Product Description
FROM THE EDITORS OF US MAGAZINE A SPECIAL COLLECTORS EDITION SUMMER, 2010THE SEXY STARS OF TWILIGHT ECLIPSE7 BIG POSTERS INSIDE!HOT 160 STUNNING PHOTOSTHEIR SEXY PRIVATE LIVESCONTAINS 72 PAGES ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great
I am such a twilight saga fan. I am in love with these magazines. Thank you for having it in stock. ... Read more

Product Description
An eclipse is a rare and unusual event, when the world is transformed and the sky becomes a dark eldritch thing. It's a time when anything could happen, when any kind of story just might be true. That sense of the strange and wonderful guides Eclipse: New Science Fiction and Fantasy, the first volume in an exciting new annual anthology series edited by acclaimed anthologist Jonathan Strahan.
Set to become a major event on the science fiction and fantasy calendar,Eclipse: New Science Fiction and Fantasy gathers together new science fiction and fantasy stories by the best writers working today. You can see that in Eclipse 1, which features extraordinary tales by Peter S. Beagle, Jack Dann & Paul Brandon, Terry Dowling, Andy Duncan, Jeffrey Ford, Kathleen Ann Goonan, Eileen Gunn, Gwyneth Jones, Ellen Klages, Maureen F. McHugh, Garth Nix, Lucius Shepard, Bruce Sterling and Ysabeau S. Wilce. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

So - So reading...
I am more of a fan of "hard" science fiction, but bought this kind of on a whim.It wasn't really for me.I'm willing to take a risk on anthologies because if a writer's style or whatever doesn't grab me, I can just go to the next story.The problem with this book was that most of the stories didn't work for me.Make sure you are familiar with a few of the writers before you buy this, if you like their work I'm sure you will like the book.Oh well, live and learn...

Best Original Stories in Some Time
This is one of the best original anthologies that I have read in some time.Several of the stories here made my Hugo nominations ballot.I am not a huge fan of fantasy, but I loved "The Last and Only, or Mr. Moscowitz Becomes French" by Peter S. Beagle, "In the Forest of the Queen" by Gwyneth Jones, and "Larissa Miusov" by Lucius Shepard.Considering all the bad short fiction that I have read in other anthologies, this one is head and shoulders above the rest.Bravo, Johnathan!

disappointing gleanings
After decades of reading science fiction anthologies, this is the first I've seen from an editor in Perth Australia. The stories are drawn from all over the world. With a few set in Australia, which American or British readers might not typically encounter.

But the overall impression is disappointing. To be sure, the editor states that he includes both science fiction and fantasy; as ecumenical as can be. However, there was nothing in any of the selections that seemed memorable to me. One example was a story set in the near future [2014 or so], in the aftermath of dirty bombs exploding in an American city. Where a kid became separated from his family and then developed an amensia, totally forgetting them. Banal and boring. What did the editor see in this tripe?

The most interesting was a horror-type scenario of grave robbers and teeth robbers, in escapades spanning decades. It has some evocations of the classic "Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper" by Robert Bloch. Alas, it fell far short in drama. Granted, it may be unfair to compare a story with Bloch's timeless tale, but I am comparing to the best.

Yes, the authors of this book include some first rank writers, like Bruce Sterling and Lucius Shepard. But their contributions might well disappoint their fans. ... Read more

Product Description
In this deeply moving and original book, John Banville alloys mystery, fable, and ghost story with poignant psychological acuity to forge the riveting story of a man wary of the future, plagued by the past, and so uncertain in the present that he cannot discern the spectral from the real.

When renowned actor Alexander Cleave was a boy living in a large house with his widowed mother and various itinerant lodgers, he encountered a strikingly vivid ghost of his father. Now that he’s fifty and has returned to his boyhood home to recover from a nervous breakdown on stage, he is not surprised to find the place still haunted. He is surprised, however, at the presence of two new lodgers who have covertly settled into his old roost. And he is soon overwhelmed by how they, coupled with an onslaught of disturbing memories, compel him to confront the clutter that has become his life: ruined career, tenuous marriage, and troubled relationship with an estranged daughter destined for doom.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Taking my time....
I'm still reading this book, I'm about half-way through it actually, taking my time savoring every word, sentence, passage & thought. Sometimes I will reread a sentence or a particular paragraph 3 or 4 times, just as with a dvd of a fine musical comedy or opera I'll replay a dance number or aria repeatedly. Few writers of the past 50 years have given me this kind of pleasure: Beckett, Nabokov, Bernhardt, Saramago,, now Banville.

I find the negative reviews in this thread to be more about the inability of their authors to take an objective viewpoint than about the book itself, criticizing as they do Banville for giving us an immoral and/or unsympatheic character. Haven't the same specious accusations been made towards Beckett & Nabokov?

This seems to be part of a currently widespread syndrome (denial, avoidance of issues, political correctness)- viz. network/cable TV news "correspondents" who discuss how they "cope" with world disasters instead of focussingon the real victims of the world's expanding destructiveness.

Addendum (9/1/06) - I've finished the book, putting off coming to the final page as long as I could by reading shorter & shorter segments & rereading those more & more often. I couldn't guess how many times I reread those final brilliant lines.

Now I shall reread Shroud (because of the Cass connection) & then (in what - a couple of years?) I'll come back to this & read it afresh.

Looking Back on Life as Darkness Intrudes
I was attracted to this book after reading The Sea and feeling the need to better understand this obviously talented author.Eclipse was a fine choice because in many ways its structure is like The Sea.I came away benefiting from a better understanding of Mr. Banville's style and seeing more clearly the methods he used in The Sea to make that book rise above Eclipse.

Anyone who loves beautiful language, vivid imagery and introspection will find this book rewarding.Those who prefer action, lots of plot developments and variety should look elsewhere.

Eclipse is a fine choice for a title of this book -- evoking the many eclipses in Alexander Cleave's life.He's not satisfied with his career as an actor . . . both because he doesn't seem to be able to act any more . . . and because acting keeps him from being himself (whatever that is).In addition, Alexander's relationships with his family are strained, to say the least.Certainly, these could be described as being in eclipse as well.To help get his head together, he goes back to his family home . . . which hasn't been kept up.It's in eclipse, too.While there, he experiences an astronomical eclipse to add to the symmetry.The old home is overcrowded though, with memories, ghosts and visitors.Alexander complains about this to his wife on the telephone, and she responds, "You are your own ghost."It's very Shakespearean.Macbeth seems to be lurking just around the corner.

But after an eclipse, the light does return.If that hope has meaning for you, you'll enjoy Cleave's journey.

Here's a passage of Cleave's musings that will give you a sense of the book:"Life, life is always a surprise. Just when you think you have got the hang of it, have learned your part to perfection, someone in the cast will take it into her head to start improvising, and the whole . . . production will be thrown into disorder."

Blunders & fumbles more than a "usual" Banville novel
In the Banville canon so far, this would rate barely as passable. As others have astutely noted, this does not succeed on the merits of its plot and much less its unlikeable narrator. In the company of such as Freddie Montgomery, Axel Vander, and Victor Maskell, no mean feat! Alexander Cleave given his name has few conquests to please his aging ego and fewer to whom he can cling, falling away from his wife Lydia and his daughter, Cass, and certainly finding himself in an ambiguous relationship with caretaker Quirke and his daughter, Lily. Jamesian prose does suffuse this fiction, which particularly in the first sections carries a heavily Gothic aura. This is not a drawback, but it does make for slow going.

Cleave's own selfishness--as he sums up in his attempted retreat into what he thinks is a haunted hermitage: "it offers me a way of being alive without living." (132)--may be consciously nourished, but still makes his predicaments off-putting. He imagines a doctor's diagnosis: "anaesthesia cordis, and the prognosis is not good." (151) Such self-incrimination may for the three other Banville narrators mentioned above not detract totally from their defenses for their less-than-noble lives, but for Cleave, it makes him only the more to be shunned, not only by his long-suffering wife but by us as the readers. The most convincing parts of a generally emotionally dulled novel occur in the spousal warfare, with dialogue and insights that speak of conversations said and unsaid familiar to anyone in long-contested relationships. I did wonder what brought Lydia back to Alexander, or why she had put up with him for so long; the story from her perspective would've proved arguably more intriguing than that of her increasingly aphasic husband. This may be Banville's intention, but it does wear down any sympathy the reader might have kept in store for Cleave.

Now, obviously Banville knows what he's doing in giving us consistently devious narrators. But without the humanism that even the worst of the lot, Freddie, comes to realize late in the game, Cleave's meanderings come off as too self-pitying. as with other recent Banville novels, the revelations typically come very late in the book. Here, they do make Cleave marginally more sympathetic, but he has treated the loved one whose demise we and he lament with such a curious mixture of repulsion and empathy that we find ourselves more puzzled than penitent for the way we have regarded the narrator for the previous couple of hundred pages, filled with largely contempt for others and himself. What has happened to "our eclipsed light", (203) as he personifies his loved one at the end of what admittedly are moving pages (Banville always comes through at the end with a graceful save) does make some redemption possible, but too late. This by-now formulaic pattern reminds me of a composer with a recognizably brilliant but by repetition rather dulled--if still by comparison to his mundane competitors a bravado--performance. It's for those already converted to the lulling nature of his prose more than his plotting.

P.S. I looked at the hardcover, and in response to McInerney's question posted, the upper-right-hand illustrates what primarily is a leaf blown off the wind-ravaged tree, but secondarily might be a gape-mouthed, eyeless face shrouded in darkness. Think of Marty Feldman as Igor in "Young Frankenstein" but without the googling pupils, only skin over them, mole-like!

Portrait of a Liar
John Banville has an almost scary insight into the psychology of the lie. Word by painstaking word, he creates a subtle and nuanced portrait of characters who, despite all evidence to the contrary, cannot or will not see the immense flaws in their souls which wreak havoc to all those close to them. In this novel, Eclipse, Banville undertakes on of these subtle portraits to create a story of haunting insight, literally and figuratively.

Alex Cleave is a moderately successful stage actor. In his mind he is terribly successful, but there are many hints throughout the book that all is not the way he paints it, either in his life or his career. Midperformance, Cleave suffers a nervous breakdown and retreats to his haunted boyhood home to recover, much to the dismay of his estranged wife. There, Cleave struggles with ghosts, real and imagined, which bring him to terms with the realities of his ruined life, the shambles of his marriage, and his tense relationship with his emotionally disturbed daughter Cass. Banville uses this rather thin plot, with it's reminiscences of the Victorian ghost story to shape a narrative that is poetic and ultimately tragic.

This novel is short on action or even plot. Rather it is a subtly drawn character study, rendered in some of the most exquisite prose since Henry James. Banville has an uncanny sense of the inner workings of his character. Cleave is an actor, and as such has the touch of the liar about him. As his mind drifts from present events to the remembered past you watch as Cleave's mind skirts around the real problems of his life. He engages in self-aggrandizement, rationalizations and most especially avoidance when faced with anything unpleasant. He admits to lesser failings readily to avoid confrontation with his greater failings. His observations of the other characters in the novel are well drawn, but slanted. Banville's brilliance is shown particularly in the life of these peripheral characters. Lydia, Cleave's wife, seems on the surface to be a shrew...and yet, you leave the novel with the sense that her complaints against her husband are more than justified. Lilly, the daughter of Cleave's rather odious caretaker, is a mysterious cypher, by turns superficial and yet possessing glimpses of a very complicated inner life that Cleave only barely understands.

The central haunting figure in the novel, Cleave's daughter Cass, is not even physically present throughout, and yet she haunts the book more fully than the ghosts in Cleave's house. Cass is brilliant but mentally troubled. She hears voices and has a tendency to self-destruction. Her specter comes between Cleave and his wife and even haunts Cleave's strange and unsettling relationship with Lilly. She troubles Cleave's conscience and yet we never know quite why. Much is left unstated in the novel about the relationship. At heart you feel there is a secret underlying it all, a secret that Banville will never fully reveal. At every moment when you think something is going to finally break in this tenuous story, the characters look away....and don't say what they are actually feeling. Even the final climax of the book is ultimately an enigma...like the eclipse of the title, most of the important events in Cleave's life are obscured by clouds, and even when they aren't he looks away.

This is not a book for "light reading" or for those who's interest is most heavily in plot or dialogue. In fact, the passages of dialogue in the work could probably be fit on ten pages. It is rather a long, internal monologue rendered in breathtaking turns of phrase. If you love haunting, slow and powerfully tragic novels though, Banville is for you. His is a world that I will be entering again soon.

A gently moving, introspective story; beautifully written.
This is the first novel by John Banville I read and after finishing it I immediately ordered "The book of Evidence" and "Ghost", so you can safely bet that this is going to be glowing review.

The story is moving but unspectacular: Alexander Cleave is an aging actor who has suddenly lost it. For no reason that he can think of he unexpectedly finds himself in cinemas crying his heart out duringthe afternoon showings and he forgets his lines when he is on stage. He retreats to his late mother's house, hoping to get some peace of mind there and somehow find himself again. But instead of peace and quiet he finds that ghosts and living people have taken up residence with him. He is also beset by memories of his troubled daughter. Hoever, it is not so much the outcome of all this that matters as the processes in Cleave's mind, his dreams, his perplexities, his realizations, his fears.

Banville writes beautifully, exquisitely. His prose is a blend of evocativeness and precision, his metaphors are just right. An example: "Memory is peculiar in the fierce hold with which it will fix the most insignificant-seeming scenes. Whole tracts of my life have fallen away like a cliff in the sea, yet I cling to seeming trivia with pop-eyed tenacity (p. 74)." And another one: "It has always seemed to me a disgrace that the embarrasments of early life should continue to smart throughout adulthood with undiminshed intensity. Is it not enough that our youthful blunders made us cringe at the time, when we were at our tenderest, but must stay with us beyond cure, burn marks ready to flare up painfully at the merest touch (p. 83)?"

This is not a novel of plot and action, but a gently moving, meditative, introspective story, where a lot is left unsaid and merely hinted at and for the reader to find out. Only very good writers can pull that off succesfully. John Banville is such a very good writer. ... Read more

Product Description
When Mason discovered his quiet professor boyfriend, Lan, was a werewolf he was thrust into a world of trouble. Lan is becoming an important man in the new and peaceful were-government, but the wolf packs are not going to let go of power easily.

Mason is not trusted by any of the werefolk, adrift in his life, and his diffident lover is fast becoming an uncontrollable wolf--as enemies close in on them all from every side. A natural alpha male all his life, Mason realizes that every enemy and even his own lover could easily overpower him. But none of them are ready to do what it takes to save the werewolves' human victims.

To keep his lover and his life Mason must learn to control forces greater than himself, and take a stand against his enemies even if he cannot hope to defeat them. ... Read more

Product Description
Christian is a fierce Welsh Crusader who's vowed to wait for his true love, Emma, forever. Eight hundred years later, he's still walking the earth as a spirit, thanks to a mangled magic spell. Now, three witches are determined to bring Emma's and Christian's souls together for all eternity. But if they fail, Christian and Emma's love will be lost forever...

... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

kawaii
It was so cute. The novel had a good plot and followed the stories written before it by the same author.

13 is a CHARM :0}
Thirteen Chances by Cindy Miles...
I will not go into the plot, which you can read from the above description however, what you may not have read is that THIS BOOK is her best so far. Grab the paperback as fast as you can because I think that bookstores will have a hard time keeping this one in stock. Great Christmas gift, btw. :0] Enjoy ~ and you will!

Another great romantic tale
Cindy Miles has written another great paranormal romance.Here's a one sentence summary:A family of sisters is helping Christian reunite with his true love.It's the typical, wonderful romance I expect from Ms. Miles; funny, heartwarming, and believeable (in a paranormal sort of way).It's the type of story you wish you were living.What I especially liked about the story was that characters from Ms. Miles other romances make appearances.I believe her only other book do that was MacGowan's Ghost.
If you're reading this Ms. Miles, thanks again and keep on writing.

#14?
This was really good; just not as good as the author's previous works.The book does include characters from prior works which was interesting.Overall I like Cindy Miles and will read whatever she publishes in the future.

Excellent - Amazing story
I always pre-order all Cindy Miles book because they are amazing everytime -- and this one was excellent.Cindy Miles book always have a ghost theme and in this novel Christian a Welsh Crusader falls in love with Emma back in middle ages. Emma does a spell incorrectly and Christian is forced in stay on earth as a ghost to have Emma return ever 70+ years only for her die and Christian heart breaks everytime.Now in modern time, Emma finds herself on holiday and falling in love with a Ghost - and experiencing flashes of her past...

This novel has characters from her past novels, romance, adventure, witches, ghosts and bring a box of tissues because it's THAT good!Looking forward to her next novel A Highlander Christmas due out Nov 2009 Anthology.

Here are a few of my favorite novels of this genre; What Would Jane Austen Do?, Spirited Away (the 1st genre by this author) , Hundreds of Years to Reform a Rake and The Wedding Ghost (Zebra Regency Romance). ... Read more

Product Description
In the Internet game of "Buckling Swashes," two die-hard enemies find themselves comrades at arms against a merciless rival, and discover that-on the virtual high seas and in real life-love can tame the most fearsome of pirates. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Shiver me timbers
So far this is my favorite Katie MacAlister. She gets really deep into the world of games, computers, priates and of course love! But doesn't make you feel dumb with too much technical. I would love to join the world of "Buckling Swashes". Hope you will too!!

Loads of Fun
Well I really liked the Aisling Grey series, and adored Men in Kilts.This book was so much fun.Amy Stewart is a financial analyst divorcee w/ a teen daughter who likes video games--Buckling Swashes to be exact.It's an RPG pirate internet game and she's been asked to beta test the VR version.Thinking mom is all work and no play, she convinces Amy to try out the VR version for an hour.Due to an electrical storm (maybe) she's trapped in the VR world.Along the way she meets Black Corbin the dread (maybe) pirate of the Seven Seas, Bart, the governor of Turtle's Back, Renata, the madam, and a doom-n-gloom kid named Bastard (Bas for short).As she continues to advance the situtation (story) through in an effort to win the game and have it close down, she is perpetually kidnapped, leads men and women into battle, makes lasting friends, and perhaps even finds love.

But when all those weeks in the VR world only amount to a mere 3 hours in real life, is what Amy finds in Turtle's Back real or simply a simulation?This books has all the trademark Macalister dialog and wit.

surprising and fun
I was surprised by Blow Me Down--I'd been expecting something along the lines of The Corset Diaries or Hard Day's Knight, but I got more than I bargained for. I love when that happens.

Katie MacAlister, by the way, is on my must-buy list. Which is not to say that I've caught all her books--there are a few of her backlist I have yet to find, and I only have one or two of her Katie Maxwells.

Amy's a workaholic businesswoman who, according to her teenage daughter, doesn't know how to have fun. So she accepts her daughter's challenge to spend an hour playing Buckling Swashes, a pirate-themed virtual reality game.

And that's where the paranormal part comes in, so you really need to check your disbelief suspension before going further. She gets stuck in the game and can't get out. Furthermore, it's not just audiovisual--you feel everything that happens in the game as if it's real. And your character looks the way you see yourself.

Amy meets Black Corbin, the rival pirate, who's also the game's designer. He initially looks like a romance novel cover model, but when Amy objects, he changes his appearance to something more real. Corbin's also stuck in the game, and hijinks and romance ensue as they try to figure out who's trapped them there and why, and how to get out, all the while continuing to play the game.

I rolled my eyes a bit at Amy's (to my mind) overdone insistence on there not being any killing in the game, and even more when Corbin agrees--hello? It's a pirate game. What do they think happens when they sink a ship? And what, then, is the point of the cannons and swords?

But that was a small annoyance in a fun, delightful book. I enjoyed the puzzle aspect, and despite the unreal setting, the development of the relationship between Amy and Corbin was realistic and sexy. I particularly enjoyed what their characters' appearances said about them. It was a nice touch.

The ending, too--and I'm not going to give it away--was just right. As they started falling in love--and having great sex!--in cyberspace, I worried how that would translate in real life. To my relief, it was handled perfectly.

Best Katie book out there!
This has to be the best Katie book that she has yet to write. A fun filled book of a digital proportions! lol >..<
I most defiantly suggest you buy this book!!!!

LOVED it!!!
Sadly, this is my first Katie book - but now I'm SUCKED IN!She has such a great writing style, and talk about imagination!I wish I was Earless Erika in this one, what a fun story!!I'm hooked and now Katie is in my top 3 favorite authors! ... Read more

Product Description
In this sexy contemporary romance, the author of The Love of a Stranger takes readers home to a little town in Idaho, where old flames reignite. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

complex characters, complex problems
In The Love of a Lawman, we return to Callister Idaho, along with local "bad girl" Isabelle Rondeau, who's returned home to make a life for herself and her daughter after running away 18 years ago.

As in the previous two Callister books, The Love of a Cowboy and The Love of a Stranger, the characters are complex, as are their problems.

And Isabelle runs smack into several right off the bat--her daughter's dog is shot by their neighbor, a man who's had a long-standing feud with her family. So she calls the sheriff, only to find that the new sheriff is John Bradshaw, who'd been a couple years behind her in high school, and was as much from the right side of the tracks as she was from the wrong side. And to make him even more out of her reach, one of the reasons she's back in town is to try to help her brother Paul, who's been on the wrong side of the law, but, she believes, still not too far gone to be redeemed.


The Good:
Bad girl comes home.It's a nice twist, considering you usually see the local "bad boy" returning to his hometown.
Satisfying.The HEA is always more satisfying when the characters have to work for it, and boy, do these two have to work for it!
Atmosphere.The small Idaho town and the rodeo and horse training details were vivid, realistic, and unusual.

The Bad:
Busy.There's almost too much going on--it gets a little overwhelming.
The Ex.John's ex-wife and her new husband pushed my buttons with their insistence on adopting his children.Their reasoning was unexplained, so they came off as being 2-dimensional villains.


The Verdict:
Everything works out in the end, thank goodness, but it's an emotional roller-coaster ride until we get there.A good conclusion to the trilogy.

Rough and rowdy
To begin with, I didn't know this book was part of a trilogy. Make sure you read them in order. This book is packed with a super hot romance. If you like them hot, this one's for you. Great story from start to finish. Happy reading. ~I look forward to more from A. Jeffrey~

2.5 stars.
When Isabelle, Izzy, Rondeau returns home to rebuild her life on a horse farm, trouble begins almost immediately. Her child's dog is shot by a mean hearted neighbor, and the sheriff who comes to investigate is John Thomas Bradshaw, a man whohas never forgotten Frizzy Izzy, nor been forgotten by her. Both are alone now, except for their young children. His working for her part time solves problems for both of them, and creates others. Electric attraction runs between them, but does Izzy dare act on it when her own brother runs afoul of the law on a regular basis?

** Although there are heartwarming moments, there is a flat blandness to the story that makes it less than great. It's an okay story to pass the time with, but not one that will sweep you away from the present world and get you lost in the pages. **

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore, Freelance Reviewer.

A good end to a trilogy of books
THE LOVE OF A LAWMAN by Anna Jeffrey
March 11, 2005

Courtesy of WWW.LOVEROMANCES.COM


Anna Jeffrey is a new author to this reviewer, and after having read THE LOVE OF A LAWMAN, this reviewer is going to read the other two books in this trilogy. THE LOVE OF A LAWMAN is the last book in this series of novels set in the small fictitious town of Callister, Idaho. They are all stand-alone books, with characters that crossover into all three novels, while each book centers on one or two particular characters. In this third novel, the main character is Isabelle "Izzy" Rondeau, a woman who had left Callister years ago. She ran away from a family life that was very dysfunctional when she was only a teenager, and now years later, she has returned, running away once again. This time, her long time "partner" and boyfriend has deserted her and their daughter Ava, for another woman, and she thinks that the best thing for Ava is to return to her hometown, where she can be near family.

The book opens with a scene that may break one's heart. Ten-year old Ava is crying out to her mother to come outside. Izzy runs out to her, and sees in the distance a gray shape, what she thinks is their dog Jack, lying on the neighbor's property across the fence. Izzy instantly knows that Jack is probably dead, and that the family's long time neighbor and enemy, Art Karadimos, has something to do with Jack's demise. It is a tearful opening but one that sets up the stage for the rest of the novel. Izzy is doing her best to make a living after her breakup with Billy, having left her home in Texas and coming all the way back to Idaho, and now dealing with people such as Art and the people in town who love to gossip about her. She wants desperately to make it on her own, raising cutting horses, but she isn't sure she can do it alone. With a lack of funds and people like Art on her back, she is having a hard time surviving, financially and emotionally.

Then, along comes Sheriff John Thomas Bradshaw, who also happens to be an old school mate of Izzy's.When she contacts the sheriff to come out to the ranch to help her confront Art regarding the shooting of her dog, she finds out that the new sheriff is someone she grew up with. John sees Izzy, and remembers the big crush he had on her when they were in school, and how he wished that she had eyes for him. But back then, she only had eyes for Billy, who eventually fathered Ava.

Izzy does not want anyone's help, nor does she want to get involved with a man again.She's been hurt by Ava's father and cannot afford to have another man come into her life, only to walk away from her and her daughter. However, John soon gets under her skin after he offers to help her out with her horses, and with seeing her every day, the sparks start to fly.

This reviewer really liked Anna Jeffrey's writing style. She did a good job with describing this fictitious town of Callister, and the world of rodeos and cutting horses. There were great characters as well, in particular, that of Isabelle. Izzy was painted as an independent, yet somewhat pigheaded and stubborn woman, who could not see that John had no ulterior motives. At the same time, the author showed her in a very natural light, as no one is perfect, and having a character with flaws as Izzy did make her that much more real. Her loyalty to her wayward brother, Paul, was also a plus in the story line. However, at times it did seem that there were too many things going on at once in this novel. On the other hand, the author handled the multiple plots very well, and kept this reader entertained and wanting more. For those who enjoy their romances with a hint of erotica, there were a number of very long and steamy sex scenes that were done very well.

This book definitely worked as a stand-alone novel in this trilogy, and this reviewer will be reading more by Anna Jeffrey in the future, including the rest of this series. THE LOVE OF A LAWMAN is highly recommended.

NOT AS GOOD....
I loved the first two books in this series, but this latest installment wasn't near the quality of the other two.It kept me interested and the romance and sex was hot...but I can't seem to pinpoint it..I feel as though the author hurried along the ending (which was to perfect).It seemed as though there should have been more to the story or perhaps the ending was just to predictable.I will continue to read Anna Jeffrey but I was hoping for more from this novel! ... Read more

Product Description
Eclipse is the third installment of the Twilight series that has captivated teens and adults alike. The movie focuses on the ongoing struggle between the vampires and werewolves, forcing Bella to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob. Size Closed: 11.5" W x 11.5" H. Size Opened: 11.5" W x 23" H. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Cool
I like it but i should have looked further for other calendars. It doesn't have pictures of Edward!!!!!! But overall, it's good.

It's the worst calendar with the worst pics ever!
This calendar didn't worth it's price, it's terrible!!! horrible!!! the pictures are not well chosen, if you are team edward or team jacob....please don't buy it!!! they only appear in two months!!! uggggh want my money back!! who cares about stupid bella???? she appears in five months!!!! and who cares about mike, angela and eric???? was it necessary to include them in a calendar when they only appear like 3 seconds on the movie??? please believe me the calendar is the most estupid thing I ever bought

OK
BY the picture I did not think this was the calendar with the foil and the 3 of them on it. I thought it was going to be different. The pictures in the calendar could have been chosen better. ... Read more

Product Description
Carden is on the run, on the other side of the world in the ‘cradle of civilization’ in Petra, Jordan. Far from his human lover, Rory, he’s learning that reclaiming his father, Declen, the King of the Vampires might restore world order--but hasn’t done much to strengthen familial ties. Declen is angry that Carden worked as a whore and that he is gay…worse, he is furious that Carden not only fell in love with Rory, a mortal man, but abandoned him. Declen declares Carden unfit to help him in the epi ... Read more

Product Description
Neo-liberalism has become the most influential ideology of our times. It guides both Democratic and Republican policies and, increasingly, those of European and developing countries worldwide. In The Terror of Neoliberalism, influential cultural critic Henry Giroux assesses the impact of neoliberalism and points to better approaches to building real democracy.

Neoliberalism, too commonly regarded an economic theory, is a complex of values, ideologies, and practices that work more broadly as a 'cultural field'.; Giroux argues that its cultural dimensions erode the public participation that is the very foundation of democratic life. Under neoliberal policies, Giroux shows, populations are increasingly denied the symbolic, educational, and economic capital necessary for engaged citizenship. Giroux assesses the impact of neoliberalism on the language of democracy, race, education, and the media, offering alternatives necessary to restore our democratic institutions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

For a class
I read this and others for a class in college. You'll definately need some coffee for this read and diligence. I was raised republican and it was hard to see all the republican hate mongering. However it eventually showed you the other half of the story. I feel more well rounded socio-politically now.

An Unstructured Tangential Jeremiad
I have read most of Chomsky, Bauman, Parenti, Klein, Berman and Johnson amongst others.That being said, the politics (dissident, progressive, left-leaning) are not an issue for me.What is at issue is the deplorable writing style and unstructured ranting that defines this horribly written book.The Chapters are meaningless as each subject or topic is subject to tangents ranting on everything from George Forman's shilling of electric grills to reality TV being an indictment of the me-first competitive nature that now (only now?) defines America.Again, the left leaning progressive politics are not an issue for me.Yet, I will not suffer apologist politics that seeks blame of everyone and anyone but those who are affected.I will not succumb to a political belief that aggressively seeks to place blame always on the footsteps of American culture and politics.There is a lot to dislike about the US right now, but not everything, as this author would have you believe.
Furthermore, I don't think he has a clue of what Neoliberalism is.I've read Chomsky's take, and Wallach's in depth study, and after reading Giroux the stark leaps in logic, and the undocumented, unreasoned, unsubstantiated, and unbelievable indictments of everything wrong with America being accredited to neoliberalism reads like the ranting of an old, guilt-laden white hippy. A good author, or teacher as it were, has you leaving his/her book with an entire new manner of understanding, or contemplating.Giroux has you walking away contemplating whether you should bother finishing the disjointed screed.The best parts are the quotes lifted from Bauman.Buy Bauman!

Everyone should have a working understanding of Neoliberalism.
Henry A. Giroux's discussion of the current state of the American political environment and its neoliberal policy design has proven to be an excellent introduction and analysis of the motivations, resulting consequences, and possible future of a country afflicted with a cold, uncompassionate, and simplistic political, cultural, and militaristic direction.The Terror of Neoliberalism is a well-researched illumination of the current American political administration's real motivations and the policy, that which is now known as neoliberalism, which is being used to forward their agenda.Giroux draws on a two centuries' worth of progressive thinkers to form a coherent and cogent exposé of the latest trends in an economic capitalist system that has achieved an unfettered, deregulated, and unrestricted state never before seen.Drawing on the tome of knowledge produced by the likes of profound Marxists thinkers such as Antonio Gramsci, Ernst Bloch, and Jacques Derrida as well as the likes of engaged public intellectuals like the late Edward Said and Noam Chomsky, Giroux has formulated an eye-opening critique of contemporary America.

The strengths of the book lie within its ability to connect neoliberalism and its policy initiatives with the real life affects and consequences of its execution.Giroux discusses many aspects of complex American identities affected by these schemes, which include cultural, educational, racial, militaristic, and commercial realms.I believe that The Terror of Neoliberalism provides both the inexperienced reader and the engaged academic citizen with explanations and examples regarding neoliberalism's design and results of its implementation.Giroux does, what I consider, a wonderful job of tying together the American neoliberal policy environment with its resultant views of a newly designed racism, an abandonment of the future of the country through a disregard, mistrust, and neglect of youth, as well as the insipid nature of neoliberalism's absolute invasion of the culture arguably leading toward a new type of authoritarianism.

Unfortunately, Giroux finds himself repeating sections of the book verbatim throughout many of the chapters, which frustrates the flow of the reading and interrupts the continuity of the text.While these misgivings can be overlooked and the message of the book still readily grasped and undeniably appreciated, I have also found that the book lacks a good historical understanding of the origin and evolution of the neoliberal movement.This movement often traced back to the leadership of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, but arguably traced back further to the post-WWII era with the establishment of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund as well as the execution of the Marshall Plan is largely ignored in the book.While I find this to be a fundamental flaw in a text that works to elucidate a developing and frightening neoliberal tradition, the text still does an excellent job of providing the reader with a contemporary understanding of the terrifying outcomes of this policy design.

Giroux's book is admirable in its avoidance of defeatism in the face of an extremely well executed attack on civic freedom, critical intellectualism, and general welfare-state necessity.The Terror of Neoliberalism does not just leave the reader in a state of disbelief and depression at the harsh reality of American life, but provides the reader with an understanding of both how to critique the current political environment, and advice as well as theoretical designs for how to organize and resist its seeping infiltration of every aspect of life.Readers of Giroux's book will hopefully find themselves outraged and at the same time motivated to change the environment which they have been presented.

Time to save human race running out
This book is essential, but be warned, it is almost relentlessly grim.

As it should be, for it paints the United States as a country spinning away from any semblance of an actual, functioning democracy and into a web where capitalism is the new democracy and public participation in the phenomenon that shape our lives is largely removed or rendered a cynical joke.Giroux examines neoliberalism as the main 'philosophy' or force that has driven the USA toward a more private society where the social contract is chipped away, job, life, and health security are weakened to strengthen authority, inequality has gone through the roof, and of course, money rules.That it's now easier to imagine the end of the world before the end of the current strain of capitalism (which has pretty much replaced democracy) just about says it all.

Giroux covers the erosion of public debate, where the complete corruption of terms neutralizes discussion and discourages thinking ('conservative', 'liberal', 'terrorism', etc, etc), the slow death of public space, public service, and the obsessive privatization of life, and other major phenomenon you never hear about in the news because you'd probably want to kill yourself, or do something about it.

He's certainly not off point, if anything, he's rightfully disgusted about the state of affairs.Where is the outrage, he asks.As for the Bush administration, it's not new, it's just more extreme in its vision of an 'ownership society' and in the empty rhetoric of 'rugged individualism' and 'freedom from the government' that is, of course, a weapon against the common schlep who can only increase their human value by positioning themselves as profit-generators.The poor subsidize the rich, absorbing risk while the dough pours into the same few pockets.Everybody else can rent themselves out to whoever decides to keep jobs in the USA, where we endlessly consume while producing less and less.And the government, well, it's this terrible, meddlesome, flabby entity that should be cut down to size because it's restricting all of us.Unless, of course, that same government works overtime to protect the rich from the market forces that would destroy them as it bails out failing companies, enacts tariffs, and gives huge breaks to those who need it least so that we can all survive but hiring ourselves out to the same folks.If you're lucky, maybe you can work at a nice suburban office park that your favorite credit card or cell phone company has decided to establish in your area.

Judging by this sober assessment, the US of A is heading down the tubes, and fast.What does one do?The time to act is now, it seems, though our choices are fewer and fewer.When we're all sitting in front of a computer for 8-10 hours a day doing intellectually bankrupt work for pathological institutions that threaten to toss us out because we don't fit into their Excel columns, cost too much to take care of because of a massively inefficient health care system, and are subject to huge phenomenon that nobody really bothers to address in the pursuit of cash, I guess we can all hope we're near the blast radius when mankind decides to finally blow up the world.

Not the most cheerful book, it's a cold, hard look at what has happened to the state of democracy in the USA, and how the forces of capital have boxed and wrapped every facet of life, destroying anything the founding fathers had in mind.Time to go live in the woods. ... Read more

Product Description
Introducing the sisterHOOD of the sight

The first in an all-new series featuring sexy paranormal romance, government secrets, and female special-ops with very special talents.

Government agent Susan Chase always kept her psychic abilities a secret. Now her secret is out and the C.I.A. needs her help. A highly classified all- female team of paranormal agents, Susan and her squad are now entrusted with the government’s most unusual and dangerous assignments. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Dangerously dark...
Sam has a secret ability she's been hiding from the world for as long as she can remember. This ability has kept her out of countless bad situations, and even saved her life a few times. Still, Sam is reluctant to trust the visions she has, or the voice in her head. She's even more reluctant to let others know about her ability.

Sam is shocked to find out that the CIA has found out about her ability, and even more shocked to be forced to work for the agency. Without any warning, her whole world is turned upside down.She's removed from Iraq and sent home where she's assigned a case to work, three room-mates who have their own strange abilities, and a DOD liaison by the name of Bear Rutledge.

As the case unfolds, drawing her deeper and deeper into supernatural danger, she is forced to rely on her companions and her own odd ability in order to survive.

Savannah Russe, author of Dark Nights, Dark Dreams, has crafted an intriging supernatural thriller.Her characters are believable, written with depth and imagination.The storyline is fairly original, fitting quite nicely into the niche for supernatural thrillers. For the most part, the novel clips along a fairly fast pace, with only a few "flat" passages throughout the book. It will be interesting to read the rest of the Sisterhood series to see how Russe develops the secondary characters into something more.

If you like Russe's writing style, but would like to read something a little less "dark", check out the books she's written under the name of Lucy Finn.

dark Nights, Dark Dreams: Sisterhood of the Sight
I really want to give this book 5 stars, but at first I had trouble getting a hook on the story. After reading for awhile, letting go of so much of the intense Middle East stuff, I really got into the pack of the true sisterhood that I think this book was really more about. We women of different abilities in the world really must stick together, fall, and help the other back up. Lets hear it for "woman power" and the strength we have inside us no matter what our male counterparts might think. Thanks for the reminder Miss. Russe. I look forward to another book connected to the first with all four women in another series. book number two comming up please. Oh yeh, "Bear" was a great character, very sexy!

Good idea
I find it hard to give this book a fair review as it has it's good points - plot travelled well, unusual mix of paranormal, mystery, military, CIA, old boys club, misfit/ragtag bunch of women, voodoo. And has 3 really bad sticking points: the 'romance', the feeling of "oldness, and lack of character development. (a) The male lead's first and lasting impression of the female lead is "she seems like a nice woman". (b) And he strikes me as very rigid (although I think the first chapter was spent on how lonely he was, perhaps to give us an idea he is ready to settle down if he met the right little woman). The female lead seemed to stand back from life, or afraid of life, and didn't understand herself or others around her. I didn't get a sense this changed. (c) The last sticking point was the feeling of oldness in the writing. Eg she 'unzipped her slacks'. Only my grandma calls it slacks. But, I finished the story to see what happens to the credit of the author. Itwas an interesting idea, but with one big flaw - did they ever think they would be able to hide the smell?

suspense at it's best
I enjoyed the lst book in the series, sisterhood of the sight.It had a lot of twist and turns.I wish that the books had less profanity and less graphic sex.The books would be just as good.Using our imagination helps to make the book more enjoyable.I look forward to the next book in the sisterhood.

Excellent!
Sam Chase has learned to listen to the voice in her head, especially when it tells her to run. Unfortunately, her psychic powers have caught the attention of the government and now she's being assigned to work with the Alternative Investigations Unit instead of spending time in beautiful France like she'd hoped. Sam, along with three other women, will be working for Ms. Z in the AngelWay project. Their first mission together will take them deep into the underbelly of the supernatural and in close contact with Department of Defense forensic expert Bear Rutledge. Will Sam and Bear solve the mystery as their own lives are targeted in this horrific case?

Savannah Russe has yet another hit on her hands with DARK NIGHTS, DARK DREAMS. Sam, Aurora, Frankie, and Rina are a seemingly odd assortment of women but their unique personalities and sheer spunk make each and every one of them come to life. Savannah Russe does a beautiful job at creating strong, likable female characters. I want to see more of them all!

The romantic aspect is also very well done. The clash between Bear and Sam is a given considering their divergent natures. Bear is a concrete thinker; if he can't see it, hear it, taste it, or feel it, then it isn't real. Sam, of course, is used to dealing with the unusual and it's only a matter of time before their very different viewpoints will crash headlong into one another.

However, the aspect of DARK NIGHTS, DARK DREAMS that stands out even more so than the phenomenal characters is the fantastic world building. Savannah Russe creates a world in which anything can, and does, happen. Be prepared for a gritty, sometimes quite dark, foray into the supernatural as Sam and Bear will come face to face with a very chilling villain.

Savannah Russe kicks off the Sisterhood of the Sight series with a winner! DARK NIGHTS, DARK DREAMS is a wild ride that will appeal to fans of urban fantasy and paranormal romance alike. Highly recommended!

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES ... Read more

Product Description
Eclipse is the third installment of the Twilight series that has captivated teens and adults alike. The movie focuses on the ongoing struggle between the vampires and werewolves, forcing Bella to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob. Size Closed: 11.5" W x 11.5" H. Size Opened: 11.5" W x 23" H. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Cool
I like it but i should have looked further for other calendars. It doesn't have pictures of Edward!!!!!! But overall, it's good.

It's the worst calendar with the worst pics ever!
This calendar didn't worth it's price, it's terrible!!! horrible!!! the pictures are not well chosen, if you are team edward or team jacob....please don't buy it!!! they only appear in two months!!! uggggh want my money back!! who cares about stupid bella???? she appears in five months!!!! and who cares about mike, angela and eric???? was it necessary to include them in a calendar when they only appear like 3 seconds on the movie??? please believe me the calendar is the most estupid thing I ever bought

OK
BY the picture I did not think this was the calendar with the foil and the 3 of them on it. I thought it was going to be different. The pictures in the calendar could have been chosen better. ... Read more

Product Description
Alone in the world, Amanda Carville has no dowry, no reputation left, and no one who believes her to be innocent of murder, since she was found holding the gun that killed her stepfather. Viscount Rexford also has his troubles. He's scarred by war, and cursed-or blessed-with the family trait of knowing the truth when he hears it, and his success at extracting the truth from military prisoners has left many doubting his honor and his methods. When Amanda tells him she didn't do it, he believes her. Tired of the truth business, Rex refuses to get involved...until his heart leaves him no choice. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

A Bland PG-13 Mystery Story
This was my first book by this author. Like any reviewer I start a new novel with my own likes and dislikes. This story seemed to capture most of my dislikes, thus my low rating. Why was this story not enjoyable for me?

* I specifically choose to read romance for the romance (not anything else) and there was very little if any romance in this one. In fact, the hero, 26 year old Viscount Jordan Rexford, son of an Earl and the heroine, 22 year old Amanda Carville, were together in only two or possibly three short scenes in the first 180 pages of a 342 page book. How can you fall in love if you are never around each other?? Well, somehow Amanda convinced herself she can, because shortly after passing the 180 page milestone she tells Jordan she thinks she is falling in love with him... Huh -- This is not love dear Amanda this is gratitude or at the most infatuation since you are understandably grateful to him for trying to keep you from the hangmans noose.

* I prefer my H and H to be honorable, mature, independent minded, strong in the face of adversity, sympathetic and developed with depth to their personalities. Some of those characteristics apply to Jordan, but few if any apply to Amanda. As an example, within a week of being thrown into prison, Amanda has responded to her circumstances with a total psychological withdrawal to the point of being almost comatose and assuming the fetal position on her cell floor.

* I dislike anything paranormal or supernatural. The more realism in a story the better. The main plot line which is a mystery and not a romance is predicated on the paranormal aspect of Jordan character which allows him to discern the truth of anyones spoken word. He views this as a curse and I totally agree with him, before he is brainwashed later in the story and convinced it is a wonderful gift. Fellow romance readers---think about this for a moment--- Could your marriage or any close relationship survive if you or your spouse or close friend etc. had this ability? Can any relationship survive if you were never allowed some mental privacy, a little white lie or a shading of the truth? Yet we are asked to believe this is a romance and that this couple will live happily ever after --- Not likely!!!

* The story gets bogged down in the hero trying to discover the real person that killed Amanda's stepfather. There were so many possibilities it became impossible for me to keep up with them and their possible motives. Since the author was focusing on the mystery in this story she could have at least written that aspect of the story with some real suspense. For example, how about the real killer not being discovered until Amanda was on the hangmans platform with the hood over her head and the noose around her neck. However, on second thought I am sure she would have reverted back to the fetal position by that point.. can you hang someone if they are in the fetal position?? I know I am being mean and insinsitive here, but gosh the author and the publisher are being misleading to market this as a romance???

So in summary - if you like strong, mature yet sympathetic characters who engage in wonderful and spirited dialogue, who fall slowly in love as they learn all about the character of another person and then have to find a way to be together aganist formidable odds, this is not the book for you. I am not sure who this book is for since it is not a good mystery or a romance. I will read more by this author to see if I can find one that supports the rave reviews she mostly receives. I am sure she has writtem something that will appeal to me!!!

LOVEDIT! -Metzger is the
Amanda Carville has no family, no friends, no dowry, and absolutely no one who believes her innocent of murdering the man who was the cause of all her problems.Of course, being caught with the murder weapon in her hands standing over the body, did not help her situation.

Viscount Rexford (Rex) has been physically scarred by the war but more importantly his very honor has been questioned over the work and methods he and his cousin used in their work for the war department; methods, which Rex was not at liberty to divulge.Rex had inherited a special gift;the ability to tell immediately whether people told the truth or lied; some would call it a gift, he thought of it as the bane of his existence. Rex just might be Amanda's only hope, though he'd believe in her innocence, he'd still have to find the real killer to keep her from hanging.

*** Author Barbara Metzger is at the top of my list of favorite authors and with TRULY YOURS, she retains that distinction by continuing to produce the most fabulous Regency era stories with fantastical plots, and the most creative and inspired characters.

Rex was truly a hero, when knowing little of the charges brought against Amanda he used his influence to rescue Amanda (his mother's godchild) from the abusive treatment she had received in jail. By portraying Rex as wanting to bury himself away from all society, Metzger brought him back to life by giving him purpose - one to rescue Amanda, whom he felt an immediate attraction to, and secondly, to look at his `gift' in a whole new light.

Metzger's characters are extremely likeable and in TRULY YOURS, both Rex, his dog Verity, along with his cousin Daniel (who has a similar affliction) provided numerous laugh out loud moments.One of the funniest episodes was how Daniel's reaction to lies, had him tossed out and barred for life from the hallowed halls of Almacks!This was really hilarious and way too funny of an episode you should not miss!

All of the secondary characters were plentiful and congenial (for the most part) adding depth to the story, both in the way of mystery, and humor - especially Rex's slobbering dog, Verity whose voracious appetite was equal to his cousin Daniel's. There were some funny, poignant, and tense moments from one of the masters of the very best in Regency-era romances who wove a lovely twist into this highly entertaining story in solving the murder. I loved the portrayal of Rex's fantastic `gift of truth' which I truly enjoyed, and Metzger's allowing Amanda the opportunity to shed her inhibitions in order to seduce Rex before facing the hangman was also a favorite moment.Bottom line - Metzger is still the `bomb' when it comes to Regency Era Humorous Romances and TRULY YOURS is highly recommended.

Marilyn Rondeau, [...]

TRULY YOURS
Barbara Metzger is an excellent writer, and anyone reading this book will know it.
I enjoyed reading it immensely.

Not that great
I didnt read the reviews on this book until after I finished it.I dont even know how this book came to be in my collection but it did sound good.

The first few chapters had me mesmorized.What a great gift.'Seeing' the truth in colors.Too cool.And Amanda was a great character.Wrongfully charged, but strong enough to retreat into herself to avoid the abuse while incarcerated.The other characters in the book all were entertaining.Rex's father, his cousin, his Nanny, and his mother were all charming and interesting.

My major problem with the book was that Rex and Amanda didnt have a romance.They kissed a couple of times and then bam they were in love?I didnt see it.I was so busy trying to keep the culprits in line.Who was who?Why did we have to hear about every person he questioned?The heroine is barely in the book at the end.

And when they were together I felt like I was reading about teenagers.There is one part where she asks if he likes her?He says 'Yes, do you like me?''Yes' and his heart soared.I actually laughed.Maybe they could pass a note in study hall.That is about halfway through the book and it goes down from there.

This book has a great premise but completely loses focus.I wished the beginning of the book Rex (tortured by his war experience and parents) and Amanda (cast aside and wrongfully accused of murder) made it to the end.

Historical romance with paranormal touch
Viscount Rexford has the special gift or should we say curse, to tell if someone tells the truth or not. He used this family gift during the war, which left his reputation in shreds. So he decided to retire from the truth business, until he is asked to help Amanda.

Amanda Caville is alone in the world and no one believes her that she didn't kill her stepfather, because she is found with the weapon in her hand. At first he doesn't want to help her, but soon he has no other choice because he falls in love with her.

Mrs. Metzger wrote with TRULY YOURS a really interesting and unusual Regency story. The light paranormal elements make this book unique and set it apart from other Regency tales.

Amanda and Rex are both really wounded characters who need each other to find true happiness in life. Both of them never thought it would be possible to find true love in their life, but destiny brings them together although it isn't an easy journey for them.

The secondary characters in the book also play a huge part in making the story so special. This reviewer is looking forward to seeing more of them.

TRULY YOURS is the first book in Mrs. Metzger's new series and it is full of interesting characters that are so worthy of having their own stories. Keep you eyes open for the next book of the series, The Scandalous Life of a true Lady, which will be released in June.

Courtesy of Loveromances and more ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

loved it!
totally deserving of all the hype.but definitely should read the whole series, not just one book

Eclipse
I have this book in hard back and wanted it in paperback for my collection. I have read the series four times now and have enjoyed it each time. I recommend this book as well as the others. This book was delivered in a very sturdy box and in good time. This seller is awesome! ... Read more

Product Description
The most complete guide to viewing eclipses—including details on every solar and lunar eclipse through 2017

Want to observe the most fleeting eclipse phenomena, take dramatic photos, and keep a detailed record of the experience?Now you can be prepared. This comprehensive one-stop resource covers everything you need to know about solar and lunar eclipses—why they happen, how to view them, how to photograph them, even when and where they will occur through the year 2017. Here's where to turn for:

• Detailed explanations of eclipse mechanics and dynamics, viewing techniques, and what to look for, both in the sky and all around you
• Extended discussions of eclipse photography and videography—film selection and developing, filter requirements, special care of equipment, and more
• Intriguing individual and group activities you can carry out during an eclipse to heighten your enjoyment and deepen your understanding of the event
• Detailed maps and discussions on how and where to best view each eclipse, plus travel considerations, likely weather conditions, and equipment recommendations

Whether you're a backyard astronomer, a dedicated eclipse chaser, or a teacher guiding students through their first eclipse experience, Eclipse! provides the in-depth, detailed, practical information you need to make the most of these thrilling celestial marvels of nature.Amazon.com Review
At one point, Eclipse! takes time off from its primarytask--a detailed technical guide to observing and recording eclipsesaround the globe--to tell the admonitory tale of the pupils of aschool in Baltimore, Maryland. These eagerand inquisitive children were not only kept in by their teachersduring the event (owing to "legal considerations"), they were not evenallowed near the windows! Of course, on the list of Things That AreBound to Ruin Your Eclipse, other people's idiocy comes quite low. The topcontenders are usually clouds and bad traffic.Lazy journalists whotell those of us disappointed on the day of an eclipse that this was"our only chance to see an eclipse" only fray our tempersfurther. This is, of course, nonsense. Eclipses happen all over theworld at reasonably frequent intervals, and over the next few yearsthey will be visible from many exciting locations. (Harare, 2001,anyone?) Philip Harrington's handsomely illustrated technical manual(none of your poorly reproduced NASA Web-site maps here) is both aresource for experienced eclipse chasers and an excellent introductionfor those bitten by the eclipse bug. As one observer says, "No matterhow much totality you've seen, it's never enough. Nicotine, alcohol,gambling, any conventional addiction you can think of; umbraldependence is worse."--Simon Ings, Amazon.co.uk ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A fine book about solar and lunar eclipses
Yes, this book is a little bit dated, given that it gives plenty of advice about how to observe the solar eclipses from 1998 to 2017, and we're nearly halfway through that time period already.

The book tells us about the main things one sees during an eclipse.Until the Sun is nearly covered by the Moon, there are few changes.But once the Sun is almost covered, things do change a little, in a spooky manner.There is still plenty of light; it isn't at all dark yet.It may be a little cooler, of course.But everything looks a little strange, because the Sun has been reduced to almost a point source.Harrington does not emphasize this, but shadows get much, much sharper.It's weird.

Meanwhile, Harrington does spend some time telling about the shadow bands (on the landscape) that one may observe shortly before totality.These are not easy to see, and they are nearly impossible to photograph.

And then, you may get to see the Moon's shadow rushing toward you at 1000 miles per hour.Once it reaches you, that's the start of totality.As you get close to totality, the only sunlight is that which sneaks through some of the Moon's valleys: it is called "Bailey's beads."The final few seconds before totality, there is only one bead left, and that is called "the Diamond Ring."

By now, the horizon looks like a 360-degree sunset.And at last, yes, there is totality (and darkness...it is like being outdoors in the middle of the night when the Moon is full), with the Sun and Moon combining to look like a hole in the sky.You get to see the Corona, and if you are lucky, maybe some solar prominences.And it is strange: most humans know from experience that it is Wrong for the Sun to be blocked in the middle of the day.Meanwhile, you get a rather unusual view of the sky.Many observers will try to get a rare naked-eye view of Mercury.Or there may even be a comet near the Sun that one can see.

Harrington discusses eclipse photography.My advice is to leave that for the experts: if you try to do photographs, you may pretty much miss the eclipse.In addition, you may find it difficult to operate your camera in the dark!Maybe the best idea is to bring a movie camera to record the reactions of those who are with you.

As this book explains, it requires some planning to get to see a solar eclipse at all.Eclipses rarely come to you; you almost always need to travel to get to see them.Harrington does discuss the main problem: it may be cloudy, and if clouds obscure the Sun, you will miss the eclipse!That means you need both good planning and some luck.

Eclipses are unique experiences.I recommend this book about them.

Highly recommendable
I've been lucky to watch 3 total solar eclipses in my life, and still want more! This book was written by an eclipse-addict to help other eclipse-addicts, like me. I feel very grateful to Mr. Harrington forsharing all his experience and regarded knowledge to make the eclipseexperience more fun. I'm now planning to watch the 2001 eclipse in Africabased on this book's advises.

The book includes charts, tables,photographic tips, and much more useful information. The only drawback Isee is that it has no color pictures.

The Aug '99 eclipse is around the corner,THIS BOOK IS A MUST
I have been planning my trip to view the August 1999 total solar eclipse for a few years now.It's almost here!!Thanks to this book, the best about eclipses by far, I am ready!Chapters detail traveling to othercountries, what to bring, how to photograph eclipses, and even informationabout *every* eclipse between now and 2017.It even gives details aboutexpected climatological conditions!

This book is more than solareclipses, however.It also gives me new appreciation for lunar eclipses aswell.There is a beauty coming up in January 2000 that will be visibleright from my backyard.I'm now ready for that one, too!!

Complete guide to nature's most spectacular show
Total solar eclipses are mother nature's rarest and best trick: for a few precious moments, a blackness replaces the sun.

This book answers the what-where-why, as well as capturing the awe of total solar eclipses, and also covers the related phenomenon of lunar and partial solar eclipses.

The book has the technical integrity to not "talk down" to the audience while still being interesting to the non-scientist.

Well written, fascinating - I'm hooked
I picked this book up in the library but it's one I will own. In one chapter all my questions about how eclipses work were answered and much more. Harrington has helped me discover the wonder and uniqueness of each upcoming eclipse, even if I won't always be on the right continent to observe them myself. An excellent guide book for everyone from the simply curious to the avid eclipse chaser. ... Read more

Product Description
The mass industrial democracy that is the modern United States bears little resemblance to the simple agrarian republic that gave it birth. The market revolution is the reason for this dramatic - and ironic - metamorphosis. The resulting tangled frameworks of democracy and capitalism still dominate the world as it responds to the Panic of 2008.Early Americans experienced what we now call "modernization." The exhilaration - and pain - they endured have been repeated in nearly every part of the globe. Born of freedom and ambition, the market revolution in America fed on democracy and individualism even while it generated inequality, dependency, and unimagined wealth and power.John Lauritz Larson explores the lure of market capitalism and the beginnings of industrialization in the United States. His research combines an appreciation for enterprise and innovation with recognition of negative and unanticipated consequences of the transition to capitalism and relates economic change directly to American freedom and self-determination, links that remain entirely relevant today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Freedom of contract supercedes all (4.5*s)
This book is a very insightful examination of the profound transformation of America in the decades prior to the Civil War from being a land of liberty-conscious, small, independent producers, who operated in the context of traditional community standards, to a nation where market forces became so central to the economy that they literally dictated and defined the nature of work, but not without immense social consequences as well. More and more workers and suppliers worked under terms and conditions set by owners and merchants, in essence, giving up a large measure of autonomy. Of course, the economic divide between capitalists and workers and the associated power differential were downplayed as being part of the natural workings of the market; America did still pay lip-service to equality.

Surely, it is perhaps the largest irony in American history that a freedom-loving, ambitious people would create, or at the least accede to, an economic system that consigned most people to positions of dependency, subject to the whims of employers, bankers, speculators, and the like, and was characterized by periodic depressions that threatened the well-being of wide swaths of people. The political freedom that the founders focused on to ensure equal political participation became secondary to the contractual freedom of the marketplace, where the powerful usually held an advantage. The author repeatedly notes the discounting and irrelevancy of community concerns, of mutuality, in a system of impersonal, money-based, distant contracts.

There is no suggestion of a vast conspiracy that orchestrated a "market revolution" to supercede democratic initiatives. As the author shows, a great many factors interacted to produce the changes in the nineteenth century that largely prevail today.

The author emphasizes that the US was enormously blessed by natural resources and a young and growing population quite willing to endure hardships to establish homesteads in the hinterlands. The burgeoning population tremendously increased the demand for foodstuffs, staples, and goods, which both small farmers and craftsmen sought to supply. Americans may have been leery of Hamilton's ambitious plans for the national government to make the US a commercial powerhouse, but, ingenuously so, few had qualms about aggressive entrepreneurship. Resourceful persons who found the means to take advantage of economies of scale and/or new machines underbid small producers, many of whom then found themselves drawn into large systematic production. The nineteenth century also saw the widespread upgrading of the infrastructure and means of transportation and communications which greatly facilitated operation of the market.

As the author points out, the market revolution slipped up on people. When the Panics of 1819 and 1837 hit, the dependencies of large numbers of people on an economy beyond their control were brought home in very harsh ways. Yet the criticisms of the market-based economy were inchoate. Were the problems structural or were corrupt individuals to blame? Were depressions simply "natural" in market-based economies and thereby had to be endured? Responses were seldom perceptive. The Jacksonian killing of the second Bank of the US, a stabilizing force in the economy, was irrational. Others could only see the huge productive capability of laissez-faire capitalism, ignoring any deleterious consequences. Of course, there was the American moralistic response of blaming the victim: those who experienced troubles in the economy must be sinful, lazy, extravagant, etc - in other words, deserving of their fate. The author also contends that the pressures of the market revolution to expand throughout the US utilizing "free" labor contributed to the fear that Southerners had of having their bound-labor system overturned. It is clear that the market revolution had well-penetrated much of American society by the time of the Civil War.

The author concludes with a brief look at the economic meltdown of 2008. In many ways the views of the market are unchanged. There is the same belief that the workings of markets are "natural" - that regulating entities can only make matters worse during periodic downturns. There is also the belief that ever expanding production is an unqualified good - that a rising tide lifts all boats. Without undue elaboration, the author contends that those beliefs are as wrong today as they were one-hundred-and-fifty years ago. It is basically absurd to hold that man-made systems, as economic exchanges are most certainly, perform naturally. It is hard to get past the point that it is only when political liberty trumps the liberty of the market, that a nation can ensure that an economic system does not lead us all down a path of disaster.

The book is a cogent, though short, overview of economic development in the early decades of our nation and of the ramifications of those tremendous changes in our newly founded republic. It is quite ironic that in the greatest, freest nation on earth, true freedom was in short supply in both the Northern and Southern economic systems in the nineteenth century. The question may be, "has it ever been restored"?
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Product Description

Eclipse Rich Ajax Platform (RAP) is an innovative toolkit for developing applications that will run as rich clients as well as web applications. Eclipse Rich Ajax Platform is the first book on the new Eclipse RAP, and it introduces the required RCP and OSG/i concepts used by Eclipse RAP.

This firstPress title demonstrates the functionality and benefits of Eclipse RAP as well as shows the sweet spots of RAP, especially focusing on single sourcing RCP and web applications, which can be a huge cost saver.

This book also covers possible issues that might prevent you from successfully deploying RAP.

• Describes Eclipse RAP concepts and its underlying technology
• Explains key features of RAP
• Shows case studies where RAP works and where it won’t

Customer Reviews (1)

A good introduction to a new Eclipse Technology
I've been following Eclipse RAP since I first saw the demo at EclipseCon 2008. The technology is very promising and the emphasis on single-sourcing is a time saver. This book is an introduction to Eclipse RAP. Don't expect an in depth review of the technology.

Chapters on how RAP is setup relative to the whole Eclipse Platform stack and comparison to Eclipse RCP is very helpful. In addition chapter that covered whether RAP will work for a particular projects was something I was interested in. I especially liked the example RAP application that author walks you through so you can get started using RAP pretty quickly.

So, if you are looking for a in depth discussion of RAP technology this is not the book yet. It is a book for someone who is not sure if the technology will work for a particular project and wants q gentle introduction. I do look forward to more in depth book on Eclipse RAP as it promises to be a very interesting technology to use.

Also, the book would have been half the size if font that was used would not have been 13 or 14 px - seems too big for me.
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Product Description
Half-Kiowa rancher Grady Hawks owns 9,000acres of water-enriched Texas grassland. But when theEastern Land Company moves to steal Hawks NestRanch, claiming Grady is too Indian to rightfully controlit, Grady decides to apply what he's learned in mixingdifferent strains of cattle.He needs to find a red-haired wife and breed backto the fair skin and Scottish features of his father. Witha white child and wife, he plans to appease his neighborsand outmaneuver the greedy Eastern consortiumof businessmen who are trying to steal Texas land. 

Customer Reviews (2)

Reviewed by Romance Junkies
Two unlikely characters are pushed together in BREED TRUE.Half breed rancher Grady Hawks needs a wife to keep his land out of the hands of an Eastern company - Julie Rossiter just wants to be left alone but reluctantly agrees to a marriage with Grady in order to have a home for her daughters.Neither expects love but that is exactly what they get!

Julie Rossiter has come across her no-good swindler husband after he has been mortally stabbed.She has to get information out of him before he dies - information that will lead Julie to her twin daughters.Julie's husband is hateful enough that her begging does no good until his final breath.Julie now knows where her children are but before she can get them, she is asked by the sheriff to explain what happened.It seems folks think she might have stabbed her husband thus causing his death.But then again, folks are thinking Grady Hawks, a half-Kiowa ranch owner, stabbed him too since Grady's knife was found at the scene.More is at play than what meets the eye once Julie finally hears from Grady what the real story is.

It seems Grady needs a white wife in order to convince an Eastern land company that his ranch is legitimate.Julie is the perfect choice - she has Irish coloring and Grady's father's heritage is white.Julie takes some convincing but Grady makes the right promise - he is going to get her children.Julie agrees to the marriage never knowing how much Grady actually feels for her.But soon, soon she will know exactly what Grady wants and feels and desires in a wife.

BREED TRUE takes an original look at what some men might do to hold their land.Grady remembers Julie from a dance years ago and with one look at her now, he wants her.He is forceful at times and extremely dominant.His kisses make Julie blush but he is also patient.He wants Julie to care about him because her heart is full of joy not because he saved her children from a life of starvation.Julie is more cautious about Grady and while she desires him and learns to love his touch, her mind continues to test her heart until Julie has to realize that Grady does love and care for her - just as she loves and cares for him.

BREED TRUE is a historical romance unlike any I have read this year.The love scenes between Grady and Julie are rife with dominance and very erotic.A truly satisfactory read!

Natalie S.

A true treasure for anyone looking for love
Every self respecting single woman has been told time and time again that when you stop looking for love it will find you.The romance that grows between Grady and Julie is one that is so beautifully written that it gives hope that we will all be found someday.

The character and scenery descriptions in this book are amazing and the lines between turning a page and strolling through the western countryside become blurred.

Every fan of Western -OR- romance novels will love these characters and the story that brought them together. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Still waiting for book...
Still waiting for book that will tell me what Aspect Programming is good for. This one doesn't

Excellent in depth book on Aspect J
I found the concepts of AspectJ cool but the book seems choppy and too complex to follow.The Eclipse AspectJ tools seem very complicated and busy on the screen.The book could have had a better flow and a lighter introduction.Possibly starting out as a "language" book versus a tool book.

I'm finally beginning to understand AOP...
Since my last attempt to get a book to learn about AspectJ wasn't very productive, I decided to try again with Eclipse AspectJ: Aspect-Oriented Programming with AspectJ and the Eclipse AspectJ Development Tools by Adrian Colyer, Andy Clement, George Harley, and Matthew Webster.*Much*, much better...

Content:
Part 1 - Introducing Eclipse, AspectJ, and AJDT: Getting Started; First Steps in AJDT; Extending The Application; More AJDT
Part 2 - The AspectJ Language: An Overview Of AspectJ; Straight To The Point; Take My Advice; Inter-Type Declarations; Aspects; Using The AspectJ API
Part 3 - Putting It All Together: Adopting AspectJ; Advanced AJDT; Aspect-Oriented Design; Command-Line AspectJ; AspectJ Language Quick Reference; Next Steps; AJDT Icons Reference; Index

To give you an idea of how much better I liked this book...I learned more in the preface than I knew after going through the other book I reviewed.:-)

There's a lot to like about how this book is done.Part 2 - the coverage of the actual language - is more than adequate to give you the reference material you need in order to learn the language.With each concept like pointcuts and advice, you get a tutorial of the feature, examples of how it actually works, as well as reference material for the methods and properties it uses.There's probably enough here to get you quite far down the learning path.But coupled with parts 1 & 3, it's more than enough to get you fully competent in the language.Part 1 gives you plenty of knowledge and grounding in how to use Eclipse to start coding an AspectJ application.They have a nice example of an insurance application that helps bring the theory into practice.Part 3 was a nice touch, too.Since AspectJ is designed to work *with* your object-oriented applications, this section helps you plan out how you can actually start applying the new skills in your environment.Since aspect-oriented programming (AOP) hasn't yet achieved any critical mass, there's little chance you'll be able to apply it in an all-out fashion.But using the material in part 3, you'll be able to plan out some pilots and situations where you can get your feet wet.Very cool...

Even as a way to get a high-level understanding of AOP, this book works very well.To take the next step from high-level understanding to competency, you'll have everything you need right here.I'd definitely recommend this book for anyone wanting to delve into this area...

Good Overall View of the Language and Potential
Sub-Title: Aspect-Oriented Programming with AspectJ and the Eclipse AspectJ Development Tools

If nothing else, the Java community is absolutely wonderful in coming up with new variations, add-ons, even concepts. All of these get new names and a collection of devotees. AspectJ is one of the newest.

I still haven't decided if I am going to actually do anything in AspectJ, but it seems to be gathering more attention. Merging it into Eclipse is certainly a big step along the way indicating both increasing support and the availability of tools that will help with a project.

This book is written from a very practical sense. It starts out with getting Eclipse and the AspectJ Development Tools (AJDT). It then leads you through a tutorial to get a program running. This is, as the book says a good way to begin learning a language. You begin to see how the whole thing hangs together and hopefully a few things begin to cause you to say to yourself, 'yup, this feature would have been a help on that last project.'

After that there is a more descriptive section on the fundamentals of the language itself. This is the biggest part of the book, and in good Java fashion introduces a bunch of new words to describe aspects of the language that create its uniqueness.

Finally in the last part of the book, called appropriately 'Putting It All Together' the book discusses the actual process to go through to begin adopting the language. This is an often overlooked part of beginning to use a new language. This is especially true for moving the language into a project of any size, and the book does a good job of helping you define a path to adopting the language.

This is not a book for beginning programmers. It assumes that you are a Java programmer, not necessarily an expert, but with some experience. On the other hand, in a fairly short while you can grasp the AspectJ language and begin thinking about it's usefulness for your project.

Everything about AspectJ that you didn't know to ask
In Part 1, "Introducing Eclipse, AspectJ and AJDT", we are led through the building of a prototype insurance application (SimpleInsurance).Along the way, we are introduced to Eclipse, the AspectJ language and the AspectJ Development Tools (AJDT).The aspects are not presented as pre-built, but we get to see how they are selected, written, refactored and, even debugged.I found the discussion interesting, and saw new ways to use the tooling to prevent problems, but it did mean that even simple features went through a lot of hoops which were not always clear at the time.Thrown into the mix were a number of side-bars which explained the development philosophy and architecture behind AspectJ to a depth that I have only glimpsed in some of the mailing list discussions.I am using AspectJ and some of these sidebars took me several minutes to digest.I don't like to think about how a genuine newcomer would react.Thrown into the mix were screen captures of simple wizards and instructions on how to save files, making for some unintentionally funny contrasts.

In Part 2, "The AspectJ Language", things calm down as we go back to the beginning and cover the AspectJ language in full detail.As one would expect, they have produced the clearest and most comprehensive overview of the language I have seen.Everything is explained, generally using code snippets and object-interaction diagrams to reinforce their points.For complex issues, there are a number of sidebars which delve into the design of AspectJ.I learned many new things, not only about AspectJ but about the Java language itself.

Finally, in Part 3, "Putting it All Together", we are able to get into the "meat" of AOP and discuss how to develop our own AO application.We get to see how to adopt AspectJ, how to develop with aspects, and how to design applications with AO.Armed with a richer understanding of AspectJ, we take a look back at the insurance application that we worked on in Part 1 and see what benefits we've achieved.We briefly revisit the discussion about integrating AspectJ with Hibernate, and get to see how we would use Spring to improve our solution even further.There is great stuff here, but my only problem with this section is that there is just too much material to cover in the 100 pages it gets.As they say, a whole book could be written on this topic (any takers?).


I couldn't help comparing this book to "AspectJ In Action", though the two are quite different in many ways."Eclipse AspectJ" definitely contains the most in-depth information about AspectJ and the AJDT.Using the same example (the SimpleInsurance application) throughout meant that we can see AspectJ being used in many different parts of development.There are many aspects in "Eclipse AspectJ" which I am keen to use in my applications.The problem is that I'm still debating with colleagues at work if I *should*.Where "AspectJ In Action" spent some time explaining different patterns and showing where different aspects should be used and where they should not, "Eclipse AspectJ" presents the tools but leaves the rest up to us.To my mind, that is the most important difference between the two.While "Eclipse AspectJ" cannot be matched for sheer depth, it does not always provide enough context to be used by new AspectJ developers.It is a good resource for existing AspectJ developers and will give you a complete understanding of the language and the tooling, but will be standing beside "AspectJ In Action" on my bookshelf. ... Read more