Product Description
When a naked earl climbs through the window into her bedchamber, Lady Elizabeth Runyon does the proper thing: She screams. Loudly. And then...well, Lizzie has had enough of being proper. She wishes to be bold. Wanton, even. She won't be commanded to put on her nightgown. Just this once, she will be absolutely daring...Robert Hamilton, Earl of Westbrooke, has no intention of being tricked into marriage by a detestable female, and if he has to flee naked across a rooftop, he will. Jolly good there's an open window waiting - as well as an undressed, slightly drunk, and alluringly beautiful Lady Elizabeth. Oh dear. If they are caught together, he might have to marry her. The idea is delicious...and the temptation is irresistible... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

That's the ending???
Most of this book is well written and the two main characters engaging, however, that being said, the ending was horrible.It just sort of ended, very anticlimatic.Oh well, I did enjoy it mostly.

What Can I Say Except the Following
If you are considering reading this book you should anticipate a story about male impotency as the main plot line. You also get the hero and heroine embracing naked in the first chapter, which effectively eliminates all sexual tension between the main characters. Then you are treated to female adultery with two different men on two successive nights, death during sexual intercourse, sodomy, attempted rape, a bleeding breast from the sadistic efforts of the wanna be rapist, no punishment for the wanna be rapist, no character development, no emotion, no tenderness between any characters, no suspense, no period detail, no characters you care about, in other words 329 pages of drivel!!

Disgusting
An entertaining premise quickly lost in a story about conniving secondary characters and perverted sex scenes.Why was innocent Lizzie even at this party? On second thought, why was anyone at this party where the characters did not have anything in common and did not like each other? I did not see any humor in the hero's "problem" or the giggly terms used to describe it. There was no romance in this story. I tossed it in the trash can.

Good book, but not your normal read.
It is time to wander around with some more naked nobility. This time I have set my sights on the third book in the series, and we will talk more in depth with The Earl of Westbrooke, Robbie. Robbie was seen as a character in both The Naked Duke and The Naked Marquis, and in those stories he saw his to best friends get the terrifying leg shackle. Something Robbie reverently avoids, he has become very adapt at escaping the parsons mousetrap.

Or is that what he really wants? Is Robbie truly afraid of marriage, or is he afraid of something else? We will find out in this story that Robbie has a terrifying secret, and no matter how much he loves Lady Elizabeth, he can not marry her. And he does love her, its no secret that Lizzie the Duke of Alizarins sister loves Robbie, and among the ton it is not secret he casts the same glances.

The Naked Earl is a fantastic story, just like the other two books. It does have a few small points that drag a little bit. But other than that it is titillating. And like The Naked Duke it steps out of some of the normal's of the romance genre. We have a very bad villain, and also a villainess. You will even find a few soft mentions to BDSM, nothing to terrify your senses. But the villains to make a mention of it. Over all if you have enjoyed the other books in the series you will like this one. If you havent read the others you will want to so you know who all the characters are. Although you could get away with just reading The Naked Duke. So if you're a romance reader join me in giggling at the romps of the Naked Nobles, Robbie is sure to make you laugh!

page turner
I would recommend this book to anyone who reads romance novels.This was the first book I read by this author.It was so good I had to get the first book, which is a hard to find.The book was so good I finished it in one day.And I have two children and a job outside of the home! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

alittle much
The book was great and itgo herwe befroe It was sceduled. Thank you but it was not my kind of book.

Hot
This is a very erotic and hot book.Love Maya Banks' work.Excellent read.

Bound by Desire
Wade Peterson wanted Jessica Evans with a passion and lust he had never known. He had always been the one that just wanted to have fun, but things were different with Jessie. He wanted to possess her, and make her his - his alone. He was tired of sharing her with her with their childhood friend Clancy, and doing everything her way by her rules. At Christmas he had made the colossal mistake of proposing which sent her running. Wade knew she cared about him more than she was willing to admit, so he would just ease her into their relationship slowly to give her the time she needed to get used to it.

Jessie had made a pact with her best pal Clancy when they were kids to never marry. They had both had abysmal childhoods, and had plans to never repeat what they went through. She was terrified because Wade brought out feelings in her she had never experienced, and was afraid of. Clancy knew she loved Wade, and even though it broke his heart, he pushed her where she was afraid to go. Directly into Wade's loving arms.

While Jessie was still a little new at loving and having a family, Wade just knew she was born to be part of his large family. When her horrible for an excuse father showed up on her doorstep, and dumped his past into their present, Jessie's greatest fears were realized.She had always waited for the other shoe to drop, and didn't have to wait any longer. Just when they thought everything they ever wanted was in their grasp, reality intruded.

Jessie had never allowed herself to believe in anything permanent because in her experience it always fell apart, and so she never gave love or family a chance. Wade helped her to see what was possible if you allowed love to touch your heart. While the encounters between Wade, Clancy, and Jessie were hot, you always knew where Jessie's heart belonged. This story has many touching moments, but yet some very steamy scenes. Good balanced delivery! ... Read more

Product Description
Journeying to Colorado mesa country to study Anasazi ruins, Diana Saxton finds solace from her dark past and the promise of a passionate future in the arms of Tennessee Blackthorn. Reissue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

I liked it for the most part...
Description from the back of book:

Diana Saxton is planning to spend the summer alone, uncovering the native artifacts that are her passion--the only thing that has helped her survive a past that she would rather forget. But experience has taught Diana that the security of her academic world can shatter as easily as the delicate relics she collects.

Now, her love for history has brought her to the magical Colorado landscape. As an anthropologist, Diana's thrilled by the chance to discover the secrets of September Canyon. Then the solitude of her trip is jeopardized by a stranger as tough and commanding as the land itself. Tennessee Blackthorn knows that the shy professor doesn't welcome his company, but he's promised to watch over her safety.

Diana's never trusted anyone to share her world before. Now she's alone with a stranger, in a place where nature holds the history of the land. And suddenly, Diana is discovering more than the past. She's finding her future...

* Although I didn't like book #1 in this series I enjoyed book #2 & this book, #3.My only real complaint is that there was a really long boring part near beginning to the middle of the book where I felt like I was in history class.I felt like my teacher had give me something boring & uninteresting to read.So although I enjoyed the romance & everything about the couple I didn't care for the elaborate details about the Anasazi people & the land in which they lived.

As I stated in my review for book #2 I would recommend book #2 & #3 but my advice is to skip the first book since it really didn't have much bearing on these 2 book with that being a historical book & these being contemporary.

Important info -- but short on story.
I would recommend reading this book, if only to stay informed on the details of the characters.This story didn't really unfold anything interesting about Tennessee's history.A really great guy, all in all, but we don't know why. As for Diana,I just don't get her.Okay, her dad was a grump and her ex forced himself on her; for this, she hates and fears all men?
Once she finally comes to her senses and realizes she wants to enjoy herself with Ten, then the story heats up.But the heat is practically at the end of the book!
I love the way the author consistently puts so much detail about her settings into all of her stories -- the setting becomes a character.I feel like I'm actually learning something.But, in this case, the main character was the mystery of the Anasazi people and the minor story was the relationship of Diana and Ten.

least fave of teh series
I read all of this series, even Reckless Love, teh historical which began the sgag of these familes The MacKenzies and the Blackthorn. This one just didn't quite doi it for me. Mainly because Diana is a rape victim and I suppose I can't relate to that (fortunately), but I think her character's fear of men is almost unbelievable to some extent. I like Ten, I liek Diana, I like the strraction, but something just didn't have me engulfed in the book and done with it in a day or two, like the other had. All in all I would recomend reading it to keep in sequence with the series.

Great Book
I recommend this book to anyone because it was a great read.The characters were great because showed them coming to terms with their growing feelings with each other, especially the hero of the book Ten because he's also dealing with emotions of being around people again not dealing with fighting wars.It was great also because Elizabeth Lowell show her characters dealing with any fears that Ten and Diana both had.As I said earlier this is a book that I recommend to anyone looking for something great to read.

Had to go buy this book again!
Made the mistake of loaning all 4 of the books in this series out...andafter they'd made the rounds, I never got them back. So, since I waspurchasing, I decided to start with my favorite of the four. I loved theattraction between Diane & Tennessee & the background research thatEP obviously labored over was just enough to add an interesting diminsionto the story. By the time the attraction between Ten & Diane hit highspeed in the love factor, I was convinced Tennessee is the hottest hero tocome out of the typed word since Rhett Butler! This time, I WILL not loanthis book out. Warning! If you buy the book, hang on to it because you'llwant to read it more than once! ... Read more

Product Description

He is Lord Reynald de Mortimer, a powerful warrior of the thirteenth century who defended his castle against his fiercest enemies. Now Reynald has awakened from a seven-hundred-year sleep to find that his beloved home has been turned into a modern hotel. Worse, it is host to a medieval festival! Before Reynald can begin to contemplate his fate, a stunning beauty comes to his rescue . . .

Customer Reviews (11)

Ghost
Liked this one because it brings someone from the past back to the future.Got hooked on her books with the highlander's that came back from the past.Little slow to start with put it down a few times but once I got to going was great.

excellent read
i really like the book. i love the storyline and the chemistry between the 2 main characters.

Passions of the Ghost
I knew what I was looking for when I ordered this book and I recommend it to other readers.

Nothing to say
When reviewing a novel, one either likes it or not. I am displeased to say that I neither liked it or not. I like the story line; however, it was not well developed. There was no oomph! No explanations, expansions or anything such thing. I was sadly disappointed because the first novel in the series was great and I can see the potential of this series but I wonder if the author and her publisher do.

Write on, read on
N.M. Phillips

Poory written and painful to read
Sorry.I strongly disagree with the other reviewers.This was my first time reading Sara Mackenzie and it will be the last time.I think one of her sentences, "It made her feel icky" sums up this very poorly written novel. The plot had potential, but the weak level of writing made this book painful to read. ... Read more

Product Description
The all-time classic book on time management, "The Time Trap", has shown countless readers how to squeeze the optimal efficiency and satisfaction out of their work day. Based on decades of research with businesspeople around the world, and now completely updated. Filled with smart tactics, revealing interviews, and handy time management tools, the book has been extensively revised to cover time management challenges caused by new technologies and the Internet, and to provide technology-based solutions. For those who feel swamped by work and information overload, this is the proven, up-to-the-minute guide they need for getting things done when there never seems to be enough time.Amazon.com Review
Since it was first published, The Time Trap, byinternationally known authority Alec Mackenzie, has indeed becomeThe Classic Book on Time Management, as proclaimed in itssubtitle. Based on the theory that self-management is the key tohandling the time crunch that we all face, it focuses primarily onMackenzie's 20 biggest time wasters, such as telephone interruptions,the inability to say "no," and personal disorganization, andoffers clear step-by-step ways to combat them. The updated thirdedition also includes information on time problems caused bytechnology, downsizing, and self-employment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

Get most out of your Time.
"The Time Trap" is a bestselling book from 1972. This edition is an update, which takes into account time consuming items which were not important in 1972, e.g. mobile phone and internet. However, surprisingly not much has changed in the last 40 years:

Todays top 5 list of time traps are:
1. Management by Crisis
2. Inadequate Planning
3. Inability to say No
4. Miscommunication
5. Poorly Run Meetings

The author advises, that the reader should make his own list of time traps and then deal with it accordingly. The book correctly says that Time Management is part of Priority Management: Do not just organize your time so that you can finish all items, but first think about which items are important and bring you closer to your goals.

To be efficient, the author advises for example the following: List your top three actions for the day and schedule them into your best time of the day.

The book gives many good ideas about priority and time management. But I cannot give five stars, since the author himself has told Fortune Magazine that managing time is a lot more difficult than what he imagined, since the techniques go against human nature, like doing sports. - Advice which goes against my nature might not be very helpful in the long-run.

This book will benefit you, your clients, and save your company $$
This practical (and often funny) book handles prioritizing (task triage) in realistic new ways.

For people like me in affordable property management who must handle random interrupters while wrestling with multiple priorities, the ideas are solid and logical.

This book rewards serious reading: it's not a "quickie hints" book, though its closing chapter does summarize ten quick reminder-solutions for each major "time trap".

The opening chapters tackle Multiple Priorities.The vital advice here is:"De-randomize" the most important tasks in your business day so that random interruptions or small jobs cannot jeopardize major tasks.

The Daily Plan is key: you reserve specific priority spots on your schedule for your top 20% of tasks. You choose times when you can guarantee focused treatment. Color these brief reserved spaces "red" on your schedule so they are highly visible: then, let nothing interfere with them.

The Details:

Start your day listing your top three priorities--the most valued tasks you MUST complete today.
Then, slot those tasks into your "red zone" times of day--not necessarily your "earliest" times--but definitely your "best" times: when you have the three essentials--energy, access and privacy--to handle challenging or confidential issues successfully. With your top tasks thus safeguarded, it's probably
OK to "wing- it" on tasks outside the red zones.On such lower-impact work, the damage of delay is slight.

As for interrupters:

You can de-randomize interruptions, too.Make a specific deal with your best clients, customers or colleagues---those who tend to contact you urgently, yet unexpectedly.If they contact you, blindly, at a time when your general phone and walk-in traffic is heaviest, they have to fight their way past less-deserving cases. Why should they?

So the advice is:
Tell your best clients that while you'll willingly "bump" other traffic where possible, you wonder why your top client should "take their chances" at all.Pick a good moment to sit down with a top client or colleague: display a graphic rendering of unavoidable peak traffic.Offer a deal.Suggest they find their most convenient times of day (out of peak traffic time) to contact you. They can gather all their needs--put all their pins in a row, then expect a guaranteed "e-mail or phone appointment" when you'll deal resolutely with all their issues--with only their data in front of you, and only their needs paramount. Of course, while you're creating such privileged "red zone" for your best clients--you're also giving them a clue about planning-- a long-term benefit for your relationship.

Sounds like a solution to me!The wide coverage of this book helped me see where I am already
strong at time management.But I'm newly resolved to reserve the best 20% of my day (my red zones) for problem-solving appointments with those few clients or colleagues whose issues give me and my company 80% of our income potential.

Professional consultants do not understand time pressure
I have read perhaps a dozen books on time management and I consider The Time Trap, Fourth Edition, published in 2009, to be one of the least helpful. It does contain some useful ideas, especially for persons who have not thought seriously about time management before, who have not read other work, but it provides little additional insight from other available work.

My primary complaint with the book is a complaint that I have with the entire genre. The authors are professional consultants. It is apparent from the writing, that these author do not know from personal experience what it is like to face an avalanche of high-priority responsibility, the 150 e-mails that arrive overnight including the 20 of varying urgency hidden within the pile that directly impact one's long-term objective. The discussion of e-mail and virtual tools is particularly naïve. On page 154 when addressing important e-mail issue #1 "High Volume"the authors state "it's not the interruptions that all you; it's the randomness of the interruptions . . . ", and then proceeds to offer a number of suggestions on how to schedule when to check e-mail. The authors completely sidestep the number one problem with e-mail, that is high volume. Those of us with enormous responsibilities, connected to people all over the world, from different organizations, with different work weeks, different cultures, different time zones and different priorities are struggling with setting priorities and managing time amidst a constant inflow of new information and new requests that we need a sound strategy for. This book does not provide much help, not because the situation we face is beyond help, but because the authors do not genuinely understand our situation.

This book wastes my time
This book wastes my time and money. There's no solid ground. The chapters, "the world gone virtual", "E-mail mania" and "the untamed telephone" are too generic and out-dated. With this level of information provided in this book, I'd be better off google it.

Pretty useless for anybody but managers
I found this book pretty useless. It contains a lot of commonplace hints how to organize your life better but doesn't offer many original ideas on howto implement them and help yourself in achieving results. I guess, most of us usually know WHAT our "time wasters" are and would rather need an advice HOW to changesituation.
The book style if old-fashioned and many illustrations (especially tables) are impossible to read because of the author's scribble. It seems to be written by a manager for other managers ignoring the day-to-day needs and specifics of anybody else. Abundance of slang and "simple language" is another feature of this book.
I found David Allen's "Getting things done" a much more inspiring and useful. ... Read more

Product Description
The ancient clan spirit is not yet dead in the Scottish Highlands, with Donald MacDonald of Ben Nevis ruling the roost at wild, craggy Glenbogle castle. Woe betide those who trespass on this chieftain's kingdom... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Monarch of the Glen ca. 1940
It's a great book. While it's a very different Glenbogle from the TV shows, it captures a lot of the spirit of the same place. It's not too hard to fill in the intervening years and feel a continuity of life at the Castle. I also enjoyed the fact that the whiny angst of some of the TV characters is pretty much absent, while the power of the laird hellbent on following his idiosyncratic notion of life as a laird with his sidekicks (including a Killwillie) is all there. It's easy to imagine the Ben Nevis as the father of Hector, who seems to be a chip off the old block. If you have a fetish for the TV characters, you might be disappointed, but if you let yourself get involved, you'll get a sense of Glenbogle of ages past, before the internet, cellphones, globalization and rock and roll.
I can't wait to read the next one!

Highly recommended!

A good holiday read!
I started with the TV version (BBC America) and found the book different -- and funnier.

the Monarch of the Glen
I haven't gotten into the book as yet, but I have seen all the series of the BBC production and really enjoyed the story, characters and the beauty of the land.I know the book will give me more of the story then the series and I'm really looking forward to the read.

TV Series Wins!
This book is entertaining and well written. You can see how the TV Series picked an individual thought out of the book to make an episode but don't look for chapters that co-inside with the series. Actually, the theme of the book is based around hikers who Ben Nevis absolutely despises and proceeds to capture them on his land and immediately locks them up in his dungeon. After releasing them, the hikers union plan and execute capturing Ben Nevis and locking him up until he signs an agreement to allow the union to camp and hike on his land. The story is funny and in its self would have made an excellent episode. I still prefer the TV series.

good clean fun
I had never heard of Compton Mackenzie until a few years ago when I rescued a copy of "Hunting the Fairies" from a newspaper recycling bin (a guy in our town died and his idiot family dumped his book collection---I rescued hundreds for our library book sale.) "Hunting the Fairies" was that rare book which made me laugh out loud and also feel warm and uplifted. The Monarch of the Glen continues with some of the same characters and has the same humanity and wit. The humor is gentle but not sappy, satirical but not mean, and the characters are keenly observed from real life. This book is a very entertaining read, plus you'll learn a thing or two about Scottish history and culture. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

I wanted more Marcellus
My rating on this book is more like 3.5.It had some good things going for it- steamy sex scenes, a good, conflicting plot going into the politics and superstitions of the werewolves and vampires.The story weighed more on the werewolf end of the menege leaving the vamopire out of a big part of the story, which I found very disappointing.Instead of following the triad, the story mainly seemed to follow 2/3 of the love triangle.I kept hoping the vampire would get equal time, but he never did which led to a resolution that I found disappointing.In my opinion a better compromise could have been struck.

It was a good book, although I am not sure I would read it again.The hybrid idea was very interesting, although the vampires greatly resemebled Christine Feehan's Carpathians. Not a bad thing since I like the Carpathians, just not unique.My only real complaint is that I wanted more Marcellus.

Black Widow- A Joyfully Recommended Title
Leaving her office to go home Tammy is violently attacked and mauled by what appears to be a giant dog.As Tammy feels her heart beating it's last, she is rescued.When she awakens she finds herself chained to a cold floor and along with the paralyzing fear she feels, Tammy finds that she can only think of how much she wants to be sandwiched between the two gorgeous men discussing her without realizing she's awake, and the fact that she can hear their blood pumping in their veins and she'd like nothing better than to drink her fill.Tammy has been viciously ripped from her lonely yet normal life to a life where she is hated and believed to be an abomination better off dead.Marcellus, the vampire leader who saved her life and Roark the werewolf leader who realizes she's in heat both feel a strange pull towards the young woman who did not ask to be turned into a hybrid of vampire/werewolf.Both men are willing to do what they must in order to save her life and keep her as their mate.But with so many questions swirling around and danger lurking within each group vampire and werewolf can this triad overcome all obstacles that lay in their path to happiness?

Black Widow is beyond a doubt a Joyfully Recommended Read for me!!Let me tell you why...I was hooked from the first chapter.I read this story late into the night, eyes burning and teary and yet I continued to read because I wanted to see who was the mysterious, sexy man who fought off what was no doubt a werewolf gone mad and rescued this poor woman from it's maw full of teeth.As I read I was wholly sucked into the turmoil that Tammy felt being caught between THREE worlds, (human, vampire and werewolf) and two stunning-make-your-panties-melt men who both want her as their mate.The hatred that was thrown at Tammy from each group was so real; I can imagine the eyes of those wanting her dead glowing an eerie red.Not only was Tammy dealing with being unwanted she had to deal with the extremely confusing and conflicting feelings within.She wanted sex...no, not wanted, she NEEDED it.At the same time she needed to feel the richness of blood flowing down her throat and her very desire was to have both at the same time.Marcellus and Roark answer her siren's call and I swear I thought I would have to move to Alaska just to cool the flames.There is one scene that is SO hot my eyes crossed, I put my ereader down to cool off and went back and re-read it just for good measure.Ms. McKade could make a saint commit a sin with this story! As Tammy gathered her inner strength, there were moments that I could visualize her wrapping her newfound power and confidence around her like a man wraps himself around his woman in the heat of passion.It was at these moments I would giggle and say `You go girl!'Now there is a character in the story, Stephen, who I would love to see in a future book.A bucket of ice won't do the trick this time, you will have to pull out your little black book or grab your s.o. when you are done reading, or as you are reading this, but read it you must!

Dee
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Like the BLACK WIDOW she's beautiful but deadly - and utterly irresistable
Up until the fateful night she's attacked by what she believes to be a huge dog-like creature Tammy's life had been routine and boring.Now there's nothing normal or boring about her existence what-so-ever.Life as she knew it is forever gone - she's become a hybrid, half wolf-half vampire, with a blood-lust and sex drive that will lure men to their graves.

Marcellus Donne is the leader of the vampires and he's responsible for saving her life and turning her into the legendary creature that she's become.Like other men he finds it near impossible to resist her siren's call - even though he's aware that to yield could be deadly - even for a vampire.

Roark Lanier, wolf pack leader, has mixed emotions about the night Tammy was attacked.His friend Grady violated lycanthrope law and converted a human to werewolf and because of his obvious unstableness had died.Discovering that Tammy is his mate however is beyond exciting.Physically she's perfection, but she's part vampire and he isn't sure how to handle sharing her with Donne.

Tammy doesn't understand what's happening to her.One minute she's lamenting her lack of a social life, she's attacked and the next she knows she's restrained with an uncontrollable need for sex and blood.Donne's fully aware that Tammy should be destroyed - she's already come close to killing two of his men, but that doesn't keep him from feeling connected to her.Destroying her isn't something he's truly willing to consider.Fortunately Roark is equally drawn to her and determined to do everything in his power to protect her.She's his mate . . .but she's also a mate to Donne.

The vampires and werewolves are natural enemies and neither desires having anything to do with the other, but Tammy forces them to come together in a way none of them have ever considered - even if their goal is to kill her.Donne has his hands full keeping the vampires from uprising, and Roark faces discontent amongst his pack. Meanwhile Tammy's trying to figure out where it is she fits in since she obviously will not be accepted amongst either of her new mates' people.Likened to a BLACK WIDOW, Tammy draws men to her for sexual gratification but her need to feed is a veritable death sentence for anyone who heeds her call.Can Donne and Roark teach her to control her instincts and show her that she's not a monster?

Like the infamous spider, BLACK WIDOW draws readers in and won't let you go until you've read every fascinating word.I've had Mackenzie McKade on my `must read' author list ever since I first started reading her storylines but BLACK WIDOW shows a whole new side of her writing talent that I never expected.She's taken two highly popular subjects, werewolves and vampires, and combined them to tell a story that's so intriguing and down right sexy that I was salivating just imagining each scene.Add to that the intensity of the feelings between Tammy, Roark and Donne and an all around thrilling plot full of all the suspense you could possibly want and you have a story that you'll definitely be adding to your keeper shelf!Hopefully there'll be more stories in the near future involving these characters because I really would like to know more about many of them.

Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)

5 Klovers - Courtesy of CK2S Kwips & Kritiques
One fateful night and a vicious attack by a strange creature changes Tammy's life and her destiny forever.With new powers that threaten to grow beyond her control and two men insistent that she is now their mate, she can never return to the life she once knew.But acceptance into her new world isn't quite so easy either, as both vampires and werewolves prove fearful of her.

For she has been reborn as a creature of awesome legend, with the potential for more strength and power than any other.Even more frightening to the werewolves and vampires she now walks amongst, her bond with Marcellus, the vampire king, and Roark, the alpha of all werewolves, affords the opportunity to unite two races that have endured a barely civil truce until now.There are those who will do anything to prevent this.

Mackenzie McKade has done it again!With a decided penchant for sexy vampire tales, she really revs things up in Black Widow, where she not only brings both the vampire world and the shifter world together, but unites them with a more obscure creature of legend and a fascinating, original mythos to go along with this new world of hers.

What obscure creature of legend, you ask?Ahhh, but that would be a bit of a spoiler, and I am not one to knowingly spill the little surprises in a story...Better you should read for yourself and experience the same little thrill I did as the story unfolds and you learn this firsthand.Suffice it to say that Ms. McKade has delivered a very unique spin in paranormal romance that I am eager to see more of in the form of sequels to Black Widow!

What I will say right up front is that this romance has some very hot ménage scenes between Marcellus, Tammy, and Roark, and those scenes sometimes include some light male/male content, although the love scenes are primarily male/female and male/female/male.All of it is very well done and serves to exhibit the love this trio have for each other and the strength of their new bond.

If you love paranormal romance about a ménage with a devastingly handsome, very attentive vampire and a highly sexed alpha werewolf then you will adore Mackenzie McKade's Black Widow! ... Read more

Product Description
Hell hath nothing worse than a Fury scorned...

As a Fury, Marissa Holloway belongs to an Arcane race that has avenged wrongdoing since time immemorial. As Boston's Chief Magical Investigator for the past five years, she's doing what she was born to: solving supernatural crimes.

It's far from business as usual when the body of one of Riss's sister Furies washes up in Boston harbor. Riss discovers that the corpse's identity has been magically altered, but as soon as she reports her findings, she's immediately--and inexplicably--suspended from her job. Then a human assassin makes an attempt on her life, and Riss starts to realize that someone may be trying to stir up strife between mortals and Arcanes.

When a Fury gets mad, she gets even, and Riss is determined to untangle this case. Without the support of the mortal PD, Riss turns to the one man she can trust to watch her back--shapeshifting Warhound Scott Murphy. But since Scott is also Riss's ex, she'll have to keep a tight leash on more than just the supernatural rage that feeds her power as they try to solve a murder--and stop a war... (added by author) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Great take on Furies!
Really enjoyed this one! I don't think I've read a book featuring furies before, and never really knew their mythology. Love it when I come across new myths and legends! Liked the background provided about harpies and warhounds as well. Very cool!

Really liked Riss, the Fury who is trying to track down why Arcanes have been disappearing, and why someone wants her to think that her missing best friend is dead. She's one of those kickass heroines that I love, and I really liked her. Maybe it was her struggle to do the right thing, and keep a lid on her rage? I can totally relate to that. (be afraid! be very afraid!) *L*

Anyway, once Riss is suspended from her job as Chief Magical Investigator and realizes that assassins are trying to kill her, she turns to the only person she can trust to keep her safe; her ex-love, Scott. Helps that his family are warhound mercenaries, another species I wasn't familiar with. Let's pause for a moment and bask in the sheer animal magnetism of Scott the warhound....*sigh*...um, sorry, where was I?

So we have a Fury trying to solve a mystery with no back-up, while on the run from the authorities and assassins both. The possibility of sparks flying with an ex. The discovery that Arcanes have been disappearing over the last few years. All connected to a horrible, evil plot that could lead to war between the races. Whoa!

Really enjoyed this book! Good action, interesting characters, a great heroine, sexy-yet-not-annoying men, and an actual plot! Kasey is a very talented writer, and I really enjoyed the universe she came up with. This is listed as a Shades of Fury novel, so hoping that it will be a series! Would love to see more of Riss and Scott, want to see what happens with Cori, curious about how Olivia will turn out, want more of the harpies, and would like to meet more of the Murphy clan. And did I mention my new fascination with warhounds?

Awesome Debut Novel
I've been looking forward to this book for a while, considering I've been seeing snippets and scenes of it for the last few years as Kasey worked on it at Forward Motion. I've seen it process from the skeleton of a scene to a full fledged novel that she worked hard to get represented and published. The end product... Excellent.

The main character is Marissa Holloway, a Fury. She comes complete with sass and red leather only an urban fantasy heroine can pull off. Riss, as she's called for most of the book, is part of a magic sect entirely comprised of women called the Sisterhood of Furies. The Fury genes are passed down through bloodlines. Men can be carriers, but can't be Furies. Only females can.

The story starts off with Riss discovering a corpse that is supposed to be her missing best friend, but something isn't quite right with it. This sends Riss headfirst into a nice little conspiracy that just keeps getting deeper. Her only option, of course, is to go to someone she knows she can trust... Her ex. I don't know about you, but I'm not entirely sure if I broke this dude's heart if he'd have my best interest at heart. It was a little bit of a stretch for me to accept that he'd be cool with protecting her ass after she took off on him. (At least that's what I think his POV on this would be, because that's how I think.)

I think my favorite characters were the magic snakes that keep Riss healthy and alive and I'll be the first to admit, I was a little pissed the couple of times she put them through the wringer. And I sort of wish the two snakes had just a little more to do during the story than they did, but that's just my love of secondary characters talking. I also love Mister, Bob, and Mouse more than I love Harry in the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. I'm a sucker for lovable secondary characters.

The one thing I think might bother people about the story is that the bad guy was pretty simple to pick up on. I won't go into it, for spoiler's sake, but I guessed the bad guy pretty early on in the story. Of course, I usually do and it helped I had some spoilers over the last few years, LOL.Even with that, it was an awesome, well-written story. The banter between Scott and Riss was awesome and I found myself laughing at a few awkward situations they found themselves in. I'll definitely be waiting for Book 2 and not because Kasey is such a nice person... Though she really is.

Red Hot Mess!
I really wanted to like this book and I was disappointed that it was so corny.The author seemed like she was trying to hard to incorporate stolen ideas from not one but most of the modern pop culture TV into this one novel. I feel like the first chapter alone combined episodes of Charmed, Law & Order and Smallville.This book has poser written all over it for me and I have zero patience for it.The Superhuman healing comments were way over the top, juvenile and irritating as hell.

Needless to say, I didn't particularly care for this book, and I won't be reading the next book in the series Green Eyed Envy.The only thing interesting about this book is the cover.

Commendable Debut
As an avid reader, a future English teacher, and an aspiring writer, I would like to applaud Kasey Mackenzie's debut effort in the form of Red Hot Fury. Using references from Greek, Roman, Celtic and Egyptian mythology, Kasey has introduced readers to an interesting new world and characters/creatures that are beyond common knowledgewhich is a welcome relief from the avalanche of vampires and werewolves that have inundated the fantasy and supernatural fiction genres recently.

I purchased the book on Saturday afternoon and finished it Sunday evening. The plot moves along quickly and I truly spent my time reading it always wanting to know what was going to happen next. I like the fact that the book was written in a way that allows the reader to follow along even if they have either no knowledge or only cursory knowledge of the creatures that make up the cast of characters contained within it, but if one is so inclined, more information on these supernatural beings is readily available for research.I also love the sardonic wit that fills the book and the main character and heroine Riss, she reminds me of a female Sam Spade (with supernatural powers, of course).

I believe some of the reviewers' issues with perceived problems in the area of world-building will be addressed as the series develops. In my estimation, though perhaps a little more explanation could have been offered in regards to the "war" or various powers of the entities, building and introducing a new world, along with telling the story of a handful of people inhabiting it, would take more than 337 pages. As far as the one criticism I read concerning that even after a war nothing in this new world had really changed, does human nature really change after a war? If it did, then at some point wouldn't we stop having wars? Just a thought.

I want to wish Kasey good luck with the book and I can't wait for the next in the series. I will be one of the first in line to pick up my copy!

By the Numbers
I hate this book so much that I distrust my own opinion, so indulge me as I enumerate what I think author Kasey Mackenzie gets wrong.

1) In the first paragraph of page one, our narrator and protagonist, Marissa Holloway, drops not two, not three, but four sardonic witticisms.This sets the tone for the whole book.Marissa's style nakedly rips off hundreds of East Coast-based crime movies in which the heroic but jaded cop uses sarcasm to keep everyone else at arm's length.

2) Apropos of nothing, on page 4, Marissa announces her years-long romantic drought, a main theme of the book.I'm heartily sick of fantasy mysteries by women authors in which they can only make their heroines human by giving them no luck with men.With a whole orchestra of human experience, they only blow one note on the oboe.

3) Marissa starts out angry, gets angrier, and, until two pages from the end, never demonstrates any emotion but some form of anger.Except lust, which in her case consistently smacks of anger.Then she complains that few people like or trust her.May I mail her a clue?

4) By chapter two, Marissa is suspended from duty.The action is manifestly unjust, forcing her to go rogue to solve the crime.But this is fantasy, so she seeks help from the council of Furies, supernatural police.They too shut her down.Mackenzie double-dips from the Cliché Store.

5) Moments after suspension, Marissa engages in a shootout.Her partner is wounded.Name me a cop movie that doesn't feature this.But since we haven't reached page twenty, this feels unearned.Instead of affecting us, the author manipulates us.

6) With nowhere to run, Marissa seeks out her ex, a mercenary.She hates him with such passion that you know they'll fall in bed by the end.He wants her, she wants him, and it takes only a few pages for old misunderstandings go bye-bye, but she still refuses to have sex.Who is she punishing?Just take your clothes off and do it already!

7) Marissa's world suffered a massive war between supernatural beings and humans, so recently that veterans remain alive and active.This war changed society NOT ONE BIT.When Nancy Holzner and Kelly Gay create fantasy worlds where magic occurs openly, they imagine changed worlds.Mackenzie can't be bothered.

8) Marissa blames a local Mafioso for her sister-in-law's disappearance.She believes it so fiercely that we know he must be innocent.Indeed, we know they'll be allies by the end.That subplot wastes our precious reading time.

9) One ensemble character is supposedly Scottish.His first words in this story?"Aye, lassie."My best friend is from Edinburgh, and in seven years, I've never heard him say either "aye" or "lassie."Mackenzie should expand beyond gangster-film ethnic stereotypes.

10) Someone attacks Marissa inside her ex's family compound.She induces that his family must (gasp!) harbor a mole.Seasoned readers start a suspect list and test it against mounting evidence.Marissa does not.Thus, the climactic revelation surprises nobody... except Marissa.

11) Near page 200, Marissa's wounded partner returns (see #5 above).Though she was shot just days ago, she is out of the hospital and back on the force.I don't believe this for a minute, because a real cop who takes a bullet, even if it misses bones and vital organs, faces months of physical therapy, and may still get forced out with a disability pension.

12) If you probed a case involving shape-shifters, and two people you thought dead returned, wouldn't you be a bit suspicious?But for someone who vigorously nurses grudges, Marissa is remarkably trusting when she should be skeptical.Mackenzie rewards this slovenliness by letting this discrepancy come to nothing.

I could continue, but it gets mean, and this approaches spoiler territory.Notice how often I mention movies.I see little between these covers to suggest that Mackenzie reads recreationally.Perhaps she'd prefer writing screenplays.Maybe she thinks this book will give her a boost in Hollywood.I'd rather read books that didn't waste my scarce time. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Lovely addition
I did already have this book, and love it, but wanted the DVD also. It might not be a comprehensive spinning DVD but I do think it is a lovely addition to the book. If I didn't have the book I would absolutely buy the combination!!

Disappointed - Not What I Was Expecting
Not what I was expecting.

My low rating is not for the book as it was and still is exceptional as was the first release without the DVD but for the DVD.

I was expecting spinning techniques on the DVD.
The DVD contains excerpts from the Gentle Art of Plying DVD's which I highly recommend and are extremely detailed and well done.

If you already have this book, do not buy the book with the DVD expecting spinning techniques or you will be disappointed as well. If you have the book already get the Gentle Art of Plying DVD's instead and you will be pleased.

If you have neither then I recommend buying this package with 5 stars.

Now, on another note.
The book was recevied with the upper corner damaged like it was dropped on the corner. The DVD was all scratched which really ticked me off. It is supposed to be a new product therefore spotless.
This has nothing to do with the product but whoever packed it. Disgusting. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (5)

Wow! What a story
It's not every day you find a new, original twist on the mystery/detective story, and this is it! I've always been drawn to stories with strong female main characters, and the investigator in "Random Violence"-- Jade de Jong-- drew me in immediately. She's smart and savvy, but also likable and down-to-earth, and that really appealed to me. I've read a lot of Janet Evanovich, and Mackenzie is like a more thrilling, less deliberately-humorous version of that-- with romance threaded through the plot, tense cliffhanger moments and a real crime to solve, sexy and enjoyable characters, and a wonderfully evoked setting. I can't wait for the next one to come out.

compelling well written
if you like intelligent compelling detective fiction you will love this.I am an addict for this genre and this book is a treat.

Random Violence
Jade deJong , the headstrong protagonist of this terrific new novel, is a p.i. who has left her native South Africa, but after a ten-year absence has returned after, most recently, doing surveillance work in England.Her father, before his death, had been police commissioner in Johannesburg, described as a city filled with crime and brutality.The tale opens with the brutal murder of a young woman in what initially appears to have been an attempted carjacking, the first but hardly the last violent act in this novel.

Jade, thirty-four years old, has long-standing relationships with two men, who couldn't be less alike:David, a cop who trained under her father's mentorship and is now a Superintendent in the Johannesburg Central police headquarters, with whom she has a chaste friendship which she would like to see evolve into something more intimate; and Robbie, a small-time gangster whose own attempts at intimacy she rejects, but who serves a purpose.She has timed her return home with the expected release from prison of a convicted murderer who she blames for her father's death.Ultimately, her sense of justice, and her determination to see it done, provides her motivation despite some narrow escapes and the continuing jeopardy in which she finds herself.

The author, who was raised in South Africa, has written a debut novel which brings the country to gritty life, a fast-paced and gripping tale with memorable characters.Readers, including this one, can look forward to her follow-up entry in the series, due out in 2011.

Recommended.

Violence is endemic
Jassy Mackenzie's RANDOM VIOLENCE, the first in the Jade de Jong series, opens with the murder of a woman in an apparent car hijacking outside the gates of her fortified home in a suburb of Johannesburg. In the next section, Jade is being driven from the airport by David Patel, a superintendent in the police department and the protege of Jade's father, a police commissioner who was killed ten years before. Since her father's death, Jade has been living in Great Britain. out of touch with people and events in South Africa. David has hired a car for Jade and has asked her to help him with the investigation into Annette Botha's murder. Jade had been a private investigator, a career suggested by her father when she thought of joining the police force. As soon as David drops her off at her new accomodations, she leaves to meet another old friend, a much less respectable one. Robbie is a gun dealer and Jade wants, and needs, a gun. Against the agreement she thought she had with Robbie, he hands her the same gun she had used ten years before when she killed a man.

Jade has killed and she is willing to kill again, always to remove from society those who have no compunctions about the harm they do to other people. The South Africa Jade returns to, especially in the Johannesburg area, is one that has become integrated but one where those who can afford it live in gated communities with heavily armed guards or behind walls topped with razor wire.

As Jade looks into the murder of Annette Botha she learns that there is a building boom, expensive gated communities being built on the large lots owned by people who have died violently. Identities are stolen and in the background is the man known as Whiteboy, a man who kills in the most brutal ways.

There are explicit descriptions of Whiteboy's brutality. I did a lot of scanning but I am glad that I finished the book. Jade and Robbie are either amoral or immoral in their willingness to be paid vigilantes. David Patel is a decent man, caught in the web of a corrupt police department, but managing to keep his honor. The characters are interesting enough that I will read the next in the series when it makes it to the United States.

Great new detective story from South Africa
Jade de Jong is a welcome addition to the P.I. genre. She's hard-boiled, exercising a moral flexibility when the situation demands it but not so hard-boiled that she is without human feelings. Readers who like a strong sense of location in their crime fiction (and I'm one) won't be disappointed with the setting or the way Mackenzie weaves in post-apartheid social and cultural adjustments as well as South Africa's extraordinarily violent crime problem. Random Violence has an excellent plot with two story lines that are both compelling and a pacing that made me keep reading. My only disappointment is that the next book in the series isn't immediately available. ... Read more

Product Description
You'll be delighted with these sixteen beautiful new teapot designs to applique using the method of your choice. A sampler quilt pattern is included to show off your whole collection of teapots. You'll see color photos of quilts in a variety of styles as inspiration. Also presented: New! Kay's tips for no-template hand applique. Learn the back-basting method. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Tea Pots
I love to collect tea pots, since I moved in with my daughter and space is an issue I had to give away my tea pots.Now I have made a Wall Hanging from this pattern and have some tea pots again.Love it!

Great teapots!
I am getting lots of compliments on my teapots after using this book for patterns! It's been fun selecting different colors for the bodies, spouts, lids and handles to personalize each teapot. The book has basic full-page teapots, cups, sugar and spoon outlines and color pictures inside of a finished quilt plus directions. Also, for additional information, this author has a website that I found helpful. I like this second book better than the first one since the shapes are more "real". If you love teapots and applique, you'll love this book.

Delightful idea especially the Japanese idea
Loved the ideas in this book particularly as I have a dear friend whom I am always looking for different Japanese style patchwork. It is easy to follow paarticularly as I have only monoocular vision.

LOVE THIS BOOK!!!
What a wonderful selection of teapots to applique with full size templates to trace for either hand applique or by machine. I chose many color values in metallics and they are beautiful, whether you make a few for pillows or a wall hanging, or the complete collection for the quilt, these are wonderful and such fun to make and a bit different from the usual patterns for quilts. I hear a lot of WOW's and AHH's from other quilting friends when they see a few of these delightful teapots. GREAT BOOK!

Teapots
I like the different types of teapots that are in this book.I wish however that this book had a cd that you could print off the size template you need like her other book.
This is the only book I have found that gives you different types of teapots all in one book.
Love the book. ... Read more

Product Description
WARRIOR, HIGHLANDER, VAMPIRE

Meet the MASTER OF ECSTASY. Darach MacKenzie is everything dark, dangerous, and delicious. His voice is a tempting slide of sin, and he's the primitive need that lives in every woman, no matter how much she denies it. But even five hundred years of sensual knowledge haven't prepared him for the woman who awaits him in his clan's ancestral castle.

HAPPINESS IS HER BUSINESS

In a distant future, Blythe works for Ecstasy Inc. to make people happy. That's her job, and she does it well. Company policy forbids the use of sensual solutions to cure unhappiness, and Blythe agrees that sex is a short-term fix. When her abilities are called into question, Blythe travels back to the Scottish Highlands of 1785 to prove that she can make anyone happy. She hasn't counted on a centuries-old vampire for a client.

Darach believes that sexual pleasure is the key to happiness. Blythe thinks that Ecstasy Inc. has all the answers. Neither one considers love as an option. They're about to discover how wrong they can be. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

great book
This is a great book by Nina Bangs.I loved it and wasn't able to put it down.I highly recommend it.

Master of Ecstasy (Mackenzie Vampires, Book 1) by Nina Bangs
This book is about a vampire by the name of Darach MacKenzie and a woman named Blythe. Blythe lives in the future and takes a travel tour to the distant past which happens to be the Scottish Highlands of 1785. This is where she meets Darach. Blythe works for a company called Ecstasy INC which basically is a company that is hired out to make people happy. Blythe discovers Darach and decides that it is her job to make him happy. He on the other hand doesn't exactly feel like he is unhappy. She goes about doing her analyzing stuff to him and he resists the whole way. Darach feels sexual pleasure is the key to happiness and this is where him and Blythe have their turmoil. It was a fun story, easy reading and I like the way Ms. Bangs writes. There was some sexual content but I wouldn't consider it overly done. It actually went right along with the story and wasn't just thrown in for good measure. I thought the book was enjoyable and would recommend it for a good time travel paranormal type read.

Attention Getter
This was my first Nina Bangs books and after I finished it, I started searching for more books by this author. She is one of my new favorites. Buy the book, you won't be disatisfied.

Great book
I enjoyed this book... it was fun and exciting, it is a great start to a series. Bring on Book 2.

great book !!!
I never cared for vampire novels and then one day I picked up this book and now I'm hooked... great book !!! ... Read more

Product Description
Do you want to learn about God? Did you know that God is everywhere? Read this book and you will learn about how amazing God is! This is one in the series of boardbooks called Learn about God ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great, great book (The whole series, too)
After I read the last (& only) review, I had to write my own...I think this book is awesome (& all the others in the "Learn About God" series, too).My son is almost 2, and he LOVES to read these books.The words are simple, so he can understand them & memorize them, and the pictures are identifiable, so he gets very excited to see pictures that he recognizes.I as a parent, soooo appreciate God-centered kids books, and they are very rare these days.I HIGHLY recommend this book, & am giving the series of books to both of my little nephews this Christmas.

A Basic Book
This book will remind the reader that God is everywhere and sees everything. It's not a high quality book and the illustrations are very simple and basic and do not capture the imagination. Because of the quality of the book itself, I gave it a lower rating. Otherwise, the message is one we need to remind ourselves of daily whether we're a child or an adult. ... Read more

Product Description
Now leaving her last lover, a once-beautiful woman is running out of luck and chances. A visit to London to see her ailing mother and distrustful sister brings her stark life into full focus. A masterful and terrifying tale from one of the truest voices in 20th-century fiction. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Defies Classification
While there are myriad reasons to admire this extraordinary work, I think the quality that stands out the most for me is the fluidity with which the author delves into all the characters' points of view ... while Julia is the nominal heroine of the book, the reader sees through nearly every character's lens, and the result is a kaleidoscope of perception and emotion. The brief section recounting Julia's catching butterflies as a child is one of the most truthful and disturbing things I have read in a long time.

A Masterpiece
Jean Rhys is best known for her amazing novel Wide Sargasso Sea. I can't even give a little hint at the theme of this novel because that will destroy much of the reading pleasure. (If you decide to read it, don't look at the back cover or any reviews, they will kill it for you. Just go to the text straightaway.) Unfortunately, many people don't pay as much attention to other novels by this great writer. After Leaving Mr. Mackenzie (1930) is very different from but in no way inferior to Wide Sargasso Sea.

The best thing about the novel is the economy of words and emotions in the description of the main character's experiences. Julia Martin's tragedy is very mundane and ordinary. Her story is narrated in simple phrases, stripped of any kind of flourish. This type of narrative voice underscores just how bereft Julia's existence is and just how naked she feels in her confrontation with the world.

Julia Martin only knows one way to survive in a hostile universe. She enters into relationships with men who maintain her. When these men, such as Mr. Mackenzie, for example, get tired of her and dump her, Julia has no way of leaving the relationship with at least a shred of self-respect. Of course, what Julia does is prostitution. She wants, however, to preserve a semblance of respectability by pretending that there is some sort of an emotional connection between her and the men who pay her for sex. Soon, Julia starts to disintegrate, torn between the need to secure at least a modest sum of money to survive and the desire to maintain some last shred of dignity.

Even though the events in the novel take place between the two Great Wars, Julia's experiences still ring true today. This is what makes this novel so incredibly sad. Decades of women's liberation movement lie between us and Julia. But there are still so many Julias around.

A Woman Lost Without Her Sexuality
Julia, a 35 year old English woman living in Paris, leaves an indifferent lover, Mr. Mackenzie, and sinks into depression. She sequesters herself in a cheap hotel until a letter from her ex-lover's attorney informs her that her allowance is being cut off. Julia knows she has to do something about her life, but since she hasn't been able to do much in her 35 years, she's entirely at a loss for direction. Someone suggests she should travel back to England, so she goes. Someone else suggests she leave England, so she leaves. And in the meantime, Julia, once adored for her easy sexuality, is unwanted by everyone. Julia does not know how to exist in the world as anything other than a sexual object.

After Leaving Mr. Mackenzie is depressing but well-written. The text is sparse, yet rich with meaning. A good read, easily taken in a few hours.

If you like Julia and would like to spend more time with women like her, I highly recommend the movie Somersault with Abby Cornish. Abby is in the same sort of situation as Julia, but finds a better solution to her circumstance.

one of the lost classics
Jean Rhys was a writer that I was not introduced to until very late in my college career as an english major, and after I finished this book I was surprised that this book isn't discussed more frequently as one of the classics of the modern tradition.An emotionally resonant book that shows more style, flare, and daring of imagination than any of the male writers that are considered to be the pillars of that era.The book lingers in the mind long after being finished, with incredibly keen descriptions of a Paris that is bleak, haunted, and filled with a cast of characters that are all the more repulsive for their absolutely sincere depiction.A small, dark gem of a book.

A Sadly Neglected Masterpiece
It is 1923, Julia Martin is 36 and past her prime. She has lived by her looks; kept by men. But now Mr. Mackenzie has left her. She has no money, no prospects. What will become of her? In spare prose that cuts as sharply as a laser, Jean Rhys brings to life the ghastly loneliness and hopelessness of Julia, and all those women like her who at a time when women had few opppportunities, lived by their looks, snaring husbands if they were lucky or just lovers who care for them for a time. Rhys says more in ten carefully placed words than most other writers do in ten pages.This short novel is a masterpiece of concision and stands beside Kate Chopin's, 'The Awakening' as a brilliantly perceptive look at the plight of women. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description

Melanie Jones thought she was imagining things. Surely there's not a breathtaking man astride a magnificent black horse racing her sports car on a country road. And he has the nerve to wink at her, just before he vanishes into the night! When he appears to her in solid, sinewy muscle, Melanie realizes he's real . . . and irresistible.

Customer Reviews (11)

Good "time travel" romance
I enjoy the "time travelling" romances, and this one is ok, it has an evil faery and the faery queen of the underworld, the dead highwayman seeking to change his past.It was ok, not the greatest of its genre that I've read.

Wasn't Impressed
Didn't do it for me. Read more like a Young Adult book. Had a difficult time finishing it but did because I had nothing else to read at the time.

Fragmented & Stupid

I don't know what the other nine reviewers on this page have been reading lately, but the books must be sadly lacking if they've given "Secrets of the Highwayman" 5 stars.Hard to believe it was even published.

WONDERFUL ADVENTURE
I picked up this book yesterday because I liked PASSIONS OF THE GHOST so well, and yes, this one is just as good or even better. The paranormal aspect is wonderful and the romance is lovely. I liked the historical part and very much enjoyed the swirling circumstances. Lots of action, romance, and adventure.

Melanie Jones is a lawyer who is sent to get an old castle and grounds ready for sale. The owner has passed and left everything to charity. She is very stoic and has worked her whole life to still the voices she has heard in her mind.

Nathaniel Raven once owned the estate, but he was shot while holding up a carriage as a highwayman. The circumstances surrounding his death are very sketchy and only his tombstone attests to his life and death.

Because of the injustice of his death he is granted a second chance by the Sorceress of the between-worlds. Not just for him but she also has an interest in the matter. He only has a short time to find out what really happened to him and set the facts of his life straight.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was fast paced, exciting, and different. Very much worth the time and money.

Secrets of the Highwayman
I absolutely love this author's books! It really works for me how she mingles a contemporary character with someone from the historical past. Usually Scotland or England, which I like. I end up rooting for the lovers to be together in the end. ... Read more

Product Description
Disruptive behavior, power struggles, lack of motivation, attention deficit disorder—at times the list of obstacles to teaching seems endless. That’s why thousands of teachers and child-care providers have turned to the solutions in Setting Limits in the Classroom. This fully updated and expanded third edition offers the most up-to-date alternatives to punishment and permissiveness—moving beyond traditional methods that wear you down and get you nowhere.

Topics include:
• Eliminating power struggles and handling disruptions quickly
• Establishing an effective environment for learning
• Using natural and logical consequences to support your rules
• Conducting proactive, focused parent conferences
• New research and techniques for supporting special-needs children

With its new focus on younger students and special tools for handling “strong-willed”
children, this edition offers schoolteachers the tools they need to gain control of their classrooms—respectfully and effectively.   ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

It's about choices
Wish there was an edition that addressed secondary as I teach middle school and we don't go out to recess. (I heard from the author that they are waiting on the publisher for this)Even so, the principle are transferable.I like the discussion about logical consequences and giving students choices such as "You can listen to instruction quietly or sit separated from the group.What's your choice?"I learned a lot about choices by reading Love and Logic and think that book is a must read.These two books together have really helped me focus my classroom management. ... Read more

Product Description
Book 2 in the Ecstasy series.

Waking up naked with a dead man at her side and a bloody dagger in her hand was not what Ciarra Storm expected from a night on the town. When every bit of evidence points to her, she panics. In the year 2106, criminals are incarcerated on the Moon. She flees and takes on another person's identity--an identity that forces her to travel to Ecstasy Island. Nothing can prepare her when she discovers the woman she is masquerading as has signed up for a two-week course in BDSM. Nor is she prepared for the man in charge of ensuring that she gets her money's worth.

Shawn Thorenson enjoys pleasure and Ecstasy Island is his playground. But something is missing in his life. Until he meets the beautiful, strong-willed Ciarra--or Kitty as he knows her. She's the "something", the woman he's been searching for.

But secrets have a way of coming out, and Shawn's determination to uncover Kitty's leads to a shocking revelation when a murderer strikes on Ecstasy Island--a deadly assassin whose name might turn out to be Ciarra Storm.

Note: This book contains a scene of female/female sexual interaction. ... Read more

Product Description
A treasure chest of favorite verse. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great little book
Bought to replace the deteriorating one I have had for 50 years.Prompt shipment.Glad to have found it. ... Read more

Product Description
Everyone today wants to read more about adventures. You can pick up this book and read about adventures that happened in the real world to real people. These are adventures that happened to men and women, boys and girls who lived in Bible times, exciting times. These heroes and heroines are people just like you. They faced up to problems and danger with God's help. Perhaps they sometimes felt like giving up? But with God's strength they struggled on determined and brave. Read about these amazing people in the Bible and begin your own adventure with God. The Bible has every sort of adventure story you could ever dream of - battles; death-defying escapes; abandoned babies; heart-moving come-backs; giant slayers; incredible journeys and prison breakouts. Every one of them is true. Every one of them has been told for a reason. Every one of them is in God's Word. Some wise men followed a star and look what they found! Reading this book could help you discover Jesus too. ... Read more

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Children always have questions about what it means to be a Christian. Do they need a long philosophical answer? Not always and it is simple answers to deep questions that feature in this book. If you have ever wanted to know how to explain the Christian faith to young children in bite-sized chunks then the 114 profound questions and answers, backed by scripture proofs provide an invaluable tool to get you started. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great "first book" for parents wanting to use a catechism with their kids
For hundreds of years, the training of Christian young people involved the learning of a catechism. A catechism was a set of instructions on Christian doctrine. Essentially, it was a list of questions and answers used to instill the fundamentals of the faith in the hearts of children. Many of the Reformed confessions, such as the Westminster Confession, included catechisms. Martin Luther considered his short catechism to be one of his two most important books. Even the great Baptist preacher, Charles Spurgeon, wrote a catechism for young children.

Being an American and a Baptist, the very notion of a catechism seems incredibly foreign to me. But as I've studied church history and learned of the important role catechisms have played since the Reformation, I've actually been on the lookout for a simple catechism to employ with my own children. Since I've never used a catechism before, I was looking for something easy to use and also quite simple - as my daughters who I'd be teaching, are between the ages of 4 and 7.

Carine MacKenzie's "My First Book of Questions and Answers" is what I found and so far, my children are eating it up. MacKenzie's book is based on the Westminster Shorter Catechism. It consists of 114 questions broken up into 26 topics. The questions are direct and the answers are short and to the point. A Scripture reference is supplied for each answer.

The following topics are covered by the questions and answers. Who God is. Creation and sin. What the consequences of sin is. Salvation. Jesus as Prophet, Priest and King. The Ten Commandments - what they are and what they mean for us. Keeping God's Laws. The Way to be Saved. Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Prayer and Bible Reading. Death, Hell and Heaven.

The book is pocket sized with large font and catchy graphics. It's a bright, cheery book that young readers will like to read. My 7 year old has been reading some of the questions and answers we haven't yet covered.

I've found the catechism format works well as a tool for parents wanting to teach their children. You can easily use the questions to probe how well they understand the answers given in the book. You will be able to have a pulse on what questions your children have when it comes to the gospel. And on another level, my kids think the questions and answers are a lot of fun. It's a game to them, and they are excited about some small incentives my wife and I have planned for them as they learn these questions.

I should add a word about the theology behind this book. The baptism and lord's supper section is generic enough to be accepted by Presbyterians and Baptists alike. There is a Reformed bent to the questions throughout, which I appreciate. However, any of the questions and answers could easily be edited by a conscientious parent.

"My First Book of Questions and Answers" is an ideal "first book" for parents seeking to use a catechism (like myself). You will find it to be a great little tool for instilling biblical teaching into the hearts and minds of your young children. Even though this book is quite small, if used by prayerful parents, it promises to have an eternal impact. May God bless the use of this book in the lives of many Christian parents and their children!

This book is part of a line up that Carine MacKenzie has of 7 "My First" books. The other titles are "My First Book of Bible Prayers", "My First Book of Christian Values", "My First Book of Memory Verses", "My First Book of Bible Promises", "My First Book about Jesus", and "My First Book about the Church". I encourage you to check them all out.

A Fine Resource for Training Young Christian Minds
My First Book of Questions and Answers is a list of 114 Christian teachings about God, Creation, human sin, and other doctrines.According to the author, it is drawn in part from the Westminster Shorter Catechism and Mother's Catechism by John Willison.

Although many Protestant Christians have moved away from using catechisms for training children in the faith, a catechism is a fine choice for children 3-9, who excel at memorization and often take great pleasure in showing off their ability.This list of short answers to weighty questions will help parents answer their childrens' many questions about the world and their place in it, and the knowledge gained through the exercise of rehearsing doctrinal truth will remain with children for the rest of their lives.

This catechism is very easy to use, with numbered questions that for the most part have short, carefully worded and easy to remember answers.They are supported with scripture references.For example, question #14 reads "Can God do everything?"The answer is, "Yes.He can do everything that pleases him.Isaiah 40:13."Parents and teachers can use this at three levels, then: For daily activity, you can simply have children learn the questions grouped under a given theme, adding one at a time until all are mastered.Or, for less regular engagement you can focus on mastering one question, accompanying it with the provided scripture.There is also a a teacher's guide available (Bible Questions and Answers Teacher's...) to help parents and teachers make the most of this resource.

A catechism cannot stand alone as a family devotional activity -- if you have to choose one thing, choose a good children's Bible.But when you want to incorporate doctrine and/or scripture memorization into your family devotions, this is a fine resource.

Mostly Great Catechism for teaching children!
I got this because I realized that there were pieces of the Christian faith that are basic that we didn't go over with our kids.We are using this book where every night at dinner I introduce the next question and answer, and read the bible verse they have with each one.Then I ask the kids all of the questions so far and they say back the answers.

My only complaint is that the Bible verse selected for each question is not always the best choice, and explaining why the verse says that can be challenging.
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