuous fantasy with scintillating details. Secondary characters likewise dazzle, including a shapeshifter, a meddlesome aunt seeking supernatural experience, and a touching legend based on Brian's castle. Sizzling, sensual tension results in a novel that will join The Peasure Master on reader's keeper shelves. Night Games comes very highly recommended.

A Mother's Way Romance Anthology
Lisa Cach, Lynsay Sands, Susan Grant, Julie Kenner
Leisure Love Spell/Dorchester Publishing
276 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10001
ISBN 0505524716, Mass Market Paperback, 400 pages, $5.99

Regardless of time or place, mothers have always manipulated their children's marriage choices, ostensibly for the child's own good. Just in time for mother's day, four of Love Spell's most engaging authors offer short stories of romances proving that mother knows best. This anthology is very highly recommended. "Mother, May I?" by Lynsay Sands (1353): King Edward orders Lord Jonathan to choose a bride within two weeks, or he will select a bride for him. Jonathan has been sidestepping women his mother selects for him for years. Now he feels outraged at her indifference when she offers to support his quest but refuses to aid his choose. Little does he suspect that the woman he dismisses as too learned and too voluptuous is just the woman she intends for him to marry! A delightfully romantic tale with wonderful characters, including a woman that breaks typical stereotypes of attractiveness, "Mother, May I?" proves that a mother knows what is best for her son. "The Breeding Season" by Lisa Cach (1750): Evelina has high spirits and lacks discipline. Charles prefers a barnyard to a drawing room. Both are considered misfits and unmarriageable, so their mothers conspire to get them married. Another tale of an unorthodox heroine, Cach chooses to portray Evelina as a woman who daringly kisses the boys without regard to consequences, preferring to live in the moment and savor her freedom. Using this historically forbidden element to great effect, in addition to cosmetics and fashion, Cach demonstrates that two mothers scheming together can be twice as effective. "Seeking Single Superhero" by Julie Kenner (Today): Her mother let a superhero get away, and her marriage to a mortal was quite disillusioning. Therefore, mom intends that Jennifer marry a superhero, even placing a want ad on her daughter's behalf. Jennifer, however, lives an extraordinary life determined by her job as a spin doctor, covering superhero events with a mundane explanation the press will accept. The last thing she wants to a superhero. What she wants i an ordinary mortal and an ordinary home life. What she gets a superhero working undercover. Maybe mom's way was right, after all, in a round about way. Terrific plot twists, unexpected superpowers and a wonderful introduction to the hero of "Aphrodite's Passion". Once again Kenner demonstrates her superflair for creating the outrageous and delightful! "The Day Her Heart Stood Still" by Susan Grant (Tomorrow): Her mother's love of the extraterrestrial made growing up in Roswell, Arizona a terrible challenge. It also fueled Andie's own dreams of the stars, resulting in her selection to be a part of the team soon to be announced that will fly on a three year mission to Mars. In the month before the announcement and the ensuing publicity it will entail, Andie returns to her hometown. While gazing into the night sky, she makes a wish for the man who could make her toes curl with a single look. She never dreamed her wish would come true with a man falling from the sky! This futuristic romance proves a mother's wisdom, however unorthodox. Grant makes the future believable with this tender and far reaching tale.

Eternity
Staci Stallings
iUniverse
5220 S 16th, Ste. 200, Lincoln, NE 68512
ISBN 0595180574, June 2001, Paperback, 265 pages, $15.95

Four months after the ending of his engagement to Brandy, Aaron Foster still mourns his loss. The realization of the superficiality of their relationship offers cold comfort during the endless nights alone. Only his friendship with Harmony Jordan still brings him pleasure. Then she introduces him to a new roommate, and he feels as if he has met a missing brother. He and Drew are both mired in hated jobs hoping to work their way up the proverbial ladder. Then Drew meets a new woman, and when Aaron realizes his roommate is dating his ex-fianc‚e, he asks Harmony's help in The Plan. During the last four years Harmony has been Drew's confidant and his best friend. Never has he suspected the deeper feelings that she keeps to herself. Years of men seeing her not as a desirable woman but simply as a buddy have left her scarred. So when Aaron asks her help in The Plan, she finds herself complying, and embarking upon a confusing yet gratifying plan to lure Drew away from certain heartache. Yet even as grows closer to Drew, she finds that The Plan merely complicated an already challenging situation. Inspirational author Staci Stallings offers a refreshing romance filled with the ordinary challenges of love and the extraordinary measures endured for its sake in Eternity. These lively, deftly realized characters will touch readers' hearts with their struggles with finding the path to love. No heavy-handed religious message distract the reader, yet the implicit message about the value of friendship and the consequences of devastating results of easy sex strengthen the plot. A sweetly romantic repast that examines the complexities of loyalty and friendship, Eternity comes highly recommended.

What She Doesn't Know
Beverly Barton
Zebra Books/Kensington Publishing Corp.
850 Third Avenue, New York NY 10022
ISBN 0821772147, April 2002, Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages, $6.50

Nineteen years ago, the Belle Rose massacre deprived a young girl of her mother, her aunt, a family friend, and left her near death. The deaths were called a double murder and suicide by law enforcement anxious to close a case that divided the entire town along racial lines. In the aftermath, fourteen year old Jolie Royale separated herself from her once beloved father because of her tortured memories of his adultery, which she witnessed just before stumbling upon the bodies of her family. His subsequent marriage less than a year after her mother's death led to Jolie going off to an expensive boarding school and refusing to ever visit home. Indeed, after nineteen years she only returns to her hometown for her father's funeral. She stays, following the reading of the will, only to exact her revenge on her stepmother Georgette, stepbrother Max, and half sister Mallory. Max Devereaux predicts trouble if Jolie comes home. When her presence puts pressure on his mother and sister, Max steps into the role of the proper southern gentleman caring for his women folk. But he never allows their attitudes to affect his growing attraction for Jolie. When the will names Jolie the inheritor of the family home Belle Rose, with a provision to allow Georgette and her children to remain in residence, Max becomes the peacemaker. It does not take him long, however, to become sympathetic to Jolie's determination to reopen the Belle Rose massacre case, or to rush to protect her when her life becomes threatened. Too bad she is adamantly opposed to exploring the growing passion between them. Beverly Barton's second romantic suspense novel for Zebra explores the tortured past of characters with deep psychological wounds in What She Doesn't Know. Demonstrating her characteristic flair, Barton's characters struggle with the past, with their well-deserved resentment, and with the power of love. Even when small developments are anticipated, Barton puts an unexpected spin on them. Secondary characters each conceal secrets, and their combined hiden motivations are incredibly intriguing. Further, Jolie's transformation from revengeful to truth seeking is especially convincing, and lends the novel terrific depth. Her determination to fight her feelings for Max likewise lends the novel a nice tension, especially since he is equally determined to overcome her reticence. Further, the unexpected plot developments move the story along a terrific clip, deftly holding the reader's interest. Readers who enjoy well developed characters and intrigue penned with a lively hand will be quite satisfied. Very highly recommended.

To Play With Fire: One Woman's Remarkable Odyssey
Tova Mordechai
Urim Publications
3709 13th Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11218
ISBN 9657108357, February 7, 2002, Mass Market Paperback, 447 pages, $14.00

To Play With Fire records Tova Mordechai's odyssey as moves from being an evangelical female minister to becoming an Orthodox, practicing Jew. The daughter of an Egyptian Jewish mother and a British Protestant evangelical father, Mordechai devotes her life to service within her church. Ever conscious of the differences between herself and the outer world, Mordechai continuously attempts to stifle her need to connect and to fit in. For many years she maintained a double life between home and school, and later work and the religious campus where she lived. When her service was rewarded with a promotion and added responsibilities on campus, Mordechai cuts most of her ties to the outside world. Yet she never could completely stifle her desire to deepen her spiritual connection to the One God, and to explore the religion of her mother. Nine years in the ministry lead to depression and disillusionment with her peers, and an inability to touch the enthusiasm she once experienced. Always aware that something was still missing from her spiritual life, Mordechai buries herself in work and service. But eventually she must do more. Forbidden by her church to explore her Jewish roots, Mordechai eventually leaves behind Protestantism to pursue the freedom of her Jewish roots. Author Tova Mordechai pens her extraordinary spiritual journey from Pentecostalism to Judaism in To Play With Fire. While her story is intensely personal, it is also universal in her search for a relationship with the God of her ancestors. Her gift with prose brings the story a sense of immediacy that makes for fascinating reading as she exposes both her joy and her disillusionment with her protestant beliefs. A must read for all spiritual seekers.

His Majesty, M.D.: Desire No 1435
Leanne Banks
Silhouette Books
300 East 42nd Street, New York, New York, 10017
ISBN 0373764359, Mass Market Paperback, 185 pages, $3.99

Following eight failed matchmaking attempts, Tara York journeys to Marceau to become a guest of the royal household. Her father has hopes this attempt will be more successful than earlier matchmaking attempts, but Tara has perfected the art of making herself completely resistible. Baggy clothes in the worst colors, thick glasses and a carefully dull personality have kept previous suitors at bay. But then, she has never met a man like Prince Nicholas Dumont before. Nicholas has more failed matchmaking attempts to his credit than even Tara. He would rather practice medicine than produce royal heirs. But when he meets Tara, Nicholas finds himself captivated by her determination to present herself as undesirable. Nicholas is used to women throwing themselves at his feet, and the challenge to get to know Tara results in a deeper attraction than he cares to admit. Leanne Banks gift for dynamic characterizations makes His Majesty, M.D. a delightful read. Tara York's determined ugly duckling routine cannot conceal the passion and honesty that draws sexy Prince Nicholas Dumont like a moth to fire. Despite his best intentions, Nicholas will quickly learn that heated passion cannot conceal compelling emotional complications, despite his best intentions to allow them both to maintain their independence and goals to seek very separate dreams. Secondary characters likewise add complexity, including a queen who wants her son married and a sister with a perchance for shopping and rebellion. This perfect balance between fun and sensuality deftly demonstrates why Banks has earned such accolades as Romantic Times Career Achievement awards for her writing. A tale to savor, His Majesty, M.D. comes very highly recommended.

The Runaway Bride: Intimate Moments No 1469
Patricia McLinn
Silhouette Books
300 East 42nd Street, New York, New York, 10017
ISBN 037324469X, Mass Market Paperback, 250 pages, $4.50

An overheard conversation just before she walks down the aisle sends Judi Monroe fleeing the church, leaving her shocked groom standing at the alter. Suddenly her perception of her wildly romantic, quick courtship shifts as she recalls her fianc‚'s refusal to discuss business when they were together. His determination to put assets in her name no longer seems courtly, but threatening. Four days later, as she runs short of cash and drives back roads attempting to elude anyone that might follow, Judi gets lost on a gravel road. Then she suddenly swerves to avoid "The Lone Ranger" on horse back, totals her car, and finds herself faking a case of amnesia. Judi also finds a family that she quickly comes to care for and a job helping "Gran" who is recovering from hip surgery. All Judi needs is five weeks to hide, until the supposed deal her ex-fianc‚ implicated her in has passed. Judi's Lone Ranger turns out to be Thomas Vance, a sexy horse trainer desperately trying to meet a deadline before a fourth of his ranch is sold out from under him. His struggle with the ranch is matched by his struggle connect with his teen sister, who seems to immediately take to "Helga," the purported health care aid. Despite his suspicions, Thomas desperately needs the woman's help with Gran, and accepts the outlandish claim of amnesia despite his misgivings. As "Helga" grows on Thomas, he finds himself seeking her wisdom and skills with his family and his ranch. But he fights romantic involvement for a number of reasons, not the least being he knows she does not suffer from amnesia, but from secret keeping. Author Patricia McLinn creates a fresh approach to the classic amnesia tale, giving The Runaway Bride an appealing twist. The shift of identity allows Judi to grow beyond her previously restrictive environment, establishing her abilities and self-confidence among people who need her. The interchange between Thomas and his teen sister is likewise fascinating as he struggles not just with "parenting" issues, but maturing female issues. urther, Gran provides a wonderful secondary character with her common sense, determination, and strength. Even the ex-fianc‚ sparkles with his manipulations and illegal activities-which will leave the reader amused when the truth of his activities is revealed. With a remarkable cast of characters that will linger in the reader's memory long after the last page is turned, The Runaway Bride belongs on the keeper shelf! Very highly recommended.

Cassie's Cowboy: Silhouette Romance No 1584
Diane Pershing
Silhouette Books
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373195842, Mass Market Paperback, 185 pages, $3.99

If Cassie Nevins does not find a miracle by the fourth of July, she and daughter Trish will loose their tiny home. When her husband died, his foolish get rich quick schemes left his tiny family nearly bankrupt. Now Cassie struggles to make ends meet with her tiny salary at a dress shop and entertains her child at night with stories of her own creation. Indeed, her Cowboy Charlie tales have virtually taken on a life of their own as she draws her illustrations and weaves her tales for her daughter's, and her own private and not so innocent, entertainment. Then one night after a particularly desperate wish for a hero to save the day, Cassie opens the door to find a real life Cowboy Charlie standing on her doorstep complete with hat and spurs. Stunned at his resemblance to her fantasy hero, it still takes a bit of time and charm for Charlie to convince her of his authenticity. As they spend time together, they find themselves increasingly drawn together emotionally as well. Charlie struggles to find the solution to fill Cassie's dreams, but he worries about what will happen to him afterward. Author Diane Pershing achieves an amazingly convincing fantasy come to life tale of romance and happily-ever-after endings with Cassie's Cowboy. Perishing gathers all the elements of the traditional fairy tale, including the widowed mother about to loose her home to foreclosure, a touch of magic, and a wish. This result is fantasy come true for Cassie, but true love and commitment arrive with an unexpected twist that left this reviewer first with tears of sadness then tears of joy. This whimsical and beautiful tale reveals Pershing's mastery of storytelling and touching characterization.

Cassie's Cowboy Daddy: Desire No 1439
Kathie Denosky
Silhouette Books
300 East 42nd Street, New York, New York, 10017
ISBN 0373764391, Mass Market Paperback, 187 pages, $3.99

The Lazy Ace ranch will make a perfect home for widow Cassie Wellington and her twin babies. While the house defiantly needs a woman's touch, it has incredible potential. She looks forward to adding slipcovers and potpourri, as well as throwing the unattractive hunting trophies. But when she finds a naked man snoozing in the bathtub, Cassie's expectations take a sudden shift. Logan Murdock learned that women do not belong on his isolated ranch the hard way. Medical treatment and shopping are simply too far away for him to bring a woman to the Lazy Ace. But when his new partner determinedly settles in, Logan finds himself struggling to maintain his equilibrium, let alone preserve his lone bachelor existence. Kathie Denosky pens a wonderful character driven romance with an engaging premise in Cassie's Cowboy Daddy. From the moment Cassie finds herself gazing into the bathtub at a sexy, nude body, the tension builds. Although the conflict is largely internal, the plot moves quickly as rancher Logan reconciles the loss of his isolated existence to widow Wellington. Indeed, Denosky has a flair for presenting a charming romance rich with humor and emotional complexity. Cassie's Cowboy Daddy comes very highly recommended.

Cassidy Harte And The Comeback Kid: Intimate Moments No 1144
RaeAnne Thayne
Silhouette Books
300 East 42nd Street, New York, New York, 10017
ISBN 037327209X, Mass Market Paperback, 249 pages, $4.50

The Hartes of the Diamond Harte ranch, consisting of two brothers and a sister, will find love in the miniseries Outlaw Hartes. Their father was a descendant of Matt Warner, one of the original members of Butch Cassidy's gang, and was so enamored with outlaws that he named his children after them: Matthew Warner Harte, Jesse James Harte and Cassidy Harte. Cassidy Hearte And The Comeback Kid proves that time and distance have no effect hearts destined to be together. Ten years ago Cassidy Harte's soul mate disappeared without a word only a week before their wedding. Everyone believes that Zach Slater left with another woman - the wife of Cassidy's brother. Over the intervening years, Cassidy buried herself in the role of surrogate mother to her baby niece while living with her brother. Now both her brothers have married, and her baby niece has a new stepsister and stepmother. Suddenly Cassidy finds herself cast adrift and without purpose. So she accepts an opportunity to put her remarkable culinary skills to work at a neighboring resort. Little does she suspect that Zach, the cowboy drifter she wanted to marry, is a wealthy business entrepreneur who has just purchased the ranch where she works. When he left Cassidy ten years ago, Zach left his heart behind. But it is doubtful that his subsequent transformation will be enough to convince either Cassidy or her brothers of his sincere intentions. He only hopes that beneath the hard, angry exterior still lies the one person in the world who had once believed him worthy to love. Desperate for an opportunity to at least spend time with Cassidy, Zach offers her five thousand dollars to stay on at the resort for another month. Now he must find a way to regain Cassidy's trust if he wishes to touch her heart. Unfortunately, the past has never been resolved and may very well rear its ugly head once again. Leaving again would be so much easier, for both of them, but his heart just won't listen. Author RaeAnne Thayne provides a powerful conclusion to her Outlaw Hartes miniseris with CASSIDY Hearte And The Comeback Kid. There is something especially endearing about two hearts torn apart by circumstance reunited by destiny. The maturation of Cassidy and Zach during their years apart makes taking chances harder and the rewards extraordinary. Indeed, Cassidy's understandable reticence and Zach's conviction that they belong together is both credible and touching. Further, Zach's motivation for leaving lends the plot strength and believability. Once again favorite characters from the previous two books of the series put in appropriate appearances, providing updates with intrusiveness. Indeed, I almost regret finishing this novel as the vividness of the characterizations through all three novels makes them seem like old friends who have come to live in my own heart. Cassidy Harte And The Comeback Kid comes very highly recommended.

Maternally Yours: Desire No. 1418
Kathie Denosky
Silhouette Books
300 East 42nd Street, New York, New York, 10017
ISBN 0373764189, Mass Market Paperback, 184 pages, $3.99

Author Kathie DeNosky pens a charming, character driven romance in Maternally Yours, the second book of the Dynasties: The Connellys series. While King Daniel is safely ensconced in Altaria's royal palace, the investigation into his murder attempt continues. Chicago Special Investigative Unit Detective Elena Delgado has been assigned to the case. Her investigation brings her to the attention of Brett Connelly, Daniel's twin brother. Elena carefully guards her hard won independence. She has worked for the Chicago PD ever since she left the foster care system. After a failed marriage that included two miscarriages, Elena longs for a child. She cares for this pregnancy carefully as she cannot afford another trip to the sperm bank. She has learned her lesson regarding playboys, charm, and controlling relationships. But her cynicism meets its match when she begins the Connelly investigation. Brett Connelly, Vice-President of Public Relations enjoys his playboy lifestyle. Accustomed to charming women into following his lead, he finds Elena especially charming and challenging. His arrogance inadvertently threatens Elena's well-being, and Brett quickly finds himself feeling pleasantly responsible for her. Soon he finds her eliciting desires he never dreamed of, including fatherhood and permanence. But Brett has a few lessons to learn about combining romance with independent women. Author Kathie DeNosky brings her characteristic flair for combining sensuality and humor in Maternally Yours. I always find pregnant women who enjoy their sensuality a refreshing twist, and DeNosky especially makes romance and pregnancy enticing. Further, as Elena's well deserved cynicism gives way to softer feelings, her changes and growth are believable and delightful. Yet she never abandons her principles nor takes the obviously easier path. Brett, on the other hand, has his own considerable changes of attitudes, but they come about quite naturally, such as his incredible reaction to seeing Elena's ultrasound. An utterly charming romance wrtten with poignancy and passion, Maternally Yours comes very highly recommended.

Friend, Lover, Protector: Intimate Moments No 1151
Sharon Mignerey
Silhouette Books
300 East 42nd Street, New York, New York, 10017
ISBN 0373272219, Mass Market Paperback, 250 pages, $4.50

Dr. Dahlia Jensen, as associate professor at Colorado Mountain University, is a storm chaser. She plans for her research and theories about lightening to earn her a grant and a promotion. An ex-husband and broken engagement have persuaded Dahlia to avoid romantic encounters. Dahlia has subsequently maintained tight control over life; that is, right up until Army Ranger Jack Trahern climbs into her van claiming to be her bodyguard. Suddenly her life careens out of control and she believes Jack is the most dangerous man she has ever met. Jack agrees to keep Dahlia safe as a favor to an old friend. Impressed by Dahlia's courage and determination, Jack intends to prevent her from becoming a mob hit during her sister's testimony. With a month of accrued leave, Jack devotes himself to insuring Dahlia's safety. Unfortunately, he would also rather be anywhere but storm chasing. And despite his growing attraction for Dahlia, Jack does not do permanence or babies. Nor does he have sex with a woman he cannot walk away from. Now Jack is left wondering how in the world he will keep safe from Dahlia. Award winning author Sharon Mignerey demonstrates her outstanding talent in this sequel to Too Close For Comfort. Friend, Lover, Protector builds tension from the first page and never relents. Sexual tension underlies physical danger as these fascinating characters, an unusual background, and a tightly knit plot combine in thrilling excitement. Further, Dahlia faces an interesting challenge in her relationship with men. Her physical attributes bring constant attention to her body, making her wish for "just one guy who sees beyond the obvious." Jack sees beyond the obvious very quickly, but has his own challenges to overcome. In addition, Mignerey deftly captures the dangerous atmosphere of academia when professional jealousies meet with personal vendettas. Dahlia's nemesis and former mentor is a character readers will love to hate. An outstanding read.

Man With A Message: Superromance No 1056
Muriel Jensen
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373710569, Mass Market Paperback, 299 pages, $4.99

With water pouring from a shower wall, Mariah slips on a towel, knocking her unconscious. She falls and comes face-to-face with one of Whitcomb's Wonders. Plumber Cameron Trent moves her sodden body to a bed out of the water, and performs mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. But he is the one left stunned when she kisses him and then slugs him. Despite her mixed signals, Cameron finds himself enchanted with the avenging angel with the left hook. Badly scarred by three miscarriages and a stillbirth, Mariah does not believe her dreams of family will ever come true. Her husband cruelly stressed his need for biological children and rejected her when she refused to get try another pregnancy. Now Mariah enjoys her quiet life as a dorm mother at the local boarding school and dreams of a trip to Europe. She resents Cameron's intrusion her life because he ignites her desire for things she cannot have. Muriel Jenson brings a small-town richness to Man With A Message, part of the continuing Men of Maple Hill series. Heroine Mariah echoes the disillusionment endemic in many modern women when her dreams of a traditional family seem to have become impossible. But Cameron's heart-warming assurances that dreams can come true makes Man With A Message a modern fairy tale complete with a happy ending. Secondary characters are likewise endearing from Mariah's bohemian sister to her young charge that insists upon digging for bold in attics behind shower tile. A warm read filled with charm, Man With A Message comes highly recommended.

The Secret Son: Superromance No 1057
Tara Taylor Quinn
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373710577, Mass Market Paperback, 299 pages, $4.99

A week in New York and a chance encounter brings a senator's wife and freelance hostage negotiator together in a night of passion that leaves them both deeply touched. Jack Shaw awakens Erica Cooley's heart for the first time. She is the first person to touch Jack's heart since the tragic death of his wife and child. They agree to never see one another again, and go their separate ways. But neither one forgets. Five years later Senator Jefferson Cooley knows that Kevin is not his biological child, but the boy is the child of the senator's heart. He magnanimously forgave his beloved wife's indiscretion, but as the years have passed, he has also come to understand that while she loves him, she cannot offer him the passion he desires. He finally divorces her, and six months later Jack chances back into her life. No matter how she feels, however, she believes that she can never tell him of The Secret Son. Author Tara Taylor Quinn pens a deeply emotional tale in The Secret Son, part of the A Little Secret series. Her gift for examining the nuances that flavor relationships, the motivations for protection and secret keeping, and the emotional ramifications of guilt bring The Secret Son a deep psychological underpinning. Erica's struggles will strike an empathetic cord with readers, even if they do grow slightly impatient with some of her decisions. Guilt often drives her into excessive self-flagellation, yet is understandable for any woman with her heart caught between two worlds. Her ex-husband Jefferson is a sympathetic and sterling character readers will not soon forget. Jack's struggle to overcome the past and to give into the lure of passion lends his character the emotional flaws that make him believable and provides the power to transform his life. Quinn's daring plotting and careful handling of the related moral issues is extraordinary. The Secret Son comes highly recommended.

Help Wanted: Husband: American Romance No 923
Darlene Scalera
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 037316923X, Mass Market Paperback, 250 pages, $4.50

Six months of attempting to please her unfaithful husband immediately followed a lifetime of attempting to please her father. Now Lorna McDonough pleases no one but herself, hanging brilliant yellow shutters on her austere New England farmhouse and planning to paint the front door bright blue. She even wears chartreuse to her cheating husband's funeral. Only two days later she learns of her pregnancy. Now isolated by her father's and husband's reputations, and derided as "Loony Lorna" by town folk, Lorna struggles to revitalize the failing farm that she dreams of becoming her unborn child's legacy. Lorna's farm has enough work for an army of men, but her help wanted ad only attracts one: Julius Holt. A man who never stays in one place long, Julius cannot outrun the reminders of his painful youth when he made a tragic mistake. Yet Lorna inspires a reason to hope. She makes him dream of roots, land and a home. A rambling, smooth-talking, sensual man, Julius epitomizes the men Lorna wishes to avoid. But she needs help, so she meets his demands. In return for his working the farm until harvest, she will give him a stake in the land. She does not know she will give him her heart as well. Author Darlene Scalera reveals the soul of a poet in Help Wanted: Husband. Her lyrical prose and eloquent descriptive style captures the essence of farming warm moist earth and the profundity of spring. Indeed, the novel moves with the rhyme of the season, reflecting new beginnings for spring, warm fertile growth in summer, and the harvest in the fall. The challenges of weather and childbirth are met with an understanding of the cycle of life and the unexpected moments of eternal hope. A richly satisfying, character driven romance, Help Wanted: Husband? Comes very highly recommended.

The Simply Scandalous Princess: American Romance No 921
Michele Dunaway
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373169213, Mass Market Paperback, 248 pages, $4.50

Having eliminated his eldest two American granddaughters from inheriting his throne, King Easton of Korosol orders the investigation of his third granddaughter. Now the king orders retired General Montcalm, captain of the Royal Guard, to investigate Lucia Carradigne's background. Duty and devotion to his king motivates Harrison Montcalm. He once even took a bullet to save the king, but finds matter of the heart to be far more deadly. For the first time in his career, Harrison wishes someone else was the king's most trusted advisor. If not for a scandalous article printed in a tabloid, no one would have questioned Lucia's suitability for the crown. Now this investigation to ascertain the validity of the tabloid's claims places Harrison in a dangerous position. His king attempts matchmaking between Lucia and Harrison's son, not knowing Harrison himself has fallen for the woman who is nineteen years younger. During their dance at her sister's wedding, Lucia likewise recognized the connection between them, and now welcomes the investigation as an opportunity to ignite the passion and fire that she leaves lurks beneath his cool exterior. Author Michele Dunaway creates one of the tenderest romances I have had the pleasure to encounter in The Simply Scandalous Princess. Dunaway boldly allows a tremendous age difference to separate her Harrison and Lucia, and then throws the hero's son at Lucia. Despite her family best intentions, Lucia embraces the opportunities that come her way to show Harrison how she feels, gently seducing him into a relationship he never dreamed possible. Lucia provides him with healing and surprising wisdom; he inspires her creativity and brings her happiness. An unlikely match, Harrison and Lucia compliment one another with strength and fire, yet with a gentle quality seldom matches. A remarkable and beautiful tale, The Simply Scandalous Princess comes very highly recommended.

The Doctor Delivers: Superromance No 1060
Janice MacDonald
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373710607, Mass Market Paperback, 299 pages, $4.99

Twelve years of marriage provided Catherine Prentice the ideal career. She enjoyed raising her children and baking cakes. Divorce provided her with disillusionment and overwhelming challenges. Her husband married her one-time best friend, and now continuously underscores her inability to provide for her children financially. Still on probation for her new job in the hospital's public relations department, Catherine's job is on the line when Dr. Martin Connaughton refuses to go along with surgery on his newest patient. Martin is a rebel. He refuses to comply with hospital politics for the sake of publicity, especially when doing so is morally wrong. Five years ago his wife died when they were in Northern Ireland, and he has subsequently immersed himself in his work, building emotional walls that forbid entrance by other people. Yet somehow Catherine slips past his defenses, making him smile again. Then the chief of surgery recommends an operation for Martin's newest patient, and he cannot agree. His defiance risks his job and Catherine's as well. He also risks both of their hearts. Author Janice Macdonald creates a richly textured romance in The Doctor Delivers. When politics and medicine collide, morals and ethical dilemmas create dynamic tension drawn from Macdonald's own experience in the public relations department of a large medical center. Her knowledge of neonatal care units likewise lends a touch of realism that brings her tale vividly alive. The emotional intensity of both primary and secondary characters results in a powerful, heart-rending drama. Heroine Catherine will especially score points with single mothers struggling with career, children, and finances. When she receives a letter from the bank regarding her overdrawn account, I could not help but empathize. Hero Martin's coldness exterior belies his overwhelming concern for his young patients, likewise endearing him to the reader. With crisp dialogue and wonderful characterizations, Macdonald delivers an excellent first novel that promises great hings for her writing career. Highly recommended.

You're My Baby: Superromance No 1059
Laura Abbot
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373710593, Mass Market Paperback, 299 pages, $4.99

English teacher Pam Carver becomes proof that condoms do not always work. Unfortunately, the parents and the administrators of the private school where she teaches will not sympathize with an unwed mother. So colleague and friend Grant Gilbert's unexpected proposal offers the perfect solution. A simple written contract and they will be married for a year, assuring security for mother and child. She never expected to fall in love, and she dreads the day when this patched together family will come unraveled. After thirteen years of divorce, Grant's ex-wife still attempts to manipulate him whenever it suits. This time she plans to go oversees for a year, dropping his teen son Andy in his lap after years of excuses as to why he could not spend time with him. But to have this year with his son, Grant needs a live-in housekeeper now, and none are available. Therefore, he proposes a marriage of convenience to solve both his and Pam's difficulties. He does not suspect the overwhelming consequences of their marriage. The traditional marriage for convenience theme includes unusual twists in You're My Baby by Laura Abbot. The premise is absolutely fascinating, with a morally questionable choice for the biological father, which becomes utterly understandable once the circumstances emerge. The motivation for this marriage of convenience is absolutely believable: Mother-to-be Pam risks her beloved career and the ability to support herself and her child without a ring on her finger. Her proposed husband likewise has a desperate, yet utterly convincing, need for a wife. The resulting family dynamics create enough tension to keep the reader glued to their tale. In addition, teen Andy's journal also provides remarkable insight in a fascinating context, and his attitude with a capital A is exactly how a teen would respond under the circumstances. The battles over teens, new babies, parenting mistakes, and love make You're My Baby one of the best Superromances I have had the privilege to review. Make room on your keeper shelf for ths!

Bound To Happen: Harlequin Blaze No 40
Alison Kent
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373790368, Mass Market Paperback, 248 pages, $4.50

In All Tied Up, Macy Webb begins this adventuresome series with a scavenger hunt when she gathers the other employees of gIRL-gEAR and some male friends for "game night." Present are Sydney Ford and Ray Coffey, who team up for Macy's scavenger hunt. Ray wins the scavenger hunt, receiving a promise of a pleasure cruise aboard Sydney's father's yacht. Although Ray would have preferred a vacation for two, to keep Sydney company he invites several of her business partners and friends. Now the repercussions from Macy's scavenger hunt continue to reverberate in Bound To Happen. What should have been a vacation pleasure cruise becomes a vacation at an island paradise instead when their yacht strands them on a Caribbean island only twelve hours out of port. Fortunately, Sydney's father happens to own the island and it has every amenity. Sydney blames the island for casting a sensual spell, leaving her desirous of the man to whom she gave her virginity eight years ago. Perhaps if she seduces him, Sydney can get Ray out of her system before they return to the states. Having Sydney to himself fulfills Ray's fantasy. So the privacy afforded by the change in plans pleases him greatly. The time they spent together during the scavenger hunt merely whetted his appetite for the girl he'd never forgotten-only now she's the woman of his erotic fantasies. He has always wondered why she chose him on that one wild night when she gave him her virginity. Eight years later he still feels a connection. He is not looking for permanence, but he sure would like to find answers and share a good time. Author Alison Kent neatly ties off the loose ends begun in the previous two installments of the gIRL-gEAR trilogy in Bound To Happen. Everyone on the vacation seems to get plenty of heated action, in scintillating detail, with the exception of Sydney and Ray. Indeed, the hero and heroine spend much of the novel lost in a frustrated, needy, desirous condition, which makes for great fun for the reader! The secondary plot concerning Annabelle Lee, icknamed Poe, develops nicely as this antagonist from the previous novel, No Strings Attached, becomes a solid partner in gIRL-gEAR. I admit to having a weakness for this outspoken, ambitious, sensual, intelligent woman! I also must admit to my favorite scene: a little too much rum in the fruit leads to highly erotic dancing, which the men eventually chance upon. Bound To Happen is a sizzling, sensual delight that comes very highly recommended!

Wonders Never Cease: Superromance No 1061
Debra Salonen
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373710615, Mass Market Paperback, 299 pages, $4.99

Ben Jacobs brings twelve years of experience with the Santa Ignacio Police force and a remarkable partner when he accepts the offer to come to the smaller Bullion, California force. At ten, Czar has reached the typical age of retirement, but retirement usually brings a quick death to canines deprived of their beloved jobs. Consequently, the move buys Ben a few more years to work with Czar. His accustomed control meets its challenge in reporter Jill Martin, however. Her lively spunkiness and irreverence leaves him intrigued, even when those in positions of power warn him away from the rebellious reporter. Jill never backs away from a story even if the mayor and others accuse of her being on a vendetta rather than chasing facts. Her ex-husband and his wife, her former best friend, work for Land Barons, a huge corporation intent upon bringing Bullion a new housing development. Friends tease Jill about her lacking social life when she is more impressed by the dog than the man. Indeed, the instant affinity between her and Czar astonishes Ben. Jill cannot help wishing that Ben could be as approachable as his dog. Then danger brings about extraordinary events that transform her perspective of both man and beast. Author Debra Salonen constructs a usual and intriguing plot and then pulls it off with aplomb in Wonders Never Cease. A canine perspective lends this tale an stunning element that separates Wonders Never Cease from the stereotypical fair of series romance. So be prepared to suspend disbelief as Salonen takes the reader beyond the ordinary romance providing humor and intrigue in equal doses. Characterizations are equally intriguing. Jill's cynicism regarding her ex-husband and former friend provides comic relief as she gives as well as she takes. Ben's dislike of things that do not make sense, and his need to solve puzzles makes him not only a terrific cop, but a wonderful hero as he disregards other's opinions and forms his own regarding Jill. As the author reminds us, "wonders never cease when you have a littlefaith," as she so deftly proves. Wonders Never Cease earns the

Shooting The Moon: Superromance No 1058
Brenda Novak
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373710585, Mass Market Paperback, 299 pages, $4.99

A thoughtful note from a friend that including his former girl friend's obituary brings Harley Nelson back to Portland, Oregon after a ten year absence. When he arrives on the Worthington's doorstep, Harley announces that he will not leave until he sees his son. Just the sound of his son's voice leaves him shaken and overwhelmed with a need to claim the child as his own. Ten years ago he had left with the question of what he had to offer the child burning uppermost on his mind. He returns with the same question and the determination to find answers. While he tries to remind himself that Lauren is cut from the same cloth as the rest of his family, Harley still struggles to keep his priorities straight and his concern for how his actions affect Lauren under check. Lauren remembers Harley with bitterness. He took her father's money before disappearing from their lives. His departure seemed to have provoked the downward spiral that her sister became enmeshed in, ending in her alcohol related death six months ago. Before dying, her sister had entrusted her parents with custody of nine year old Brandon. Although she lacks a legal status, Lauren has always provided care and support to Brandon. In fact, she has built her life around the child. Now with Harley arrival, she fears her status will go from favored aunt to absent aunt. Worse, her growing attraction to Harley only adds more emotional complications. Brenda Novak's skill for creating an intriguing blend of strengths and weaknesses shines in Shooting The Moon. The sharp contrast between wealth and poverty highlights Harley's desire to prove himself on his personal merits rather than the improved status of his checkbook. Lauren's devotion to her nephew and her character growth likewise makes her appealing. As her sister's journals provides powerful insight into the past, the reader also comes to respect Lauren for her reevaluation of the past and her decision to stand behind her convictions whatever the cost. Secondary characters are likewise memorable, including te nine year old who wants to know his birth father. While the grandparents can be harsh and judgmental, the reader never doubts their genuine love and concern for their deceased daughter and beloved grandson. A remarkable achievement with rich characterizations, clashing emotions, and a captivating plot.

A Stranger's Touch: Harlequin Blaze No 37
Tori Carrington
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373790414, Mass Market Paperback, 248 pages, $4.50

Eight days before her wedding, Dulcy Farris' two best friends take her to a bar for a private bachelorette party. A few too many tequila shots loosen tongues, and Dulcy confesses her forbidden fantasy of making love to a complete stranger in an elevator. Little does she suspect that events will conspire to make her inebriated wish come true. Too long without a man's touch has left her hungry for more than Brad's chaste promise of consummating their relationship on their wedding night. Quinn Landis has that sexy, bad-boy look that turns women's thoughts to erotica. When he arrives at the bar on the prowl after too many nights alone, he does not expect find such a sensual bad-girl playing good. Molten temptation brings them together in a fiery fantasy come true that leaves them both shaken. Too bad that they will never see one another again. But they do, in the most expected context. Dulcy's fianc‚ Brad has gone missing, and Quinn had arrived in town to be Brad's best man. Writing team Tori Carrington out do themselves in sensual treat that truly dares wildest fantasy in A Stranger's Touch. They capture the essence of the moral dilemma of two people who are perfect for one another, but bound by loyalty to the same man. Dulcy plans to marry a man she does not love for security, and her ethics do not allow her easily fall in love with someone else. Quinn and Brad grew up together, bound by bonds deeply rooted into their shared history. With Brad missing, neither Dulcy nor Quinn have the easy option of setting things straight, and the added complications of Brad's disappearance and lifestyle only compound their problems. Indeed, A Stranger's Touch possesses a daring plot that easily could descend into justification or moral improbabilities; instead, it becomes sensually erotic, emotionally challenging, and morally believable. In addition, Carrington has a gift for portraying both male and female point of view in a fluid style that greatly enriches the tale; this gift is especially effective and entertaining in A Strnger's Touch. Add this one to your keeper shelf; it comes very highly recommended!

Intent To Seduce: Harlequin Blaze No 38
Cara Summers
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373790422, Mass Market Paperback, 248 pages, $4.50

Dr. MacKenzie Lloyd moves her scientific research from the lab to the bedroom with a three-step plan formulated to please her future husband. She has gathered imperial evidence, interviewed professionals, and formed her hypothesis. Now she needs to test the validity of her conclusions in the field. In other words, Mac needs a man to help her put her theories in practice. But when her starts practicing her techniques on sexy CEO Lucas Wainright, Mac gets rather unexpected results. With looks like a fallen angel, Lucas makes women's hearts go pitter pat, but he decided a long time ago that he does not need the responsibility of a wife. Mac's unorthodox proposition of no strings attached sex is tempting. Lucas senses a sensual, sexy woman concealed beneath Mac's prim, innocent appearance. Her courage and honesty likewise provide enticing allure. In fact, he has never met a woman who arouses such erotic fantasies in him, yet she has yet to reveal that the attraction is mutual. The result is a heady challenge Lucas cannot resist. Seductive fantasy meets the demands of reality in Intent To Seduce with the sophisticated flair that characterizes author Cara Summer's work. Indeed, seduction becomes both a science and an art, carefully balancing the desires of the libido with the needs of the heart. This brilliant scientist and talented CEO need to learn that sensuality and romance go hand in hand when two people share their profound connection. More accustomed to lab experiments than bedroom ones, Mac proves to be an enticing heroine as she formulates her plans to please Lucas. Her savvy, gutsy experimentation make her a real delight. Lucas' demand for reality to supplant fantasy does not fit with Mac's plan, providing titillating conflict of the sensual nature. A strong secondary plot lends added depth and more delightful characters. Indeed, an absolutely memorable romp.

Her Perfect Stranger: Harlequin Temptation No 878
Jill Shalvis
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373259786, Mass Market Paperback, 218 pages, $3.99

One wretched night while a storm rages in Huntsville, Alabama, a woman seeks refuge in a hotel pub. The man watches her temper with amusement. She's drenched, filled with fire, passion and rage. When the power goes out, he offers her his room for the night. It seems like the perfect opportunity for two perfect strangers to share their passion. Their connection is electric, but when morning comes, the woman is gone. Mike shipped in from his assignment in Russia to accept a pilot position in a space shuttle mission. He is stunned to learn that his commander is Corrine Atkinson, the perfect stranger of the night before. And he is hurt that her cold demeanor in no way acknowledges the connection they made. His bitter disappointment leaves him determined to break through Corrine's formidable defenses. Corrine has ignored her sexual needs for the sake of success in her career. She uses her tough exterior to intimidate the people around her. Realizing she's slept with someone she will work closely with for the next four months, Corrine cannot help wondering if this some kind of cosmic joke. He had been perfect, and now she will pay the price. If her team finds out, Corrine will lose the control and power she has battled so hard to earn. Jill Shalvis once again reveals her gift for dramatic flair in Her Perfect Stranger. Caught in a conundrum of their own making, Corrine and Mike are likeable, sympathetic, and witty as they struggle to cope with the consequences of their stormy night together. Corrine wants to force distance between herself and the men she commands, even as she wants to shatter her Ice Princess reputation. As she struggles to control her passions, Mike's outrageous antics keep her desperately on edge, thereby maintaining a delicious tension in the novel. Corrine's parents and the events surrounding the climatic scene are wonderfully scripted, making the conclusion absolutely delightful. Sizzling passion and electric awareness makes Her Perfect Stranger perfect for the keeper shelf. Very highly recommened.

The Agent: Superromance No 1054
Lynn Erickson
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373710542, Mass Market Paperback, 299 pages, $4.99

When Meg Afferton's husband fails to return after delivering his seminar at the Given Institute, she immediately suspects the worst. As their gourmet dinner lies in the saucepan uneaten, her news of her pregnancy untold, Meg phones friends and coworkers desperate for news. Howie is not the kind of man to be late without calling and Meg knows that something has happened. So does agent Mark Fielder of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, a covert branch of the Defense Department. Indeed, the missing bioscientist's activities have already drawn his attention several times with an appearance of living beyond a biotechnologist researcher's means. As the strain wears on Meg, Mark arrives claiming to represent the company that funds Howie's research. He deftly conceals his government affiliations, moving in with Meg to offer support and protection until her husband can be located. Soon Meg finds herself fearing both the known and the unknown. She does not reveal to anyone her dissatisfaction with her marriage, or her interrupted plan to reveal her pregnancy to her husband. But as long days and weeks drag by, and fear of kidnapping gives way to suspicions of crimes much worse, Meg will have to make decisions for herself and the child she carries. While her fantasies weave dreams of the man sharing her home, reality does not appear nearly so promising. Once again writing duo Lynn Erickson vivaciously captures the flavor and scenery of Aspen, Colorado in The Agent. Deception, disillusionment, and new beginnings abound for Meg Afferton and agent Mark Fielder as they unravel the truth behind Meg's husband's disappearance, and walk the path that can lead to betrayal or love. Meg's pregnancy makes her sympathetic character as she struggles to take control of her life. Mark is a difficult hero to love, as he keeps emotion at a careful distance, yet his cheerful determination to succeed in the kitchen or with Meg's recalcitrant brother also makes him surprisingly endearing. With a story that could be torn from contemprary headlines, The Agent results in a gripping read that comes highly recommended.

The Family Doctor: Superromance No 1051
Bobby Hutchinson
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373710518, Mass Market Paperback, 299 pages, $4.99

An unexpected mix of error lands chief of staff Dr. Tony O'Connor a bed in ICU. From there, he gains a new perspective of the operation of St. Joseph's Hospital in Vancouver. His imperious tone and demands for information meet with little response as he finds himself waiting his turn over the following days. Suddenly Tony's opinion of patient advocate Kate Lewis shifts and rather than wanting her position eliminated, he finds himself in need of her skills. Kate initially feels little sympathy for Tony as she still nurses feelings of betrayal and anger following his publicly stated opinion regarding her job. But with his new perspective from a hospital bed, Tony suddenly becomes far more human - and appealing. Despite their growing attraction, however, Tony and Kate will confront tremendous challenges to their growing relationship both on the floors of St. Joe's and from their demanding family responsibilities. Author Bobby Hutchinson deftly captures the delicate family dynamics that makes family both a blessing and a curse in The Family Doctor. Tony's family still nurses the scars of his father's departure many years ago, and the tangled issues of forgiveness and healing. As he struggles with his family relationships, Tony also finds himself challenged by Katie's living arrangement with her ex-husband and stepdaughter, which seems entirely too domestic for his comfort. Further, Katie's choose to keep the daughter of her heart close following her divorce necessitates a sacrifice of her personal life. Now she must meet the challenge of balancing the possibility of a future with the losses of the past. The Family Doctor comes highly recommended.

Fleet Hospital: Superromance No 1055
Anne Marie Duquette
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373710550, Mass Market Paperback, 299 pages, $4.99

At thirty-three, Lori Sepank has grown tired of living in cheap hotels or out of the back of her car. Indeed, hunger and a safe place to sleep are prime motivators for being at Camp Pendleton as an invited civilian guest assigned to cover a simulated emergency. A freelance reporter, Lori spends almost the last of her money for ID that will get her on a marine base as an Associated Reporter. She hopes that the reputable press will pick up this story, saving her from the necessity of the stories of ill repute that she's been penning. Simulation quickly turns into reality, however, when Lori discovers a murder. Captain Michael McLowery vowed years ago to honor his uniform and uphold his duty. The tragic death of his sister and his mother still haunts him, and when his cousin is found murdered on his base, Michael finds himself confronting old ghosts as well as new pain. Further, the base chaplain is the very person Michael blames for the death of his sister and mother. While he quickly suspects Lori's claim to of being an AP reporter, he does not disregard her ability to handle difficult people and situations with finesse. While she's a bit too street-wise for his liking, Lori has the insight to catch things Michael might miss. He does not realize one of those things might be his heart. Author Anne Marie Duquette exercises her creative license in Fleet Hospital to great effect. Granted, a military investigation would never include an unauthorized civilian who lies about her credentials; nevertheless, Duquette puts such a marvelous spin on this story that most readers will overlook her stretch of plausibility. Further, these characterizations are absolutely delightful. Lori blatantly breaks the stereotype for most heroines with her East St. Louis background and second hand clothes. Her lack of social veneer makes her a survivor, despite living out of the back of her car and wearing secondhand clothes. Michael's painful motivations make him a sympathetic character as he struggles to reconcile the past and achieve healng. Secondary characters likewise sparkle, from the chaplain to the hippie stepmother, bringing the novel a touch of levity and added depth. With a hard-hitting beginning and emotional struggles that never slow, Fleet Hospital is a fast paced read that truly entertains. Highly recommended.

Into The Badlands: Superromance No 1053
Caron Todd
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373710534, Mass Market Paperback, 299 pages, $4.99

Paleontologist Susannah Robb makes the short list for the recently vacated position of head of dinosaur research, but her nemesis wins the position. She met Alexander Blake thirteen years ago when she was in Australia on her first quarry. Alex had been an assistant to the leader of the joint Canadian-Australian dig, and his assessment of her performance had left her with a bitter taste. Her distaste for pop paleontology, when history takes a backseat to entertainment, has continued Susannah's dislike for Alex's work. Her own dry, pedantic papers may lack his flair, but at least they give credit where credit is due. No one on staff knows that the board of directors awarded Alex the position as head of research because of his background in investigating stolen artifacts. Soon Alex finds himself torn between duty and desire. Further, Alex possesses an aura of energy and strength that makes him extremely likeable to everyone but Susannah. Yet shortly after arriving at his new position, he finds himself drawn to the very woman who seems intent on brushing him off. But Alex's attempts to help Susannah are blocked at every turn, and he finds himself sorely challenged to get close to her. Worse, as long as she is one of his suspects, Alex dare not act on his attraction. Author Caron Todd presents a fascinating setting for Into The Badlands. Her love of paleontology lends the novel a vivaciousness and originality that readers will appreciate. In addition, Alex comes alive with an irresistible sexiness. Susannah is a bit harder to like, however, with her extreme prickliness. Yet her genuine concern for children, to the degree that she puts her own safety on the line to rescue a boy from a sinkhole, reveals a gentler, kinder side. While their romance is slow to kindle, the ensuing fire and conflict of the second half of the novel proves to be quite engaging. An entertaining read, Into The Badlands comes highly recommended.

Help Wanted: Husband: American Romance No 923
Darlene Scalera
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 037316923X, Mass Market Paperback, 250 pages, $4.50

Six months of attempting to please her unfaithful husband immediately followed a lifetime of attempting to please her father. Now Lorna McDonough pleases no one but herself, hanging brilliant yellow shutters on her austere New England farmhouse and planning to paint the front door bright blue. She even wears chartreuse to her cheating husband's funeral. Only two days later she learns of her pregnancy. Now isolated by her father's and husband's reputations, and derided as "Loony Lorna" by town folk, Lorna struggles to revitalize the failing farm that she dreams of becoming her unborn child's legacy. Lorna's farm has enough work for an army of men, but her help wanted ad only attracts one: Julius Holt. A man who never stays in one place long, Julius cannot outrun the reminders of his painful youth when he made a tragic mistake. Yet Lorna inspires a reason to hope. She makes him dream of roots, land and a home. A rambling, smooth-talking, sensual man, Julius epitomizes the men Lorna wishes to avoid. But she needs help, so she meets his demands. In return for his working the farm until harvest, she will give him a stake in the land. She does not know she will give him her heart as well. Author Darlene Scalera reveals the soul of a poet in Help Wanted: Husband. Her lyrical prose and eloquent descriptive style captures the essence of farming warm moist earth and the profundity of spring. Indeed, the novel moves with the rhyme of the season, reflecting new beginnings for spring, warm fertile growth in summer, and the harvest in the fall. The challenges of weather and childbirth are met with an understanding of the cycle of life and the unexpected moments of eternal hope. A richly satisfying, character driven romance, Help Wanted: Husband? Comes very highly recommended.

A Lasting Proposal: Superromance No 1050
C. J. Carmichael
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 037371050X, Mass Market Paperback, 299 pages, $4.99

Rod was addicted to extreme sports and foolish decisions. Consequently, his irresponsibility led to his death on a too quick ascent on a mountain in the Andes. Indeed, such irresponsible decision-making was characteristic of Maureen Shannon's husband. As she became the overly responsible parent to compensate, she did not realize she was loosing contact with her daughter. With Rod's death, Maureen begins to recognize the horrible distance that now separates her from her daughter. Maureen's long hours at the law firm have only exacerbated the situation. Now Holly's failing grades and bad attitude indicate a radical change is needed. So she and Emily return to Canmore, where Maureen grew up. Jake Hartman needs an investor for his heli-skiing business, Grizzly Peaks. A referral leads him to Maureen who has money to invest. Although she's attracted to Jake, she believes him to be too much like her deceased husband: his life revolves around superficial ambition. He spends his days having fun and seeking thrills through dangerous sports. Her disillusionment with Rod leads Maureen want to avoid such a man again, even when she sees his sincerity, caring and intelligence. Worse, as they begin to know each other, Jake is attracted to Maureen's strength and confidence. She fears that if he suspects the weaknesses beneath the surface, then he will see a woefully inadequate wife and mother. Admittedly, as Jake begins to see her sensitivity, it attracts and repels him at the same time, leaving him in quite a conundrum. Too bad he handles it badly. Author CJ Carmichael brings a fabulous conclusion to the Shannon Sisters trilogy. A Lasting Proposal ties up loose ends of previous narratives, including giving sister Kelly another challenge that lends closure to her story. Additionally, Maureen's daughter becomes a delightful amateur sleuth, determined to solve the murder that introduced the series. And the sister's charming Grandmother Poppy also lends loving support to these marvelous sisters, even as she pursues her own love intrest. Maureen's story achieves a remarkable poignancy as she struggles with the trials of motherhood. A strikingly imperfect heroine, she confronts the mistakes of the past, learning to stop blaming Rob for the distance between herself and her daughter. As she becomes self-honest about her own role in the past, busy readers who are mothers and wives cannot help but empathize. The moment Maureen buys a scooter and learns to participate in her daughter's interests, I wanted to cheer. Likewise, Jake is an appealing hero, even as he makes the typical mistakes guys make when they don't quite know what to do with the woman they love. I wanted to shake him when I wasn't laughing at his goofy guy behavior. A Lasting Proposal comes very highly recommended.

A Lasting Proposal: Superromance No 1050
C. J. Carmichael
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 037371050X, Mass Market Paperback, 299 pages, $4.99

Rod was addicted to extreme sports and foolish decisions. Consequently, his irresponsibility led to his death on a too quick ascent on a mountain in the Andes. Indeed, such irresponsible decision-making was characteristic of Maureen Shannon's husband. As she became the overly responsible parent to compensate, she did not realize she was loosing contact with her daughter. With Rod's death, Maureen begins to recognize the horrible distance that now separates her from her daughter. Maureen's long hours at the law firm have only exacerbated the situation. Now Holly's failing grades and bad attitude indicate a radical change is needed. So she and Emily return to Canmore, where Maureen grew up. Jake Hartman needs an investor for his heli-skiing business, Grizzly Peaks. A referral leads him to Maureen who has money to invest. Although she's attracted to Jake, she believes him to be too much like her deceased husband: his life revolves around superficial ambition. He spends his days having fun and seeking thrills through dangerous sports. Her disillusionment with Rod leads Maureen want to avoid such a man again, even when she sees his sincerity, caring and intelligence. Worse, as they begin to know each other, Jake is attracted to Maureen's strength and confidence. She fears that if he suspects the weaknesses beneath the surface, then he will see a woefully inadequate wife and mother. Admittedly, as Jake begins to see her sensitivity, it attracts and repels him at the same time, leaving him in quite a conundrum. Too bad he handles it badly. Author CJ Carmichael brings a fabulous conclusion to the Shannon Sisters trilogy. A Lasting Proposal ties up loose ends of previous narratives, including giving sister Kelly another challenge that lends closure to her story. Additionally, Maureen's daughter becomes a delightful amateur sleuth, determined to solve the murder that introduced the series. And the sister's charming Grandmother Poppy also lends loving support to these marvelous sisters, even as she pursues her own love intrest. Maureen's story achieves a remarkable poignancy as she struggles with the trials of motherhood. A strikingly imperfect heroine, she confronts the mistakes of the past, learning to stop blaming Rob for the distance between herself and her daughter. As she becomes self-honest about her own role in the past, busy readers who are mothers and wives cannot help but empathize. The moment Maureen buys a scooter and learns to participate in her daughter's interests, I wanted to cheer. Likewise, Jake is an appealing hero, even as he makes the typical mistakes guys make when they don't quite know what to do with the woman they love. I wanted to shake him when I wasn't laughing at his goofy guy behavior. A Lasting Proposal comes very highly recommended.

The Baby Gift: Superromance No 1052
Bethany Campbell
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373710526, Mass Market Paperback, 297 pages, $4.99

For two months Briana Morris has known that her precious daughter has a deadly blood disease. Her best chance for recovery requires a transplant from a healthy sibling, but Briana divorced her daughter's father Josh seven years ago. Briana's gift for business and growing things ties to her the family farm while Josh's gift for photography carries him to the most dangerous and distant parts of the globe. Despite their divorce, however, neither has gotten over the passion they once shared. When Briana's desperate call reaches him Russia, Josh hurries back to the states. He is shocked when Briana explains their daughter's illness, and even more so when she explains her proposed solution. In order to save their daughter's life, Briana wants another child. But not the old fashioned way. She proposes they resort to artificial insemination to assure the baby's health. While moral and ethical dilemma divide Briana and Josh, their shared love their child unites them in finding solutions, however unorthodox. The contrast between a cat afraid of mice and the resilient spirit of a terminally ill child lends The Baby Gift a delightful balance. Rather than resigning herself to fear and loss, mother Briana boldly pursues answers that will give her child life, regardless of the risk to her own heart. Burdened by overwhelming responsibilities to her family, she never yields her determination to do what is best for her child. Conversely, Josh confronts the ethical and moral dilemmas of saving his child with fortitude. Their compromises will touch the heart, whatever one's personal beliefs might be. While the conclusion brings healing and independence, this reader felt a bit rushed by the profound changes. Nevertheless, The Baby Gift is a moving tale readers will not soon forget, coming very highly recommended.

The Simply Scandalous Princess: American Romance No 921
Michele Dunaway
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN 0373169213, Mass Market Paperback, 248 pages, $4.50

Having eliminated his eldest two American granddaughters from inheriting his throne, King Easton of Korosol orders the investigation of his third granddaughter. Now the king orders retired General Montcalm, captain of the Royal Guard, to investigate Lucia Carradigne's background. Duty and devotion to his king motivates Harrison Montcalm. He once even took a bullet to save the king, but finds matter of the heart to be far more deadly. For the first time in his career, Harrison wishes someone else was the king's most trusted advisor. If not for a scandalous article printed in a tabloid, no one would have questioned Lucia's suitability for the crown. Now this investigation to ascertain the validity of the tabloid's claims places Harrison in a dangerous position. His king attempts matchmaking between Lucia and Harrison's son, not knowing Harrison himself has fallen for the woman who is nineteen years younger. During their dance at her sister's wedding, Lucia likewise recognized the connection between them, and now welcomes the investigation as an opportunity to ignite the passion and fire that she leaves lurks beneath his cool exterior. Author Michele Dunaway creates one of the tenderest romances I have had the pleasure to encounter in The Simply Scandalous Princess. Dunaway boldly allows a tremendous age difference to separate her Harrison and Lucia, and then throws the hero's son at Lucia. Despite her family best intentions, Lucia embraces the opportunities that come her way to show Harrison how she feels, gently seducing him into a relationship he never dreamed possible. Lucia provides him with healing and surprising wisdom; he inspires her creativity and brings her happiness. An unlikely match, Harrison and Lucia compliment one another with strength and fire, yet with a gentle quality seldom matches. A remarkable and beautiful tale, The Simply Scandalous Princess comes very highly recommended.

Gryphon's Quest
Candace Sams
ImaJinn Books
PO Box 162, Hickory Corners, MI 49060-0162
ISBN 1893896722, Paperback, 200 pages, $11.50

When a protection spells goes wrong at birth, Gryphon O'Connor spends his life as an outcast. The only one of his kind, he uncontrollably alternates between a human form and that of a gryphon until Shaula Gallagher, Sorceress of the Ancients, lends her aid. In return for his service, she helps Gryphon control his transformations. Though he tires of being used, Gryphon accepts another task; this one could mean the salvation of his Order as well as those on the Outside. He must retrieve rune stones with unspeakable power before their use can be discovered and horror unleashed on Earth. Acquisition assistant Heather Green loves antiquities, and especially Irish artifacts. Studying the artifacts of her heritage is like stepping into "another world of magic, myth, and mystery." But she never expects to confront myth in person, especially in such a sexy babe magnet as Gryphon. She initially does not believe his story of the runes, but when someone is murdered at the museum, she has no one else to believe. But if Gryphon reveals the truth of his identity, he brings certain death to Heather. The first of the series Tales Of The Order, Gryphon's Quest will delight paranormal romance lovers. Candace Sams creates a world of myth and mystery that lies concealed within our own mundane existence, unsuspected and carefully guarded. Heather is a woman of remarkable strength concealed beneath a deceptively mundane exterior. Gryhon is a man isolated and alone, even among his own people. Together they create a powerful presence and love draws them close but ancient law forbids their being together. Indeed, even knowledge of Gryphon's true form threatens Heather's existence. A strong plot revolving around the missing runes gives the novel a fast paced story readers will not be able to put down. Destined for the keeper shelf, Gryphon's Quest comes very highly recommended.

Kushiel's Chosen
Jacqueline Carey
St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
ISBN 0312872399, Hardcover, 704 pages, $19.57

With the return of her sangoire cloak, Phedre recognizes the challenge issued by Melisande Shahrizai. The cloak marks Phedre an anguissette, one of Kushiel's chosen, as does the scarlet mark in the iris of her left eye. Phedre is a woman destined to enjoy pleasure in pain, finding love with Joscelin, who knew from the beginning what she was. Despite being condemned as an oath breaker, Joscelin has never violated the central precept of Cassiel: To protect and serve. But Phedre's plans will put his pledge to the test. When Phedre makes plans to rededicate to the Service of Naamah who commands only love as thou wilt, she risks Joscelin's love. Phedre seeks two things. She needs the answer that will free Hyacinthe from his eternal indenture to the Master of Straights, and she also seeks the conspiracy that allowed Melisande to vanish from a well-guarded chamber the night before her execution for treason. Melisande had once been Phedre's patron, later selling her into slavery. Phedre knows that the cloak was only the opening gambit of a deadly game. Until she can prove it, however, Phedre must use her gifts to gain the knowledge she seeks. Phedre's gift for courtly arts, and arts of the bedroom, is only surpassed by her ability to observe, remember, and analyze. Complexity of characterization and masterful plotting make Kushiel's Chosen an addictive read. Phedre is a flawed heroine, ever aware of the consequences of her actions. The gift of Kushiel makes for a fascinating balance of pleasure and pain, lending her character a mesmerizing complexity. Her deep-seated attraction and love for her nemesis, as well as her complicated relationship with Joscelin, masterfully reveal both her strengths and flaws. Indeed, Phedre is one of those rare heroines who truly captures the reader's heart and imagination. Other characters are likewise memorable, including Joscelin with his heart torn between duty and love, and the pirate Kazan . Phedre's nemesis, Melisande likewise reveals a cunning and intricacy of characterization worty of the most powerful of anti-heroines. Not having read the first book of the trilogy entitled Kushiel's Dart, I initially found Kushiel's Chosen a challenge to follow. Missing the first 700 pages of a series definitely inhibits one understanding of the complexities of personal and political affiliations and affections. Nevertheless, I quickly found myself swept away on author Jacqueline Carey's prose and transported to an alternate world of breathtaking historical fantasy. By the conclusion, I did not feel that not having read the books in order inhibited my enjoyment in any way; it did, however, feed my need to immediately order the first book of the trilogy.

Unlock Your Heart: Goal Setting From The Inside Out
Jane Ellen Davis
1stBooks Library
2511 West Third Street, Bloomington, IN 47404
ISBN 0759629080, Paperback, 123 pages, $16.50

Author Jane Ellen Davis brings 20 years of experience in the personal growth arena to Unlock Your Heart. Based on the workshops and private sessions she offers with Life Choreography Network, Davis shows readers how to focus on creating lives rich in purpose. In this workbook of study and reflection, Davis provides motivation, enlightenment, and reinforcement of personal values. We all have unique qualities and talents, but the busyness of our lives typically blocks discovering where those abilities lie. Davis shows readers how to learn to appreciate ourselves, to recognize our gifts, and to utilize them to the fullest. Her seven-step plan provides guidance without preaching, allowing readers to reach their own personal conclusions. Specific exercises and examples lead readers through self-discovery, uncovering the possibilities and setting goals never before realized. An excellent resource, Unlock Your Heart comes very highly recommended.

The Last Chance Cafe
Linda Lael Miller
Pocket Books
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
ISBN 0671042505, Hardback, 288 pages, $16.80

Stunned by the death of her beloved stepfather Lou, Hallie St. George desperately grieves her loss. Lou had been shot in the chest five times. While investigators dismiss his death as a burglary, Hallie has her own suspicions, confirmed when a friend passes her a key that unlocks the truth regarding corruption and drug dealing. When her ex-husband discovers her with the incriminating evidence, Hallie immediately flees with her young twins in a battered pickup truck, leaving behind bank accounts, her business, and her home. Living out of a plastic suitcase and cheap clothes does not frighten Hallie. But her inability to care for her children and keep them safe does. While Hallie is long accustomed to independence, the danger threatening her and her children leaves her profoundly alone and vulnerable. When her truck breaks down in a snowstorm, however, misfortune leads her to a community where she will find love and acceptance, and a handsome man by the name of Chance Qualtrough. Chance immediately suspects that Hallie is on the run. When she refuses charity, Chance suggests a place she can housesit and the waitress of The Last Chance Caf‚ offers her a job. Waitressing is a long way from being the chef of her own restaurant, but Hallie gratefully accepts. Soon her heart longs to put down roots in Primrose Creek, but with a vindictive ex-husband determined to find her, Hallie cannot trust her newfound friends with the truth, because the truth could get them all killed. The Last Chance Caf‚ becomes a place of redemption and new beginnings with Linda Lael Miller's powerful pen. The vivid characterizations fill the novel with warmth, wit, and sensitivity. Hallie's need for community and connectedness makes her both believable and endearing. Chance gives the novel a deep tie to community and heritage, providing Hallie with the very things that were previously lacking in her life. In addition, Miller's talent excels with the seven year old twins. Whether they are petulant, sassy or charming, they are fully rounded characers. Secondary characters likewise sparkle, especially the wonderful romance between Jesse and the town vet -- a romance they thought they had concealed for thirty years. I confess to being a new fan of Miller's work, and although The Last Chance Caf‚ is part of an ongoing series, I delighted in reading it as a standalone. Very highly recommended.

Sins Of The Flesh: Book V Of The Shadow Dwellers
J. C. Wilder
LTDBooks
200 North Service Rd W., Unit 1, Suite 301, Oakville, Ontario, Canada L6M 2Y1
ISBN Disk 1553160738; ISBN Rocket 1553169271; eBook/Multiple Formats; Download $5.00; Disk $6.00

Vampires die mysteriously in New Orleans, their charred bodies a frightening warning of danger. As Alexandre Saint-Juste, vampire and head of the Council of Elders struggles to hold the counsel together, he suspects former counsel member Cassiopeia's arrival in town might somehow link to the young vampires' deaths. Yet little does he suspect the true nature of the evil plans that will threaten the future of all the preternatural world. Nor does he suspect the danger that threatens his own heart as he underestimate Sunni. Alexandre has always considered Sunni a flighty, airhead. Her petite blond, yet luscious build strongly contrasts the dark-headed intellectual women he prefers, yet he cannot seem to keep her out of his mind. Her sensuality clouds his judgment, and leaves him vulnerable to sensations he has long since rejected. Despite the fact that they are complete opposites, events make them equally vulnerable to the sins of the flesh. J.C. Wilder creates a dazzling success with the fifth paranormal romance in the Shadow Dwellers series entitled Sins Of The Flesh. Set during the decadence of Marti Gras, the heated sensuality teases the senses with rich sensuality. Sins Of The Flesh sparkles as a stand-alone, but will send readers that have not yet experienced the first four books of the series scurrying to order them. Sunni's stunning vivaciousness and exuberance sharply juxtaposes Alexandre's dower visage. Yet together they create a formidable presence that will leave readers sated, yet longing for the next installment of the series. Incidentally, readers panting for more will be pleased to learn that Book VI, Temptation, is due out in 2002.

Downtime
Spiral Lobster
Ebooksonthe.net
PO Box 35 Ellsworth, Maine 04605
ISBN 1740530675; PDF eBook $5.50 (USA)

Warning: Downtime contains adult content. Humanity left behind Dirt long ago for the last regions of space. No one knows if they fled external danger or self-extermination. Now some humans live on stationary colonies while others called Nomads live aboard sentient ships that travel an endless looping path through waypoints and planets inhabited by the Foundation. One such ship, called Janus, is the home of philosopher Demae and team-leader Rain. According to their psychic profiles, Demae and Rain have 66% chance of remaining pair-bond three years, and 3% until death. Despite the proven value of psychic profiles, Demae does not trust the detached conclusions of a psychotechnician over his own instincts. The more often Rain uses technology in their relationship, such as the use of a psychotechnic program that allows new personalities tailored to please, Demae longs for the random chances and mistakes that offer more than just physical satisfaction. Damae's ability to criticize assumptions makes his role as a philosopher an asset to the ship. Unfortunately, his discontent leaves Demae hanging around the recreation area and operating the drug synthesizer when he is not over indulging in various drugs. Then a sudden discovery makes his role of incredible value to his ship. A quantum anomaly presents a duel universe inhabited by the same ship and people that are on a timeline two weeks behind, subsequently referred to as downtime. Suddenly Demae confronts himself and extraordinary possibilities. Downtime by Spiral Lobster entertains readers on several levels. A fascinating science fiction plot reminiscent of the best of Star Trek will satisfy hardcore science fiction lovers. Readers who enjoy excellent characterizations and unusual species will revel in the relationship that blossoms between secondary characters that include a sentient fox and a lesbian that explore unusual possibilities. Further, beneath this fascinating science fiction plot, revisionist historical elements lend the tale strength, credibility and fasination as the philosopher evaluates the historical evidence still available. Drugs, politics, religion, and human relationships are treated with insight and humor. Demae's ultimate examination of humankind's systems and beliefs, and his willingness to take risky, unorthodox actions becomes a profound theme that gives the novel surprising depth. For readers more interested in an exciting story, unusual sexual situations, and high tech possibilities, these elements will likewise keep their attention riveted.

Dakota Dawn
Marion Marshall
New Concepts
4729 Humphreys Road, Lake Park, Georgia 31636
ISBN 158608173X; eBook/Multiple Formats; Disk $3.99; Download $3.50

A stunning night in the arms of a stranger transforms prostitute Lucky Douglas' life. The handsome soldier pays for the entire night, insisting on getting to know one another before satisfying his passion. When morning comes, Quinn Malone is gone, but he leaves behind enough money and inspiration for Lucky to leave her life of prostitution behind. Quinn had told Lucky that Army always has opportunities for women seeking gainful employment. Officer's wives need cooks, housekeepers and nannies. Soldiers need laundresses. So Lucky follows her dreams to Fort Lincoln. A freak mudslide along the way, however, kills her traveling companions and leaves her injured. When she awakens at Fort Lincoln, everyone believes she is Ruby Nell Warner, the post sutler's new wife. Lucky decides to take advantage of her new identity, dreaming of security, marriage and children. She never suspected that Quinn would also be at Fort Lincoln. Soon no one can ignore the electricity between them, especially not her husband. But her husband does not hesitate to use circumstances to his advantage, and little does Lucky suspect the secrets her husband keeps carefully concealed. Author Marion Marshall utilizes one of the most analyzed and debated events of American history to extraordinary effect in Dakota Dawn. Interestingly, rather than second guessing the government's decision to eradicate the Indians inhabiting the west, these characters believe in their mission, exhibiting a refreshingly unusual viewpoint by adhering to historical accuracy. Yet these Indians are not the "Noble Savages" of traditional American fiction. They are an endangered race portrayed with strength and respect, particularly when Raven and Quinn fight in the Indian village. The romance between Lucky and Quinn is touching and convincing. An extraordinary read, Dakota Dawn comes very highly recommended.

The Singing Trees
Joyce and Jim Lavene
Awe-Struck
2458 Cherry Street, Dubuque, IA 52001
eBook/Multiple Formats, $4.50

Prophecy foretells the coming of a woman who cannot discern the music of the singing trees, yet she will save her world. The people of Joppan are the most talented musicians, singers and artists of the universe. Children born on their planet have the ability to hear the singing of the trees. But the trees have been harvested to the point of extinction, and children born without the ability to hear the music are killed before they go mad. Then the most talented singer of all, The Chanteuse, bears a child who cannot hear the trees and must die. Ten runs a bar on a mineral mining planet called Farga, where black dust covers everything, and it is always damp, hot and dirty. During a bar fight, Kel and his partner come to her aid. Ten wants nothing more than to escape the harsh planet, and eventually agrees to participate in Kel's scheme to get rich. Kel has heard rumors of the survival of the child of The Chanteuse, and Ten shares the same extraordinary eye color of The Chanteuse. His partner warns against staying around Ten, however, reading her palm and seeing that she a part of Prophecy. Moreover, Kel does not expect to fall in love, nor does he expect the prophecy to be true. The fabulously versatile writing team of Joyce and Jim Lavene debut in the science fiction genre with The Singing Trees. I found myself captivated by Ten's story, and read the entire novel in a sitting - I simply couldn't put it down. The heroine is fierce, strong and determined, yet still protects a heart of innocence that sharply contrasts her harsh demeanor. The hero is a sexy hunk with a naughty past that lends the tale both a touch of amusement and a hearty dose of sensuality. Readers will certainly hope for more science fiction journeys from the Lavene's pen. Very highly recommended.

Whisper My Name
Tara Manderino
Awe-Struck E-Books
2458 Cherry Street, Dubuque, IA 52001
ISBN 1587491508; eBook/Multiple Formats; $4.50

Justin Drake, the Seventh Earl of Ashton, knows its time to set up his nursery, but cannot seem to find the right woman. Besides, family life will dictate a change in career, as his boss does not care to send family men into the field. Justin worries over a missing operative and close friend, Roger. His stifles his first impulse, to go after Roger in France himself, knowing that if he were caught it would be the same as signing Roger's death. While attending a soiree, however, he unexpected discovers Roger's sister. He never knew his friend has a sister, especially one so enchanting. But soon Justin finds himself questioning her loyalties and motives as his investigation leads him to a nest of smugglers. Roger has told his sister Lucia to seek out Justin if she ever needed assistance in his absence. She has come to Town only to find answers to her brother's disappearance. Deaf since she was twelve, Lucia believes herself to be lacking in social graces, but she is quite proficient in lip reading. Cruel comments have led her to believe that her voice is most unpleasant, however, so Lucia rarely communicates with strangers. As neighboring suitors push for marriage, threatening to lock her in Bedlam after securing her fortune, and her brother disappears, Lucia finds herself turning to Justin for help. But his distrust and his desire throw her into quite a quandary as their relationship grows increasingly complicated. Author Tara Manderino pushes the envelope of the Regency romance, breathing a memorable freshness into this traditional bound genre. Specifically, the choice to make the heroine deaf makes a profound statement for readers who read between the lines. All too often the feminine historical counterparts of this beloved genre were actually silenced because of their sex. They were second-class citizens frequently treated as unintelligent and left in the silent margins of society by patriarchal society. Consequently, the spunky heroine Lucia becomes a kind of Everywoman, and her success becomes additionally admrable in the eyes of savvy readers. The hero's ability to look beyond the obvious limitations to Lucia as a desirable woman of wit and ability juxtaposes his inability to trust her, making the conflict believable. Remarkably, Lucia puts limitations on her abilities and her worth, but Justin never does. Whisper My Name comes very highly recommended.

Tangled Passions
Jewelann Butler
Awe-Struck E-Books
2458 Cherry Street, Dubuque, IA 52001
ISBN 1587491257; eBook/Multiple Formats; $4.50

The Scottish Highlands, 1746 Jamie MacLeod, Duchess of Whitesea, resents her husband's decision to leave her and their small twin daughters to join Prince Charles in his last ditch effort to wrangle Scotland from English rule. Teague promises that their love is forever; a promise Jamie clings to through many long, lonely nights. For two long years no word comes of her husband. Although friends and family assume Teague to be dead, Jamie clings to hope until a family friend reports witnessing Teague's death of a severe head wound. Grief claims Jamie until sees a man who strongly resembles Teague at a party. Tyrone Kendricks St.Cloud reveals no sense of recognition when he meets Jamie. Stunned by his disinterest, Jamie struggles with her emotions, seeking to understand the situation. When Ty introduces his new wife, Isabella, Jamie is shocked. Ty and Isabella have only been married a week; it was her father that performed life saving surgery on Ty in the battlefield. Jamie acknowledges to herself that this man is much harder than the man she remembers as her husband. If she could see his back where he husband bore scars from a whipping, she could be sure of his identity. So she invites Ty and his new wife to her estate on the pretext of business, hoping to solve the question of his true identity. Jewelann Butler pens an exciting romance based on amnesia in Tangled Passions. Jamie is a resourceful, yet impetuous heroine determined to regain her husband based on love, not their shared history. Unfortunately, her tangled passions for the man may prove to be her undoing. Ty is a man of honor, married to a woman whose reputation he must protect even as he begins to wonder at his connection to Jamie. Butler has a gift for also creating remarkable secondary characters, especially the twins who threaten to steal scene after scene. With convincing dialogue, a clever plot, and endearing characters, Tangled Passions will delight historical romance lovers. Highly recommended.

Magick
Mary Taffs
Awe-Struck E-Books
2458 Cherry Street, Dubuque, IA 52001
ISBN 1587491524; eBook/Multiple Formats; $4.50

Frightening dreams haunt Diana Plaas' sleep as she helplessly watches terrifying imagery unfold. Diana sees a man covered in blood lays on an altar, and a woman thrown across him and brutally sexually used by a tattooed High Priest. She tries to persuade herself that her dreams are not precognitive in nature; just as she wants to believe that her previous dreams of a plane crash did not foretell death for her husband and his father. Certainly Diana does not suspect that her new neighbor moves in next door to protect her and to complete his first assignment as a Wizard. Win Sayre's first assignment as a Wizard. Sworn to uphold the balance, Win must protect Diana from the vicious evil that comes for her. He does not understand the powerful physical attraction he feels toward Diana nor the bonds that will bind them. Certainly Diana looks nothing like the women that usually draw him into their beds. Nevertheless, Diana possesses both magickal skill and physical attraction that neither she nor Win yet suspect. But it will take all of Win's skills and Diana's blossoming abilities to protect her from Shiva, the nightmarish Priest who stalks her dreams. Author Mary Taffs brings a powerful understanding of the metaphysics of magick to her fascinatingly created Magick. Taffs utilizes traditional magickal elements and paranormal skills, with strong ethical considerations, as the foundation for her own unique mythology. While readers may traditionally associate human sacrifice with devil worship, Taffs puts an interesting spin on the narrative by making this a battle between two forms of matriarchal energy. Vividly realized characterizations and events come alive with Taff's deft pen, as nightmarish imagery, strong character motivation, and a fast paced plot result in a stunning read. In addition, readers will be pleased to learn that the delightful Mr. Bill, the feline who owns Dee, is based on Taff's own pet. Very highly recommended.

Selena's Seduction
Jewelann Butler
Awe-Struck E-Books
2458 Cherry Street, Dubuque, IA 52001
ISBN 1587490633; eBook/Multiple Formats; $4.50

London 1860 Selena Robbins would be horrified to know the truth about the man to whom she is engaged. Saul MacLachlan's financial woes and propensity to violence have been carefully concealed, but when Selena's younger sister Plum is kidnapped to satisfy his debts, his brother Rafe takes action. In return for rescuing the child, he exacts a promise of marriage to himself. To save Plum, Selena gives her word, little suspecting the true nature of the threat to her sister. Following their elopement, Rafe takes Selena to Scotland. She soon learns of his dedication to family and his five year old daughter Erin. Despite the distance Rafe maintains from his young bride, Selena quickly settles in as mistress to his household. Unfortunately, trouble only awaits opportunity. Saul's arrival in Scotland, an old feud between Rafe and his sister, and the consequences of old pain threaten to destroy the tender feelings only just beginning between Rafe and Selena. The juxtaposition of Selena's tender nature with Rafe's hardened heart makes Selena's Seduciton a delightful read. Indeed, the characters are the essence of this story. Selena is well developed, realistically changing from innocent to wife, to a woman in love. Her struggle to prove herself a loyal and loving wife is endearing. Rafe's suspicious nature is well justified, and the resulting internal conflict quite convincing. Secondary characterizations likewise sparkle from the lively five year old to the elder Patrick. Fans of historical romance will enjoy the blend of romance, suspense, passion and touches of amusement. A lighthearted yet absorbing read, Selena's Seduction comes highly recommended.

Powerful Medicine
Gwynn Morgan
Awe-Struck Books
2458 Cherry Street, Dubuque, IA 52001
eBook ISBN 1587490897 $4.50; Trade Paperback ISBN 1587491699 $13.95

Supermodel Fran "Francesca" Jonas flees the hospital, disappearing into a maze of flight plans and car rentals. Before her disappearance, she had spent three days in the hospital recovering from a brutal beating ordered by Salvatore Gambruzzi. While the attack looked like a typical mugging and robbery, she knew the truth. Sal had bragged that he was going to use her famous face and gorgeous body to break into the big time and he does not appreciate his plans being thwarted. After all, everyone knows that supermodels are no better than hookers, showing off their bodies for money. He intends to make her pay. Fran returns to her childhood roots on the reservation. When her rental car is caught in a sudden mudslide, her rescuer proves to be the pilot of the small plane that brought her west. Ben Yazzie sees the fearful intensity Fran tries to conceal. His training as a medicine man reveals a shadow underlying her beautiful aura, a shadow not of her making. He soon recognizes her identity as a supermodel, although she assures him she is just plain Fran Jonas now. Ben's obligations give Fran a chance to witness a coming of age ceremony and soon she finds herself rejoicing with the People, taking part in the sacred power of the special night. But the desolation of her Grandmother's abandoned home and the fact that her family has disappeared from the reservation undermine her confidence in returning for help. Worse, she suspects that the reservation's new hope for a Casino may be tied to the very man who pursues her. Soon Fran also realizes that Ben poses with his undeniable charms just as dangerous as that posed by Sal. Author Gwynn Morgan provides an intriguing glimpse into Native American life in Powerful Medicine. As two souls torn between two worlds collide, the cultural difference between the white world and red world provide profound spiritual and psychological ramifications. Fran's transformation from supermodel to a strong woman who learns to trust the powerful medicine within makes her a memorable heroine. Ben' intriguing gifts of insight and knowledge likewise lend an unusual element that honors Native American tradition. In addition the struggle between the old way of life and the need for income for the reservation provides an informative and powerful background. A remarkable and memorable novel, Powerful Medicine comes very highly recommended.

Observations From A Lookout Between Wilderness And City
Laszlo Horvath
Awe-Struck Books
2458 Cherry Street, Dubuque, IA 52001
eBook/Multiple Formats; $4.50/download

Author Laszlo Horvath juxtaposes his city experiences with his wilderness experiences in to encourage readers to seek their own space between civilization and wilderness in Observations From A Lookout. The split between wilderness and city becomes representative of the split between the wild and the civilized of human nature. Twenty years as a lookout for the forestry service in the Canadian Rocky Mountains provides Horvath with a wealth of experience to share. While wilderness must be experienced to truly understand, Horvath still provides remarkable insight for those of us who cannot spend six months at a time in the forest. Rather than providing answers to the ultimate means of life, Horvath presents a dialogue that allows the reader to focus on a middle space between wilderness and civilization where the soul and spirit, the heart and mind, the feminine and masculine, Eastern and Western thought merge in individual conscious. The first section of Observations From A Lookout probes the raw reality of the cityscape, including poverty, wars and endless human suffering. Cities insulate nature, taming and control the wildness and subduing natural forces with human busyness. Yet the city also offers a safe haven against the harshness of nature, especially during the winter months. Unfortunately, some people find it difficult to fit into the systemized schema of civilized life where we treat people as the problem and not the environment. Success is attributed to money, position and power. The search for new myths and meaning, however, now has people turning to the wilderness for answers to the mysteries of life as people seek a spiritual link with the natural world. The second section explores how weather, plants and animals in the wilderness become a part of our inner space. They become archetypes that provide glimpses into our own interior landscape, the wild side of our personality. The reader is encouraged to explore their own innerscapes, seeking their own answers about ultimate meaning. In the space between widerness and civilization exists a state of mind that connects to something beyond our limited selves. There being replaces doing, allowing exploration of the depths of the soul. Horvath does not paint nature as ideal, however, but explores the dark side as well, seeking to integrate light and dark. Through Horvath's eyes, the reader sees the effect wilderness has on consciousness. Horvath presents a profound premise: The condition of the outer world depends upon the condition of our innerselves; therefore, the answers to the world's hate, war, greed, envy, and dishonesty lies in the discovery and exploration of the innerself. By changing our consciousness, we can change the world. With the added influence of religion, philosophy, psychology, mythology, history and science, Horvath creates a dialogue with the reader that inspires thought, reflection, and a desire to create one's own space between the wild and civilized. Within that space lays the middle space of consciousness that allows clear observation. Horvath encourages skepticism, the tool that allows us to explore onward, to look beyond the obvious, and to find one's own answers. No one can read this text without feeling the effect of being stirred and provoked into an exploration of one's own inner space where individual ultimate truth lies.

Dangerous Haven
Barbara Clark
RFI West
#431 5515 N 7th Street, Suite 5, Phoenix AZ 85014
eBook/Multiple Formats; e-book ISBN 158697176X $4.95; Trade Paperback ISBN 1586978179 $12.95

Vengeance on his biological father's memory motivates Brand Templeton. At seventeen his mother had left her hometown pregnant with only five hundred dollars and a number to call from his father. Over the years his father's estate called Hawk Haven came to represent his mother's lost dreams. Now Brand has inherited Hawk Haven and he intends to raze it to the ground as soon as he buys out all shares in the property. Indeed, he had been prepared to hate the house where he was conceived in violence; instead, Brand finds himself admiring it. Thus he makes the decision to stay at Hawk Haven until he makes a final decision on how to dispose of the place. Widow Sharon Smith maintains a small mail order herb business in addition to her housekeeping clients. Four years have passed since her husband died, and she misses a man's touch. She had carefully fielded the former owner's advances, and Sharon plans to maintain a careful distance from Brand as well. She does not know that Brand has spent the last two years buying up notes and stock in his father's pet project, the Green Fire Resort. He only needs only last key block to implement his plans to destroy a final chuck of his father's business empire. Sharon is the owner of the remaining stock of Green Fire Resort, and she treasures her memories of being there with her husband. Despite her determination to keep her distance from Brand, Sharon soon finds he reawakens desire that has slumbered since the death of her husband. Author Barbara Clark creates a novel fraught with emotional intensity in Dangerous Haven. As Hawk Haven becomes the place to bring two wounded souls together, they quickly discover the dangers of passion and hidden motivation. Brand arrives planning vengeance against a man already dead, and finds love instead. Sharon has long mourned the loss of her husband, but Brand's arrival forces her to reevaluate the past, giving her insight she previously ignored. When Brand surprisingly proposes marriage with some unexpected conditions, they set into motion event that either promise to bind them together forever or to destroy their bond all together. A terrific read, Dangerous Haven comes highly recommended.

Feather On The Wind
Catherine Snodgrass
RFI West
#431 5515 N 7th Street, Suite 5, Phoenix AZ 85014
eBook/Multiple Formats; e-book ISBN 1586970712 $4.95; Trade Paperback ISBN 1586970712 $13.95

Archaeologist Raina Cotterell longs to understand the Mayans that she studies. The descendants inhabiting the area surrounding the archaeology site only whet her appetite and encourage her dreams of finding a discovery that can answer her questions. Even the daily power struggles with fellow archaeologist Burke O'Neill cannot dampen her enthusiasm for gaining insight into the mysteries of the past. Burke bears an uncanny resemblance to the Mayans they study, but his irritating self-importance negates any attraction Raina might else wise have felt. Then on the night of the autumnal equinox, Raina uncovers a capstone that leads to a passage ending in another time. Accompanied by Burke and two other members of their team, Raina unwittingly intrudes on a ceremony to select a bride for the Mayan prince, Al-Mon. Al-Mon exists for the sole purpose of leading his people and bearing heirs for the future. Despite his dedication to his duty, he longs for a woman who would love him. When the golden hair woman appears, he believes her to be a gift of the gods. As the irritating Burke puts himself in danger with his overbearing and irritating ways, Raina eventually agrees to marry Al-Mon to save her colleague's life. Her growing feelings for Al-Mon are tempered, however, with the knowledge that when the spring equinox arrives, she must depart. Author Catherine Snodgrass pens a fascinating romance in Feather On The Wind. The intricately woven plot and richly textured background lend the tale fresh originality. Characterizations, however, occasionally fall flat, especially with the sharp and sarcastic dialogue that so frequently surrounds Burke. Indeed, Burke's sudden character change at the end of the novel is rather unbelievable after he has so vividly displayed his character flaws. Nevertheless, the blossoming romance between Al-Mon and Raina more than compensates the novel's weaknesses, demonstrating a creative flair that holds great promise for this talented author. Feather On The Wind comes recommended.

Grave Images
N. D. Hansen-Hill
Clocktower Fiction
6549 Mission Gorge Road, Box 260, San Diego, California 92120
e-Book ISBN 0743300300 $4.00; Paperback ISBN 0743300610 $15.95; 252 pages

Mycologist Jarron Marshall submits a grant proposal for endophytes that promote plant growth and could possibly confer some degree of insect resistance, without poisoning livestock. Industry dependent upon insecticides and fertilizers take note, and determines to stop him either by buying him and his research or stopping it. But when they send an evil man to beat Jarron into agreement, the subsequent brain damage gives Jarron unusual gifts. Suddenly he possess clairvoyant and precognitive gifts, in addition to the ability to see spirits. Regardless of how his gifts came about, Jarron holds himself accountable for the consequences. He intends to find a way to control whatever is inside him and to protect those he cares about. Friends come to his aid, including a mysterious magician gifted in corporate espionage, a mathematician with a few best sellers to his credit, and a lady thief affectionately called The Wraith. As Jarron fights to protect his scientific research he finds himself equally embattled to protect himself and others from his visions of grave images. Author ND Hanson creates a fascinating cross-genre novel that will keep reader's attention fixed and tension levels high with Grave Images. The mixture of thriller, intrigue and paranormal results in an eclectic read where readers will do well to read with the lights on. Not all readers will like this dialogue-laden novel, however, finding the flow somewhat choppy and challenging to follow. But readers ready for the unusual and the dynamic will find these vivid characterizations and the fast paced plot addictive. The overall effect results in a read that comes highly recommended.

The Adventures Of Edward The Bear And Heidi The Birdie
Annie Applefield
E & E Publishing
1001 Bridgeway, #227, Sausalito, CA 94965
eBook PDF format $3.95 Children's Picture Book K-3

Edward the Bear has a terrible itch. When he uses the rough tree bark of a nearby tree to scratch, he shakes the tree so hard that he knocks Heidi the Birdie's nest to the ground. While Heidi repaired the damage, Edward went into the woods for a gift of apology. He brings back a handful of juicy berries. Heidi offers to scratch his back every day if he will bring her more berries. Thus their friendship begins and carries through the day when Heidi saves Edward from bees, when Edward makes a fun surprise for Heidi, and the night that Edward cannot sleep. The Adventures Of Edward The Bear And Heidi The Birdie by Annie Applefield consists of four short tales certain to delight young readers. Appropriate for either a long rainy afternoon's read, or a chapter a night before bed, Edward and Heidi's adventures offer wonderful entertainment. Lessons about forgiveness and gift giving make Edward and Heidi's friendship special and fun and come to life with these simple but colorful illustrations. Readers will be clamoring for more tales about Edward the Bear and Heidi the Birdie. Very highly recommended.

The Beetle And The Berry
Annie Applefield
E & E Publishing
1001 Bridgeway, #227, Sausalito, CA 94965
eBook; PDF format; $3.95; Children's Picture Book K-3

One day Arthur the Beetle finds a large, juicy berry big enough to feed him for a week. Excited by the discovery, he begins pushing it home, planning how much he is going to like eating the berry. Then suddenly, his berry gets stuck, and Arthur the Beetle has to figure out how to unstick it. Sometimes approaching a problem straight ahead just will not work. There are times when a problem can only be resolved by backing off, and approaching it from a new direction. This is a difficult life lesson for most children to learn, but Annie Applefield's The Beetle And The Berry makes this concept easy to understand. Highly recommended.

A Kiss From Mommy
Annie Applefield
E & E Publishing
1001 Bridgeway, #227, Sausalito, CA 94965
eBook; PDF format; $3.95; Children's Picture Book K-3

Simple rhyme and boldly colorful illustrations reveal a special message of love in A Kiss From Mommy, when a woman recalls her mother's kisses as she grew up. Special kisses accompany memories from growing and riding a bike, to healing minor injuries and giggles. Especially appropriate for a very young audience, this touching book will provide delightful reading during a bedtime routine, sending the child to sleep with the security of a mother's love. The underlying message that a mother's love passes from generation to generation will touch hearts of parents and children alike. A Kiss From Mommy comes highly recommended.

Cindy Penn
Reviewer



Roger's Bookshelf

The War For Talent
Ed Michaels, Helen Handfield-Jones, Beth Axelrod
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
ISBN 1-57851-459-2, $27.50, 2001, hardcover, 200 pages, 1-800-668-6780

Read this Book Before Your Competitors Do!

You can no longer be satisfied with "C" players in your organization. To compete in today's world, you need a powerful team of "A" players-top talent. Every savvy employer knows this fact, at least intuitively. Incredibly, relatively few act on this knowledge, satisfying themselves instead with "warm bodies." And they wonder why they aren't more profitable. (Shake your head in disbelief here.)

Produced by three consultants from McKinsey & Company, The War For Talent is based on five years of in-depth research on how companies manage leadership talent. [The research is explained in the book.] From what they learned from surveys of 13,000 executives at more than 120 leading companies and 27 case studies, the authors propose a talent-based approach to recruiting and holding management employees. The concept is simple: emphasize a deep conviction that competitive advantage comes from having better talent at all levels. Execution of that talent is more difficult, requiring total commitment and consistent action on the part of all leaders throughout the organization.

The authors have limited their focus to managerial talent, ignoring the tremendous contribution made by non-management employees. Their contention is that if you have highly talented managers, everything else will work just fine. I had a problem with that concept, feeling that it takes strong talent at all levels to achieve corporate success. As I read the book, I found myself mentally extending the authors' approaches and recommendations to all workers.

The book begins, aptly enough, with a chapter explaining the War for Talent. Wake-up call statements include recognition from 99% of the companies surveyed that their managerial talent pool needs to be much stronger in three years. At the same time, there is an understanding that the pool from which companies will recruit that talent will shrink. Therefore, competition for talent will become more like a war. In the first of many interesting comparison boxes in the book, we learn that the old reality says people need companies and that jobs are scarce. The new reality is that companies need people and that talented people are scarce. These comparison boxes deliver valuable, thought-provoking insights throughout the book.

The authors explain that most companies are poor at talent management. This situation must change. Executives who read this book will be in a more advantageous position to do something about this problem-if they take action based on what they read. The book is filled with action stimulators.

The second chapter shows readers how to Embrace a Talent Mindset. It's a way of thinking that drives the whole process. In chapter three, we learn how to Craft a Winning Employee Value Proposition. This is an essential part of the book, emphasizing the relationship between the management employee and the company. It talks about what managers are looking for in a job-in an environment, and how to give it to them. Included are culture, growth opportunities, compensation and much more. It's the total experience that makes a company so attractive to the kind of people it seeks.

With a clear idea now that your company is different, much more oriented toward giving talented managers what they need to achieve, chapter four explains how to Rebuild Your Recruiting Strategy. You'll shift from chasing all over trying to get people to work for you to becoming so attractive that talent gravitates to you. Recruiting becomes more targeted and takes place over a longer period of time. You're growing your future workforce by engaging with people even years before it's time for them to join you.

Chapter Five captures a trend which is growing in America, but not nearly as fast as it needs to: the personal development of high potential talent. The authors describe in page after page how coaching, mentoring, and bosses with high expectations can propel a talented person to greater heights and greater performance in much less time. Candid feedback enables people to stretch and grow in ways that hold them with the company so they can do more. We know how important growth is to talented people, so the ideas and illustrative stories in this chapter will be eye-opening for many readers.

In the next chapter, the authors present the concept of differentiating among employees. Workers are ranked as "A,", "B," or "C" players, in consideration of their performance and their potential. This chapter shows "how to invest in the most capable people (A players), grow the solidly contributing middle (B players), and act decisively on the low performers (the C players), and put the spotlight on all three in a rigorous talent review process." D players-the clearly incompetent or unethical-are not discussed since they shouldn't even be there anyway. The plan is to Differentiate and Affirm Your People. When high performers are appreciated, they become even more productive. They develop a pride which drives them to greater heights . . . and pulls others along with them.

The final chapter, Get Started-and Expect Huge Impact in a Year, presents a process for implementing the authors' concepts in your organization. Of course, you won't see immediate results. However, if you're serious about the transformation, results will come. Expect huge impact in the first year, the authors encourage; set the bars high. It can happen. It must happen if your company is going to be a high achiever, a winner in the ongoing War for Talent.

Investing For Cowards: Proven Stock Strategies For Anyone Afraid Of The Market
Fred Siegel
Grammaton Press
601 Poydras Street, Suite 2650, New Orleans, LA 70130
ISBN 0-9679366-6-7, hardcover, 217 pages, $24.95

Are You Chicken?

There are those who are very comfortable investing in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and a host of other vehicles that can earn lots of money . . . or not. Then there are those who are chicken-afraid of making the wrong decision, losing their shirts, and suffering the ridicule of everyone who knows them. This book is written for chickens.

Fred Siegel is president of an investment management firm in New Orleans, widely respected for knowing the investment field very well. In addition to running his advisory firm, Siegel also runs The Siegel Group International, providing financial news analysis to broadcast media in the United States and other countries. He has been on the air continually since 1984, broadcasting from WWL-TV and WWL radio in New Orleans. His advice is heard far and wide-and can now be read in a fun sort of book.

Fun? Investing? Chickens? Scary. The book is written in a light vein so it's easy to move through. The type is large, so that readers don't have to squint to get his message. There are several unusual features in the book-like red and black ink on the pages. Illustrations of chickens abound. There are lots of call-outs and sidebars, including testimonial quotes from his clients. The book is almost too self-serving in that regard, but one might expect a talk-show personality to be a bit self-promoting.

The book is organized into twelve chapters, dealing with the stock market, jargon, and then the focus on chicken stocks. Siegel makes his point that buying particular types of stocks is wiser than buying others, and explains. He doesn't like mutual funds, but talks about them, trusts, bonds, and annuities. Even on-line investing is covered for the reader.

As you might suspect, this book is going to give you a "once over lightly." It's not really deep, nor does it need to be. It meets its design of giving chicken investors enough knowledge to feel comfortable looking more deeply into the opportunities. As with any investment advisor, it's smart to take the advice carefully and understand that biases are present and influential. Whether you agree with everything Siegel says or not, you will have a broader understanding of the world of investing after reading this book.

Organization Smarts: Portable Skills For Professionals Who Want To Get Ahead
David W. Brown
Amacom, Inc.
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
ISBN 0-8144-7109-9, $17.95, 213 pages, Trade Paperback, 1-800-250-5308

Street Smarts for the Organization Man . . . and Woman

The expression "street smarts" describes the "feel," the savvyness, the sensitivity, and the skills to survive in the fast-moving, rough-and-tumble world of the streets. Business, personal-it doesn't matter. You have it or you don't. And if you have it, your chances of being on top are consistently better than if you fall haplessly into the category of the clueless.

An amazing number of people show up for work each day, go through the motions, do what they think is right, and go home. They simply "attend" work. Then there are those who mysteriously "get it" and move through the bureaucratic maze like a knife through butter. They seem to have something special, something that sets them apart. Out in the real world, we'd call it "street smarts." In the closed world of the workplace, it's "organization smarts." Got it? If not, read this book.

David Brown has been there, done that, and probably still wears the tee shirt-but it won't show where you can see it. He's moved from job to job in the fast moving worlds of corporations, politics, government (Deputy Mayor of New York), and higher education. If you wanted to find a mentor, a coach, to draw from, here he is. So, curl up at his feet and learn the secrets to success in the organizational environment.

Five chapters. Organized, tight, together. Not complicated. Chapter 1 takes us right into Understanding the "Real" Organization. Moving from sources of information (official and unofficial), Brown dives right into the culture, the customs, and the power. Now that we know the territory, Brown shifts to us: Establishing a Credible Reputation. Learn about things you should know-like first impressions, who you're seen with, and living your reputation so you're real. Chapter Three delves into Understanding What Others Want, a powerful concept in organizational success. Meetings, negotiations, commitment from others.

Chapter 4 addresses an interesting aspect of organizational maneuvering: working with experts. Brown emphasizes the importance of learning from experts, gaining and building on knowledge and skills from all sources. Chapter 5 explores the most difficult application of organizational smarts: changing the status quo. Changes often have to be made to move an organization ahead. Identifying needs for change and engaging in the conversations and tasks to accomplish those changes in ways that everyone is happy can put you in an influential position in an organization.

This book is recommended for college graduates entering the real world of work, for people who have been "floating" in organizations without realizing their potential, and for up and coming leaders who want to "up-and-come" faster and more effectively.

Mastering Individual Effectiveness
Nancy Mercurio and Jefrey King
Self-Help Books.com
c/o The Wellness Institute, Inc.
Heritage Office Park 1007 Whitney Ave. Gretna, LA 70056-8050
ISBN 1-58741-090-7, $12.95, 2001, trade paperback, 111 pages

Thought-Provoking Workbook

This little volume is filled with advice about building a better you, with lots of stimulating challenges. There are blanks to complete throughout the book, questions to answer about yourself, your life, and what you're doing about it. It's the kind of book that is actually a workbook that enables you to figure out for yourself how well you're doing in the areas of concern that the authors present.

There are thirteen chapters in the book, divided into two sections. The first section, A Look in the Mirror, enables the reader to look inwardly with chapter after chapter of self-evaluation. Initial chapters are How Well Do You Know Yourself, What Does It Take to Motivate You, and Evaluating Past Performance. These are followed by Your Ability to Communicate, Are You the Obstacle, Quality of Life = Thoughts, and Life is Like a Train. The language and flow seem much like the weekly radio show, "Empowering People for Success" that is hosted by the authors.

Section Two, The Professional You, explores Being Affected by Those Around You, Maximizing Your Contribution, Keeping Your Ideas Alive, Coloring Within the Lines, The Team Player within You, and Closing Thoughts. The book is seasoned with vignettes that illustrate the authors' points.

This is a good book for people who are searching for answers, looking at where to go with their lives. It's written in the first person-Nancy. Even though two authors' names appear on the cover, the author speaks in first person singular and refers to Jeff as a separate person. While this does not take away from the content, it can throw off a reader expecting to hear from a team of writers.

The book can be stimulating, but should not be taken as the whole answer or the only answer. Coloring Within the Lines, for example, may be good advice for some. However, others enthusiastically encourage people seeking to grow to color OUTSIDE the lines. Different approaches. This book's approach will be helpful for many hourly employees looking for a thought-provoking guide to move themselves ahead in life.

Leading The Edge Of Change
John L. Bennett
Paw Print Books
Mooresville, NC
ISBN 0-9678323-0-6, $11.95, trade paperback, 120 pages

While change has become ubiquitous, leading change places an organization in a stronger competitive position. Leaders are supposed to lead change, but many don't know how. This book will give them some insight to do a better job at building individual and organizational capacity for the evolving nature of change.

The book is organized into four sections: Nature and Response to Change, Building the Capacity to Spring Back and Survive, Organizational Components, and Time to Change. A bibliography and appendices add to the value of this little volume. A number of charts are provided for the reader to complete to organize the leadership process and follow through.

During the first two chapters, the reader gains a good knowledge of what change is all about, including natural human responses to change. As Bennett launches into his explanation, he tells us about his grandmother and about Maggie, a sort of girl-next-door near grandmother's place. Maggie is a manager coping with change in her organization and Granny . . . well, she's a grandmother filled with wisdom. These characters are used to teach and to offer case studies, adding a smoothness to what might otherwise be just another difficult-to-read leadership book.

Interacting as a consultant (Bennett is a Certified Management Consultant), the author coaches Maggie on how to work with her colleagues who relate to change in different ways. This process makes the book comfortably instructive.

In the second section of the book, the focus is on resilience, a concept not often found in books on change. We're all "hit" by change, but the key to good leadership and success is how we bounce back from the impacts of change or adversity. A major key is to avoid extinction (hear the dinosaur?) by being flexible and adaptable. Bennett warns that we are all potential dinosaurs; due diligence is in order!

The balance of the book is filled with information and ideas that will reinforce what you know and provoke some creative thinking. The Herrmann Brain Dominance concepts are interwoven to add a different dimension to the leadership-oriented content.

Graphs and charts are thrown in to help the reader grasp the knowledge graphically . . . and to have lots of forms to complete to manage your leadership of change.

Then I got my surprise. I was just about finished with the book, thinking it was a good leadership book. There are so many out there. Then, on page 85 I hit "Bibliography and Resources." I almost flipped by it until I realized what a tremendous treasure John Bennett has given us! Over four pages of listings that reads like the List of Recommended Readings for several graduate courses. What a rich resource! I couldn't resist. I counted. 65.

This is a book that will really open your learning about leading change. It's the key to a treasure chest.

The Essential Network: Success Through Personal Connections
John L. Bennett
Paw Print Books
Mooresville, NC
ISBN 0-9678323-1-4, $8.95, 71 pages, trade paperback

Quick, Instructive

Networking is a buzzword-and a technique-of the times. As the world shrinks, through improved communication and speed, the more people you know, the stronger you are. You have greater strength to get things accomplished when you "know someone" who can help you down the path. "Six degrees of separation" has become a mantra for some.

John Bennett, a Certified Management Consultant, has put together an easy-to-read-and use-handbook of networking. There's a technique on each page. Simple, direct, not pages of wasted words. Most of the content seems like common sense, though as Voltaire told us, "common sense is uncommon." There is no table of contents, no index, no appendices. Just page after page of things you ought to know, but might have forgotten. It's a good reminder for everyone involved in networking . . . and we all are.

On most pages, the author also provides us with a box entitled "It works." These sidebars are quotes from a wide range of people who, in short statement, validate the value of networking to them. There is no connection between the technique presented on each page and the quote printed on the same page. It's like reading two books at once, a bit disconcerting, but interesting as well. The quotes offer a glimpse into the thoughts of others and provide a list of some of John Bennett's networking contacts. Nice way to honor your friends, colleagues, and clients.

This book would be a good gift for that new graduate or for a prot‚g‚ as you start a mentoring relationship.

Roger E. Herman, Reviewer
http://www.hermangroup.com



Hodgins' Bookshelf

Crimes Of Passion: An Unblinking Look At Murderous Love
Howard Engel
Key Porter Books Ltd.
c/o Firefly
4 Daybreak Lane, Westport, CT 06880
ISBN 1-55263-355-1; price Can.$22.95; 239 pages, 1-800-387-5085

If it's possible for any other subject to be as hackneyed in the popular literature as love is, that subject in probably murder. Perhaps that is because nearly everyone hopes to find the former, while avoiding the latter; perhaps it's because the former makes the blood race, while the latter can be used, in such talented hands as the late Agatha Christie's, to make the mind race. Here, though, we have the two motifs of love and murder conjoined. That is, at least, the book's initial concept although I for one believe its scope should be somewhat broadened.

In cases of crimes of passion (or "crimes passionels" as the French put it), there rarely seem to be mysteries, except in trying to understand the players' motivation. In general, the facts of cases of murder "in hot blood" are no more in dispute than they seem to have been when, as the anonymously composed "Fall River Legend" put it, "Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks; When she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one."

(Lizzie Borden's is in fact one of the cases Engel considers, albeit quite briefly, and he clarifies two points the little poem ignores: first, that although that double murder did occur, Lizzie was found not guilty of it; and second, that her parents - father and stepmother, to be more precise - lead her a miserable, confined, altogether pitiable life, for which Engel shows her as much empathy as the "Legend" lacks of it.)

Nor does author Howard Engel strive much to build up a sense of mystery or tension in telling his factual tales of people who have gone beyond the limits of corporal violence - the classical furious woman's slap to the face of a man she perceives as a cad is a typical act of restrained or non-capital violence - to stop only when their victims lie dead or dying.

Thus, for exammple, Engel very factually begins his second chapter, "Ruth Ellis, a London nightclub manager, shot her lover dead outside a Hampstead pub called the Magdala in 1955." This blunt use of his material may disappoint anyone buying this book in expectation of brain teasing mysteries; the work seems closer to a documentation of assorted social foibles and grievances which, left inadequately if at all treated, have festered to the point of provoking truly dangerous (mis)perceptions and overpowering emotional upsets, culminating (when opportunities arise, or even in some very unfavourable situations) in actual killings or other instances of major violence.

Among instances of unfavourable situations for undertaking violent action against another person was the case, aired at the beginning of Engel's Chapter Three, of Alan Norman of Blackpool, England; Norman's lack of perspective, his possessive obsession, his sociopathic paranoia led him to murder his wife amidst a throng of screaming witnesses, women and children taking shelter from just such assaults in a supposedly protected home for battered families. Thus there was no mystery at all about "whodunnit", or how; the sole mystery is why it had been allowed to happen at all. (Perhaps the sheer enormity of such an attack could have beclouded anyone's giving it credence, beforehand - it in this respect being rather like the terrorist attacks on New York, enacted on a far smaller scale.)

In the memorable 1994 criminal and civil trials of famed American football player O. J. Simpson for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman, a strongly influential "crime of passion" of quite a different sort played an incidental yet very important practical role. It was a crime based on racism, which goes to show that people may grow passionate over many matters besides love and/or sex.

It was in fact an impassioned and criminal attack by an armed gang of white Los Angeles police officers - one had to see the fortuitous videotape of the event, even to understand that it could happen - upon an unarmed black motorist named Rodney King. Now as it happened, both "O.J." and most of the jurors at his L.A. criminal trial were black. ("Black" is seldom the literal chromatic truth, of course, but only a currently accepted racial categorization.) Thanks largely to a finding of planted evidence and other sordid aspects, O.J. won in the criminal trial although not in the civil one. The great point is, though - and it is not one that Engel makes in the same connection - that "passion" and "crime" are words with more than one narrow meaning; that getting worked up over ANY cause means to become passionate, and that non-fatal crimes against the person or against property are nonetheless crimes, although they are not those of maximal sensationalism. In this respect I disagree with his book's subtitle, referring solely to "murderous love".

The structure of the book's narration would class the work as a collection or anthology of short crime stories, were each episode or tale to be fictional. They being summaries from the annals of actual criminal trials and the like, though, "short stories", a term that strongly implies fictive writing, does not properly apply. Perhaps there's an exact, concise term for what this collection IS, but for once it seems more important that readers know ahead of time what the book is NOT.

Tale by tale, as might be expected of "crimes of passion", a picture emerges of minds more or less unhinged by jealousies, suspicions and resentments, and by fears and convictions of, very often, amatory rejection or double-dealing. As already noted in the Rodney King case, there need not be sexual (although there could still be sexist) overtones; a further subclass of crimes of passion occurs when, as one example, someone who's had a few too many drinks in a bar takes dudgeon at something someone says and, without clearly thinking, takes a gun to settle the issue for good; or when a disgruntled employee or student whose grudge or mania may be rather more permanent takes a gun and empties it at his or her imagined "enemies".

Again, not all of these accounts involve killings. One of the most sensational in Engel's collection is the 1993 case of Lorena Bobbitt who severed her abusive husband's equally abusive penis. The point is, there is no one stereotype to which all crimes of passion either must or actually do conform - this despite somewhat repetitious suggestions to the contrary, within the book's Foreword and Introduction.

Tinges, if not wholesale onslaughts, of that famously pleaded state of "temporary insanity" seem the norm in this league, although Engel may not so much as mention the concept; his alphabetical subject index contains no entry for either "insane/-ity" or "temporar[il]y".

Perhaps everyone should nonetheless read such a volume, if only to heighten our recognition that such a state of near or actual insanity could affect someone near us. The fact that killers of others often finish by also killing themselves is of no consolation at all. It may be better, then, to anticipate what can happen in sick minds than to wait until some dreadful crisis strikes, only then wondering what to do.

Beyond its general application to all of us, this book seems worthy of consideration as assigned reading for undergraduate students of psychology, criminology, and sociology. Let us recognize, though, that if Engel adds much to what has already been written in other books, such as the ones he sometimes quotes (at times doing so quite liberally), it is that he summarizes about 30 cases. In doing so, he conducts what we may reasonably call a general survey of examples within his chosen field.

Portrait In Sepia
Isabel Allende
Translated from Spanish by Margaret Sayers Peden
HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
ISBN: 0-60-621161-1; $26.00, 304 pp., with family tree diagrams inside front & back covers.

Part One / 1862-1880: To this sort of historical novel, if something better doesn't already exist, one may perhaps affix the genre tag, "antique pseudo-autobiography".

It begins with the pseudo-author's (protagonist Aurora's) birth: "I came into the world one Tuesday in the autumn of 1880, in San Francisco, in the home of my maternal grandparents." Then almost as quickly she takes an 18-year leap backward in time, to show how her father's family had grown vastly empowered.

Thus the story really begins in 1862, during the American Civil War of 1861-65, although that fact is mentioned chiefly to set the postwar stage upon which the novel's hardhearted, hardheaded "dragon lady", if I may so call her, amasses a fortune through land speculation, buying up watered land ahead of the transcontinental railways - or rather railroads, for it happened in the States.

Mentioned more frequently than the American war is the South American "War of the Pacific", pitting author Allende's country, Chile, against Peru and Bolivia, respectively the seaboard and (now) inland countries bordering Chile to the north. It is not however until Part Two that Allende describes the fighting in that war to any extent; rather, for persent purposes the Chilean war is invoked to explain how one of the characters comes to be drawn away at what proves a difficult time for the very young Aurora - again, she is the tale's protagonist.

The book slowly unfolds as predominantly about Chilean affairs, whether taking place in Chile itself or involving Chileans resident elsewhere. Reading such a book is a broadening exercise, nearly as informative as, but requiring a great deal lest fuss and cost than, travel to the country itself. I for one feel I've emerged with three times the knowledge of Chile that I had at the outset.

Although the action within Part One occurs in San Francisco, Calif., then, many actors are Chilean. There also are, however, a Chinese-American gentleman who is a traditional accupuncturist/physician; and (at first, for he carries a fatal ailment) a probably English ship captain whose Chilean-born daughter the Chinese marries. This kindly and somewhat exotic - but widely despised in San Francisco because of his ethnicity - couple become, in due course, Aurora's maternal grandparents.

That fact places them in opposition, as it turns out, to a wealthy and powerful, boorishly selfcentred and haughty Chilean "dragon lady" type and, to a much lesser extent, to her ne'er-do-well Chilean husband, little Aurora's paternal grandparents.

Most women Allende writes about are strong, even tough characters, and so perhaps this "dragon lady" is not so very much more so than certain others. Toughness also appears to be bred into Chileans as a race, a fact that Allende explains in terms of their country's remoteness, hard history (e.g., with five wars in the 19th century) and difficult geography. On page 176 in Part Two a character will say, in part, and omitting the "she saids", "They killed unarmed men brutally, like animals. What would you expect, we're a bloodthirsty country. We Chileans seem inoffensive ... but at the first opportunity we turn into cannibals. You would have to know where we come from to understand our cruel streak; our ancestors were the fiercest and cruelest Spanish conquistadors, the only ones who stuck it out as far as Chile ... conquering the worst obstacles of nature. They mixed with the Araucans, as fierce as they, the one people on the continent who were never subjugated. The Indians ate their prisoners ..."

This particular atrocity is only a bare beginning of the brutality conveyed within this book.

This first third of the work thus chiefly explains Aurora's difficult background, which is largely a woeful tale of amatory betrayal and family feuding (bloodless, but scarring nonetheless) over custody of the female baby bearing that mix of genes. The natural father, son the Chilean couple, with his redoubtable (now seen as rotten) mother's support, proves himself an utter "rat fink". The little girl's supremely beautiful but tragic mother having died immediately following childbirth, the deceased's parents, the baby's half-Chinese grandparents, take custody of the tot, but next the bitch-granny decides SHE must have the child, although previously having calumniated the half-Chinese mother so as to get her son off the hook. However, the maternal grandparents have guts as well as the paternal grandmother's own denial of relationship - and also custody. Until the Chinese grandfather dies (not of natural causes, as it turns out in the end) when the girl is five, they win the tug-of-war.

Part Two / 1880-1896 soon reveals the basis of the work's title and the cover's colour; starting at age 13, Aurora becomes a photographer in an era when true black-and-white photographs had yet to be achieved, the closest and perhaps only approximation being in inherently restrained and sad, if not downright dismal, sepia tones. From the same information we infer that Aurora is the serious, 30-ish lady on the dust jacket, standing with an oldfashioned, tripod-mounted camera to her left while her right holds the remote-triggering squeezebulb.

Even Aurora's recurrent nightmare seems to pale into pettiness in comparison with the ghastliness of Allende's description of the War of the Pacific, one of those horrendously bitter affrays, this time over some largely barren terrain and Bolivia's only seaport, which Chile was intent upon seizing from her northern neighbours. (Not to say, though, that the nightmare lacks its own terrible origin as we learn near the book's end.)

From page 98 to 122 - a fifth of the book, thus far - the novel's point of view or POV shifts from a narrative clearly being recited by Aurora to one more directly recited by the book's actual author, Allende. Those mind-conditioning phrases, occasional as they may be, that keep alive the fictional personality simply cease their flow after a string of complaints about those nightmares has been recorded.

This POV inconsistency, with the narration centring first upon a volunteer soldier, then on his cousin and new wife, seems unintentional, implying to me that Allende's artistry may not always be perfect. Meantime, we read an extremely harrowing if mercifully fairly brief tale of war and its aftermath.

The cruel and often apparently unnecessary wars of the 19th century should have warned off the Great Powers from launching World War I in the early 20th but, as a monument to human stupidity, they did not. Perhaps worst of all, to judge by Allende's account, the aggressor country, Chile, which surely could not have had God on its side but only the weakness of other nations, not only won the war (at great cost and suffering) but also has subsequently kept the spoils, so that even in our supposedly enlightened age we accept maps showing, most evidently, Bolivia as a landlocked state, which she had not been previously. To some extent a modern comparison would be if Iraq had been permitted to keep Kuwait after the Gulf War, the smaller country simply vanishing from all maps.

Yet in the 19th century there were no United Nations, Security Council, World Court ... In that vacuum of international restraint, aggressors with the strengths to enforce their audacity and rapacity could, at a price to be paid in blood and lost resources, hope to get away with nearly anything. In effect, "might" spelled "right".

Skeletons in family closets, though: what nation has none? Besides, after 120 years the "Statute of Limitations" must surely have run out, as even the once victimized neighbour states now seem to accept.

A decade after the War of the Pacific, Chile made war internally - the Civil War, or Revolution, precipitated when a Liberal president took the notion that he'd like to be Dictator. Again it was a terrible affair, but this time Aurora's family happens (through the bravery under torture of an unrelated bookshop owner) to be spared worse than inconvenience.

An interesting sidelight toward the end of this portion of Allende's novel (which seems nonfictional on this point) is that it was more or less routine to cross over the frightful Andes mountain chain from Chile into Argentina, so as to take (or to come home from taking) ship in Buenos Aires.

One naturally would use one pass or another, in so doing. Our atlas shows an assortment of probably heartstopping mountain passes which might have been selected, and they would have presented varying degrees of hardship and risk, in some cases a first high pass leading down to a valley but then back up to a second, possibly yet higher pass.

Elevations on the order of 4,000 m, or around 13,000 ft., are not uncommon, although one could go much farther out of one's way and make the great traverse where the highway now does, at Paso Maule (or Pehuenche), "merely" 2500 m / 8200 ft. high - but by estimate, it lies or rather stands about 270 km / 170 mi. (probably to be travelled on horseback, in the 19th century) south of Santiago, that distance then to be made good heading northerly on the far side of the cordillera.

It took two days by mule train to make the passage, Allende indicates - but via which pass, she doesn't tell us, signalling that she isn't really an adventure writer.

From this point onward, the remainder of the book can be said to belong to Aurora, who seldom if ever again leaves the spotlight.

Part Three / 1896-1910: Our "dragon lady", grandmother to Aurora, is in failing health although she also shows signs of mellowing. She and her considerable entourage have taken ship to London where she undergoes successful major surgery, taking advantage of the latest improvements in anaesthetics and asepsis. One of the travelling group is Aurora, now 19, who falls for a handsome Chilean of the same (upper) class, now on his ritual European tour.

The grandmother, being unwilling to die with her granddaughter still unwed, plays forceful matchmaker almost before there can be any hesitation, but the ensuing marriage proves unsatisfying for the bride, who finds no joy in her husband's perfunctory performances in bed, and no companionship in his behaviour out of it.

Only photography and sympathetic in-laws offer any consolation. After a dismal winter's disillusionment spent at her in-laws vast land holdings in the distant south of Chile (where winter begins in May and lasts until October or thereabout), she learns she must return to visit her again seriously ailing grandmother. A possible love interest and a source of hope is her grandmother's slavic doctor who shows keen interest in Aurora's photography and makes her look at her own in-laws' photographs in a new way.

Back in the distant south, thank's partly to the doctor's unguarded hint the supposedly married woman discovers her husband has never loved her, but has used her in a sham to cover his real activities; her marriage has been based on lies and therefore is probably null and void, but her mother-in-law's frailty keeps her silent.

She is however called again to Santiago, where her grandmother is dying; once again she's caught in the middle, then, being nearly torn in two. However, she says of her parting with her new family, "I didn't know that I would not see them again." Some definitive break is in store, then, to which readers will by now be thinking, "Hallelujah!"

This time the grandmother does die, leaving a great deal to the Roman Catholic Church as if at the end to buy herself favour that she'd shunned most of her life. Gone are, specifically, almost all her house's formerly magnificent furnishings, although her financial accounts remain chiefly intact.

With that death, mysteries stemming from Aurora's childhood begin unravelling. A promise by her maternal grandmother to her paternal one being dissolved, the former turns up to explain to Aurora an event which had caused the girl so many dreadful nightmares - and why only being held as her Chinese grandfather had once held her brought Aurora relief.

Thus the book ends in a welter of reminiscences and loose ends being tidied up. Aurora finds sexual fulfilment (which she thinks may be ripening into love) at last with a lover, while never again darkening her nominal husband's door. She secures a tenuous or autumnal sort of happiness, but as she puts it in her closing sentence, "I live among diffuse shadings, veiled mysteries, uncertainties; the tone for telling my life is closer to that of a portrait in sepia."

There is no "feel good" ending, then, but this is a story artfully told, and well worth the frequent anguish, even depression of its reading.

One may notice moderately few grammatical or related (e.g., "thrice" for "trice" on page 190) errors in this book, probably fewer than average. One, a split infinitive (these being more frequently accepted by today's doyens, though) is a purely English issue, and must have been introduced in translation or in final editing; we can't charge it to Ms. Allende, who wrote in Spanish.

Little seems lost in the translation, but, given the tale's Victorian setting, the occasional exclamation of "Shit!" seems out of place among polite society; "mierda" may have been more accepted in Spanish, that term being marked only "vulgar" in our best Spanish-English dictionary while the same source calls the English term "taboo". My point is not that it's taboo, though, but rather that its use seems clashingly modern - a kind of anachronism.

One may know the Author as a niece of assassinated Chilean former President, Salvatore Allende. Her lucidly translated, originally Spanish writing may well be big-L Literature, but while one can beat around and around the meaning of that term, it remains frustratingly elusive. One impression is that in Literature there can be no "action" - whereas in this tale there is action aplenty, e.g. in a crucial war scene where a girl swings a hatchet at the current focus of attention, he leans back, and it splits his foot (which must after days of suffering be amputated without benefit of medicines to match the surgery), while in return he guts her with his bayonet ... The work clearly is good small-l literature, then, but big-L? For me, the jury is still out.

Peter Hodgins
Reviewer



Bill's Bookshelf

Bruchko
Bruce Olsen
Creation House
600 Rinehart Road, Lake Mary, FL - Florida 32746
ISBN: 0884191338, Price: $12.99, http://www.creationhouse.com

Bruchko is a fascinating story of a young man's struggles, Bruce Olsen, to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to civilizations that were previously unreachable within the South American continent. To me, a missionary, this book brings life to all the things that must be considered on and off the mission field. As an avid reader, the story of one man's determination to spread the gospel, as well as the trials and tribulations he faced, kept me riveted. I have heard and read stories like this most of my life, but could not believe some of the hard facts and daily adversity that Bruce Olsen had to face.

I appreciated the day-by-day encounters of Bruchko, as he was called, with the tribal people of South America. The literary work by Bruce Olsen opened my eyes to the things of this world that one person can and does face daily when focused on getting the Palabra de Dios, Word of God, to other civilizations. The story tells of a man who was turned away by mission organizations because of his young age and inexperience. I recommend this book for anyone seeking a great story as well as those people considering going to the mission field for active work.

Despite the book ending on the last page, I know the story of his mission did not end there and look forward to hearing more about it in the future. Even after reading it twice, I look forward to the next time I pick up the book to peruse the pages. I cannot help but think about what the world would be like if more people would follow the leading of God and use Bruchko's zeal and desire as an example to bring the gospel to the world.

Leather Tramp Journal: A 12-Mile Mountain Retreat
Richard Broderick
Forest of Peace Publishing, Inc.
251 Muncie Road, Leavenworth, KS - Kansas 66048-4946
ISBN: 0939516551, Price: $11.95, http://www.forestofpeace.com/

Leather tramp is a slang expression for people who like to hike; this was an interesting book about just such a person and the journal he kept while on the trail. I was looking for an account of hiking and seeking God and this is what I got with Leather Tramp Journal: A 12-Mile Mountain Retreat. The way the book fashioned historical events and actions mixed in with the natural surroundings of the Adirondack Mountains, brought an interesting perspective to the reader.

Throughout this book the reader is brought onto the trail with the author and we see what a hiker's day is like as he ponders some of life's most important questions. I looked forward in each chapter to see what the hiker was going to eat for the evening meal and what the "Points to Ponder" were for the day. The "Points to Ponder" provide an action list to be focused on once the hiker returns to civilization.

The book helps the reader to reflect on life as well as view nature through the eyes of an experienced "Leather Tramp". It also allows the reader to see the Appalachian area and possibly plant a desire to hike in the same footsteps as the author. Although not the book I thought it was going to be, the story unfolded into an interesting tale.

Robert E. Lee On Leadership
H.W. Crocker III, H.W. Crocker
Prima Publishing
c/o Random House, Inc.
3000 Lava Ridge Ct., Roseville CA 95661
ISBN: 0761525548, Price: $14.95, http://www.primapublishing.com/index.php

In the book Robert E. Lee on Leadership, the reader is brought into a historical realm to learn about the leadership qualities of a great man. Although it mentions the primary differences between the sides in the Civil
War, it was not one-sided as one might expect from the title. The literary masterpiece focused on two aspects of Robert E. Lee's leadership, first as a Christian and then understanding the cause in which he fought for in the War Between the States.

Within the book the author uses a storytelling style to take the many historical facts and intertwine them to bring the leadership qualities to life. It seems that a day did not go by in the life of Robert E. Lee where his personage did not utilize some aspect of leadership. Although a good portion of this book deals with the war, the rest brings you into the lighter side of the man. It shows him as a father, a teacher and a businessman. There is virtually no stone left unturned within the story about the West Point graduate. It shows how Lee surrounded himself with other great leaders and even provides background information on them in the Appendix.

I feel this book is essential to any leadership course and will use many aspects of it during my own leadership training. The book left me hoping that a follow-up book will be written to discuss the leadership qualities of
some of Lee's adversaries and then contrast and compare the two leadership styles.

Wild At Heart
John Eldredge
Thomas Nelson Publishers
501 Nelson Place, Nashville, TN 37214
ISBN: 0785268839, Price: $19.99, http://www.thomasnelsonpublishers.com

Wild at Heart has got to be the one of the best books of 2001. A friend of mine recommended it and I got a copy for Christmas. Once I started, I could not put the book down. Wild at Heart draws you in with vivid words and quotes from movies like Gladiator and Braveheart. It unleashes the adventuresome spirit within a man.

I am constantly looking for good books to encourage and motivate men to perform their duties as husbands, fathers, and men, while drawing them closer to the Father. Wild at Heart shows us how to do that in a manner that Jesus would smile on. It shows us the common barriers in the way men often think and breaks them into little bite-sized chunks so we can move past them. Wild at Heart allows us to see why we have the adventuresome spirit, why God designed us the way we are and how we can use it in a positive manner. It takes poetry combined with prose and puts them into a format that anyone can understand. Whether macho, sensitive, or somewhere in between, this book will open the eyes of your heart and allow you to see yourself.

There are times within Wild at Heart to laugh, to cry, to get angry and to get serious. With the way it is written, it is sure to become a Best Seller. I am going to buy multiple copies for several friends. The men love it due to the way it is written, the women love it due to the way it expresses men.

On a scale of one to five, this book is a SIX.

Grace Rules
Steven McVey
Harvest House Publishers
990 Owen Loop North, Eugene, OR - Oregon 97402
ISBN: 1565078977, Price: $9.99, http://www.harvesthousepubl.com/

In the book Grace Rules, the reader is asked to focus on the grace that God has imparted upon us as Christians through His son, Jesus Christ. Whether you are a believer or curious about religious thought, this book provides knowledge and numerous examples to explain the concept of grace.

As I traversed the pages of Grace Rules, I appreciated the fact that when the author presented a thought he included the appropriate scripture references. The scriptural basis was more than adequate to withstand even the toughest inquisitor. By the end of book, I realized the author's desire for the reader had been met and I walk each day with a different step than before, because I know that the grace of God is truly authentic.

I am pleased with the way the book unfolded and look forward to perusing the pages of it again in the future. It helped me desire the presence of my Lord and Savior and to know that His grace is sufficient for me. This paperback provided a great follow-up to the previous, Grace Walks, and is designed so one literary work is not dependent of the other.

Bill Reese
Reviewer



Dana's Bookshelf

Art Deco Graphics
Patricia Frantz Kery
Thames and Hudson, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011
http://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com
ISBN 0-500-28353-2, LCCC # 2001096302 $35.00, 10-1/8 x 12-1/4, 476 illustrations (248 in color), 320 pages

Open.

Suddenly it is Paris in the twenties. Outside the caf‚ windows the parade of umbrellas furls under clearing skies reminiscent of the grays of Caillebotte. The clouds of war have vanished from the sky as unnoticed as clouds of birds vanish at dusk. Out on the rain-wet streets prosperity walks the dogs of opulence, one furpiece on a leash, another around the shoulders. The overheated sensuality of the twenties dances from evening till dawn, could-care-lessing the events of the day. Poiret and Chanel and Schiaparelli have announced the inexhaustible things an undecorated piece of cloth can do to a womans shape. The arrival of jazz has turned the tinkly quaintness of ragtime into the purr of Josephine Bakers contralto and blast furnace of Louis Armstrongs trumpet. Upsetting economic dreadlines in the news cezanne into the fruitbowl pastels of self-satisfaction over fine wine. Posters on kiosks matisse their voluptuous shapes of style and font. Angle and streamline and vehicle vuillard away the rectal carnage of military revenge in the what-me-worry decade between Versailles stuffiness and beery Mnchen ptsch. All testifying to the garb romance always dons after an era of horror.

It was time for something new. The drifting directionlessness of France in the 1920s when film and poetry were all but the same thing, a nostalgia for what always is because it never was.

New . . . and yet . . . more: Modern. Diverting. Striking, startling, disharmonious, direct. Everyone saw the need: Art of street to challenge art of salon. A merger between middle-class decorative taste and the revolutionarys love of the outr‚, the young artists love of the avant-garde, the liberated career womans preoccupation with the suave and the elegantly insolent. By the time the 1925 Exposition des Arts D‚coratifs et Industriels Modernes opened in Paris, the masters of modern artPicasso, Braque, to skim for the moment the mythic cream, Klimt, L‚ger, Kandinsky, Magritte, Modigliani, Duchamp, Ernst, and Toulouse-Lautrechad already transformed the fine arts. There seemed no new territory to explore.

Then the newbies discovered graphic arts.

There was no Art Deco then. Indeed, that appellation was not used until 1966. But artisans embracing a handful of ideas loosely bundled as Style moderne borrowed bits from Cubism, Russian Constructivism, Italian Futurism, the Vienna Secession, Bauhaus, then added techniques of their own: abstraction, distortion, oversimplification, geometric solidities reinforced with intense colors. They used these to celebrate the rise of commerce, technology, and (thanks to the auto and airplane) speed. The ensuing volcano spewed simultaneous views from several directions: hypercontrasts of color and arrangement, transformations of reality, personality, eccentricity.

These inspired a new kind of fine artist, the illustrator. Names like Cassandre, Jean Carlu, Herbert Bayer, and McKnight-Kauffer began to turn up not merely on posters, but magazine covers, stationery design, advertisements. A kumquat of Orientalism was squeezed out of Diaghilev's sensational Ballets Russes. American jazz, native American and African art, Egyptian glyphs, these too. And above all the discovery of personal power in the power of machines. All these contributed to an aesthetic confluence from which has flown the sociological art theme of our times: graphics, commerce, private purpose, public event, and social attitude are all immersed in one. Art Deco Graphics is like looking at the wedding pictures of ones grandparents.

All here.

Here is the first encyclopedic gathering of the best of graphic design created in the two-and-a-half decades leading up to 1936, when Life Magazine effectively killed the idea of magazine art by introducing the full-page photo. Weve been stuck, ever more drearily, with it ever since. There are chapters on posters, magazines, commercial design, books, stationery, fashion, theatrical costume (which for a time was hard to distinguish from fashion). Art Deco Graphics is a definitive sourcebook, as one expects, for art-history enthusiasts. But it is also more: Anyone who takes Web design seriously could do worse than relook at Art Deco as the fount of the most important art-caused social transformation in history.

Dip a little deeper.

There are nearly half a thousand illustrations, and nearly a quarter-thousand are in color. Many of those are full-page. All are testimony to author Patricia Frantz Kerys inexhaustible ransack of museums, art dealers, and private collections in her quest for thoroughness. And her exquisite taste in selecting the best for these pages. And her wit: On page 88 is an image with the word PROBLEM in a streamlined sans-serif block-style font (an Art Deco hallmark). Out of the O sticks a cigarette, smoke tendrilling upwards. Yes, we would most certainly agree today, says it all doesnt it?

Unfortunately, no. Look a little closer. The brand name on the cigarette is Problem. Why anyone would brand-name a cigarette Problem, even then, is a mystery. Forty years ahead of time, but it was on the wrong-way track.

Almost all these images are standouts, but a few are unsettling, and breathtakingly so. On page 89 is an ad for Herkules Bier aus dem Hasenbrau-Augsburg. The sinister, leviathanic, muscle-bound, fist-clenched figure uses one of the hallmarks of Art Decodeep shadow to enhance contrastto convey a message as self-contradictory as it is threatening: Drink this and it wont go to your belly, it will build the muscle of Germany. Rage is power, and watch out you fops of Versailles.

That was 1925. Five years earlier Ludwig Hohlwein design an ad Tachometerwerke for a Dsseldorf maker of the eponymous instruments to clock engine revs. The vehicle, with its riveted sheet metal body and upjutting phallic levers for gears and brakes, all done in a dark drab befitting military maneuvers in the slime, is not a Gay Paree streamlined beauty with chauffeur and mink-trimmed consort. It is a tank. The vehicle alone says, Were coming, out of the way. But it is the driver who truly frightens. Garbed in the thick leathers of automobiling at the time, gloved hands grippingno, chokingthe wheel, his face is of such grim, hating, enraged determination that one cannot think of similar malevolency in all of art history except perhaps for Meiji-era Japanese prints extolling the glories of battle. Even in 1920 the omens were shrieking, and by 1925 they were extolling muscle.

Yet for the most part Art Deco was sweetness and elegance, if not light, and a kind of innocence during the days when modern commercialism was being established. One can see editors exploiting inner fears on behalf of ad sales even then: the Vogue and Vanity Fair covers depict improbably slender women draped in the silks and furs of unattainable wealth, their eyes of steel willing and able to stare down an amorous tycoon (page 143). Book publishers were right alongside them: A book cover by a designer pseudonymed Fish (in reality the British caracaturist Ann Sefton) proclaimed, High SocietyHints on how to Attain, Relish and Survive It; A Pictorial Guide to Life in Our Upper Circles. Powerful Fortune covers (whose ultra-simplicity and unusual view angles could inspire cinema students even today) whose One Dollar newsstand price really *was* a fortune in those days (page 140). They also were the days when Fortune had taste: A 1941 cover was graced with a Fernand L‚ger graphic. Page 141 yields up fabulously insensitive stereotype of Fritz Kreisler jamming with Louis Armstrong, and a Vanity Fair cover of a banjo-playing black (p. 148) would be sued off the stands nowadays.

There are surprises, too. The late-Twenties Shiseido Cosmetics ads use the same logotype the firm uses todayperhaps the most antiquarian logo around save for Ford Motor Company, and yet so with-it even now. Stationery designers produced some astonishingly beautiful designsmany mixing in plentiful dollops of Art Nouveau imageryand if the captions between pages 193 and 205 are anything to go by, they joined postcard designers in undeserved anonymity. The artistry of A.M. Cassandre deserves a re-look (the only two works available on Amazon are out-of-prints dated 1976 and 1983, and the most interesting find on Google is < http://posters.barnesandnoble.com/collection.asp?pid=73009 >). Surely someone out there might be inspired by such a find.

A reviewer could go on for hours like this. Almost every image the book deserves a paragraph to itself. And the descriptions, they could go on, too: elegant style, cool sophistication, ocean liners racing the Atlantic and trains crossing continents., speed a metaphor for modernity, modernity that was soon turned into fashion. The role of the then-new medium of radio, how Hollywood musicals soon picked up the message of offering hope for better times and a temporary escape from daily troubles. In direct dissonance with today, art pushed style into commerce rather than commerce pushing style into art.

Art Deco Graphics is about graciousness of form. An unmatchable book that can be read five, ten times and still sift up new baubles. Brief-lived, yet timeless, like the then-young artists cheerful way of navigating into the future using no compass or ancestral guidance. Like office girls who adored the little black dress, but were informed they could liquefy, rather than dump, themselves, into it, and so did.

The best book of its kind. Nothing else comes close.

Drunk As A Lord: Samurai Stories
Ryotaro Shiba [b. Teiichi Fukuda]
Translation by Eileen Kato; Introduction by Burritt Sabin
The Japan Foundation
c/o Kodansha America, Inc.
575 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022
ISBN: 4-7700-2737-0, $30.00, hardbound, 253 pages, 1-800-451-7556, 256 pages

Ryotaro Shiba was hugely popular in Japan, where he published over 40 books on Japanese history, most in fictionalized form. Born Teiichi Fukuda in Osaka in 1923, he studied Mongolian at Osaka University of Foreign Languages, then worked for a time as a newspaper reporter. He tried his hand at historical novels in the mid-1950s and therein found his true metier. His work is tinctured with insights as tart as his peoplemany of them lightly disguised historical personages who reshaped, and in some cases misshaped, Japanese history during turbulent times. By the time he passed away in 1996 his lively characterization and scholars insistence on accuracy had turned him into a national (and to some, a nationalist) icon. The writer Matsumoto Ken'ichi memorialized him this way:

When the historical novelist Ryotaro Shiba passed away, the nation lost a great critic of our civilization, someone who both inspired and admonished us. I could not help wondering how we would get on without himsuch was the importance of his historical perspective to postwar Japan. The theme that preoccupied him throughout was, Who are the Japanese people? As a storyteller, Shiba explored this theme through his portrayals of specific historical figures. In this sense he remained a storyteller even after he had ceased to write novels.

Until this Kodansha edition, Mr. Shiba went unpublished in English and the European languages. Thanks now to the elegant yet colloquial translation of Eileen Kato, we now have four of his novelettes in a single book.

Drunk as a Lord narrates the writhing last years of the Tokugawa shogunate, a dynasty that had ruled Japan with dwindling effectiveness from the early 17th century. By the mid-1800s Japan was impoverished by economic mismanagement (due in no small part to the absence of a notion that there *is* such a thing as economics) and a centuries-long policy of rejectionary naval-gazing. The drumroll of disintegration was hastened by the arrival of Commodore Perry's black ships bearing the message that, after two hundred and fifty years of self-imposed exile, Japan had better open up to trade with the Westor else.

Mr. Shibas narrative depicts the last convulsions of dynasty amid the overturn of Japan's ruling structure. For fifteen years after Perry, Japan was wracked by marauders, oppression, and rebellion, culminating in civil war. Drunk as a Lord relates the last days of the bakufu (shogunate system of military government) and the way the many players in the drama responded to the pressures they both made and endured. The four stories depict four feudal lords-in some cases via the foil of their retainerswho adopt very different attitudes about the fact that Japan was being forced to modernize.

The title Drunk As A Lord is somewhat misleading because only one of the four novelettes the first and at 102 pages the longestactually describes a drunk. However, as a woozie Yamauchi Yodo (b. Toyoshige) is a dooziea poet-turned-daimyo (domainal lord, equivalent to a medieval fief lord in the West), whose attainments are blemished by his reaching for the sak‚ bottle in response to nearly every event that confronts him. As if the fates gave prowess to those they would ruin, his bite at debate, his decisiveness when those around him dither, and his loyalty to the emperor might have made him a great statesman. But the sak‚ pot won. He died at the age of forty-six of a stroke, the great in him having been made small, and the small in him having been made great.

The second story, "The Fox-Horse," relates the death of a brilliant lord and the effect this has on a younger sibling who yearns to take his place. Alas, his envy is greater than his probity, and in an attempt to showily emulate his elder brother's style, he marches at the head of a great army to Kyoto and Edo (Tokyo today) to push for reform. Lacking his brother's intellect and subtlety, he makes a fool of himself.

"Dat‚'s Black Ship" may well be the most entertaining and edifying tale in the book. A lowly lantern repairmanso lowly he goes only by one name, Kazois both slovenly beyond description and a mechanical technician of genius, a sort of Tokugawa bergeek who could look at a thing once and then improve upon it. He is given the task of duplicating a ship like one of the black ships of Commodore Perry. Neither he nor any of those expecting him to do it have the slightest clue about how one of these ships worksnone has even laid eyes on such a vessel. Even so, Kazo is inspired by the sight of a pulley used by fishers as they unload the holds of their vessels, and he does end up building the ship. It is equivalent to you or I producing a working Star Trek cruiser with a set of socket wrenches and a bunch of bossy twitterers looking over our shoulders. The technical obstacles he overcomes are not untrivial; but far more illuminating are the social obstacle he overcomes: a ponderously structured, centuries-honed culture which denies the very concept of a low-born doing something significant. The way he succeeds turns this tale of technical invention into a drollery of manners. If you want insights why the gerontocracy of todays corporate Japan is in such trouble, read this chapter.

"The Ghost of Saga" is a success story of divine madness. An elderly daimyo named Kanso, Lord of Nagasaki, Japans only aperture to the world at the time, is prescient enough to see that the Tokugawa shogunate is tottering and will fall. He is so certain that this will bring civil war that he decides the only way to protect his own clan domain is to build a modern naval and armed force equipped with Western-type weapons. He knows that if he is detected, he will be seen as plotting to overthrow the Emperor. That would mean a long stay in a small, dark room from which he would ill-likely emerge upright. Yet he is so single-minded about building his military force that he takes up smuggling arms and for the money to pay for them. Adopting a life of abstemiousness in order to throw his personal income into his military, he secretly stockpiles an astonishing array of weapons. Yet in the end, he has a moment of clarity while admiring the cherry blossoms in Kyoto, and realizes he in fact has no real intention to use these weapons he worked so hard to create. He gives all of them to the imperial army and ends his political life with the poem,

When blossoms bloom over his head
It is fitting that an aged man
Should blush for shame.

Relatively straightforward, simple stories these, despite their cornucopia of characters (at times the characters erupting off his pages read like War and Peace on fast-forward). Their simplicity, like a good pen-and-ink painting, hides a long apprenticeship with the red pencil.

Mr. Shiba's view of history is called Shiba-shika. It is a view that people, not ideology, determine the way history works. His stories are historical to the extent that they are based on actual people and events, but fictional in that the personalities he paints and the scenes he portrays are largely imaginary. He writes the feelings or thoughts of historical figures as though it is their own voices funneling through him onto the page. His isnt historical fiction as much as historical channeling.

He mostly avoids turning prominent figures of his time into dramatis personae. The great and famous are but fringe on the edges of his weft. He focuses on figures socially inferior to the notables of the time, yet who grasp the need for changeand more important, the how of changethat escapes their superiors. Open-mindedness is a natural survival mechanism for those of little power; those in power are unable to imagine anything different from the past.

Mr. Shiba's belief that individual human beings determine history hints at a deep love for people. His world is of heroes and geniuses more than the macros of economics; of supply and use versus tribalistic cultural patterns; of commonweal versus submission to hierarchy. Given the right conditions, anyone with courage, spirit, and pride in self can make history. In his 1961 essay "Watashi no sh“setsu sah“" (How I Write My Novels), he explained his craft this way:

When I examine a human being, I climb up the stairs, go out on the roof, and peer down on the person from that vantage point. It provides an entirely different scene from that one gets by observing people at eye level.

For him, the antithesis of their spirit was ideology, which he characterized as "bunk"or to put it in his own words:

Under almost all ideologies is a foundation of bunk. To obscure the fact that it is bunk, people construct the system on top of the bunk as elaborate and precise as possible.

Light Years And Time Travel
Brian Clegg
John Wiley & Sons
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158-0012
ISBN 0471211826, $24.95, 256 pages, http://www.wiley.com

Academic history writing has blossomed amid a boomlet of themed science histories. These usually take a scientific phenomenon so taken for granted we dont even notice it in our daily livescolor was explored in the titles Mauve, which is about the development of chemical dyes, and Bright Earth, which is about the theory of color as a scientific phenomenon and artists tool. Einsteins great equation E = mc2 inspired an eponymously titled history of its origins and significance. After years or yet more about the Renaissance or Enlightenment, themed histories are a whiff of fresh stuff.

Like color, light is a physical phenomenon, the end result of more fundamental processes that our senses register as effects, leaving the ill-content mind to bewonder for causes. Interpreted pragmatically, light is something surgeons and factory assemblers desire in abundance and without shadow. Interpreted artistically, photographers like the effects of contrast more than light itselfin much the same way certain Chinese and Japanese artists and flower arrangers saw empty space as more important than object depicted. Painters think of light more often in terms of luminosity than physical state. Interpreted emotionally, lovers prefer just enough of it to see each other, and barkeeps know it sells more drams than Hemingways or anyone elses clean-well-lightedness. It can arguably be said that light is the root of religion, a panorama of wonder that links light to life and cosmos to anthropos.

But shear it of awe and just what is this . . . stuff? Brian Cleggs Light Years And Time Travel looks at light the phenomenon via the way it has been looked at. His golly-gee-whiz, you-dont say first chapter beams us up from the mundane world of traffic lights and light bulbs (two of the surprisingly few objects in which so ubiquitous a phenomenon is identified by name) into the far reaches of contemporary physicsslow glass, Bose-Einstein condensates, tachyonic tunneling in which phenomenon occur at faster than the speed of light without altering the adjacent fabric of space and time.

Succulent morsels at the feast of the magic of science, but you cant eat a whole book of it. So in Chapter Two he reels us back to the familiar solace of myth to slake our wonder: Daedalus, Theseus, the Egyptian sun-disk Aten, Helios on his four-horsed chariot. Without these touchstones of behavioral archaea, where would we be? Or more aptly, who?

Probably a lot more advanced than we already are, because Mr. Clegg then gives us a shock of reality: The first genuine scientific study of light was not by the geometry-loving Greeks or engineering-minded Romans, but by followers of the Chinese pragmatist Mo-Tzu [470-391 BC]. They measured the different reflections produced by flat and curved mirrors, and even more tantalizingly, noted that light shining through a tiny pinhole produced a weak upside-down image of an objectthe forerunner of the camera obscura that became first pinhole photography and then todays photo camera (which for all its advances still records images upside down, as too does the eye). The Greeks got stuck in the mud of a bad idea: that mind alone and not experiment were the taproot of surety. From this came another bad idea: Empedocles notion that light emanated from within the eye and left it to be reflected off the object, thence to return.

For a thousand years no one asked why, if this was so, there existed such a thing as darkness. In the 900s the Muslim philosopher Alhazen asked that word thats doom to the demeanor of fixitywhy, if light comes from the eye, does the eye hurt when something is very bright but not when it is faint? Alhazen correctly deduced that light came from the sun, and was either received directly by the eye or bounced off objects on the way. He also used the upside-down image produced by a pinhole to deduce that light traveled in straight lines.

European thinkers did not emulate their Muslim and Asian counterparts in placing observation above theory until two English monks came along in the 1200s. Robert Grosseteste asserted that mathematical explanation could describe physical fact. Roger Bacon earned in his time the legendary stature Einstein is accorded today, doing so with three books that not merely summed up knowledge of physical reality but did so using the razor of the founding principle of scientific thought: testing a hypothesis with experiment.

All this occurs before page 50. The next 196 pages are a fascinating chronology of how seemingly simple ideas and phenomenon were elaborated through experiment and logicand many injections of bolt-from-the-blue inspirationinto the immense edifice of proposition that is science today. That in itself is a wondrous tale, but Mr. Cleggs book sings because he shapes the shadowy bearers of ideas into real people, not so much of name and face but of self-faith and feeling. And humanity: Empedocles, for example, rated himself so highly that he wore the purple and gold of imperatorship; Roger Bacon suffered suspicion and rejection and prison on his way to legendry; Max Planck saw to the burials of all his progeny before he joined them himself.

There are tales tragic, tales bold; of this scientist born with all the proper social graces but in whose envious mouth a silver spoon turned to gall (Isaac Newtons fierce enemy, the socially well-connected but not-as-bright Robert Hooke); Newton himself, a meager gentleman farmer until he commenced a line of experiment with a chance purchase of a new toy at the Simon-and-Garfunklish Stourbridge Fairea prismwhich inspired the first great Theory of Everything worthy the name. The great German writer Goethe whose Faust becried a human-centered vision of religion was also a scientist who, when he applied the same human centeredness to light, came up with an erroneous theory about color that raised one of the fundamental issues at the core of scientific endeavor: does truth exist by itself, or because a human perceives and articulates it? Is truth event, or is it us? When Newton related his findings about light, he described what light itself was like. When Goethe did the same, he described what the human perception of light was like. Unless youve read Newton, Goethes notion sounds pretty good.

The result was physics versus metaphysics, the upshot of which was the introduction of moral absolutism into science in much the same way religions introduce it into spirituality. Science and faith can coexist more or less contentedly when it comes to the effects and ephemera of existenceEinstein himself said that God does not play dice. But when it comes to the issue to which humankind seems most attractedultimate originscience can be as unbendingly self-focused as religions. As Mr. Clegg plunges into modern physics his superb exposition is tinged throughout, not by himhe is too good a writer to assert himself above his subjectbut by the convolutions to which theorists will go in order to deny a cause of existence that does not involve a human explanation. Sciences inability to accept any evidence beyond its own is remarkably similar to scriptures inabilitybe it Bible, Quran, Upanishad, or Guru Granthto accept evidence of a truth source different from what it claims of itself.

As one proceeds through Mr. Cleggs advancing exposition, an unease grows that has nothing to do with the nobility of the subject he is exposing, nor the quality of his labor as he does so. Rather, it is an unease about the immense clench of behavior he documents arising: the inability to humble oneself in the face of what one knows. This is a criticism made often by the experimenter against the doctrinist, but now the doctrinist can say it of the experimenter in turn. Science does just about everything imaginable to avoid the word Creation.

On page 246 he descends us from the comforts of history to the uneasy questions of now. All along the quest has been the study of light. When he gets to Richard Feynman and his ponderously named theory of Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) a Pandoras Box throws open, and from it flies the winged thing scientists like least: uncertainty. Around the cobwebs of past it flies, eating the moths of mind attracted to the flame. It seems, as Mr. Clegg says, uncertainty rules all, and light shall ever slide from grasp, inexplicable whether packet or wave. But wait, says Feynman, who in his life was the visualizer more than the visionary, if light is both particle and wave, and its entire life is a solitary bolt from electron to electron, it is never lost. It is passed on as light, but of a different kindif it is felt as heat, it is really infrared light; if it is slowed or sped by the energy of the electron, the light changes energy, which if in the range of our eye, we see as color. In fact, Feynman says, the very atomic nucleus and orbital electron are kept from mating in annihilation by an exchange of light energy between themlight never lost, never gained but always there, and the entire universe exists because of it.

Fiat lux says the God of the religionist. Big Bang says the god of science. Now comes along Alan Guth, the conceiver of Inflation Theory, asserting that the universe can create itself without even any laws with which to do so.* Uncertainty out of chance, for the eyes of time to behold. Whos to say whats right?

So step back in the imagination for the briefest of moments to consider all that we have attained in our study of cellular activity, genetic structure, the fundamental properties of nature, the origins of the universe, the immensity of Why underlying all these. Can we bring ourselves to accept that what we know with all our Why, is, to the sumtotal of all that is, what the ant knows of the span of the human tide? So Why: Why is it so hard to cross the line between the words physical universe to the word Creation and admit to the possibility of an uppercase C? When one reads the extraordinary leaps of thinking that Alan Guth uses to propose that the sumtotal of existence, so boggling in its immensity and we so irrelevant but for our Why, creates its own rules as it creates itself, one cannot but see Goethe, refusing to give up the human as the center of the seen, thereby unseeing what is there.

*See Brad Lemley, Guth's Grand Guess, DISCOVER, Vol. 23 No. 4 (April 2002)

Death Of The Dream: Farmhouses In The Heartland
William G. Gabler
Afton Historical Society Press
P.O. Box 100, Afton, MN 55001
ISBN 1-890434-23-X, LIC CP data, A-4 (10 x 11-1/4), 72 plates plus misc. pictures, 128 pages
Tel: 1-800-436-8443, http://www.aftonpress.com

How alive they were in their picture. Death of the Dream frontispieces its title page with a photo taken when the houses it chronicles were as alive as the faces in the picture. It is well-preserved, showing a family of eight seated at a linen-covered table (lace or embroidery beyond either their means or self-identity), half-curtains on the window above, one man the only person to gaze into the camera (the patriarch, surely, though he looks middle-aged); the others in reflective downward gaze as though having just returned from a burial. Women, their hair up in buns or braids, wearing dresses collared to the neckline, skirts to the floor. Above them a framed family photo and clock on the wall (catalog-bought, no doubt, whose ornate carving seems incongruous given the tablecloth). Only cups and saucers are on the table; it must have been tea time. The tiny symbols of the good life in those days are not many, but abundantthe pitcher of milk and honey in a jar, lamp in the center, side dishes, salt, the pooch snoozing contentedly under the table.

It is the beauteous young woman on the left who most grabs the eyenot for her looks but because the picture was taken c. 1890 and her grandchildrens grandchildrens children are among us, perhaps looking at this book. What would she tell them? That a pretty summer sky of peach-hued clouds is also a sky of no law and no mercy? She knew this, said it in the avoidance of her gaze. Prosperity teetered alone on the last edges of the day, and one day during her lifetime the remnants of economy shifted irrevocably out from under the livelihood of the faces in that photo, as it did thousands of others too. The family farm is a factory farm now.

Leaving behind . . . what? The fears of the landholding life, the women alone pushing the pram, the humdrums of the hearth, the half a loaf uneaten, the missing shingles on the roof, the walls that need paint, the averted eyes of the friends at church, the grief recurring in husband-is-gone dreams. Then or now?

All in a picture.

Good, solid, uneventful countryside faces, as plain and hardworking as their shoes. Not the setpiece farms of TV and movies, but of gardens and furrows and drudgework and rain, lived in a prosperity affording perhaps but one portrait in a lifetime. Lives not of comforts or goods or openings at theater, but of the sun and the wind and the dusk and the summer, the indomitable spirit of the Plains, and the immense span of years that was their being then, and will be until the last house in this book is no long evident a house.

Their goods must not have been great, for in 1890 being visited the photographer meant wearing Sunday best. And when they died, what was left? The photographer has long since passed out of business, so theres no trace of them there. The names are unrecorded, so theres no use searching the records in old churches. A table, a few chairs, a plow, rakes, hoes, two or three changes of clothing, some debts left unanswered, a cow or few, some chickens, and this photograph.

The debts died with their debtors. The furniture might have gone to neighbors or relatives, but after World War II the Midwest was so eager to modernize that rustic and not particularly well-built furniture went quickly to fires. (Today acquired taste for such things have led to their being cleaned up and sold for astronomical pricesmoney that would have cleared the original owners of all debts and left a subsistence besides.)

The rakes, hoes, and plows would have lasted longer, the need for such things in the countryside being eternal. But there are only so many repairs that can be made and one by one they would have been stacked in some unused corner of a shed, forgotten until the shed should be worn down by the weatherMr. Gabler introduces to us many sheds well on their way. The clothes would have been worn nearly to ruin by whoever inherited them, then cut into quilting, and when the quilt went it would have been cut into rags, and when the rags went they would have gone into the fire.

This photograph would have gone to the family member interested in genealogy and keeping the family records. And when all had been duly noted and the scrapbook put back on the shelf, this family was forgotten was by was, except at baptisms and weddings.

Now, three generations later with the economic boom of the 1950s through the 1990s giving Midwesterners their first real taste of prosperity since the late 1800s, anything with memories of the old days is cherished almost as better than the new houses, new furniture, new cars which dismissed the houses in this book into antiquity. Somewhere along the way from that picture to this book, the Plow That Broke The Plains was broken by those Plains.

Where do dreams go when they die?

Open this book.

You will find them here. William Gabler is as good a tale-teller as he is a photographer, and his text is so informative one can read it several times and still notice things anew. His pictures have an overlit quality that does not come across as overexposure (hes too accomplished a photographer for that) but as his wish to wring the last of the light out of a darkened dream. His pictures are so much more than pictures. Only in ink upon paper do we see these old buildings defecting remnant by remnant into the wither of time. On the paper of our minds, thanks to Mr. Gabler, we see so much more. He has captured the dismemberment of a culture, the culture of the standalone farming family who fed a country from an annual turn of sod under the annual turn of sky.

Simple, seemingly, his photos. But not. For in each image we detect a different reason for the abandonment of this or that house, barn, shelterbelt of carefully arranged trees so as to trick the snow into falling out of harms way. This farm relinquished after an untimely death made it impossible to go on. That one when the children wrote home from ag school they had decided to study engineering or chemistry or literature, which meant the Big City, which the family back home knew would open their eyes to desire and leisure and the freedom of the wheel, all of which made the second letter an inevitability: I am not coming back.

And that one over there, atop the low roll of hill, there lived Widow X or Widower Y, seeing their lives through to the end on the soil where their lives were made, wresting from the earth each years glean not of wheat by the bushel but carrots and radishes and plums by the basket. We see them mirrored in Mr. Gablers houses, their forlornity, stature much shorter than it once was, back unbent but a hand that trembles. Not a bitter harvest by any reckoning, but an ever-harsher one, yes, that.

Once they were content. Once they were spiritually strong, for the vastness of nature under the unceasing sky informed the upright steeple on the horizon where God really lived. But now not. Its self-evident from the fact that these pictures, these houses, exist. Not dying, but dwindling. Losing their rooflines and paint as a dowager loses her strands of hair. Metaphors not of decay but of deconstruction, yielding back to nature the cellulose and pigment and glass and iron which nature once bestowed. We see in them not old wood and window, but ourselves. The economy these plains and these people made possible ran away from them, off to the cities, just as it is running away from us, content under our God of cityscape and steel, monsters of the id made by urbanity, where we are no the wiser of the impending wind blowing off the globe than the farmer and the widow.

That corpse you planted last year in your garden
Has it begun to sprout?
Or has the sudden frost disturbed its bed?
Oh keep the Dog far hence, thats friend to men,
Or with his nails hell dig it up again. (T.S. Eliot, The Waste Land)

Our selves are in Mr. Gablers pictures, for these empty husks of house are where the culture of consumption is taking us. Not unto death as these provisioners of the past were taken, but into discard, our lives a blister-pak on the trash of the used; all to a failure to partner with the God our souls and religions say we have but our horizons do not confirm. How we wish, like the farmers who built these houses, to elope off with Destiny the Giver, not the Taker, of lifes things.

Their goods may not have been great. They were.

American Ruins: Ghosts On The Landscape
Maxwell MacKenzie (photographer)
Henry Allen (foreword
Afton Historical Society Press
P.O. Box 100, Afton, MN 55001
ISBN 1-890434-41-8, LIC CP data, A-4 (9-1/2 x 11-1/4), 30 plates, 80 pages, $24.95
Tel: 1-800-436-8443, http://www.aftonpress.com

Its hard to write a review of a book like this. Its like trying to explain to your children why you love them.

For like a child in its parents eyes, American Ruins is far more than it appears. On the surface, it is a very well designed and exquisitely photographed essay on the vanishing farmsteads of the northern plains states in the USA. Thats like saying the Mona Lisa is a woman.

On the next plane, the photographspanoramics mainly, in black-and-white on infrared filmare beyond photography. They are a spiritual experience on paper that comes as close to the experience of truth as can be done without becoming it yourself. They are haunting, wistful, emotional evocations of the pain of time and loss, the invisible presence of people in what the picture does not, cannot, show, in the way that only black-and-white can push you out of that into thisness. As the foreword puts it: ... as if the camera has recorded something going on inside your head and projected it onto a wall. Small wonder many feel black-and-white is the most difficult image recorder to work with, and also to many the most sublime when done well.

And sublime Mr. MacKenzie is. This is one of the most remarkably photographed books to come off the presses in a long time. Not just well done, but literally beyond compare; the sole occupant of its category. The photographs are closer to poetry without a pen than to the interaction between film and lens. Songs without words in an A-4 landscape book. The only thing to match them is the writing excerpts that captions them. (The captions in the conventional sense are Notes at the end of the book.) Mr. MacKenzie chose the excerpts himself, and he certainly did his homework well. Wallace Stegner is here, Robert Frost, Willa Cather, Henry Miller, Frank Lloyd right, and two writers who would probably be surprised to find their sentences thrust alongside the eloquence of this book. But here they are, and no the less eloquent:

When family love is displaced onto land, every change that happens there has meaning: the calibre of the light and the texture of the clouds in a day, the big changes of the seasons, most of all the slow transformation of the infrastructure of the place itself as the decades pass. When the deflection of love is also a deflection of pain, the gradual decomposition of such a place can be excruciating, a kind of lifelong torture, and yet, at the same time, a hypnotic, unfolding story. As the place declines, layers of meaning are revealed.

(Suzannah Lessard, The Architect of Desire: Beauty and Danger in the Stanford White Family)

To which Annette Atkins adds, in Harvest of Grief: Grasshopper Plagues and Public Assistance* in Minnesota, 187278:

Minnesota lost settlers during the dark days of the 1870s . . . but thousands remained. Some could afford to stay; some could not afford to leave. Debts held some. Others wanted to hold on to their investments of time and energy. Some held different attachments; as one man explained: I have lost my all here, & somehow I believe that if I find it again, it will be in the immediate neighborhood where I lost it . . . I have a child buried on my claim & my ties are stronger & more binding on that account.

In the Notes at the end of the book (done so not to clutter the word-plus-image haiku of the page layout) we learn just how fussy the calculating technician Mr. MacKenzie can be. One sawmill required an exposure of thirty seconds for enough photons to wade through what appears to be thinly overcast skies plus polarizing and red filter. The effect is like trapezing on the bottom of a snowflake as it descends the skies and prepares to land. If grays can be thought of as pastels, all the eyes pastels are in this picture. When spying another photo-op, he could see by the angle of light on a distant shed that it would be a race between himself and the sunset to lickety-split the half mile there in time to catch the perfect light (page 18).

Next level beyond, like the luminous flotilla of cumulus floating above the flat horizon, itself floating above the grassland and grove and far mountain and near hill, each its essence to land that nude is essence to woman and cry is to child, there is, unbroken except for a single structure in or near the center, the next plane in this book: the foreword by Pulitzer-winner Henry Allen. As literary imagery it is the same league as Mr. MacKenzies pictorial imagery: Image, but more. Mr. Allen conveys all the picture-frame fact that forewords should convey (Mr. MacKenzies bio data, the cameras he uses), and *then* hits us with the real stuff. The first line reads, All photographs are abandonings and two pages later the circle is completed with, The abandonment itself is erased. How like Ms. Lessards alembic of history, As the place declines, layers of meaning are revealed.

In between is writing that calls our attention to what the unrushed eye can see: . . . leaning barns and windowless houses, jutting up like wreckage in oceans of furrowed wheat and sorghum, architecture that looks more like a visible absence of something, like a missing tooth, than it looks like a presence of sun-curled clapboard and tatters of tar paper. It looks like ruins . . . of dreams that didnt work out.

Then he goes beyond all that, to the lives unseen in these pictures, flesh long gone but souls still there, a kind of spirit of determination to match this spirit of place: . . . boredom, bad luck, debt, despair; about the blizzard that leaves you burning your inside walls to stay alive because if you go outside for firewood youll vanish; about a summer erupting with wheat until the grasshoppers darken the sky and eat everythingwheat, vegetable garden, even the leaves on the trees; about a husband who tells his wife hell be right back after he rides out to round up two cowsshe watches him ride around the cows and keep going and he never comes back.

Beauty of a special kind, theseof death, decay, the falling to ruinbut life of a kind all the more: eonic, seasonless as a century, brutal cold and brutal heat, wind vying only with grass for endlessness, and to the human who endures these and thus surpasses the self, transfiguration. Into this, the Great Plains, families came, filled with grit and ambition and not a few starry-eyed dreams. They are still here, here in these pictures. Look around the corners and there they are, in the boards of the barn they nailed, among the leaves in the trees they planted. With all thats in this book, we can see what we never would have before, the eyes of dreams become the last remains of a rainbow.

And finally to the last plane of all: the publisher. The Afton Historical Society Press is Exhibit A why we need to keep alive American small publishers by buying their books and wagging our tongues about them. Photographers like Mr. MacKenzie may luck out and see their work accepted by one of the major houses. More than likely though, luck wont fly their way so unerringly. And even when the so-called mid-list authors and photographers like him do manage to be picked up by the majors, would they get the lavish attention Mr. MacKenzies book received? Aftons product is to the book what Pablo Casals was to the cello. It was printed semi-matte paper that wont glare the eyes half to death, leaving them to see into rather than onto the pictures. The covers are a nice thick stock in the French binding style (a paperback with a flap that gives the effect of a hardcovers jacket). There is a lovely balance of script and cursive fonts, and a wonderfully effective subtitle in smallcaps (the only place in the book where such are used). Andmy heavens, havent seen one of these in awhilea colophon on the last page specifying the fonts used. The ghost of Aldine has visited Minnesota.

Alas, the Picky-Picky Patrol has to beat its little drum and announce that the Plates announced in the notes at the back dont correspond to any Plates in the book; next time use page numbers, folks. So endeth the Picky Patrol.

That said, this is what books used to be in the highest sense of the craft. And still are, if only we seek out and buy the work of presses like the Afton Historical Society.

And oh yes, order them at your local independent books store whenever you can. We need them, too.

* If you think government policy exacerbated by bureaucracy is cruel to the underclass today, consult the reader reviews of this book on Amazon, then buy the book (at your local independent bookstore).

Dana De Zoysa
Reviewer



Sandra's Bookshelf

Intimate Kisses: The Poetry Of Sexual Pleasure
Wendy Maltz, M.S.W., editor
New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato, CA 94949
IBSN: 1-57731-133-7 Hard Cover. 203 pp. $18.00, www.newworldlibrary.com 1-800-972-6657

Intimate Kisses: The Poetry Of Sexual Pleasure is a lovely little book edited by Wendy Maltz, M.S.W. This is her fifth book on sexuality. She's a sex therapist and marriage counselor whose work has appeared in national magazines and on video.

Maltz says that "negative messages about sexual pleasure cause a lot of unnecessary personal suffering." She believes that understanding sexual pleasure will help people incorporate it into their own lives, while recognizing that "there are many different types and intensities of sexual pleasure." People's concept of pleasure also changes as they change.

She divided the book into five sections: anticipation and desire; self-awareness and discovery; admiration and appreciation; union and ecstasy; and afterglow and remembrance. Each section includes twenty or more poems. She includes the poetry of Marge Piercy, Anne Sexton, Sharon Olds, and Elizabeth Barrett-Browning, as well as dozens of lesser-known poets.

Maltz says that "my goal in creating Intimate Kisses is to provide an erotic, yet sensitive, collection of poems that describe sexual pleasure based on intimacy." Readers will enjoy discovering that she met her goal.

Yoga For The Three Stages Of Life
Srivatsa Ramaswami
Inner Traditions International
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
ISBN: 0-89281-820-4 Soft Cover. 262 pp. $19.95, www.InnerTraditions.com 1-800-246-8648

Srivatsa Ramaswami studied for more than thirty years with a legendary yoga instructor and has taught yoga himself for more than twenty years. He's blended all that he's learned over the years into a program designed to be adaptable to individual needs, abilities, and ages while remaining true to the principles of traditional yoga.

Yoga For The Three Stages Of Life: Developing Your Practice As An Art Form, A Physical Therapy, And A Guiding Philosophy is the result of his life's work.

He begins with personal information on how he began learning from the incomparable T. Krisnamacarya as a child, followed by descriptions of the various kinds of yoga and the philosophies underlying each. He says that his book "follows the thought progression of Patanjali, author of the Yogasutras, but it adds material gathered from my guru and from other authentic yoga texts."

Ramaswami includes the history of the development of yoga, and discusses the roles of chanting and scripture study in making yoga part of lifestyle, rather than just a routine. He also devotes large sections to the importance of proper breathing while performing the yoga postures. Correct breathing "helps one to reach and work on the deeper muscles and organs inside the body, which may not be possible otherwise." Additionally it aids in relaxation and concentration.

The remainder of the book describes the yoga postures. Each has detailed written instructions, as well as photographs. Ramaswami notes whether each posture can be safely done by those with physical ailments. He includes a chapter on yoga practices for pregnant women.

While he does include basic yoga postures and complete instructions, Ramaswami notes that his book is not for beginners, but rather for those who have been practicing for some time and/or have a knowledgeable teacher to guide them.

He says that "my goal is to portray the three aspects of yoga as art, physical therapy, and philosophy that are appropriate for the young, for the middle-aged, and for retirees, in that order." Readers will discover that he met this goal in Yoga For The Three Stages Of Life.

The ET-Human Link
Dana Redfield
Hampton Road Publishing Company, Inc.
1125 Stoney Ridge Road, Charlottesville, VA 22902
ISBN: 1-57174-205-0 Soft Cover. 279 pp. $13.95, www.hrpub.com 1-800-766-8009

Award-winning author Dana Redfield has written extensively about alien abduction. In her latest book, The ET-Human Link, she not only describes alien contact, but delves deeply into what it means.

A lifetime of questioning, examining, and exploring has led her to conclude that "so what if I'm ET? If I am, it must be true for all humans, because I am as human as anyone." That leads her to the real question: what is a human? Answering that will also answer the question of what is an alien.

"I am writing this book," she says, "to give a voice to other ET-humans. To let you know that you are not the only one who suspects that you are more than human--not of this world." She describes herself as a "messenger," passing on knowledge received from the "Other Folk" and often doesn't understand the information she's given. She includes some of the messages verbatim, trusting that those from whom they're meant will see and recognize their meaning.

She writes lyrically about what it feels like to be an "extraterrestrial soul in a human body." She also draws upon her extensive research into ancient history, religion, mythology, science, and the accounts of others who've had alien contact, to offer new insights into the purpose of earthly life.

Redfield says that we're about to undergo a massive change, one for which the whole universe is preparing. Our challenge is to become aware of who and what we truly are, and to practice such time-honored principles as loving our neighbors as ourselves. We're instructed to prepare the way for the "golden children," mature souls who know true freedom, "for that is your legacy--to create a home for your souls, and all the living creatures born to your care."

The ET-Human Link is a compelling work on a topic that may redefine humankind's perception of ourselves, our history, and the universe we live in." It's must reading not only for those who've experienced alien contact, but also for those who've ever wondered just what being human means.

Getting Over Getting Mad: Positive Ways To Manage Anger In Your Most Important Relationships
Judy Ford, M.S.W.
Conari Press
2550 Ninth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
ISBN: 1-57324-555-0 Soft Cover. 175 pp. $15.95, www.conari.com 1-800-685-9595

"From losing our tempers easily to feeling a slow burn to hiding how irritated we really feel, all of us experience anger as a troubling emotion." In Getting Over Getting Mad: Positive Ways To Manage Anger In Your Most Important Relationships, Judy Ford, M.S.W., explains why we feel anger and what to do about it.

A psychotherapist, consultant, and best-selling author, Ford has worked for over thirty years with children and families in a wide variety of settings. This is her eighth book.

She presents her information in four major sections: dealing with anger at personal setbacks, at significant others, at children, and at colleagues. Underlying everything is the concept that we all feel anger at one time or another. It's how that anger is expressed, not the anger itself, that can create problems. Ford says that "while I know that we all have reasons to be angry, I can't think of one good reason to stay mad for very long." She distinguishes between "distorted anger, which tears families apart, and healthy anger, which keeps relationships thriving."
Ford emphasizes using anger to help in personal growth and offers myriad suggestions on how to make anger work for us. She includes examples of how real people have learned to manage their anger. The key is to recognize and deal with the anger as soon as it develops, before it grows into a major disturbance. And contrary to what many people have been taught, repressing anger doesn't solve anything.

Ford's suggestions and tips are practical and simple. Most involve learning to recognize exactly what you're feeling, and then delving into what created that feeling. After that, the underlying cause of the anger can be resolved. Often, just recognizing what's happening frees us from negative reactions.

She says that "sarcasm, manipulation, passive- aggressive acts, physical illness, depression, rebellion, and violence all result from the ability to express anger and resolve disputes." If any of these symptoms are a part of your life, then Getting Over Getting Mad will provide the information and tools you need to turn your anger from destructive emotion to healthy growth.

Living Legacies: How To Write, Illustrate, And Share Your Life Stories
Duane Elgin and Coleen LeDrew
Conari Press
2550 Ninth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
ISBN: 1-57324-552-6. Hard Cover. 186 pp. $18.95, www.conari.com 1-800-685-9595

All of us have personal life stories to share, but many of us don't really know how to best preserve those stories for future generations. Living Legacies: How To Write, Illustrate, And Share Your Life Stories, from Duane Elgin and Coleen LeDrew, is filled with practical suggestions on how you can "uncover the seeds of stories in your life, [and] follow a simple process for writing them."

Elgin and LeDrew on focus on what they call the "life story," which is more than photographs or a biography. Life stories delve into feelings about what happened or why it mattered. They incorporate visual images and memorabilia as well as the written word. As well as sharing events with others, "when we record our life stories, we enter a process of self-reflection that often leads to new insights about our lives."

Recording a life story can be very simple, and often only takes only a page or two. Elgin and LeDrew provide step-by-step instructions for deciding what stories to share and how to get to the essence of each one. They also explain how to choose the visual images that best illustrate the story, with lots of examples.

Stories can be simply typed out on plain paper, or they may incorporate fonts and backgrounds that enhance them. The authors explain how to choose what materials and techniques that best communicate what you want and how to best use your personal information and style.

Life stories aren't just for the older generations--one chapter is devoted to helping children tell their special stories.

The authors present their guidelines in a practical, easy-to-understand manner that allows lots of room for individual creativity. They also provide a resource guide with additional tips, organizations, and vendors of speciality materials.

Your life is filled with unique and priceless experiences. Living Legacies provides all the information and tools you need to share those experiences with others.

Sandra I. Smith
Reviewer



Klausner's Bookshelf

A Fine And Bitter Snow
Dana Stabenow
St. Martin's Press
June 2002, $24.95, 244 pp., ISBN 0312205481

Now that the Republicans are back in the White House, there is an intense interest in exploring the Alaskan wilderness for oil reserves. The natives of the state are torn between the need for new jobs and preserving the beauty of their untamed land. Chief park ranger Dan O'Brien is on the record for wanting to preserve the environment and as a result was asked by his superiors to take an early retirement. Kate Shugak, a homesteader in the Park, is rallying the people to save Dan's job. When two elderly radical conservationists that Kate spoke to about the problem are found dead, Alaska state trooper Jim Chopin arrests a Vietnam vet, covered in blood and holding the murder weapon. Although it looks like an open and shut case, both Kate and Jim find that things seem too pat and decide to investigate, a decision that puts Kate in deadly danger. Although A Fine And Bitter Snow is a great mystery, the author puts more emphasis on the strange but very real courtship of Kate and Jim. Kate's efforts to avoid Jim and his honest bewilderment about his feelings for the prickly investigator make for some funny episodes. As always, Dana Stabenow brings the beauty and the danger of the Alaskan frontier alive, but also provides insight into the oil rigging environmental controversy This exciting novel will leave readers excited yet bushed from a wonderful reading experience.

Day Of Wrath
Iris Collier
St. Martin's, Press
May 2002, $23.95 320 pp., ISBN 0312290209

Henry VIII sits on the throne of England and has ignored the papal refusal to annul his marriage. He gets a divorce to marry Anne Boleyn and is in the process of setting up a church independent of Rome. His first step is to inventory the monasteries so that he could add anything of value to his treasury before he disbands them and sells the buildings. One of his advisors, Nicholas Peverell is sick about the regal decision since the one nearest his manor home in Sussex was built by his ancestors and supported by him. The king is planning on visiting Nicholas on his way to Portsmouth but there is a conspiracy to assassinate His Highness. Nicholas doesn't know if the threat comes from, the defeated York supporters or a rebellious churchman but he knows he must keep his king safe if he wants to live. Iris Collier brings the pageantry and culture of the era when Henry VIII ruled England to vivid life in her meticulously researched historical mystery Day Of Wrath. The mystery itself is cleverly constructed and there are enough suspects to keep the reader guessing until the author is ready to reveal the killer's identity. The hero is a warm caring man who makes this work a touch above the well written sub-genre novel as the age comes alive as much as the who-will-do-it plot.

North Of Nowhere
Steve Hamilton
St. Martin's Press
May 2002, $23.95, 288 pp., ISBN: 0312268971

Turning forty-nine this summer in Paradise, Michigan, Alex McKnight spends a lot time reflecting on his life so far but finds it wanting. He turns reclusive until his pal, Glasgow Inn owner Jackie Connery, bullies Alex to join a poker game hosted by wealthy developer Win Vargas. During the game, Win claims that one of the regulars, not playing that night, is having an affair with his wife. Not long afterward, three hoods break and enter the Vargas home. They make Win go upstairs with one of them while the other two point guns at the heads of the remaining five card players. Instead of robbing Win of his wife's jewels and the men of their wallets, they destroy his marine and Indian artifact collection before leaving. A stunned Win ponders how they knew the location of his secret safe. Unable to say no, Alex heeds the call of the wife of his former private investigative partner Leon Prudell to keep her husband safe while he investigates the robbery for Win. The latest McKnight mystery is a robust entry because the audience sees another side of the hero, struggling with his age and his lack of success in life. The story line starts off focusing on Alex' internal skirmish, but quickly picks up speed when he gets involved with Win via the card game and through Leon. Alex is at his best and the support cast augments the isolated feeling of going North Of Nowhere that shows why Steve Hamilton is an award-winning author.

A Secret Woman
Rachel Pollack
St. Martin's Press
Apr 2002, $23.95, 304 pp., ISBN: 0312252400

Essex City, New York Homicide Detectives Simon Goldtree and Frank Garrowey investigate the brutal murder of insurance executive Martin Stanstead when they find a tenuous link to local crime boss Alvin Landowski. However, the case abruptly ends when a smalltime punk confesses to killing Stanstead. Still, Simon's ability to empathetically determine the truth from lies tells him that this is a clever cover up. Not taking any chances that the media darling Simon and his old fashion grind them out investigative partner continue with the inquiries, Landowski uncovers damaging information about the former. Landowski places Simon under a media microscope as he reveals that the squeaky clean Simon is a transsexual thinking of undergoing a sex change operation. Though he knows his career is over, Simon refuses to allow public and departmental pressure from stopping him from completing his investigation into the truth. Though the unexpected is the norm from Rachel Pollack, the classic police procedural takes quite a surprising twist even for this daring author in A Secret Woman. Fans of the investigative tale need to understand that one-third to a half of the story line involves the subplot focusing on Simon's "secret" moral dilemma. Though fascinating and ultimately tying back to the prime case, the mystery feels like a stepchild to this deep arc. Though not for the purists. this extremely complex and powerful novel containing a believable cast is a deep character study.

No Show Of Remorse
David J. Walker
St. Martin's Press
Apr 2002, $23.95, 304 pp., ISBN: 0312252400

In Chicago, Malachy Foley tries to regain his license to practice law in the State of Illinois, but he deals poorly with the bureaucracy, which in turn delays his achieving his objective. Five years ago, Mal refused to reveal what his client confided in him despite a State Supreme Court order stating that this was not privileged information. Three people including a cop subsequently died. Mal lost his license and turned to private investigating work. Besides his inability to cooperate with the bureaucracy, someone does not want Mal to petition for his license while other individuals try to assist the barred attorney. Everything returns to the case that started Mal's downfall when it went bad for everyone except for one person who cleverly escaped with five hundred thousand dollars and plenty of cocaine to sell. That individual is willing to kill to insure Mal never uncovers the full truth. The fourth Mal Foley tale, No Show Of Remorse, provides greater insight into the values and principles of the key character than the previous books. However, as the audience learns more about Mal, the story line takes a bit slower to leave the launch pad. Once the plot attains orbit, it never slows down as readers gain a novel that switches from a character study to an action packed who-done-it. David J. Walker entertains his fans with a strong private investigative tale with some touches of a legal procedural that adds spice to the fine mix.

Learning To Fly
April Henry
St. Martin's Press
May 2002, $23.95, 285 pp., ISBN 0312990527

Free Meeker is coming home from visiting her sister when she becomes involved in a fifty two-car chain-reaction accident. Although the nineteen- year-old woman is unharmed, her car is totaled and her passenger, a hitchhiker Lydia is dead. Free tries to help an injured man who is looking for a lost bag but when she finds it, the man is already dead. When Free opens up the bag, she finds it contains $740,000 and some drugs, which she promptly throws away. She concludes that she is holding drug money and there is no way to trace it to her. She takes it intending to start a new life for herself using Lydia's identification. She isn't aware that Lydia's husband is an abuser who will do anything to track her down or that the owner of the money will kill to get it back. While these two men are tracking down "Lydia" Free lives a peaceful and secure life in Portland, never dreaming that she is in any danger. LEARNING TO FLY is an exciting thriller that will keep readers enthralled because the action never stops happening. April Henry manages to sustain a high level of tension throughout the book without any real violence so cozy fans will appreciate this unusually refreshing story.

The Piper's Tune
Jessica Stirling
St. Martin's Press
Apr 2002, $26.95, 486 pp., ISBN: 0312288700

Perhaps it is simply because of his age or more complexly the end of Pax Britannia, but Scottish family patriarch Owen Franklin retires from heading up the family shipbuilding business. While the European superpowers begin an arms race heading towards the Great War, Owen distributes shares of stock to his male descendent and to their shock his granddaughter Lindsay. Her "partners" believe Lindsay being a teenage female will be easy to manipulate. They even foster an Irish cousin Forbes McCullough on her. However, as the twentieth century begins to unfold, Lindsay is determined to understand her family business so that she can contribute. She quickly learns one of the principles of life that a woman must be at least twice as smart and toil twice as hard as a male to gain a semblance of acceptance and respect. Now she begins a trek to gain control of her life and the family ship building company as the men in her circle try to manipulate her in the boardroom and the bedroom. The Piper's Tune, a turn of the previous century character study, digs deep into a bygone era so that fans of historical novels will have a taste for the early Edwardian age. However, the story line moves very slowly as the heroine leisurely and at times tediously learns about life while competing with males. The metamorphosis of Lindsay will engage those readers who relish a casually paced plot that Jessica Stirling microscopically focuses on the heroine.

Sand Castles
Antoinette Stockenberg
St. Martin's Press
May 2002, $6.99, 352 pp. ISBN: 0312981546

Eight co-workers including Jim Hodene win the Powerball lottery of eighty-seven million dollars. Jim knows that his victory insures the financial present and future for his family, making them secure beyond their wildest dreams. Though the constant solicitations bug Jim and Wendy, she is particularly pleased to see her dream of expanding their house begin. Zina Hayward insists that the lottery winner shown in the newspaper is her runaway husband Jimmy. Her brother Zack Tompkins thinks Zina is nuts as she has been since Jimmy left her and she began collecting the stray cats. Now he thinks she has gone even deeper into the loony bin with this wishful thinking about the lottery winner. Unable to dissuade her from her belief and worried about her mental state, Zack agrees to check out whether the lottery winner is his missing brother-in-law. To stealthily accomplish this task, Zack accepts a job with the Hodene house construction crew. As Zack begins to uncover the truth, Wendy also learns new ugly things about her spouse who is not the paragon she though he was. However, what she learns may prove deadly. Antoinette Stockenberg shows her ability to provide a powerful suspense thriller with the exciting Sand Castles. The characters are a superb group especially the key foursome whose motives feel real even those of Jim and Zina. Though the plot is filled with twists and turns, readers will know what is going to happen next, but will not mind at all. Fans of taut thrillers with a pinch of romance will want to read Ms. Stockenberg's strong intrigue.

Deadly Desire
Brenda Joyce
St. Martin's Press
May 2002, $6.99, 350 pp., ISBN 03129826311

Francesca Cahill is a twenty-year-old woman born of very wealthy parents who want her to marry only a man from a socially prominent family. In 1901 NYC, if a woman didn't find a husband, she was considered an old maid but Francesca doesn't care about such frivolity. She wants a career as a sleuth and has successfully solved three murder cases to date. Her parents are putting pressure on her to see Calder Hart, a wealthy and prosperous lady's man who cares more about Francesca than she is willing recognize. Instead Francesca loves Calder's half brother Rick Bragg, the New York police Commissioner, who also happens to be a married man. When Bragg's niece is kidnapped, Calder, Rick and Francesca put aside their personal differences and work together to get her out of the hands of a murderer who will kill her if he doesn't get what he wants. Each Francesca Cahill mystery is better than the one before it. Brenda Joyce writes an exhilarating mystery that ends satisfactorily. However, the characters' stories continue in the next book in the series so that readers always have a feeling of home coming when they pick up the latest Francesca tale. Personally, this reviewer can't wait for the next romantic mystery in this enthralling series to come out.

Shadow Of An Angel
Mignon F. Ballard
St. Martin's Press
May 2002, $23.95, 304 pp., ISBN 0312281684

This may be the worst moment in Minda Hobb's life because she is mourning for her young husband she loved very much who died in a freak lightening accident while they were on a picnic. She moves back to her hometown of Angel Heights, South Carolina where she has another traumatic incident. In the woman's bathroom of Holley Hall, in the stall next to the one Minda was using, she comes upon the body of Cousin Otto. At first everyone believed he died a natural death but the coroner rules it a murder. Feeling alone and frightened, Minda moves into the family home where she meets her temporary guardian angel, the heavenly Augusta Goodnight. Working together with some help from Minda's family, it is discovered that Otto's death and an attempt on Minda's life has its origin in a secret society two generations back who made a quilt that contained a deadly message somebody today doesn't want made public. Shadow Of An Angel is a delightful and whimsical cozy costarring a protagonist that fans will like and sympathize with and her charming guardian angel. Augusta discreetly nudges Minda in the direction she wants her to go. The mystery itself is a cerebral teaser that will confound most readers but the joy in this novel is not the answer but the quest to find it.

A Mist Of Prophecies
Steven Saylor
St. Martin's Press
May 2002, $24.95, 288 pp., ISBN 0312271212

In 48 BC Rome is engaged in a great civil war with both sides led by a powerful warrior. Though the battles take place in the outer province of Thessaly, Rome is being drained by the war as inflation is running rampant and people are going into debt with barely enough money to eat. Gordianus the Finder finds himself besieged at every turn. He is worried about the debt to his banker, deeply concerned with his wife's mysterious and lingering illness, and frets over the end of his relationship with his adopted son Meto. When Cassandra, a mysterious woman who appear in Rome one day sprouting prophecy, dies in the Finder's arms saying she was poisoned, he takes it upon himself to bury her and find her killer. His quest takes him into some of the richest and most influential homes in Rome. A Mist Of Prophecies takes us into the heart of Rome during a civil war that makes the inhabitants of the city wary, fearful, and uncertain of the future for themselves and for their glorious Empire. Stephen Saylor descriptions of the times are so detailed that the audience can picture the city in the mind's eye. Experience grants the hero the wisdom to search out the killer using his brains while not relying on brawn as he did in his youth. This is a fascinating work, as much a historical novel as it is a mystery.

Hot Spot
Michael Craft
St. Martin's Press
June 2002, $23.95, 288 pp., ISBN 0312289006

Betty Gifford Ashton lives in Dumont, Wisconsin and is one of the town's most beloved citizens's who regularly gives vast sums of money to any philanthropic endeavor. She is invited to and attends the wedding of Roxanne Exner and Carl Creighton, the candidate for Illinois Lieutenant Governor. Mark Manning, owner of the Dumont Daily Register along with his life partner Neil Waite, sponsor the event. Both Neil and Mark are close friends of the bride and want her to have a wedding she'll remember for the rest of the life. The wedding planners succeed in their goal though not quite the way they expected. Betty is murdered at the reception and Roxanne comes under suspicion because she has the motive, means and opportunity to commit the crime. To make matters worse, the Democratic candidate for governor plans to drop Carl from the ticket if Roxanne isn't exonerated by the time the debates begin. Mark is determined that Carl and Roxanne will emerge from the experience unscathed so he goes into sleuth mode to find the killer. Michael Craft's "Mark Manning mysteries" get better with each book written. The protagonist has a strong social conscience which serves to make him a great reporter, one the audience can believe in. The relationship with Manning and his partner is a beautiful thing to behold and is a beacon of light in a dark and murky sea of human corruption. Hot Spot is a one sitting read, impossible to put down until the last page is turned.

The Pillow Book Of Lady Wisteria
Laura Joh Rowland
St. Martin's Press
Apr 2002, $23.95, 304 pp., ISBN: 0312252400

In a classy Yoshiwara brothel, someone murders the shogun's heir, Lord Matsudaira Mitsuyoshi in the boudoir of Lady Wisteria, who has since vanished. Anyone with ambition or even remote connections in Edo decides to solve the homicide in order to gain favor with the shogun. Though still recuperating from his harrowing previous case, the shogun's Most Honorable Investigator of Events, Situations and People Samurai Sano Ichiro knows he must investigate because of the importance of the victim. The antics of police Commissioner Hoshida, lover of the second-highest shogunate official and Sano's enemy, pressures Sano to quickly solve the murder. Still, Sano rejects the pat solution as too convenient and believes the evidence suggests a myriad of suspects with motives and opportunity to kill the shogun's dashing cousin. Reluctantly, especially after her involvement in his previous case, Sano turns to his wife Reiko for help in separating the facts from misinformation and disinformation. The Pillow Book Of Lady Wisteria is a fabulous seventeenth century Japanese who-done-it that will spellbind readers with its insightfully vivid descriptions of the Shogun era in historical Edo (Tokyo). The lead couple remains a wonderfully charming duo who escorts the audience on a sightseeing trip inside a unique police procedural as only this series does. Laura Joh Rowland provides another winning tale by tastefully and cleverly incorporating it into the powerful plot. The pleasure palaces of Yoshiwara though might require a bit of a warning label.

Trust Fund Babies
Jean Stone
Bantam
Apr 2002, $5.99, 337 pp., ISBN: 0553584111

On Park Avenue in Manhattan, secretary Carla DiRoma separately informs face to face the shocked Atkinson cousins (Mary Beth, Nikki, and Gabrielle) that their investment banker Lester Markham absconded with their trust funds. The trio know that they are broke and used to a golden spoon from having inherited their respective money. Now the cousins needs to find a way to earn money for basic sustenance. Surprisingly, though somewhat estranged over the years, the threesome come together planning to survive this crisis. With the encouragement of Carla, they also chart a course to find, prosecute, and get their money back from Lester. However, to succeed they must forget that tragic summer years ago that sent them on their separate paths and stay united in their quest to regain what they lost, which they will learn is much more than a mere fortune. Trust Fund Babies is an insightful look at three individuals struggling with a sudden reversal in their lives. The cousins are warm engaging protagonists, but they adapt too easily to their change in fortune (what's a million here - soon the cousins will be talking real money). Carla is a wonderful "mother hen" and friend to the not enough beleaguered Atkinson women. She enables Jean Stone's novel to remain a fascinating tale.

Promise Of Gold
Kristen Kyle
Bantam
Apr 2002, $5.99, 385 pp., ISBN: 0553584154

In 1898 Havana, archeologist Viscount Derek Carlise visits the home of wealthy Don Geraldo de Vargas. Derek is not making a social call though he employs the full diplomacy of the English aristocratic class to hide his real mission. Derek plans to steal a journal that contains information on sunken treasure if he cannot purchase the item from the money strapped Don, struggling with the American blockade of the island. However, entertainer Rosa Wright performs an ultra sexy Flamenco dance as a distraction while she robs the key ring to the collection that includes the journal before Don and Derek begin their negotiations. Don accuses Derek of the theft and incarcerates him in the dungeon below his home. Feeling guilty, Rosa frees Derek. They sail off to adventure and love with Don in pursuit. Promise Of Gold is an exciting romantic adventure tale that is as much action as romance yet the action subplot is not neglected. Instead the author insures the romance between the lead characters is woven throughout the treasure hunt theme. Derek is a fine hero even if he is a bit too much of a control freak. Still, the novel belongs to the fiery Rosa. She takes everyone down a peg or two while displaying courage to seek the treasure and her man. Kristen Kyle has written a bold tale that brings the Caribbean alive reminiscent of a late nineteenth century Romancing the Stone.

Devlin's Luck
Patricia Bray
Bantam
May 2002, $5.99, 430 pp., ISBN 0553584758

Duncaer is a country occupied by the conquering forces of the mighty Jorst Empire. Vet, Devlin Stoneland, named Kinslayer by the people of Duncaer marches into the conqueror's capital city of Kingsholm to win the substantial payment by becoming the Country's Chosen One. He is found worthy and a magical geas is placed on him, forcing him to protect the realm even if it costs him his life. Without any family or home to call his own, Devlin seeks death and believes that the danger facing the Chosen One will give him the reward he seeks. Three times he places his life in danger to protect the people of the realm and three times he emerges the victor. His exploits are talked about in political circles and without even trying, he becomes the rallying point of a nation. Now the man who sought death seeks to lead the people against the enemies of Jorst. Devlin's Luck is a beautiful sword and sorcery tale yet despite all the heroic battles, the magical attacks, and the deadly politics, it is the hero who brings heart to this story. Devlinis a tortured soul, who in spite of himself, finds redemption by saving lives and becoming a leader that a country, an empire and even a world needs. Patricia Bray is a grand storyteller who provides a wonderful fantasy adventure.

Scorched Earth
David L. Robbins
Bantam
Apr 2002, $24.95, 338 pp., ISBN: 0553801767

In Good Hope, Virginia, no one voices an unkind word when black man Elijah Waddell and white woman Clare Epps married. When Clare gives birth to their daughter born without a brain, the infant dies almost immediately. Clare's grandmother Rosy, a key member of the Victory Baptist Church, has her great-granddaughter Nora Carol buried in her church's all-white cemetery. However, the church deacons remove the casket from the Victory Baptist Cemetery and has Nora Carol reburied at the nearby black Zebulon Baptist Church. That same night the Victory Baptist Church is destroyed and Elijah is arrested, charged with arson as he is caught watching the fire. Judge Baron orders former Assistant District Attorney Nat Deeds to return home from Richmond to defend Elijah. Nat does not want the case and prefers Elijah to plea bargain. However, the case turns to a murder charge when the cooling ashes of the church reveal the remains of the teenage daughter of redneck Sheriff Talley. Scorched Earth is an exciting small town southern drama that looks deep into racial relationships from various perspectives. The story line is loaded with action though contains a twist too many as the arson charge already provided readers with incredible insight into the various characters. The cast except for the stereotyped sheriff is a deep, complex group whose interrelationships add fathoms to them so that the audience understands each one's values and beliefs. David L. Robbins turns a bright spotlight on death and race so that those fans that appreciate a strong human drama will want to read.

The Loner
Joan Johnston
Dell Books
Apr 2002, $6.99, 357 pp., ISBN: 0440234727

In Bitter Creek, the Blackthorne and Creed clans have detested each other for eternity (or at least three series that has begot double-digit novels). Billy Coburn loves his father's daughter Summer, but they do not share a blood relationship. He is the illegitimate son of Jackson Blackthorne while she is the daughter of the lover of Jackson's wife. Billy has an affair that results in a child. He wants to raise the boy with Summer, but the biological mother sees the infant as a chance to bleed money from the wealthy Blackthornes. Billy proposes to Summer feeling he has a better chance of winning custody if he is a married man. She loves Billy and though angry that he deserted once before, she marries him. They return to his family home since he feels he needs to help his dying mother and his pregnant sister. However, Billy's female relatives loathe Summer though she is kind and sacrificed a comfortable lifestyle to marry her beloved.. The rest of the broods are in the midst of a soap opera too. The latest tale in the Blackthorne-Creed universe, The Loner, requires a scorecard to keep track of the players. The tale will remind readers of when Bay City and Another World were running stories at the same time. The characters are fun to watch as hatred flows stronger than love in most cases. Fans of the series will find Joan Johnston's latest entry a triumph. For newcomers develop a distribution chart to follow who does what or wants to do what to whom.

The Bride Thief
Jacquie D'Alessandro
Dell Books
Apr 2002, $6.999, 400 pp., ISBN: 0440237122

Considered on the shelf by most of the Ton, Samantha Briggeham has no plans to marry unless somehow love enters the equation. However, at her advanced age (the mid-twenties) she knows that will never happen. However, the infamous Bride Thief thinks that Sammie is being forced to wed in an arranged marriage. Unable to allow that to happen to her or other unwanted females, he abducts Sammie. After being freed by him, Sammie cannot forget the Bride Thief or the wonderful Eric Landsdowne, the Earl of Wesley, who she has just met. Eric also cannot ignore his feelings for Sammie, who he met when he "rescued" her as his alter ego the Bride Thief. Instead of receiving the typical courting scenario from him, Sammie engages in a romantic liaison with Eric, but they are caught. He does the honorable thing and proposes, but Sammie fears for her independence. Then there is the Bride Thief, under siege by angry fathers seeking missing daughters, wanting to set free the woman he loves from an arranged marriage, ironically to him. The Bride Thief is an entertaining, often humorous Regency romantic romp that also provides a lesson in sticking to ones values even if it hurts to do so. The story line retains its amusing posture throughout the tale though a couple of subplots seem like unnecessary detours. The characters are a delightful group, especially the bewildered Eric and the intrepid Sammie. which Jacquie D'Alessandro provides her readers with a hilarious historical romp.

The Aliens Of Transylvania County
Patrick Bone
Silver Dagger/Overmountain Press
May 20002, $23.95, 153 pp., ISBN 1570721742

In the Appalachian Mountains, in a Transylvania County here is a legend that very few people today believe is based on a truth. The myth states that parents shouldn't let their children out at night, especially on the eve of the full moon. In 1956, high school senior Chester believes there are vampiric space aliens up on Devil's Mountain and doesn't intend to be there after dark. His plans change when fellow senior John Croshaw goads him and Hannah Jane Goins into exploring the mountain on the night of the full moon. When they get near the summit of the mountain, Chester is separated from his two companions and sees the space aliens capture his friend Hannah Jane and realize John is one of them. The high school senior manages to escape but vows to return and free his friend and the other children, who the aliens captured, some of them dating back to the Civil War. Patrick Bone has crafted a young adult novel that will also be enjoyed by older readers whose salad days included Robert Heinlein and Andre Norton. The story line is fun, as some of the Melungeon Winter Cast return. The Aliens Of Transylvania County is an enjoyable coming of age tale that shows how one determined person regardless of age can make a difference.

Private Investigations
Tori Carrington
Harlequin Temptation
Apr 2002, $3.99, 218 pp., ISBN: 037325976X

Desperate, naked, and wet from her bubble bath soak private investigator Ripley Logan races through the motel balcony window of shoe businessman Joe Pruitt's room. Before the bewildered Joe knows what happens he finds the gorgeous sleuth lying nude in his bed. Joe believes someone upstairs loves him as he feels he just got lucky until Ripley explains that three armed thugs are after her. Unbelievable at least to Joe's associates and even to himself, he no longer worries about working twenty-four seven days a week as he has Ripley on his brain. His first priority is her safety as opposed to his shoe business operation. As they work on solving her missing person's case, Joe and Ripley fall in love. Private Investigations combines slapstick humor with boudoir heat, which on first impressions should prove a disastrous story line. However, terrifically talented Tori Carrington makes the combo work smoothly and seamlessly. Readers obtain a wonderful wacky tale with two delightful lead protagonists. Ripley is a charmer who has ripped asunder Joe's stable world. He is elated with the chance to be her knight in shining armor though he wishes she would change her occupation so they are in less dangerous situations. Fans of jocularly torrid romances will relish Ms. Carrington's fabulous contemporary.

Body Contact
Rebecca York
Harlequin Blaze
Mar 2002, $4.99, 251 pp., ISBN 037379035X

Winston Industry security chief Maddy Guthrie believes she screwed up her assignment of watching over her employer's teenage daughter Dawn. Though her charge slipped her a sleeping pill, Maddy feels culpable for enabling Dawn to flee to Manhattan. Calling in ex-CIA agent Jack Connors for help, he finds out that thugs working for Oliver Reynold abducted Dawn. Because Oliver hates Dawn's dad, Maddy and Jack worry about the victim's safety, as this is not an "ordinary" kidnapping. Oliver holds Dawn prisoner on Orchid Island in the Caribbean. To safely expedite Dawn, Jack poses as a wealthy man while Maddy acts as his plaything. Jack forces Maddy to share sex with him before they go undercover so that their performance seems genuine. The sex is more than great and soon the two operatives fall in love. However, their feelings must be kept in abeyance as the danger mounts for them and Dawn. Body Contact is an exhilarating romance that is literally and figuratively action-packed undercover. The story line is loaded with sexual tension and taut suspense though Jack's initial insistence of sharing sex before the tropical encounter seems more like a bad male ploy. Still Rebecca York cleverly blazes a heated suspense that will garner her new readers who will also want to follow secondary character Alex Shane's adventures in Harlequin Intrigue's upcoming From The Shadows.

The Cowboy Fling
Dawn Atkins
Harlequin Temptation
March 2002, $3.99, 210 pp., ISBN: 0373259719

After obtaining an MBA, Lacey Wellington wants to prove to her older brother Wade, CEO of Wellington Restaurant Corporation, that she can do the job. Lacey insists Wade give her no preferential treatment so he sends her to turn around their weakest property, their Uncle Jasper's restaurant- Amazatorium. When Jasper's six foot snake escapes, cowboy Max McLane assists Lacey in rounding up and capturing Monty. Lacey feels out of character as she immediately wants the ranch hand to make love to her and Max feels obsessed to do so though he tries to not give into his feelings. Max is a close friend of Wade and is doing him a favor by watching over Lacey. He hopes that when she learns the truth that he is an accountant and not a cowboy he can persuade her that they belong together in spite of his deception. The Cowboy Fling is an amusing contemporary romance but requires the reader to accept Lacey wanting to do it on her own, choosing a family property with a "safety net". The story line is fun as Lacey and Max want one another but his fears of how she will react when she learns he is a CPA makes him try to keep his distance. Though written many times before, Dawn Atkins provides sub-genre fans with an amusing romantic romp that will provide several delightfully mirthful and sexy interludes.

A Lasting Proposal
C.J. Carmichael
Harlequin SuperRomance
Apr 2002, $4.99, 298 pp., ISBN: 037371050X

Though he has a wife and child, Rod acts more like a daredevil teenager who simply won't grow up. His attitude forces his spouse Maureen Shannon to make all the difficult parenting and economic decisions that leads to the alienation between mother and daughter. Rod takes the ultimate plunge of irresponsibility when he dies dashing down the Andes Mount Aconcagua. Following his death Maureen worries about her child's health, poor performance in school, and the need for them to spend more quality time together. Holly fails to appreciate the stability Maureen provides to her. Maureen fails to appreciate Holly's grieving her father's loss, ignoring the one-year anniversary of his death. A desperate Holly relocates them to her hometown of Canmore to be near her family. To keep his business Grizzly Peaks afloat, Jake Hartman needs capital and has learned Maureen is a prospective investor. He tries to persuade her to invest in his heli-skiing business, but she remains reluctant because she believes he is just a Rod clone. As they fall in love, she sees his caring compassionate nature and he notices her vulnerability, but will she reach out to Jake? The final Shannon Sisters novel, A Lasting Proposal, answers the questions from the two previous books while providing the audience with an entertaining romance. Maureen is an interesting person who learns that caring responsible supermoms can have fun with their children too. Jake is a goop (gorgeous, honest, and often pitiful) that readers will either laugh at or smack. Still Maureen's tale is a fine conclusion to C.J. Carmichael's attractive trilogy.

The Pursuit
Johanna Lindsey
Morrow
Mar 2002, $25.95, 306 pp., ISBN: 0380978555

In Scotland, sixteen interfering, muscular and fearsome MacFearson uncles insure that none of her suitors meets the different criteria set by each one of Melissa MacGregor's caring relatives. To help Melissa, find a spouse, her parents (stars of Love Me Forever) pry her away from the well meaning crowd and plan to send her to London. Before leaving her family on her adventure, Melissa spends time with her younger cousins at a pond. Not long afterward, Viscount Lincoln Barnett, just home from two decades of family enforced exile, rides by the pond. Lincoln and Melissa react positively towards one another. However, in a bloodthirsty feeding frenzy, her uncles go bongos when they learn that Lincoln is Melissa's choice. They remember an incident two decades ago when he behaved like a berserker so now they plan to keep this lunatic away from their beloved niece. They might contain Lincoln, but when it comes to love Melissa is fiercer than any other MacFearson. The Pursuit is a humorous historical romance that contains a fast-paced story line. Though quite amusing, the tale also comprises a deep dysfunctional yet poignant relationship between Lincoln and his mother. Fans will have to get over the fact that the doting uncles truly hold an incident that they helped cause when Lincoln was ten against him as anecdotal evidence that the lead protagonist is dangerous. Though the tension is between the couple and her uncle (as opposed to that of the lead protagonists), the tale remains a fine sequel to Johanna Lindsey's Love Me Forever.

One More For The Road
Ray Bradbury
Morrow
Apr 2002, $24.95, 304 pp., ISBN: 0066211069

Ray Bradbury is one of the great writers of the last century and apparently based on this work this century too. One More For The Road consists of twenty-five short stories and an afterward from Mr. Bradbury. The tales run the gamut of human emotion but metaphorically from an eerie looking glass. Most of Mr. Bradbury's contributions are brand new with only seven having seen previous light (or is that dark?). As expected from this grandmaster, each tale is taut, intelligent, and insightful as Mr. Bradbury still surgically renders opens the human condition for readers to explore.

Turncoat
Aaron Elkins
Morrow
May 2002, $24.95, 304 pp., ISBN 0060197706

Peter and Lily Simon have been happily married for seventeen years. Although both were born in France, they met in England where he served during World War II as an army air officer and she worked at the nearby Free French headquarters. They have been living the American dream for years but it becomes a nightmare in 1963 when Lily's father knocks on the door. Lily told Pete when they first met that her father died at the hands of the Germans. When Lily closes the door on her father without giving him a chance to speak to her, Pete demands explanations that Lily refuses to give. When her father is murdered, Lily disappears and Pete travels to Barcelona then to Veaudry, France where he learns what Lily has spent so many years trying to hide. After almost getting killed, Pete is finally able to find his wife only to have her kidnapped by professionals for hire. Turncoat is a fascinating thriller but it is also a family drama about a woman tortured by her past and the man who loves her so much that he wants to break the chain that bind her to a world that no longer exists except in memory. Aaron Elkins is a gifted storyteller and readers will come away from his latest endeavor wanting to read his previous works.

Silver Scream
Mary Daheim
Morrow
May 2002, $23.93, 306 pp., ISBN 0380978679

Judith McMonigle Flynn grew up in Hillside Manor and when her husband died, she moved back home and turned it into a bed and breakfast inn. For over a decade, she put her blood, sweat and tears into the place and in spite of the few murders that took place there, she made it a success. She now has more business than she knows what to do with. Over the Halloween weekend, she had to turn down some guests because Hollywood producer Bruno Zepf and his entourage are staying there. He is previewing his latest movie and he always stays at a B&B because it brings him luck. Unfortunately, his good Karma runs out this time and Judith finds him drowned in her kitchen sink with the cupboard door above it open. Afraid that she will be sued for negligence because she knew the cupboard door needed to be repaired, she frantically tries to prove that Bruno was murdered. Silver Scream is a delightful and charming cozy starring a heroine and a support cast that readers will find utterly delightful. The readers really become involved in this mystery, trying to figure out along with the heroine, exactly what happened. The solution is very believable, and even though the author gives a few hints, there is no way that anyone could guess who is responsible for Bruno's death. Mary Daheim's latest mystery is fantastic.

The Golden One
Elizabeth Peters
Morrow
Apr 2002, $25.95, 429 pp., ISBN: 0380978857

By the beginning of 1917, the Great War makes travel across the Mediterranean unsafe. Still, the archeologist Peabody-Emerson family journeys from England to Egypt to begin another season digging up ancient history. However, their arrival at Luxor is accompanied by the word that thieves attacked a royal tomb with one of the criminals left behind dead. Before the matriarch Amelia Peabody Emerson can fully investigate the crime as she always does, British intelligence draft her son Ramses to work for them. They need Ramses to ascertain whether Ismail Pasha, an individual quickly rising to power in Gaza, is really Sethos his brother and a criminal. Unable to resist, the Peabody brood follows Ramses on his trek to keep him safe and to learn first hand if Sethos has surfaced. Fans of this series will enjoy this mixing of a World War I espionage tale with a who-done-it. However, historical mystery readers will feel disappointed as the intel mission intrudes on the investigation, which is left dangling while completing the espionage assignment before the family returns to solve the murder. This leaves the audience with two distinct story lines that never merge and a feeling of a novella inset inside a historical amateur sleuth mystery. Elizabeth Peters provides a wonderful look into Egyptology during the encroachment of World War I that along with the fourteenth return of the clan will delight series fans.

Daughter Of The Game
Tracy Grant
Morrow
Apr 2002, $24.95, 483 pp., ISBN: 0066211336

In 1819 London, a Spaniard abducts Colin, the son of aristocratic Melanie and Charles Fraser. The obvious motives are either ransom as Charles is a well to do grandson of a duke or political reasons because he is a parliamentary reformist. However, they learn that the lead kidnapper wants neither. Instead he believes that Charles and Melanie from their recent activities on the Peninsular against Napoleon know the location of the Carevalo Ring, an item supposedly containing power to protect its bearer while its symbolism will gain supporters. The Frasers' search for their son leads them to actress Helen Trevennen. However, she seems to be one step ahead of her pursuers. As they give chase, Charles is stunned to learn that Melanie was a French spy even while he the same exact job for the English. As he struggles to accept her revelation, he knows he must concentrate on the task to rescue Colin, an innocent pawn in this cold game. Though the twists and turns seem somewhat obvious, the charm of The Daughter Of The Game is the clever way Tracy Grant enables the reader to see the same event through varying perspectives. Relativity depends on one's background and current position. The characters are a delightful group especially the Frasers recoiling from one shock after another yet like the bunny keep on ticking because the goal is the life of their son. The support cast adds depth to the chase, but mostly provides a different viewpoint and a feel for the immediate post Napoleonic decade. Ms. Grant takes the historical fiction fans to enjoyable levels with this wonderful entry.

Transcendence
R.A. Salvatore
Del Rey
May 2002, $26.95, 448 pp., ISBN 0345430417

Although the demon Bestebulziir was defeated in the Demon War, the elves paid a very heavy price for that win. Their beloved land is demon stained and that rot is spreading, threatening to displace them from their home. In the event that this event should comes to pass, the eleven leader Lady Dassleron is determined that the To-goi should once more be in charge of their native land. Presently, the To-goi is a subjugated race under their Behrenese masters. Brynn Pharielle, eleven trained as a warrior, saw her parents killed by the Behrenese when she was only a child. She burns to free her homeland from it's oppressors. She soon finds herself gaining some very powerful and unusual allies, both mundane and magical to go against an army led by a man who is several centuries old, both in age and military wisdom. Transcendence is epic fantasy at it's finest. The heroine, a determined woman who perseveres despite the many obstacles thrown in her path. That makes her a role model and a very likable character. Her courage and conviction enable her to insinuate herself into the hearts of the audience. R.A. Salvatore has crafted such a believable world that readers will find themselves fantasizing that elves and dragons exist on our Earth.

Hurricane Bay
Heather Graham
Mira
Apr 2002, $22.95, 347 pp., ISBN: 1551668971

In Key Largo, Kelsey Cunningham confronts Dane Whitelaw as to the whereabouts of his former lover Sheila Warren missing a week and last seen with him. Dane insists he knows nothing, but Kelsey believes he is lying. She is right as Dane struggles with the photo left under his door that showed a dead Sheila on his property. Dane tries to persuade Kelsey to stay out, but she refuses and continues to make inquires as to the last of Sheila. However, someone reacts to her investigation by trying to shut her up. As the danger mounts for Kelsey, Dane attempts to learn who is setting him up to take the fall and how to keep the younger sister of a friend safe. Even as she wonders if Dane killed Sheila, Kelsey turns to him as the man she has always loved to protect her and to assist him with learning the truth. Hurricane Bay is a strong investigative tale loaded with danger, romance, and deep characterizations. The story line contains romantic elements, but the tale belongs to the action and tension of the investigation. Kelsey is an intrepid heroine refusing to quit though she places her life in danger. Dane is the strong silent type who knows he must find out who is setting him up while keeping his beloved safe. Though why Kelsey would place herself in peril as she does (even Dane questions that) seems a stretch even for the deepest of friendships, fans will relish Heather Graham's strong stormy tale.

White Mountain
Dinah McCall
Mira
Apr 2002, $6.50, 384 pp., ISBN: 1551668947

Retired Braden, Montana botanist Frank Walton comes to Brooklyn to "smell" the Brighton Beach "Little Russia" neighborhood a reminder of his homeland. He needs this because he knows he is dying from cancer. However, someone recognizes him as Vaclav Waller, a Russian Nobel Prize nominee, who died in a plane crash in 1970. Threatened to be returned to Moscow, Frank chooses death. The FBI cannot understand how a Russian supposedly dead thirty years is a modern day murder victim. FBI agent Jack Dolan travels to Braden, Montana, the last known address of the victim, to ferret out the truth. In the remote small town a very popular, extremely successful fertility clinic services people from all over. The local boardinghouse owned and operated by Isabella Abbott caters mostly to clinic visitors, employers, and patients. Jack and Isabella share the magnetism that draws them towards each other even at their first encounter. Still, the Fed wonders how she is involved in the secrets of a person who died "twice" and the sensational accomplishments of the clinic run by her family and friends? White Mountain is an exciting romantic intrigue that starts off at a high level of tension and just keeps rising until the tale is finished. The story line is fast-paced whether its in Brooklyn or Braden. The lead couple is a delight and the support cast brings out Brighten Beach and Big Sky country so that readers will believe they have been to both while perusing Dinah McCall's taut thriller.

Prescribed Danger
Gwen Hunter
Mira
Apr 2002, $6.50, 377 pp., ISBN: 1551669161

Badly beaten, the interracial couple is taken to the emergency room of Dawkins County Hospital for treatment by Dr. Rhea Lynch. However, more than the vicious thrashing from the hate peddlers, Rhea sees strange signs of a pulmonary infection in first the woman and then her mate. Even more shocking to the ER doctor, who thought she had seen it all here in the graveyard shift of this hospital, the twosome quickly dies from whatever attacked their internal organs. Not long afterward more victims arrive and die at alarming speed. Rhea tries to uncover what happened so that she can provide proper medical care to the suffering and end the growing epidemic. However, she soon finds herself caught in the midst of a hate group, religious fanatics, and the military in what looks like a terrorist germ warfare attack that has turned this South Carolina county into a graveyard. Prescribed Danger is an exciting medical thriller that will keep the audience on the edge of their seat throughout the reading and send fans seeking Rhea's previous appearance (see Delayed Diagnosis) right afterward. The story line is loaded with action and filled with twists and turn as Rhea plays Gary Cooper in High Noon while the villains are powerful organizational entities rather than western outlaws. The "conspiracy" is a bit thin, but Rhea is a delightful character who makes the Gwen Hunter's tale work.

The Scandalous Miss Howard
Nan Ryan
Mira
Apr 2002, $6.50, 377 pp., ISBN: 1551668939

In Mobile, teenagers Ladd Dasheroon and Laurette Howard fall in love, which leads to deep resentment and jealousy from their friend Jimmy Tigart. Though Ladd and Laurette make love, they hold off their plans to marry until he returns from fighting for the Confederacy. The Northern soldiers capture Ladd and incarcerate him at Devil's Castle. Northern soldier Jimmy learns about Ladd's imprisonment and sends word to Laurette that her beau died. He travels to Alabama and in 1865 Jimmy marries the grieving Laurette. Fifteen years later Sutton Vane arrives in Mobile. He courts Laurette with a passion rarely seen anywhere. Reluctantly and scandalously Laurette falls in love with Sutton who reminds her so much of her beloved Ladd. That is because Sutton is Ladd seeking vengeance on the woman who betrayed him during the Civil War. The only problem for Ladd is that he still loves his Laurette even if he does not trust her with his heart. The Scandalous Miss Howard is an exciting post Reconstruction Era romance that shows that as late as 1880 the impact of the Civil War and its aftermath on people. The strong story line is filled with depth, yet trivializes the war through how easily Ladd, Jimmy and another associate "meet", which leads to the feel of a local skirmish rather than the vast destruction. Still fans of nineteenth century tales will find Nan Ryan's betrayed lovers a powerful tale.

Ride The Winter Wind
Christina Kingston
Jove
April 2002, $6.99 ISBN: 0515132799

Lady Alissa Alana Collington learns that for her to inherit the family fortune she must marry before her twenty-fifth birthday or her odious uncle gains everything. That would not be a difficult accomplishment except Alissa has one week to that particular birthday and has no suitors. In fact, several of the men who have courted her have been murdered; leaving Alissa to conclude her uncle killed them. Desperate she flees to London in the hopes that the Bow Street Runners will find evidence of the dastardly deeds of her uncle. However, besides the blizzard impeding Alissa's journey, her uncle pursues her too. Veteran Lord Guy Michael Mathers rescues Alissa and agrees to marry her though he feels not worthy due to the loss of an arm during the recent war. Still love enters the relationship, but there remains her villainous relative still trying to kill her and now her beloved. Ride The Winter Wind is an exciting Regency romantic suspense that requires reader acceptance of the basic axioms that propel the tale forward. The audience will enjoy the action-paced, very descriptive plot but must ignore that Alissa is unaware of how malevolent her uncle is until it is almost too late. Once clearing that hurdle, sub-genre fans will enjoy Alissa's desperate gamble and find much empathy towards the hero in spite of instant love. Christina Kingston provides sub-genre fans with an exhilarating thriller that never slows as Alissa begins her last ditch quest.

Fantasy
Sabrina Jeffries, Emma Holly, Elda Minger and Christine Feehan
Jove
Apr 2002, $6.99, 384 pp., ISBN: 0515132764

"The Widow's Auction" by Sabrina Jeffries. Widow Lady Isobel lives a proper life until the boredom finally convinces her to sell herself at a club's widow's auction. Lord Justin buys her for an evening of pleasure that turns into much more. Though straight out of the sub-genre guidebook, this is a fun Victorian romance that fans will enjoy "Luisa's Desire" by Emma Holly. In the seventeenth century Luisa the vampire treks to a Tibetan monastery to learn spiritual techniques to control her need for human blood. Martin the monk helps her, as he loves her. Though a bit too serious in tone for this type of tale, this supernatural romance is worth the bite. "Mr. Speedy" by Elda Minger. Female reporter Miranda poses as a man to attend a "how to seduce women" seminar. She plans to write an expose, but her weekend roommate Jake plans to do the same thing. Though not a fantasy, this speedy tale is an amusing story. "The Awakening" by Christine Feehan. In Borneo, Maggie and Brand are cat people who love each other. However, poachers endanger their relationship as the two endangered heroes rumble in the jungle with the deadly outsiders. This tale is an exciting fantasy suspense.

The Duchess' Lover
Julie Beard
Jove
Apr 2002, $6.99, 308 pp., ISBN: 0515132772

At Brandhurst Hall, the Duke is dead having been murdered in his garden. His wife of two decades Olivia feels free after the abuse he piled on her, but also is frightened about the immediate requirements of an aristocratic burial. Not long after the funeral, Olivia meets gardener Will Barnes. The duo chats and soon they are in each other's arms sharing lovemaking like nothing that either has felt before. A year later, the nephew of the deceased duke sees an opportunity to eliminate Olivia from sharing the family wealth. He plans to accuse her of murdering her husband with the means being her letter opener, the motive his abuse, and the opportunity anytime in the boudoir (though they rarely were there together). Unable to ignore Olivia's plight, Will makes inquiries to prove his beloved is innocent even though he knows the cost of his actions is everything he cherishes. Assuming the high intelligence of her audience, Julie Beard provides her readers with a great late Victorian romance that is bound to make the short lists of every historical reader. The story line is loaded with a juggernaut of a cast who provides insight to the changing climate in England. The subplots such as female factory employment and the who-done-it brilliantly return to the prime star-crossed lovers theme. Though historical mystery readers will feel the amateur sleuth investigation is shortchanged, fans of romance and nineteenth century tales will fully relish the rich cleverly written The Duchess' Lover.

Anchoress Of Shere
Paul Moorcraft
Poisoned Pen Press
May 2002, $24.95, 320 pp., ISBN 15905801117

In 1392 in what is now the quaint town of Shere in Surrey, England Christine Carpenter willing locked herself away from the rest of the world in an attempt to reach a state of oneness with God while still living on the mortal plane. Almost six hundred years later, fanatical Catholic Priest Michael Duval became fascinated with what Christine and other Anchoresses like her tried to do and decided to flesh out her story in a novel. However, Michael's muse has deserted him so he is going to do what he has tried to do five times before. He is going to kidnap a young woman and incarcerate her in a specially created cell in his basement. He is then going to teach her about religion so that she can become "his" modern day Christine and he will able to finish his book. He successfully kidnaps Marda Stewart who, unlike her predecessors, intends to live to tell the tale about the killer priest. Paul Moorcraft captures the atmosphere of fourteenth century England to perfection while telling Christine's "story". He also shows the mindset of a serial killer through his actions and thoughts. Though six centuries separate the two stories, they are held together by an intriguing plot that will keep the reader turning the pages until they finish this very unusual but nonetheless fascinating tale.

Hot Pursuit
Nora Kelly
Poisoned Pen Press
Apr 2002, $24.95, 327 pp., ISBN: 1590580141

Still grieving her mother's death and needing to reinvent herself, Professor Gillian Adams relocates from Vancouver to London to move in with her long time, long distance lover police officer Edward Gisborne. Though when she decided to cross the ocean, Gillian thought she made the right decision, but now Monday quarterbacking herself she feels lost, overwhelmed, and displaced. Gillian visits old friend, Charlotte Bening, who is not remotely the same person. The former producer has become a drunken recluse who never leaves her house nor even opens a blind as she has given up on life. Charlotte's daughter Olivia is an actress who has begun to make it into the screen magazines. Her choice in boyfriends is poor, but those troubles are nothing compared to what happens next as an unknown assailant kills Charlotte while Olivia complains about a stalker. Gillian tries to keep her best friend's daughter safe, but that places her in danger too. Though an amateur sleuth-police procedural, Hot Pursuit is more than that as readers gain an insider look at a life into people who have a yen for self destruction. The story line is fascinating, but surprisingly Gillian serves more as a secondary player than the star she has been in the previous novels. This works to not only freshen up the series, but enable the audience to see Gillian through the eyes of the novel's top gun, Olivia. Fans of mystery tales constructed on two strong pillars of a powerful who- done-it and even more potent characterizations will want to read Nora Kelly's latest tale that provides all that and more.

The Edge Of Heaven
Teresa Hill
Onyx
Apr 2002, $6.99, 338 pp., ISBN: 0451410343

He waited for this moment for most of his life, but now that he apparently found his older brother Sam in Baxter, Ohio, Rye McRae hesitates, not sure of the reception he will receive. As he watches the house with a hope of finding family love inside, Emma McRae returns home from college. Her boyfriend Mark abused her so Emma fled to the sanctuary of her adopted parents' home. However, Sam and Rachel leave town to help a pregnant relative before Emma can explain her plight. Rye finally finds the courage to knock, but an answering Emma thinks he is seeking a job with Sam. He fails to tell her his identity claiming only to be a friend of her adopted father. As Mark begins to stalk Emma, Rye intercedes to keep her safe and that leads to Rye getting into trouble with the law. Still Rye will risk jail to keep Emma safe, not just because she is family, but because he loves her with all his heart. Known for her engaging novels that hook the reader from start to finish (see Unbreak My Heart), Teresa Hill provides another strong tale that sub- genre fans will complete in one sitting. The story line is loaded with action and the characters are fully developed though the audience needs to accept Emma, recovering from an abusive relationship, taking a stranger into her home. Still, Ms. Hill provides her fans with a strong romantic suspense that takes the reader to The Edge Of Heaven.

Hush
Anne Frasier
Onyx
May 2002, $6.99, 384 pp., ISBN 0451410319

Sixteen years ago in Chicago, the usually lucky Claudia Reynolds had a run of very painful misfortune. She lost her parents and the man she planned to marry dumped her saying he found someone else. A few months later she found out she was pregnant and did her best to take care of herself and the fetus. On the day she was sent home from the hospital after giving birth to a son, The Madonna Murderer killed her baby and almost stabbed her to death. The detective in charge of the case arranged for Claudia to get a new identity and move to Canada. There she studied and became a psychologist and wrote a book about serial killers. Now the Madonna Murderer has become active again and Ivy Dunlap is asked to join the task force and aid in his capture. Ivy realizes that this was what she was waiting for the last sixteen years to do as she needs to bring her baby's killer to justice even if it means putting her life in jeopardy. Anne Frasier has written a fast paced and exciting serial killer thriller that is not at all run of the mill. It is told from the perspective of the only person to survive the killings and readers learn that an incident like that needs closure. The heroine's willingness to pursue closure for herself demonstrates a bravery that few possess.

Wintertide
Megan Sybil Baker
LTD
$TBA 206 pp., ISBN: 1553165233

Brona the healer claims the unborn child, conceived of violence, as hers. The child Khamsin is born during a storm of the century. Bronya raises the child teaching her the magic until Khamsin turns seventeen. The healer reads the runes interpreting them to mean that Khamsin must immediately marry. Though she does not want a man in her life as she is used to no one except Bronya, Khamsin makes a deathbed promise to her mentor to do so. Khamsin marries, but her husband and his villagers do not trust her or her power. She is allowed to only heal the sick. As happened when she was conceived, raiders killed most of the villagers. Khamsin escapes, but now knows she must obtain the Orb from a powerful sorcerer and determine what will become of this magical artifact that has led to so many deaths by those who desire to misuse its power. Fans of epic fantasy adventures will quickly understand why Wintertide is a multiple award-winning novel. The key to the richly textured story line is the depth of the characters and the world that enables the audience to believe in magic especially in a young girl's heart. The plot never loses focus as master magician Megan Sybil Baker casts an enchanting spell that force a one sitting read and a geas to seek other works from this enchantress.

The Bartered Bride
Mary Jo Putney
Ballantine
May 2002, $22.95, ISBN: 0345437055

In 1834, American sea merchant Gavin Elliot sets sail from The East Indies for London after making his fortune in trade. He plans to reestablish his family name previously disgraced among the aristocracy. On his journey to England, Gavin stops at the island of Maduri where Sultan Kasan surprisingly orders a personal visit from the sea captain. While there, Gavin learns that English widow Alexandra Warren is held in bondage after her ship was captured by pirates. Alexandra's eight-year-old daughter is either dead or incarcerated elsewhere. Though he knows not to intercede, the honorable Gavin challenges Kasan to play Lion's Game in which his loss means two decades of servitude, but a victory frees Alexandra. Of course, Gavin has never played before while his opponent is a pro in this deadly encounter. The Bartered Bride is an exciting, action-packed historical romance that never slows down until the tale is completed. The story line is loaded with a taste of an exotic 1830's environment that provides a fresh outlook to the audience. The lead couple is a courageous duo though the odds of Gavin defeating Kasan in the Lion's Game seems greater than Douglas-Tyson and would have been kept off Vegas and White's books. Still Mary Jo Putney continues to provide a vast panorama of an intriguing bygone era by placing her romances in unique locals.

Critical Condition
Peter Clement
Ballantine
May 2002, $22.95, 336 pp., ISBN: 034544339X

Geneticist Dr. Kathleen Sullivan and ER Chief Dr. Richard Steele are making love when she suddenly collapses in pain from a tremendous headache caused by a massive brain hemorrhage. Kathleen loses almost all movement, as she has become a quadriplegic with several critical bodily reflexes failing. She is reduced to communicating with one wink meaning yes and two winks no. Dr. Tony Hamlin heads up the medical team with assists from Dr. Jim Norris and Dr. Lockman. The staff tries an illegal experimental infusion through Kathleen's neck. Desperate she struggles to inform her beloved Richard that the crack medical team is using her as a guinea pig before they either kill her or leave her with a malfunctioning brain. Critical Condition is an exciting medical thriller that never slows down due to the intrepid frantic actions of the lead female protagonist. The story belongs to Kathleen whose efforts to convey information is difficult and frustrating to her and to the receiver of her eye lid transmissions. The support cast augments the plot with strong characterizations though the constant reference to Richard's dismal handling of his deceased wife's cancer adds little to the current dilemma except to make the hero seem unreliable when it counts. In this potent story that is unnecessary as Richard is already laden with handicaps such as doubting his peers, dealing with the couple's teenage children from separate marriages, coping with the lack of complex communications, and handling the overall health of his beloved. Each of these is handled with depth and dexterity as they nurture the forward thrust of Peter Clement's exhilarating thriller.

The Wedding Dress
Virginia Ellis
Ballantine
Jun 2002, $21.95, 304 pp., ISBN: 0345444825

By 1865, the war is over, but Virginia still has to recover. Sisters Victoria and Julia Atwater mourn the losses of their husbands, Confederate soldiers who died fighting, but have little time to grieve as survival is a daily chore. However, their seventeen-year-old younger sister Claire is depressed because she has no future as there are no men to marry and no prospects of starting a new life. Julia persuades Victoria that they must find a way to make Claire dream again. They decide to make their sister a wedding dress though she has no suitor. Though they cannot afford the money wasted on so frivolous an activity, the sisters dive headfirst into the tasks. As they work on The Wedding Dress, word spreads that Claire is marrying a returning soldier. The neighbors needing escape from the dismal aftereffects of the war join the three sisters as this event provides a bit of solace. The Wedding Dress is a tremendous work of historical fiction that demonstrates the need for hope in the future even when the present is so dark that there looks like there is no tomorrow. The story line is cleverly written so that the audience feels the deepest emotions of the sisters struggling with their lot and the symbolism represented by the dress. The use of "ghost riders" though exciting and a metaphorical representation of the loss still seems an unnecessary diversion from the prime theme. Virginia Ellis provides a strong tale that is mindful of Viktor Frankel's classic Man's Search for Meaning as the community desperately needed something to live for.

Red Rain
Michael Crow
Viking Press
May 2002, $25.95, 286 pp., ISBN 0670030802

There is nobody like Luther Ewing AKA Five-Oh on the Baltimore County Police Department. He's a narcotics detective whose heritage of a black father and a Vietnamese mother makes him look like the suspects he busts. He served in the Army's Special Forces in the Gulf War. After he left the service, the CIA hired him to work as a mercenary in Bosnia. He saw and did a lot of things that changed him and he came home wearing a metal plate in his head and has to take medication so he won't go into seizures. He thinks the past is behind him but when pure heroine starts showing up on the streets and a Russian gun is killing cops, he knows his old friend Vasilly is in town. Vasilly is a former Soviet Special Forces soldier who served with him in Bosnia. Five-oh knows that the Russian must be taken out but he also believes he must go outside the law to do it. This is Michael Crow's first crime thriller and it is simply sensational. The protagonist is an anti-hero who believes justice and the law are not always compatible and is not afraid of being a maverick to make sure the scales tip towards justice. Red Rain starts out at supersonic speed and just keeps moving faster towards the shocking finale.

The Eyre Affair
Jasper Fforde
Viking Press
Feb 2002, $23.95, 374 pp., ISBN: 0670030643

In 1985 time travel and cloning are a consistent part of life. In Britain, English literature has become so in vogue, original manuscripts are quite valuable. Just ask any of the zillion Williams, Charles, or Miltons. Acheron Hades, currently ranked as the third most wanted man in the world, wants to move up to numero uno. He steals the original manuscript of Dickens' Martin Chuzzlewit and "kills" off a secondary character by erasing him from the first book. All subsequent copies of the novel no longer contain that character because he does not "exist" in the pre-printed prototype. Word amongst the secretive publishing industry is that Acheron plans to remove Jane Eyre next. This calls for a special literary agent, Thursday Next of the undercover Special Operations Network's Literary Detective Division. She begins her inquiries with the Dickens' tale and soon follows the pages to Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew and a Rocky Horror version of Richard III. Will Thursday save the literary world in time to return home by Friday or will she become an editorial delete due to a poor critical review? Jasper Fforde writes a zany, wild and weird affair that is part science fiction, part alternate history, part classic literature and all amusing satire that never stops to look back at what is ripped besides a page or two. The story line is fast-paced and loaded with action, but never forgets to wink at the audience. Acheron is quite a villain and Thursday is a superb heroine. Along with a strong support cast that rounds out what is on, the characters insure that this novel is going to be recognized as one of more jocular tales of the year.

Three Weeks In Paris
Barbara Taylor Bradford
Doubleday
Feb 2002, $24.95, 323 pp., ISBN: 0385501412

The four young ladies were best of friends while apprenticing at the Paris School of Decorative Arts. However, by the time they graduated, they detested each other. Each went her separate way and quickly succeeded in their chosen endeavor. In New York's theater district, Alexandra Gordon designs sets. In Scotland, Kay Lenox designs clothing. In California, Jessica Pierce conducts interior design. Finally in Italy, Maria Franconi works for her family clothing business. Less than a decade has passed and now their mentor Anya Sedgewick is the guest of honor at her eighty-fifth birthday celebration in Paris. All four of her former students want to attend, but not see the other three except for some morbid curiosity about their former friends. However, each one would do anything to pay homage to Anya so the quartet converges on Paris for three weeks. Will Paris enable the women to regain paradise lost as the women, though a success, remain unhappy and feel they left something behind during their student days here? Three Weeks In Paris is an engaging relationship drama due to Anya serving as a focal point for the other cast members. Anya is a great character who behaves like a Grand Dame teacher. However, in spite of diverse heritage and different current occupations and locations, the female foursome seems interchangeable as none of them stand out from the group. Barbara Taylor Bradford provides a heated tale, but requires one day of reading if the audience is to remember whose whom.

The Fortune Hunter
Diane Farr
Signet
Apr 2002, $5.99, 352 pp., ISBN: 0451205650

Though he knows he is not the cause of Rye Vale's ruin, George Carstairs realizes he is as responsible as the Baron and understands that an infusion of a large sum of money is needed to save the estate. Since he has none, George tried to find a wealthy social climber to marry, but his reputation as a rake left him with only rejections as he has squandered his only asset, his title. When a desperate George first meets Olivia Fairfax, he thinks she is a maid. When he learns that she is a rich heiress running a school for orphans, he decides she is perfect though she rejects any notion of marriage. As he courts her with his wit and surprisingly shows how much he cares for her charges, they fall in love. However, what will happen when he learns she has no fortune. The Fortune Hunter is a pleasant Regency romance that fans will delight in due to the charming antics of the lead couple though the basic premise is a fixture of the sub-genre. The story line is fun to read as the rake and the do-gooder exchange witty barbs even as they fall in love. Along with the strong cast, the vivid descriptions of the period blended into the plot show the strength of Diane Farr to provide her audience with a delightful novel.

Wolf Tracks
Ann Campbell
Signet
May 2002, $5.99, 304 pp., ISBN 0451205855

In Lee, New Hampshire Anne O'Hara owns the Thurston Tavern a bed and breakfast antiques store. Ex-prison guard dog Claudius, a Husky German Shepherd mixed breed, in turn owns Anne. In the few months they've been together they have solved two murder investigations and made the husky acquaintance of the new detective in town Gus Jackson. Anne's closest friend Cary hires her to locate the man who broke into her car and stole her jacket with her grandfather's medal pinned to it. Claudius finds the perp, dead in the middle of a frozen lake. When they go to retrieve the jacket and medal, Anne finds a miniature that was stolen from the nearby Fox Hill prep school. The dead perp's sister is killed shortly there after and Anne believes all these acts are linked, including the death of an elderly teacher shortly after the robbery in the school. Annie decides to do a little investigating, aggravating Gus while getting herself in deep trouble. It's too bad that dogs don't read because Claudius is a credit to his species and would make canines very proud. His human is a terrific person who knows that no matter how hard she tries to hide it from herself, Claudius rules the roost. The mystery is lighthearted fun that will appeal to amateur sleuth lovers everywhere as Ann Campbell's latest novel stars a well-matched sleuthing duo.

Dead Man's Coast
Peter King
Signet
May 2002, $5.99, 272 pp., ISBN: 0451205847

Around the turn of the previous century in San Francisco, Jack London ekes out a living writing and selling occasional articles to magazines. He feeds himself each night with the free food in the local bars. He also supplements his meager income doing odd jobs for the police. The SFPD hires Jack to join Officer Healey on a stakeout that night. They notice two men and get into a tumble, with Healey recognizing his combatant as master safecracker Lou Kandel, a recent escapee from San Quentin. Both criminals escape and the next day Healey is murdered. SFPD brass asks Jack, who identifies the other thug from mug shots as Manny Thurston, to stay on the case because they believe that master criminal Glass plans to steal the Rajah's Ruby from the visiting "Belle of Broadway, Belle Conquest. Dead Man's Coast, the latest Jack London mystery, is an exciting historical tale that brings to life a bygone era. Albeit, a police procedural, the plot is more of a period piece that uses interesting tidbits to enhance the story line. Though the mystery is fun, it takes a back seat to Jack and other real persona and the intriguing facts of the turn of the previous century in the bay area. Peter King has written a story that historical fiction lovers will fully enjoy.

Flashover
Suzanne Chazin
Putnam
May 2002, 22.95, 352 pp., ISBN 0399148507

Georgia Skeatan was a firefighter before she became a fire marshal. Her supervisor and lover Mac Marenko is having a little commitment problem as well as a major legal fight, but otherwise Georgia's life is perfect. At least it is until her latest arson case involves two doctors who served on the One B Board, a committee of physicians who judge whether a firefighter is eligible for a three-quarters disability pension. The arson team doesn't even have a chance to investigate the fires before it's handed over to a unit of the police force. It seems the two deceased doctors were involved in a dispute with firefighters who were injured in a warehouse fire that involved hazardous chemicals. Nobody involved got a three-quarters pension in that affair. Now somebody who vividly remembers that fire which happened twenty-five years ago is threatening to blow up a big chunk of the city unless he gets $1 million dollars. He wants Georgia to deliver the money while she is worrying that Mac might be tried for the murder of his ex- girlfriend and Georgia's best friend. Flashover is a fantastic thriller that showcases the spread of corruption and the pain it causes even over a twenty-five year period. Remnant of Turk 186, it's evident the author knows the inner workings of the fire department because the minute details come across as believable and realistic. The heroine is a great role mode as a person who crashes the gender ceiling while adhering to her personal values.

Without Fail
Lee Child
Putnam
May 2002, $24.95, 384 pp., ISBN: 0399148612

In charge of providing secret service protection to Vice President elect Brook Armstrong, M.E. Froelich worries about keeping the former North Dakota senator safe. She remembers a discussion with her deceased mentor and lover Joe Reacher that the best way to do a security audit is to use an outsider. She traces Joe's brother Jack, who has no paper trail, through a bank transaction in Atlantic City. M.E. hires Jack to "assassinate" the vice president. When several days pass with no attempts by Jack, M.E. figures he did not try until he suddenly contacts her. Jack and his cohort Frances Neagley prove to M.E. that they had three definite hits on the VP if they chose to really kill him. M.E. invites Jack and Frances to meet her boss, Stuyvesant as the mock security audit was more than a test as the newly elected Veep has received threats. The Secret Service hires them to uncover if the threats are genuine and to help prevent the killing of the vice president. Jack Reacher is already a great protagonist, but his latest appearance, Without Fail, is his strongest adventure yet because he stays in character yet works inside a great political thriller that reaches into the highest levels of DC. Though the story line is loaded with action, the key cast members are fully developed so that new readers know Jack and long term fans appreciate Frances and M.E. Readers will demand more tales of Jack and Frances perhaps in her own series while placing Lee Child's novel at the top of the year's political thrillers.

The Burying Field
Kenneth Abel
Putnam
May 2002, $26.95, 291 pp., ISBN 0399147969

In Jefferson, a small town north of New Orleans, four teenagers vandalize a slave cemetery for kicks. Caryl Jackson, a black man tries to stop them, but he is attacked by the ringleader and lies near death in the hospital. Successful land developer Michael Tournier, aware of his image, owns the land where the cemetery is located. He hires Danny Chaisson, a former prosecutor and FBI informant, to do damage control. Danny drives to Jefferson to make sure the Jackson family does not sue Tournier's company in civil court. He carries out his assignment but he finds he needs to help the Jackson family who don't expect justice in a town controlled by the whites. Danny's involvement in local affairs leads to murder and a town verging on the edge of exploding. The Burying Field is a dark gritty story that deals with race issues in a realistically brutal manner. Kenneth Abel hold a mirror up to American society and the reflection it reveals is something that never died even though well over a century since when Lincoln emancipated most slaves. Like it or hate it readers will not easily walk away from this book unaffected.

Mortal Prey
John Sandford
Putnam
May 2002, $26.95, 368 pp., ISBN 0399148639

Lucas Davenport is going through several changes in his life right now. Not only is he building his dream home, but also he and a pregnant Weather are planning their wedding with a new administration coming into office. Lucas, a political appointee, plans to follow his boss to state law enforcement. It almost comes as a relief when he learns that one of the perpetrators who once outwitted him is back in town. Lucas throws himself head first into the apprehension of hit woman Clara Rinker. She was retired and living down in Mexico when her former syndicate employees order a hit on her but instead kill her lover and their unborn child. She intends to avenge the deaths and she won't let anyone stop her, including the relentless Lucas Davenport. John Sanford does for police procedurals what John Grisham did for legal thrillers. The action starts on the very first page and continues at warp speed until the last page is turned. One watches the fascinating Clara Rinker, a black widow spider, totally enthralled yet repulsed at the same time. Mortal Prey is definitely the best book in a strong and series.

To Burn
Claudia Dain
Leisure
Apr 2002, 384 pp., ISBN: 0843949856

In Ancient Britannia, Saxon chieftain Wulfred vows to destroy every aspect of the hated Romans that he finds on his beloved island. When he locates a remote Roman villa, he leads warriors on a destructive assault like none that the inhabitants have ever seen before. However, Wulfred is stopped in his tracks when he sees what he believes is the beautiful abomination that represent the Roman woman, the intrepid Melania, whose father just died in battle with the Saxons. She reciprocates his deepest feelings of loathing except hers target the Saxons. She considers him a murdering barbarian. while he deems her an invading scrounger. He makes her his slave, but quickly wonders who is the master (or mistress) in this relationship as love blossoms between Wulfred and Melania. However, neither trusts the other as sleeping with the enemy goes against their respective value system. This ancient historical romance between star-crossed lovers contains an intriguing character twist. The lead protagonists fall in love and respect the principles of their beloved, but neither overcomes their bias towards the other's people. The religious debate between the lead characters and the prejudicial stereotyping make To Burn more realistic than the usual sub-genre novel, but a bit slower of a plot because the historical authenticity needs time to develop. Paradoxically, because the plot feels so genuine, readers will wonder why Wulfred allows Melania to live. Still Claudia Dain writes an insightful tale that entertains the reader while enabling fans to taste a past over two millenniums ago.

Wanton Angel
Shirl Henke
Leisure
Mar 2002, $5.99, 371 pp., ISBN: 0843949732

In 1811 English spy Derrick Jamison and American painter Elizabeth Blackthorne are attracted to one another, but his assignment for the crown keeps them apart. Besides which they ran in different circles as she is a noted bohemian reputed to pose nude while he is a foppish aristocrat. Though both want it, nothing comes of their first encounter in Washington DC. They next meet in Naples where they fall into each other's arms and make love. However, not long afterward, pirates capture Beth and sell her to the dey of Algiers so though not a virgin she can join his harem. Derrick manages to rescue her, but their adventures have just begun even as that initial attraction turns to love. Wanton Angel is such a non-stop action thriller that readers will need oxygen to keep up with the frantic pace. However, the cost of all the action is that the characters are not quite developed so that the audience never understands Beth's attitudes on life, so different from her peers. Still Shirl Henke knows how to spin a heated tale so that Regency fans will enjoy a change of pace caper after caper tale that never slows down until the final safe kiss.

Sweet Deceit
Lynn McKay
Leisure
Mar 2002, $5.99, 304 pp., ISBN: 0843949767

In 1814 England, though her spouse is much older than her and ailing, Lady Diana Rainville loves Geoffrey. They both desperately want a child, but she is a pure innocent and he can no longer sire an heir. Desperate to not allow the estate to fall into the hands of a gambling wastrel, Geoffrey concocts a plan to have a surrogate father impregnate his shocked spouse. He turns to his nephew, a second son, to sire an heir. Reluctantly Gavin Winslow agrees to the scheme only as a deathbed pledge he makes with his dying uncle. However, neither Gavin nor Diana could fathom the feelings that spring up between them and the length an unknown assailant abetting Montjoy will go to gain the inheritance. Sweet Deceit is an entertaining Regency romance that is at its best when the villains remain off stage and the plot focuses on the triangular relationship. When the honorable Gavin, the trusting and loyal Diana, and the memories of the good Geoffrey take center stage, the readers feel the angst and guilt of the lead protagonists as they fall in love with one another while also loving the deceased Geoffrey. When the villain and his partner intercede in the plot, they feel like intruders slowing down an engaging relationship drama. Lynn MacKay furbishes a wonderful historical romance that sub-genre fans will want to read and desire similar but more succinct works from this author.

Perfect Match
Jodi Picoult
Pocket Books
May 2002, $25.00, 368 pp., ISBN 0743418727

Nina, Caleb and Nathaniel Frost are the typical happy American family. Nina is an assistant district attorney in York County, Maine. Caleb is a stone worker, happy to let Nina be the main breadwinner in the family. Nathaniel is the poster boy of a contented five-year-old at least he is until the day he stops talking and nobody understands why. A physical exam shows that the little boy has been sexually abused. At first, using sign language and hand motions, Nathaniel names his father as the culprit, but later it becomes clear that Nathaniel meant Father as in their parish priest. The cleric is arrested but Nina, not allowing Nathaniel to testify in court, takes justice into her own hands and puts further strain on the Frost family. Perfect Match is a chilling tale focusing in on one of humanity's worst crimes, sexual abuse against children, and how different people deal with the after effects. Jodi Picoult demonstrates how deep a mother's love can go and how far she will go to prevent her child from further harm. There are no easy answers to the issues this book raises but then there shouldn't be.

The Last Chance Caf‚
Linda Lael Miller
Pocket Books
April 2002, $16.80, 288 pp., ISBN 0671042505

The police conclude that the murder of her stepfather was caused by a burglary that went bad. Though she deeply mourns the tragic loss of a loved one, Hallie knows it is not grief that makes her believe Lou was a victim of a hit. She soon finds evidence supporting her contention, but her former husband Joel Royer learns what she has and comes after Hallie. Desperate, she flees Denver with their twins Kiera and Kiley in tow before finally stopping at Primrose Creek, Nevada when her truck breaks down. Local residents Chance Qualtrough and Jace Stratton dispute a property line when Hallie enters the town. Now their disagreement includes Hallie, as both want her. However, Hallie remains aloof though she quickly loves the town and its people, plus she fears for the safety of her new friends. Still she falls in love, but she knows she must hide her feelings in case her former spouse finds her because he will wreck havoc on anyone who gets in his way. The Last Chance Caf‚ is an exciting romantic suspense novel that is at its best when the tale spins a contemporary relationship drama as it does for most of the novel. The suspense elements seem secondary and only support the prime theme of Hallie seeking sanctuary in her new surroundings. The cast is strong as Linda Lael Miller does for Primrose Creek what she did to Springwater by telling the warm tale of the modern day descendants of that popular historical series.

Mother's Day Garden
Kimberly Cates
Pocket Books
Apr 2002, $6.99, ISBN: 0743418867

With her daughter attending college, Hannah O'Connell, recovering from a hysterectomy, feels less a woman. She escapes to a happier time over a decade ago when her loving spouse Sam and their child gave her a special Mother's Day gift of a garden containing three lilac bushes. The number represented the members of their family. Hannah wanted more children, but alas no more ever came. Her problem with the past is that she also recalls her ugliest incident from her teen days that she has hid from her spouse. Sam fears that he lost Hannah as she rejects him more each day, but rather than reach out to her, Sam begins to hide his hurt as he learned to do in an abusive childhood. Hannah finds an abandoned baby and believes that the infant has saved her life. Sam supports her quest to become the baby's foster parent. As the O'Connells struggle to save their teetering relationship, Hannah's high school sweetheart Tony Blake has returned. He wants Hannah back and will use the baby as a pawn to obtain his obsession. Mother's Day Garden is an emotional look at a person in trouble due to feelings of inadequacies that impact her relationships with her loved ones. The engrossing story line draws the audience into the problems confronting Hannah and Sam though Tony seems more of an unnecessary intruder. Readers who relish melodramatic relationship dramas will want to read Kimberly Cates powerfully angst-laden tale of a family in crisis.

Year Zero
Jeff Long
Pocket Books
Apr 2002, $25.00, 406 pp., ISBN: 9743406117

On Corfu, a wealthy artifact collector Nikos seeking the DNA of Jesus opens up a twenty-century-old artifact. Unbeknownst to Nikos he has not found God; instead he has unleashed Pandora's box containing an extinction event in the form of an airborne plague, last seen early in the first century. All die who come into contact with this particular disease. Desperate to find a cure to halt the pandemic plague that threatens mankind, a scientific task force gathers at Los Alamos. However, the brilliant group is divided. The purists who want to save humanity are led by twenty years old Miranda Abbott. On the other side are egomaniac Edward Cavendish and his supporters who want to turn earth into their playground with human clones serving as guinea pigs. Archeologist Nathan Lee Swift has fallen from grace as he turned from promising student into grave robber in his mentor's quest to find the historical Jesus. He has a chance at redemption through Miranda if they can access a Corfu-resistant gene from those in the first century who managed to survive the first deadly run. Could Edward's cloning provide such a specimen? Year Zero is an action-packed apocalyptic thriller that has two prime story lines that eventually merge into an exciting climax. Neither plot slows down as the audience observes a tale at hyperspeed, which means the key charcaters are either too perfectly good or corrupt. Fans of taut end of the world thrillers will want to read Jeff Long's tale that leaves the audience captivated into a one sitting read in spite of the length of the novel.

Blue Bayou
JoAnn Ross
Pocket Books
Apr 2002, $6.99, 400 pp., ISBN: 0743436822

After spending years away from her beloved Blue Bayou, Danielle Dupree, accompanied by her eight-year-old son, is coming home to serve as the librarian. Her father, a former judge jailed for corruption, will live with his daughter and grandson once he is freed from prison. However, instead of Beau Soleil, the Dupree clan has fallen as they will live in an apartment above the library. However, a fire that looks like arson somewhat ruins the apartment and the library. It looks like someone wants the Dupree brood not to return home. Bad Jack Callahan, a successful author, now owns Beau Soleil and has begun a renovation to restore the home to its former glory. Jack and Dani also have a history as they shared a torrid summer, but he left town before learning she was pregnant with his child. Doubly burned by males from her time with Jack and a marriage to a rat of a Congressman, Dani tries to avoid her former lover even though both still experience deep feelings for one another. JoAnn Ross has written a wonderful contemporary Bayou romance that readers who relish heat and distrust in their lead characters will enjoy. The subplot involving driving the Dupree family out of town takes away from the prime story line though it adds plenty of suspense. Ms. Ross turns Blue Bayou into a strong and powerful tale, due to strong characterizations, which includes a well-rounded support cast. This is the first in a trilogy starring the three Callahan Brothers novels and it demonstrates that the author is a born storyteller

Kiss The Bride
Patricia Cabot
Pocket Books
May 2002, $6.99, 352 pp., ISBN: 0743410289

The toast of the Ton just last year, Emma Van Court married Stuart Chesterton because of his compassion and sense of community activism. Stuart needed to help the poor so he accepte