It's a wonderful book. I am surprised, like the people who wrote reviews below me, that the book is not very much noticed. My favorite character was Gizur.. and because of him, my only complaint of this book. If one reads the book, they'll understand. This is one of my all-time favorite books.. (my favorite series in all books that I've read is Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings) If you can find this book, and read it, you'll enjoy!

I have found this book exceedingly brilliant. The characters are rich in their own idiosyncrasies and persuasive humour. What I liked about the book was the detailed distinctions between the enemy and the heroes.At times fantasy writers are taken aaway a bit by their won cleverness and weave too intricate a taperstry more than the story warrants. I like the magical confrontations between Lorimer and the rest. What I particularly enjoyed was the battle with the fire jotun and Regin. It was in such beautiful detail i could feel my own facial hairs being signed! Added to an otherwise dire moment, humour was thrown in with precision. Who would expect bumbling Alfars to summon a comet to smash the jotuns?? Elizabth H Boyer will remain one of my favourite writers and i hope she continues the tradition of good fantasy. P.S. What truely amazes me is that most of her novels are stand-alone, yet they are cohesive to the rest of her genre.

It is astonishing that this author has not received more acclaim than she has. The Elves and The Otterskin is a superbly written and unique book with a piquant sense of humor. All of the usual elements are here: heroes, swords of power, characters struggling towards great deeds, magic - the faithful will be happy. What makes the books so different - and thus refreshing to longtime devotees of the genre - is how well it is written, how well the characters in the book develop from being a rather fractious band of moronic elves into something rather more powerful, and how it stands the usual conventions of the genre on their heads - all done with a twinkle in its eye. This is decidedly a modern fable - the characters do not seem to have the the God-given assurance of an Aragorn or a Gandalf. Instead Ivarr, our clueless witches' assistant must stumble his way, with grit , determination, a little luck and some ridiculous companions, towards the rescuing of a famous sword from a horrible pit, the slaying of a legendary Dragon and the final defeat of an evil and powerful Necromancer. Comedy and seriousness are balanced beautifully into a tasty, light-hearted and very pleasing offering. Overall: a fabulous book - order it and keep it if you can still find it.

It's always hard to talk about Holocaust; it's unbearable to look at pictures of people tortured there. This book is such a masterpiece it does not go into engrossed misery, it's about a guy ending up with 3 wifes as a result of a terrible war... It's funny and ironic - no conclusions - it's all up to the reader to think about it...

Singer establishes a tragic situation, then has the nerve to make a comedy. Nobody else could achieve this delicate balance. If you're interested in exploring Singer, start here. Then read his posthumously published novels: The Certificate, then Shadows on the Hudson. If you don't like them, I'll give you your money back.

This novel is the story of a Holocaust survivor and his attempt to juggle three women in mid-20th century New York City. Although there are some amusing moments, this is not a book to be taken lightly. The devastation these people have suffered because of the Nazis has all but left empty shells. Singer's style in this novel is quick-paced and straightforward with remarkable dialogue.

Harry Larson knows a secret. It is a secret which will have dire consequences for the former alcoholic. Harry's wife Janet turns to Lottie Baldwin, the one person she is sure can help when Harry goes missing. The two women find themselves rushing headlong into danger when they decide the police are moving too slowly in finding out what has become of Harry. Flamboyant Lottie Baldwin blew into Cheyenne, North Dakota following the end of a romance she would just as soon forget. The Tarot reading psychic's abilities are dismissed by everyone in town except for her old college chum Janet Larson. Even Lottie's sweetie, sheriff's sergeant Harlan Erikson is unwilling to accept that Lottie's expertise is valid until he finds he has no choice but to rely on her 'feelings' when Harry and Janet's young daughter is kidnapped.

Fatal Fortune a first mystery thriller by Kansas writer Elizabeth Delisi is a 'keep you turning the page' read. Her eccentric heroine Lottie with her 'feelings,' extravagant style of dress and Tarot Cards is a marvelous, amicable character; one I hope Elizabeth will soon bring to us once more in a sequel when Lottie again helps Harlan and his buddies in the sheriff's office clean up another mystery.

The consternation felt by Janet is unmistakable and the foolhardiness driven behavior of Lottie as she tries to do something to help her friend is something we can all identify with. Well thought out, resourceful characters engaging in lively dialogue and believeable interwoven relationships are wonderfully characteristic of small town American and give this work a sense of being right there in the story. Delisi has an entertaining style with a hint of romance as she presents this fast paced thriller.

Fatal Fortune offers the reader a peek inside the mind of a troubled individual who will stop at nothing to enact the vengeance the character is sure is due. In a short time the reader comes to know how misguided delusion can become murderous intent.

Fatal Fortune by Elizabeth Delisi is a well wrought, suspense filled mystery thriller. We who enjoy thrillers are pleased to know Elizabeth has just completed another novel. Fatal Fortune is a narrative that will grab you from the opening page and will keep you reading right down to the last line. Highly perceptive work, and highly recommended.

Mystery author Elizabeth Delisi is also a professional editor for several electronic publishers, as well as for individuals. She is a staff writer for the web site NovelAdvice a newspaper columnist, and has taught creative writing courses at the community college level.

Elizabeth holds a B.A. in English with a Creative Writing major. She lives in Kansas with her husband, three children, and their dog.

Reviewed by Molly Martin

If you want to read an excellent mystery that has it all - adventure, romance and thrills wrapped up in a tight, unrelenting and engrossing tale - then Fatal Fortune is a must.

Lottie Baldwin, a determined, single-minded psychic, and her police sergeant boyfriend, Harlan Erikson, are pulled into a mystery that involves one man's disappearance and a child's kidnapping. Only by combining Harlan's detective experience with Lottie's ingenuity, tarot readings and gift of sight, are they finally able to unravel the truth behind the incidences - a truth that is more horrifying than either dared to expect.

This is Elizabeth Delisi's first novel, but having already read her second, Since All Is Passing, I knew I was in for a treat. I was not disappointed. Fatal Fortune kept me on tenterhooks into the wee hours. I'll be looking forward with anticipation to the next novel by this very talented author.

Lottie Balwin is aware that the citizens of Cheyenne, North Dakota "don't like her." All I can say is that the people in her adopted town must be pretty narrow-minded, because if Lottie moved in next door to me, I'd be thrilled! Lottie is a psychic, and her Tarot card readings are often right on the money. And aside from her unusual gift, she's cheerful, generous and fun-loving. No wonder Harlan Erikson, a local deputy, fell in love with her almost the instant he laid eyes on her.

When her best friend's husband disappears, Lottie puts her psychic abilities to use, managing to eventually convince even the skeptical Harlan that her powers are very real. What results is a mystery novel that holds a reader spellbound from first page to last.

Ms. Delisi has penned a winner, and I hope to read more of Lottie's adventures in the future. Terrific!

Never before have I encountered a ghost I like so much as Sir Jerome Kennington. We should all be so lucky to have a spirit so full of life in our homes.
Three women rent a house in Hampstead that comes furnished with antiques and its own resident earth bound spirit. What follows is a wonderful story of the three living together, as only women can, sharing and supporting each other through career challenges, men troubles and decisions of what to wear.

Deirdre Hall is a television show host who falls for a guest rock star. Charlotte Lewis is a photographer who wants desperately to capture the essence of the souls in London, and Natalie Ladd is a painter who ends up wowing the crowds at a gallery showing. In between the inspiring lives these ladies lead, they find the time to make love with their boyfriends, liberate a lab full of test animals and help sort out the mystery that has their ghost remaining on the earthly plain.

Jerome was murdered, and he needs to discover why and by whose hand. There is an evolution here of this lost soul. At first he can only be seen by the three women, the first in 200 years to do so. Then he discovers that others can see him as well. He was trapped in the house that at one time was part of his own estate, but as time goes by, with the women to help him, he finds he is able to travel about. Jerome shares with the girls, his understanding of life and death and reincarnation: shocking one of the boyfriends.

And then there is Deidre's boyfriend, the rock star, who looks exactly like Jerome. Though he is not a Kennington, it is possible that he is a descendant and turns out to be a clue to a piece of the puzzle.

The author has succeeded in bringing a group of friends to life for the reader, even the character who has been dead for so long. Attention to detail is given at just the right moments. The research that was involved, in portraying Jerome's story from the 1800's, was obviously enjoyed by the author, as the details of the period are wonderfully vibrant.

I savored this book to the very end, which turns out to not be the end after all. The second novel, Jerome's Quest, I am told will be available shortly. I look forward to it with much anticipation.

Reviewed by: Heather Froeschl

OK, I'm pretty sure this is ranked as a 'womens' book. But it's a terrific fantasy, and it has some great sex scenes. This comes from a male perspective; the male characters are real, and not just reflections of the female characters' wish fulfillment dreams. As others have stated here, Sir Jerome Kennington is the central, pivotal character of the tale, and he comes alive for the reader -- even though he's been dead for almost 200 years.

The novel touches on many of the concerns people have today with spirituality and the afterlife; we are searching for meaning in an increasingly chaotic world, and even though I know there are going to be some radical Christians out there who will denounce this book and the ideas it puts forth, but I find them refreshing and would like to think that perhaps we could be that lucky...

I am constantly looking for good new books to read. I am a voracious reader; having two small children hasn't slowed me down much -- I gobbled this book down in a couple of days, and now can't stand to wait for the sequel! The ensemble cast of characters is so well-drawn I could see each of them, and felt as if I came to know them. But the main character of this love story/fantasy is Sir Jerome Kennington, the man every woman is searching for in life. Of course, he's been dead for almost 200 years, but no man is perfect.

The plot is fascinating; I particularly liked the way it moved from the modern-day in the Hampstead house to 1811, when Sir Jerome was alive and owned the Hampstead estate. The author has historical detailing down, and this part of the novel is as vivid as the modern-day scenes. If Robin Herald, the look-alike descendant of Sir Jerome Kennington, isn't as perfect as his ancestor, he's pretty close!

I highly recommend this novel not just for fantasy lovers, but romantic fiction lovers everywhere.

Leto is one of the fastest rising stars in Harlequin's Temptations, and maybe the brightest. I look for her to make to jump to big books anytime. She has that droll Southern Charm and she imbues every book with it, and she know how to make the attraction between her leads sizzle. I especially appreciate how her females are not stereotype, but are women with minds of their own. With this book, she once more proves why I ordered her by name only and cannot wait until her next ones comes along.
Is there anyone who can get you into trouble more than a sister? That is the premise of Good Girls Do. At the University in Southern Florida (sorry, Julie did not use New Orleans again for she give such a texture to her works with that as a background!) Dr. Miranda Carpenter's sister pushed the CISS - Campus Institute for Safe Sex and Dr. Noah Yeager into nominating Miranda as woman of the year role model. Teri makes sure the papers pick up on it, and next thing Miranda is label "practically a virgin" - and as the late Robert Mitchum would tell you, there's nothing worse than a semi-virgin!!

Miranda is humiliated by this all, and Noah understands this, and had no idea Teri would shout it everywhere. Added to Miranda's humiliation is an attraction to Noah, but she has started away from the Party Animal that was known for his one night stands and love them and leave them attitude. Noah has been attracted to her for some time, but stayed his distance because he has had two bad relationships, one which ended in divorce.

However, Miranda is just ticked enough to take out her anger and frustration on Noah by winding up his clock and then teaching him a lesson as she decided to go after and win the CISS virtuous award.

As with all Leto's work, the banter is rapier sharp, warm and light, yet this story still manages to get the safe sex message worked in there.

Now, WE NEED Teri's Tale, Julie!!!

Can Miranda Carpenter resist the charms of Noah Yeager? It's not easy, but Miranda is determined to give it her best shot. Her sexy colleague doesn't help matters when he insists on 'helping' her win The Most Virtuous Woman on Campus award. Along the way, Miranda sets out to teach confront-your-conflict Noah a thing or two about commitment.

I LOVED this book! I'd never read one of Ms. Leto's stories, but I intend to correct that oversight. She has drawn very likeable, sympathetic characters to whom I was drawn immediately. Her dialogue is true and snappy. And the 'thunderstorm' love scene is guaranteed to leave your pulse pounding. [It was my favorite in the whole book].

This is a great book to tuck into your beach tote this summer. If you think it's steamy at the beach, just wait until you read Good Girls Do!

After a handsome psychologist and a meddlesome sister nominate her for the "Most Virtuous Woman On Campus Award," an attractive scientist is forced to go on a date with her colleague accompanied by a college newspaper reporter. GOOD GIRLS DO! by Julie Elizabeth Leto gets off to a sensuous start with a provacative premise...

Author Paulette Maggiolo draws upon her many years of work in public school systems as classroom teacher, supervisor, administrator, member of a Teacher's Association, and a member of the Administrator's Association to write The Guilty Teacher, a strong, vivid, accurate, detailed and compelling novel about drugs, students, teachers, and America's troubled public schools. Maybe Maggiolo's The Guilty Teacher can do as much for the reformaton of the public education system that Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin did for the abolition of slavery.

I've been teaching for 13 years and have read almost every book about teaching that I could. Most were fairly good, but they lacked that honest and "been there" view that a real teacher has. This book has it. I can relate to the situations, problems and students. Great book.

I really enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down yet wasscared to turn to the next page. The issue of drugs is so much moreinvolved than I thought, yet as a parent, I needed to know. This is absolutely a must read!

A real acid trip! This novel reads like searing poetry. I don't know if the author is a novelist or a poet, but whatever he did, he had me thinking about his book for days afterwards like a weird dream I couldn't shake. Jeremy Needle has just joined the forefront of the novel noir vanguard of on-the-edge writers like Will Christopher Baer. Highly recommend if you are interested in the bleeding edge of new fiction.

or maybe Joyce on speed. Damn. Buy it, or I'll feed you to my computer.

The way this authur writes just blows me away. The way he manipulates language and grabs your attention is just amazing. I loved this book and I can't wait to read more of this authur's material.

Fabled Service is solid proof of the importance of customer service supported by Sanders's experience with Nordstrom. Businesses strive for customer service, and Sanders provides useful and detailed explanations and strategies for how to attain the basic concept of excellent customer service. Fabled Service is as good as Michael Levine's Guerilla PR: Wired, which explains how to attain excellent public relations coverage in the modern age without busting the budget.

If you are in business or are thinking about going into business, this book is a must. No matter what else you know or think you know, these core concepts are the keys to success. Real examples from real life with real meaning. And Betsy Sanders has a way of making it understandable and simple.

WOW! Betsy Sanders truly inspired me to delve deep into myself and fill page after page of ideas for customer service that had nothing to do with her industry...this book speaks to any industry or field. Because fabled service is so rarely experienced, but continuously sought after by businesses everywhere, this book is a must for any new hire, established executive or just the coordinator of a small volunteer organization. The essence of fabled service is the people, so hiring and retaining excellent employees is simply a must, as is recognizing their efforts, ideas and energies expended on your behalf. I applaud Betsy and her comprehensive collection of ideas, thoughts and direction to help others achieve true Fabled Service in their own lives!

I bought this book for myself. It's a true treasure trove of visual treats. Have you wanted to know how the homes of the rich and/or famous in the Philippines look? The variety of materials available for buidling and furnishing homes in the Philippines is astounding--rich woods, a wide spectrum of fabric, ethnic carvings and woven work. Linger over the detailed photographs in this book! Now I know what to get for my sisters and in-laws for Christmas!

This book is a great book for young Filipino Americans who need some inspiration. As a Filipino American growing up in USA, I never really felt any connection with the Philippines. I was brought up by knowing only the stereotypes that sometimes make a Filipino American want to shy with embarrassment. Stereotypes are everywhere within any culture. By reading this book and flipping through the pages, I saw that Philippines is a beautiful place. Everyone needs take a look at this book. It's a great eye opener for Filipino Americans who have problems accepting their own skin.

Finally, a book on Traditional and Contemporary Philippine Interior Design by a reputable author/photographer. It will give the reader a good sense of Native Interiors to Traditional influences of Spanish-Colonial Interior Design and Architecture. Very superb photographs. Beautiful renderrings in the Furniture Dictionary.

I planned a trip to Ireland for my Mother, 4 sisters and Myself.
I started with "Ireland for Dummies" then read "Frommer's Ireland 2001" and crossed referenced with "Ireland from $60 a Day". I learned more from these books in 2 weeks than in all of my years as a Travel Agent and Airline staff!! Their detailed in-sight and straight-forward advice was right on target. They give prices,times, phones numbers and payment information. They tell you where to go, what to do and who to talk to. I loved their list of on-line addressess for information. Only two things were wrong with my copy. They quoted every price in Irish pounds that were useless after February 2002. I realize that they had to go to print before this change and were unable to adapt in time. The other was lack of detailed mapping. A free map was included inside "Ireland 2001" but only had some of the streets shown for Dublin. I know these will be corrected in future printings. I would recommend these Frommer's books to anyone!! They are written in plain English, yet don't talk down to you(even the "Dummies" book. It was quite humorous)

My family used Frommer's Ireland 12th Ed. extensively before, during ,and after our trip to Ireland in July of 2002. The first two chapters Best of..., and Planning your Trip... were worth the purchase price alone. All of the Best of tips we followed were excellent choices.
The large fold out map that was included served very well during our driving tour of Ireland. Using the county and town maps that were included in the local sections kept us right on track. Distances are deceptive however. It takes longer to get anywhere you go than it would appear from reading the map. The Irish road system is not built for speed ( nor comfort for that matter) so plan accordingly. It takes a long time to drive across the country, or from county to county. More could have been made of this issue in the guide. Our biggest mistake was trying to do too much.
The up to date information on Dublin was very helpful, as were the frequent tips throughout the guide on ways to avoid the summer crowds. I used the web addresses that were included for lodging and found them very helpful for checking availability and booking our rooms quickly. Don't go without it!

My wife and I traveled around Ireland for two weeks this summer, and Frommer's Ireland was an amazingly helpful tool.

Realizing this would probably be the last time we'd be traveling abroad for a while, we decided to mix it up a bit --"inexpensive" to "moderate" accommodations and restaurants in most places, with a few dabbles in the "expensive" (and even one "very expensive") splurges along the way. Across the board, the recommendations in this book were outstanding. What to see and do, where to stay, where to eat and shop.....all were presented in a very down-to-Earth way. The eye for small detail and nuances throughout the book made us feel we were getting advice from a local expert who REALLY knows her stuff.

I can't say enough about how helpful this guide was to us -- it really made our trip a memorable one. The fold-out map got us around most of the country with no trouble....once a nice gentleman in a petrol station showed me how to get my rental car into reverse.

All in all, a terrific book.