Rod Thompson may live in California, but the South gave him this first story to tell - and he tells very well. If you're looking for sublety or a leisurely pace, then I suggest you look elsewhere. But if you are drawn to and enjoy head on prose that walks straight through a story, pulling no punches, then you have to read this one. Mr. Thompson's ear for the language of today's world is as on target as a triple X rapper and there's no apology for reality. The story is told with sentences as crisp as a solid jab and stays on target from start to finish. Getting between the Pettimore and Delancey family and their search for closure and satisfaction is a bad idea for anyone; and, there are a lot of would-be problems who get solved the old fashioned way. As each moment is detailed the reader becomes more and more anxious to learn what happens next and to whom. This book is very hard to put down and at the end I felt like I had gone 15 rounds with Dempsey. The sum of the parts results in a very solid story line that would translate very well to the screen. After meeting and speaking with Mr. Thompson one also has to suspect that there is more than a little of Cleve Delancy in Rod Thompson as their shared passions for family and action are obvious. Copperhead Road is an excellent first effort and this reviewer is ready for the next.

Great Read! If you enjoy shoot em up, rough and tumble guy type books...buy this one!

Put on your flax jacket and get ready to rumble. Rod Thompson takes readers on an unrelentingly wild ride through crack houses, shoot-outs and sizzling bedroom scenes in his riveting thriller "Copperhead Road". Set in the deep South, the book follows the lives of two renegade cousins who decide that ordinary life is no match for the fast-paced world of drug-dealing and its promises of easy money and forbidden danger.

First-time novelist Thompson says his work was strongly influenced by his meetings with noir-author James Ellroy. Indeed, Thompson displays much of the same talent for writing blunt and gritty prose. But it is during the tense and action-charged scenes of the book when human nature is laid bare that Thompson is at his best. Imagine infusing the stylistically rich novel "Rich Man, Poor Man" with the pulsating energy of Steven Segal's movie "Exit Wounds" and you'll have a good idea of how this brisk novel reads.

With his quick and lean narrative style, Thompson deftly draws the reader into a sordid world of crime, drugs and bone-crunching violence.

Copperhead Road cuts a wide swath across the South and into California and South America as it follows the lives of protagonists Cleveland Delancey and Jack Pettimore, young men who move effortlessly and guiltlessly between civilized society and lawlessness.

Delancey is a strapping man with an appetite for expensive clothes and racy women. His skill as a street fighter and boxer comes in handy when his older cousin, Pettimore, recruits him out of college for a job that promises a lot of money and even more danger. Pettimore, reserved but calculating, comes for a family whoe past in bootlegging is nearly shrouded by its present-day business ventures. While waiting to take over his father's vast farm holdings, he decides to fire-up a side-job brokering drugs.

As the story unfolds, we watch as the young men attempt to walk a tightrope between crime and legitimate entrepreneurial endeavors. But danger quickly becomes their lifeblood, sending Delancey and Pettimore into a downward spiral from which they seem helpless to pull out.

Copperhead Road begins at the mideway point in Delancey and Pettimore's lives. They have long since closed the door on their punishing past and are now involved in legitimate businesses in Tennessee and California. But the killng of Pettimore's son by drug dealers throws them back into the world they thought they'd left behind for good. Only this time, their motivation is retribution as they set out to avenge the death of a son and nephew.

Readers will not soon forget Thompson's stark prose nor the gritty, stripped-down characters he has created. And they may be curious to learn more about the author when they flip to the book's back cover and read that he, like Delancy, was raised in a military Southern family and has more than a passing knowledge of boxing and firearms.

In the end, this white-knuckle thriller that makes you sit up straight in your seat will leave readers screaming for a sequel!

I just finished reading Dear Alice. I found it extremely helpful in preparing myself mentally for an upcoming trip to China. The letters were quite authentic and honest, often revealing small details about the enigma of life in China. While I can't assume that I'll have a similar experience to that of the writers, I feel comforted to know that others have dealt with China and survived. A great book if you're curious about this foreign culture and an especially illuminating book for those of you from the United States and who are interested in the ways Americans might react to "The land on the other side of the looking glass."

First of all, I would like to mention that I had the opportunity to teach for one year in Xi'an, the ancient capital of China, and now the capital of Shaanxi province. I am thankful to Alice Renouf, the "Alice" of the title "Dear Alice", for making this dream come true. I went in 1992, if I remember correctly. Since I began reading this wonderful book, I have been unable to put it down. So many forgotten memories and subtle emotions came pouring into my consciousness. From the shock of the first weeks in China to standing in front of the classroom to the everday rush of life which I was part of, to eating in the nightmarket. Reading this book is a vivid and emotional experience. Second only to going to China oneself. Though, I feel it is a must read for anyone planning to go; either as teacher, student, tourist, businessman, politician. In fact, I feel it is not only important for those going to China, but also for anyone who intends to immerse themself in another culture. But even if you just want to read a good book, either while sitting on a warm and glistening sandy beach, with the waves lapping against the shore; or while sitting in your living room sipping a cup of coffee or tea; this is certainly a worthwhile, entertaining, and educational book. After all, it is about becoming sensitive to another culture, and discovering one's own, in the process. I highly recommend "Dear Alice". You will certainly enjoy it.

"Dear Alice" is a must read for anyone headed for China. It's a collection of hundreds of letters by English teachers from America, who arrived to discover China was a bit too different. Often in desperation, but usually with great wit and insight, they sought a shoulder to cry on. So they wrote barrel-fulls of letters to the person who sent them there; hence, Dear Alice .... Alice Renouf, the author, began sending teachers to China years ago and now runs a full-fledged human resources firm helping people who want to teach English in a truly different, challenging environment. Even the locals will tell you China is a crazy place -- a soviet-style bureaucracy trying to run a 3,000 year old society on a marathon of change. Some of the 1.2 runners are at 'start' and some in the 20th centruy. The route changes hourly, and the finishline is definitely "mei you." But if you want to know people who suffer awful frustration with courage, you're in the right place. The best part of the book is learning how many Americans overcome their initial shock, and why they don't flee to the nearest airport. The common strategy seems to be (1) Talk about it (2) Make friends with fellow suffers first, i.e. other Americans. This sounds a bit stand-offish considering you've gone all the way to China to meet Chinese, but it isn't, (3) Learn Chinese if you can, but failing that develop a busy schedule. China is truly ugly, but always interesting, so don't allow yourself an idle minute to examine your (usually) wretched physical surroundings, (4) Take enough money, or make enough. China isn't cheap, and a "mental holiday" in a place like China (dinner at a joint venture hotel) is many times costlier than in the US, (5) Travel and see the country. Make the experience count, and (6) Be prepared for the ultimate culture shock -- ending up where you may have started -- wiser and more tolerant perhaps, but believing your own culture makes considerably more sense.

From the opening lines, this story grips you with it's chilling premise of an American government that has easily slipped beyond allowing doctor-assisted suicides to imposing mandatory euthanasia on the "terminally ill", or mentally defective. Slick packaging has dulled public outrage, and blurred the lines of medical categories, but there are some who fight back when the death sentence becomes personal. How their lives interconnect, and how Christian faith and moral values direct their paths, are well-woven in this fictional account of resistance to what could be a true life situation in our not too-distant future. Janice Thompson has captured the essentials of the euthanasia arguement, and presented it in a fast-paced, suspense filled novel you don't want to miss reading.

This is a hauntingly accurate work of fiction. The author presents the premise of the elderly and infirm's "social responsibility" to participate (either voluntarily or by compulsion) in their own demise with compelling characters and smooth transitions in action. The story encourages the reader, not to suspend disbelief, but to become a believer in the power of social convenience over moral princple. As a pro-life supporter, it caused me to move beyond the realm of today's abortion issues into the horrifying possibility of legalized euthanasia. This work motivated me to reconsider my respect and passion for life, and to pursue a greater understanding of the social and political ramifications of "right to die" legislation. I recommend this book for everyone who has an opinion on the pro-life issue.

Janice Thompson writes a compelling story every concerned American and Christian should read. Her characters jump off the page and into the readers heart. She balances difficult subject matter with compassion. Will Ashley live or die? Will baby Jamie survive? Will the law of the land be changed? Does passion stand a chance against politics? You must turn the pages to find the answers! And remember...this book is not science fiction - it is fiction based on fact...look to Oregon, USA and to the Netherlands as well as the research Janice provides within the book...it is clear - if good men do nothing, evil will prevail. This book is a call to all good people - do something!

This book is very well made. It was not exactly what I expected but I was not disapointed. I was hoping for more piercing pictures or scarification or suspension but all in all it is still fun to look at. I think if you are into bondage it is a good book for you. I myself am not but I still found the pictures inspiring.

Spirit + Flesh - Anyone who picks up a copy of this remarkable book to admire the photographs should first read the tender forward written by Mark Thompson. The forward is a guide to understanding the story behind the beautiful, artistic photographs taken by Fakir over many years. Some people may find them disturbing or shocking, but there is more to the photographs than images of body modification, visual beauty, and our own perceptions of pain that might have been endured to reach the altered states represented in some of the photos. Leafing through the book and studying the stunning photographs, a story of a remarkable and unique man emerges. This is a book to linger over and share with friends whom understand what it is like to be "different". I am very pleased I added this book to my library.

...Fakir Musafar's personal transformation from nerdy teenager to seeker of transcendental sublimity is measurable in this collection from brave little Arena Editions. With knots, corsets, tattoos, piercings, suspensions and body modification tools not easily describable, Farkir goes where few dare.

Be forewarned, this book, beautifully designed and realized as it is, is disturbing. If you think Robert Mapplethorpe went too far, this is probably not for you. The images we run here in the Libido Review Gallery are on the cuddly end. Others in the book make me wince no matter how often I see them.

Not all of the images in this book are of Fakir, but most are. And this is as it should be, because it is clear that Fakir is the centerpiece of his own universe, in which the TV idea of the makeover is taken to an extreme hard to imagine without seeing it.

After the initial shock wears off, one can't help but wonder why, one would want to poke very large nails into one's self or hang one's body from giant hooks like so much cattle carcass. Why would one do this to one's self.

The answer is found both in the photos and Mark Thompson's excellent introduction. For me the question turn on the point at which performance art becomes a public spiritural quest. For Fakir, pain is a portal to the divine; he has turned himself into a "technician of the sacred," using his own body much the same way flagellants from a variety of religions use pain to seek the divine.

The only difference is that Farkir has documented his experiments with a photographic artists's eye.

I not only read and enjoyed the book, I was fortunate enough to read the original draft. This book helps people see many of the unromantizied realities of war. I was so pleased that Robert Thompson was able to face down so many of his WWII demons. You see, Robert Thompson is my beloved Uncle Bob.

This story kept my attention to the last page. I couldn't wait to get to it every night to find out what happened next. Written in everyday language that anyone can understand, you can hardly believe the things that happened to and around this author during his WWII experience. This book is not just for WWII survivors - every American should read it and appreciate the real costs of war. Let us never forget the brave and maybe even not-so-brave military personnel who gave their lives for our freedoms - but never, never should we forget the warriors who returned with their lives changed forever and memories that they've had to carry with them all these years. With every year, there are fewer and fewer of these true heroes left to us - they should never be forgotten. Read the books they wrote!

I flew on a missison with Tommy Thompson who wrote this book. He brought it back so clearly that it was just like flyng it all over again. I have never read anything that describes the action so well. I was also in the 97th Bomb Group and he named guys I had forgotten about. This book is going to make a great movie. I wish he had mentioned me in the book, but the ones he did write about are real heroes.

The first of the Jessie trilogy by Christine Pullein-Thompson, A Home For Jessie begins when ten-year-old Matt Painter finds a black Labrador puppy being drowned in a stream. The pup has a speck of white on her chest, which is unthinkable for show dogs, but Matt rescues her and takes her home. His parents insist that he cannot keep a dog, not when they're moving to America, so he leaves her with his Uncle Eric. When a car accident sends Eric to the hospital for months and Jessie into kennels, she escapes, determined to find Eric and Matt.

While early parts of the story focus on Matt and Eric and, at the end, Matt again, the majority of it is told from Jessie's viewpoint. Pullein-Thompson is well known for her horse stories, which is probably why she's able to write a good story from a dog's point of view. Jessie is determined and loveable and stubborn, but she's also a dog. She doesn't understand things the way people do - and you don't expect her to, either. She doesn't get it when Eric is taken away to the hospital and she doesn't see him, or when she goes back to their London flat and can't find him. That's okay. It adds to her doggy-ness.

Jessie's trek from the kennel through a bad home, into the woods where she is injured and then mates with a big stray named Tinker, is beautifully done, sad but honest. This is the classic coming of age from a dog's point of view.

Matt is also a well-drawn character, as is his mother and Eric, who is so poor that he sells handmade scarecrows for a few pounds each, but they are all people, who come in second to Jessie, the dog.

Pullein-Thompson's writing is solid and poignant, from the way she depicts Jessie's confusion when she is injured and dirty and sore and scared and doesn't even know Matt anymore, to the way she gracefully handles Tinker's death in a way that won't scare any kids.

TEN YEAR OLD MATT WENT DOWN TO THE LAKE WITH ANNE . ALL OF A
SUDDEN WHEN THEY PLAYING MATT SAW BUBBLES COMING WATHER.
"THERE'S SOMETHING IN THERE," MATT SAID. MATT PULLED THE BAG OUT OF THE LAKE, HE PUT HIS HAND ON IT. IT WAS BARELY BREATHING BUT MATT COULD STILL FEEL THE HEART BEATING. WHAT WAS IT? HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN IN THERE WHO DID IT? NOW DANGER IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. I THINK THIS BOOK IS FUNNY, SAD KIND BOOK.
THIS IS FOCUSES ON MATT AND HOW AII OF THIS AFFECTS HIM

A Home for Jessie was a very good book. I enjoyed it very much, and it made me mad, cry, and be happy, i reccomend this book to all animal lovers such as me.

This book is very well-written. It puts a humurous twist to the Old Testament, minus the prophets. The only way for y'all to get the jist of it is to read it for yurself (it's even funnier if u know the original stories). Just be careful if someone is readin' it to ya while yur drivin'. I don't think insurance covers "wreckless driving because of fits of uncontrollable hysteria". And y'all thought a redneck couldn't understand big words =)

This is one of the funniest books I have ever read. Each chapter keeps you in stitches as Charlie Thompson tells your favorite bible stories the way they were meant to be told-the southern way!

I think that this is one of the most humorous books that i have ever read! This book is so funny you won't be able to put it down. I look forward to another book from charlie soon!!!

This is a warm book, describing a more gentle, loving sort of submission than one might find in Claire Thompson's work "Frog" or in one of Adrian Hunters' stories. Julie is a woman who has lost her husband and who works their farm alone. For six years she has pined for him, fantasized about him, and remained faithful to him. Enter Bill--a traveling handyman and sometime alcoholic who has stopped by her farm looking for work. Just a casual thing, perhaps a few jobs, she could pay him and he would be on his way. Does it ever work out that way? Julie is attracted to Bill from the start...but the attraction does not become unbearable until they are sitting on her front porch and she confides in him that what she really wanted out of her relationship with her husband was children.

It's interesting...this e-book is part romance and part hot-as-heck BDSM tale. If one compares it to modern classics in the genre, such as Patricio's "Blue" or Molly Weatherfield's "Carrie's Story"--one finds that the erotic imagery in those tales is stronger and more powerful, but goshdurnit, there just isn't much love or romance. This book is a nice mix of both...there are some great scenes, including one in which Julie submits to Bill and a female friend, who is known in the "scene" for her whipmaking abilities...the feeling is that Julie is not expected to know everything there is to know about submission immediately. Bill punishes, and Julie doesn't like it, but the reader never gets the sense that Julie is an object--an idea that can be incredibly erotic but burns the reader out after a while. Julie is certainly a piece of property, but you get the sense throughout the book that there is a loving relationship here, not just "kinky games".

Of course, if all you want is kinky games, this book has plenty of that too. Hoo mama! There is a great scene in which Bill wants to teach Julie to be comfortable with herself and her body...so he has her expose herself to him and masturbate for him--I have not seen a more tender but equally erotic writing of that act. It is the "well done porno with a plot" that artists like myself always want to see. And the centerpiece of the book, Julie's submission to both Ashley and Bill...wow. That is what a first whipping should be like. You can smell the leather and feel how heavy it is against your burning skin, feel the sting and the light touch of your lover on your body. That kind of writing in erotica is to be prized.

The only thing I object to is the ending. Claire, honey, you make me hot with this stuff but that ending is FORCED...I don't know how else I would do it, but the accident...it doesn't read well...it is too expected.

In this book, the author has taken a very common story, one might almost say "the archetypal American romance novel", and rewritten it, and somewhere along the way it took a hard left turn through BDSM-land. There is enoughkink here to satisfy someone who wouldn't be comfortable reading "Blue" or"Carrie's Story" or "Story of O"--this is more kink tale than romance--but the setting and the plot are enough to prepare for and set up the naughtybits so they read naturally. I tend to compare erotic literature with pornographic films (I tend to believe they exist for the same reason). This book is the "hard film with a strong plot" that I have longed to see.

Julie is stuck in her past, lost in the memories of her late husband and the life they shared ' and happy to live like that. Then Bill Thompson shows up at her rural farm, and Julie begins to realize that her life didn't end with Randy's passing. Bill is different from any other man she's known, and though she's flattered that he wants to get to know her better, she's not too sure about his methods. Bill, it turns out, has particular needs ' and for him to be pleased, Julie is going to have to learn the pleasure of submission. Slowly by surely she awakens once more to life, but the hardest step is yet to come. She's shed her inhibitions and the shackles of her memory, but can she accept that confronting her deepest fears can bring the greatest freedom of all?

JULIE'S SUBMISSION starts out slowly. Written in first person, the book begins with an introduction to Julie and her private fantasy ' a world where her husband Randy still lives. Bill's arrival is the catalyst for the story, for Julie's journey and the sexual and mental awakenings that she has as a result. The sex is hot, and D/s descriptions are pleasing and sensual. The book delves into the real meaning of D/s ' not just the sexual games that are involved in the definition, which is pleasing and educative. JULIE'S SUBMISSION is, ultimately, a very positive book that captures the reader's attention and simply doesn't let go until the last page is read.

Of course, I love everything written by Claire Thompson, but it is wonderful to watch how she has developed over the years, in terms of writing pure 'erotica' to writing real stories with good plots and characters who matter to you...And she writes so well and in a contemporary style that you DO forget sometimes it's just fantasy, and that can get uncomfortable.. but still, I like that, bc it stretches my boundaries, I guess.

But back to the story at hand! This one is sweet and sexy, rough and dangerous, all at once! Julie is a young widow at her peak [] who never got over her husband, who was killed in a car accident. She has kind of let herself go and it doesn't even occur to her that the guy she hires to fix stuff up around her farm would find her attractive.

Not only does he find her attractive, but he starts to initiate her into the []dark world of S&M. She resists at first, or not really resists, but doesn't understand what is happening. I liked seeing how she develops from basically clueless to a submissive []girl. I loved the chapter where she has to expose herself in a mirror and describe what she sees. The realization that we get to see her make, that she isn't dirty and disgusting, but sexy and lovely, is really beautiful.

I also like how the author adds dramatic tension with a plot twist that is upsetting, but keeps you reading.

I won't give it away, but I would definitly recommend Claire's latest. It is HOT!

I rated this book as four-star for this two reasons:

First, because I cannot understand why this book is printed in special glossy paper, if 80% of it is mostly text. And we know how special paper adds to price and that must be the reason why this book is quite expensive for my taste.

The second reason is that for a book with this price tag, I'd expect a lot more illustrations and maybe some real pictures, instead of drawings.

Now into the the good aspects! This book is solidly written and covers all aspects of plant propagation. From trees to flowers and bulbs, etc...

There is a good section on propagation from cuttings and all the info you need to start growing plants from seeds, which were my main objectives when I bought this book.

The stratification process of seeds in the refrigerator is also covered, as well as there are some very useful instructions about how should we properly long-term store our own seeds.

As someone said before, there is a very handy chart by the end of the book, with plenty of useful information on the propagation of most of the plants you'd ever think of propagating.

As I said before, I think this book is a bit expensive and not as illustrated as I wish it was, but overall I think it is a good investment for people interested in propagating plants.

It is the kind of complete book that you will keep in your shelf and go search for answers when more doubts arise, as you get more experienced in this loving art.

If you just want to propagate some plants or maybe grow some seeds, I'd also suggest Alan Toogood's book on growing, which is more simple than this one, but on the other hand has plenty of pictures and may be easier for a beginner to follow.

I am a gardener of many years who has tried propagating plants with some luck. This book is wonderful. On my first try last August (1999) I took about 30 azalea cuttings and every one of them "took". My problem now is what do I do with all of them. :) The propagation table at the end of the book (that lists plants alphabetically)is one of the best I've ever seen. It tells if a plant can be started by seed, cutting or divisions and what time of the year is best. I also did some hydrangeas (100% success) and some crepe myrtle (75%). I have already recommended this book to all my gardening friends and I recommend it to anyone who likes to be surrounded with lots of "plant babies". :)

A must have if your a serious propagator or student looking for real answers. Easy to read, In conclusion a well rounded book that gets results.

Dr. Gary D. Robbins P.hd

I noticed a reviewer here didn't like the story entitled Phoebe's Tale. They didn't like the fact that what happened to her wasn't especially of her own choice, and degenerated into something that edged on abuse. Perhaps this wasn't the place to put the story, but what I wanted to explore was precisely what that reader observed - true romantic submission has nothing to do with forced affections and with control based on economic and emotional holds. The story is about that line between erotic, romantic submission and abuse. Phoebe, who at first didn't understand what was happening to her, and in fact did possess submissive sexual leanings, was taken advantage of by a man who confused dominance and abuse in his own mind. That, in short, was the point. The rest of the stories are sweet little explorations into the romance of submission. This one is my personal favorite, precisely for the reason that the gentle reader did not like it. Read it yourself and decide! Claire Thompson

Claire Thompson is back with more treats for us about passion and servitude.

There's no better person to do this, you know. When I think about Claire at work, I imagine her lounging on a long sofa, clad in a peignoir of the loveliest of all pastels, dictating to a handsome and muscular young man who kneels beside her, expertly transcribing her words into a steno pad. He is nude, of course, and Claire takes great delight in monitoring this young man's reaction to her hot and sultry prose.

Claire's newest novel, A Journey Into Submission, explores transformations in people's lives in a collection of five hot stories.

We have "Mistress/Slave," a tale of a woman named Mary Ellen, who has always been with submissive men. Then one day she has an epiphany of sorts. She discovers, as she puts it, that "...my fascination with The Story of O was not because I wanted to own a slave girl like that. I was realizing that what I really wanted, needed even, was to be O."

"Tough Boy" is a touching story about a big, brave, brawling guy named Richard, who secretly wants to be dominated and has been unable to come to grips with his desires. Then one day he meets Amelia....

In "David and Rachel" a couple moves into the city, where Rachel fulfills her dream to open and "run a D/s dungeon for pleasure and profit." By the time the story is finished, it seems as if Rachel may have lost sight of her profit motive in favor of the fun.

"Phoebe's Tale" is the story I liked best. Phoebe is a young crack-head, at the end of her resources, sleeping on park benches and nearly starving. She is rescued by Greg, who leads her into a submissive life. Then there are some a few small problems that give Phoebe a serious test of her will.

Finally, we are treated to "The French Maid." No, no, this isn't your usual French maid story. It's a story about Jack, a traveling salesman by day, and by night... He's Audrey, the French maid.

Claire Thompson seems to lead the pack in exploring the subtle and not-so-subtle undertones of the submissive life. As one of her characters says, "I don't know how to articulate it exactly, but this mask of desire, so intense it actually feels like something real, something palpable, seems to settle over my features, to wrap me in a submissive state of being as tangible as a net wrought of fine steel. I feel completely captive, and captivated, by his mastery over me and over the moment."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

I don't usually like short stories, because you can't really sink your teeth into it, it's over too quickly! But these are more like little novellas, each one is quite long. I liked them all, because each one explored a different type of Dom/sub relationship - from a submissive male to a dominant female to a crossdressing sissy boy. I was most intrigued by the story called Phoebe's Tale, because it dealt with the issue of when does D/s slip into actual abuse? While it was still sexily depicted, it brings up possibly disturbing issues about consensual and nonconsensual submission, but in a very real context. I think it resolved really well. The stories were a sexy taste of what submission has to offer. I love Claire Thompson's work. I can't wait to read more!!!