Fifteen years ago, an error in judgement tore best friends, Reese Collins and Alexandra Ricci, apart. It was a mistake they both paid a heavy price for. But now, Reese needs Alex's help if he wants to fulfill his brother's request to care for his daughters in the event that something should happen to him. In order to stop their disapproving mother from obtaining custody of his nieces, Reese feels compelled to marry. Ultimately, Alex is the only woman he feels is suited for the roles of wife and mother. In order for their plan to go through, they must marry quickly and sacrifice time that is needed to fully heal the rupture of their friendship which took place so long ago.

Monica McLean writes a powerful story about the value of a strong friendship in the face of misunderstood parenting. A certified genius, Alex never felt normal until Reese brought her out of her shell. And Reese, who was adopted by the Collinses, never felt valued until Alex believed in him unconditionally. McLean also develops an excellent rapport between the three girls and the two protagonists without detracting from the development of Reese and Alex's relationship. This is the first story of McLean's I've read and it was a pleasure.

This book has it all...romance, mystery, and intrigue! I loved this book because it got me hooked in just the first few pages. The characters are real and the story line touching. A great read!

I really enjoyed Monica's "Cinderella Bride" and looked forward to her next book. In "Just a Wedding Away", Monica tells the story of Alexandra Ricci and Reese Collins, former lovers separated for fifteen years. The secrets they've kept from each other could destroy them - or bring them closer together. How Alexandra and Reese navigate the rocks and shoals of their past makes page-turning reading. Monica's special gift is writing heroines who are intelligent, modern women who find their soul mates in men with difficult pasts but gentle souls. Buy this book for an affirmation of how love changes the hardest hearts.

In the book the Satan Bug by Alistar McLean, scientists have developed a virus that can wipe out the
entire population by just putting a spoonful into the air.
Pierre Cavell, a private dective, was visited by Inspector Martin who informed him that Neil Clandon had
been murdered while on his watch. Dr. Baxter was also missing.
Cavell went to Mordon, the place where all the labs are. There he meets Colonel Weybridge, Inspector
Wylie and General Cliveden. When Cavell goes outside he discovers that the fence surrounding Mordon had
been cut.
In E block Cavell discovers that Clandon had been poisoned by a butterscotch candy. Before Cavell
goes into his lab Dr. Gregori takes him and Inspector Hardanger to the side and explains to them what the
Satan Bug is. Cavell puts on protective clothing and goes in anyway. He finds Dr. Baxter laying on the floor,
dead. Dr. Gregori walks over to the cabinet where the Satan Bug is kept, only to find it was missing.
After analyzing the clues Hardanger believes that Dr. Baxter checked out the night he was murdered
and then returned later cutting the hole in the fence.
Cavell went to interview Tom Hartnell and found out that Hartnell got a call from a guy in Alfringham to
meet him but when Hartenll arrived no one was there. Cavell figures out it was Tuffnell, an attorney that was
also a money lender. When Cavell went to leave he went into Hartnell's barn and found dried red mud on his
scooter, a hammer and a pair of newly cleaned pliers.
The General informs Cavell that Bryson and Chipperfield's two daughters were kidnapped so they would
help in the break end. Cavell thinks that someone broke out of Mordon, not in.
Eric Chessingham becomes a bit suspect due to all the lies he told. On his way back to the hotel Cavell
is knocked out by someone in his car.
When Cavell wakes up he's in a cellar tied up. After a few minutes he gets free he gets out. A few hours
later an Army car picks him up on the stranded road. The General informs him that someone wrote a letter
saying he would give a demonstration proving a) he had the viruses and b) he was willing to use them. And
he said that the hammer and pliers that were found in Hartnell's barn was used in the break in. After learning
this Cavell decides to become Inspector Gibson of the Metropolitan police so the kidnappers don't know that
Cavell got away.
Hartnell and his wife are arrested for accessory to a crime. Another call came but it came to Cavell's wife
Mary, saying that if the investigation wasn't stopped by 6 pm she would receive Cavell's ears in the mail.
And he gave her the true identity of the General. After hearing this Cavell knows time is running out. And he
knew who he had to talk to. Cliveden was the only person who knew the Genereal's identity.
Cavell learns that Dr. Alexander MacDonald is behind it all. He's been a top flight communist espionage
agent for the past 15 years, if not more. A call comes in saying that a virus is attached to a bomb and is set
to go off and 3:45 pm. Hardanger orders that everyone be evacuated from the area that the bomb is said to
be. The bomb went off killing everything in a 2 1/2 mile radius. When Cavell went to MacDonalds house he
wasn't there and neither was his housekeeper. Cavell found him in the cellar. He had be hung. They then
found Easton Derry's body in the wall. Another call comes into the police saying that if it's not called off by
midnight he'll release more in the heart of London. And that he has Mary. After Cavell reviews the newest
evidence he figures that the real Dr. Gregori is dead.
Cavell runs to all the houses that was in the area that Mary had last been seen. He knocked on the
door and found a little boy named Danny that had seen Mary just before she was kidnapped. He gave
Cavell the description of the car that she was in. Cavell knows that it was Dr. Gregori that had stole the
Satan Bug. As they followed Gregori's trail they caught up to him at a curve where they set up a road block.
Gregori took them all to a barn and locked them in. He then threw in a bottle that had a virus in it.
All the men got out of the barn, cleaned themselves off then went to find Gregori who still had Mary.
They found him in downtown London and Cavell went to fight him. He got in a fight with Gregori's assistant,
ultimately killing him.
Gregori put them on a helicopter and had a pilot fly them over London several times. Cavell told him he
knew who he was. He was Enzo Scarlatti. Cavell then told him all that he knew about him, shocking Scarlatti.
In the end Scarlatti jumps off the helicopter after a long fight with Cavell.

When first released, the film "The Satan Bug" was quite a thriller, one of the more watchable movies in the developing days of action-adventure films featuring lone-wolf heroes. The book, however, was much much better, far richer with detail, riddles and twists. Today, the film, while still interesting, has not aged well in comparison with contemporary action-adventure works... but the book still stands up, still holds its own, still commands a reader's attention and enjoyment page after page.

Alistair MacLean is one of the great adventure storywriters. His early books were solid stories, with enough serious content and character insights that they bordered on serious novels. Bordered, but never quite made it out of the adventure-story category. "H.M.S. Ulysses" and "The Guns of Navarone" are the two best examples of MacLean in "serious" mode.

These two stories are very good, and quite well told, but both suffer in different degrees from MacLean's unfortunate tendency to hyperbole: in the end the characters are too heroic, the situations too melodramatic, and the telling of the tale a bit too formulaic in its unfolding of carefully timed "surprises" and reversals of fortune.

MacLean achieves his greatest effects when he puts his protagonists into suicidally perilous situations, and when he describes the extremes of environmental conditions that push his protagonists close to physical, emotional, and psychological exhaustion. A raging sea, hurricane-strength winds, torrential rain, bone-chilling snow and cold - his writing is genuinely gripping when he describes such extreme conditions, and the toll they take on his protagonists.

Because of his fatal attraction to hyperbole, his stories are most effective when narrated from the first person, where the exaggerated descriptions and wry, self-deprecating humor can be read as peculiarities of the protagonist. (In this regard, he has something in common with Raymond Chandler and other writers of private detective stories.)

So, the general rule of thumb is that all of the first-person books are superior to the third-person books, and with a few exceptions, the third-person books aren't worth the time or effort it takes to read them. The only exceptions: "H.M.S. Ulysses", "The Guns of Nararone", and "Where Eagles Dare". The first two hold their own with his best books; "Where Eagles Dare" is certainly the best of the rest, but it doesn't amount to much more than a screenplay with some perfunctory narrative added to "novelize" it.

"The Satan Bug" is a first-rate adventure story, as tense and exciting as any book in the genre, and is my personal favorite among his books. MacLean puts the story into high gear in the opening paragraphs, and keeps the pedal to the floor the rest of the way. There is outstanding detective work done by the protagonist, Pierre Cavell, and MacLean plays fair with the reader through each step of deduction, presenting the clues honestly, so that we can match wits with Cavell. The action is plausible, and non-stop, the tension builds with each revelation about the crime and the perpetrator's motive, and to top it off there is the best cliff-hanging chapter-end that you're ever likely to come across.

Someone has broken into England's top-secret biological research lab, and made off with a number of vials of deadly germs, including the most lethal of biological weapons, the Satan Bug. Our narrator, Pierre Cavell, former head of security at the lab, is the prime suspect until he clears himself, at which point he takes over the investigation into the break-in. Unlike the MacLean of the later books, the author here does not lecture us on the obvious moral implications of bacterial research. Although this is a serious subject, there is no seriousness to the book: the biological warfare angle is strictly an event to prop up an exciting, and excitingly told, story.

MacLean pushes Cavell to the extremes of physical and psychological endurance, forcing him to rise against all odds to the heights of heroic action. The story is very fast-paced and the writing crisp and witty - genuinely funny in some of the wry descriptions and self-deprecating asides. This MacLean book is top-notch in every regard, and a must-read for any fan of the genre.

This set of CDs comes in an attractive black leather case. It's compact and zips up, and I plan to keep it in my car forever. The chapters are each on different tracks, so it's easy to find a particular Scripture or to go back and review. I found my set used, and it was missing a couple of CDs. I e-mailed the company, and they mailed me the CDs immediately at no cost!

As for the sound and reading quality, I am really amazed. At first, the accent was different and sounded a bit strange, but I quickly fell in love with it. The telling of creation is breathtaking. In the New Testament, you hear the words of Jesus as if you're one of the disciples. I can't really tell you how listening to Jesus' words in traffic is affecting my life. It mixes the eternal with the mundane in a way that changes my perception of life. It also fills my mind with godly thoughts and ideas. I find myself listening to each CD more than once; it's just that good!

Listening to the Word is definitely different than reading it. You hear the Bible read as the early Jews and Christians did in the synogogues. It touches different parts of you, as you get a broad overview of themes instead of a deep analysis of each verse. You will find yourself understanding more about Jesus' ministry. If you think about it, so many of His words were spoken in a short period of time. They affected those listening in a way that we may not know, since we ponder each verse. I highly recommend this purchase. It is expensive, but it is an investment that will last forever. It really is a new encounter with God.

It started out for me when a friend gave me a copy of The Book of Revelation on CD, by Max McLean. He doesn't just tell it, he recreates it in your mind. And that can be a huge asset in understanding scripture. The visualization just makes a profound difference. He breezes throught the pronunciations and with great clearity. I can LISTEN to Matthew, Mark and Luke in the same amount of time it would take me to read a few chapters. These recordings are not made to replace a hard copy of the bible, but it makes understanding scripture much easier.

When I first became a Christian I made a point to listen to Christian music, then I decided I would listen to classical music. While still enjoying both, I discovered by listening to the Bible 1 hour a day (while driving) I could listen to the Bible in a year! Talk about helping your memorization-wow! The delivery by McLean is powerful--you can really envision the word. It's as if he is painting a picture with his voice!

The audio version of the Bible that I've always waited for...read with passion & conviction. THANK YOU !! (Listen to this MP3 version with Winamp and DFX (free) plugin for great sound quality)

This is so much more than just hearing the Bible read. Max McLean shows a passion for the word that is very moving. I delayed getting this for some time, because I'm not a particular fan of the NIV translation, but after hearing some samples I realized that the strength of performance overcomes any imprecision in translation.

The audio quality of the MP3's isn't quite as good as the audio CDs (the MP3's are 96 Kbps, 44 MHz), so if you aren't concerned about the price difference or the extra bulk, the audio CDs might be the way to go. Even so, I wouldn't say the lower sound quality is a significant distraction (just a bit of "tinny" ring from time to time), and the MP3 format is very convenient.

We have Max's NIV New Testament on tape and it is worn out. Listening to McLean speak is like hearing the voice of God - his voice is that powerful. Even if you are familiar with the bible, this reading will give you a whole new perspective. Purchasing it on MP3 is the most economical way to buy this because you can rewrite it onto CD (for personal use only). BUY THIS ITEM - DO NOT WAIT.

A mother's slow death and the support of just a few friends change ten-year-old Bicks, who is supposed to go to her aunt's home to live. This is the involving story of a very self-reliant child who cares for mother and suffering friends alike, and who finds herself alone at to early an age. A moving, meaningful story.

This is a haunting story of a young inner city girl who faces the loss of her mother, which will leave her a penniless orphan. In an heartbreaking attempt to leave a final tribute to the mother she loved and lost, she sacrifices everything and sets out on the road alone to face her sorrow and uncertain future. The characters are complex and believable, the subplots are heartwrenching, and the ending is inspiring. The scenery is vivid and you will find yourself feeling the cold and desolation described within the pages. The plot is well thought out and ties up all loose ends in the final chapter.Well written and memorable. Highly recommended.

As a teacher I have read this book aloud to my fifth grade for the past 6 years. It is by far their favorite novel of the year. However, because the setting is Minneapolis, MN, we are a bit partial as we live here and are familiar with many of the places that Bicks and Stubs visit. The friendship between the two main characters is what interests the children most in that Bicks (Victoria) is a girl who lives with her dying mother and Stubs is a boy who lives with an abusive mother. It is a story about life, love and death. But in the end it is the "journey" which captures our attention. As we walk with Bicks from St. Paul to DesMoines we will never forget how she deals with her grief and comes to an acceptance of her mother's death and of her own future. And we can never, ever forget the part about the cockroaches!!!

What a brilliant piece of literature. Any person who has not used such a book as this is definitely missing out.The instructions and the models are very good, and useable, and will enable any who use this book to attain a very high degree of skill.

This book is essentially a programmed course of instruction in jewelry fabrication. It is tightly focused on goldsmithing and nothing else - not casting, not stone setting, not surface treatments, just fabrication. This focus allows a thorough introduction to the field. The book uses a series of projects to develop your skills in an incremental fashion. The projects progress from a simple forged and soldered bracelet to an extremely challenging cluster ring. The project instructions are an artfully crafted combination of explanation, instruction, and full-color photographs. I used this book while taking a one-semester course in metals and it allowed me to work a full year beyond my expected performance level. This is, without a doubt, the most beautiful and effective "how-to" book I have ever seen, and rates about twice as good as the nearest example I have ever read in jewelry fabrication. Bear in mind that the author expects you to have a fairly well equipped jewelry shop available, including a rolling mill (flat, round and square wire rolls) a good torch and a drawbench with a good range of drawplates. I would still recommend going to a school to learn jewelry fabrication rather than trying to go it alone with just this book. Having said that, this is a wonderful book just to look at, even if you never build anything.

Full of tips which would take years to learn in the shop. Well written, good photos, lots of projects. A definite must for anyone working in gold or silver at any level.

This book takes a novel approach to a mature genre. I found it to be an easy read that evoked comparisons to my own experiences. This is something you'll be thinking about for a long time after you've put it down.

What a delightful read. The only no-so-hot comment I have is that I wish it was longer! However the message of the book is what is important and this is conveyed well. The Soul Cafe takes you on a journey that will remind you to "wake up and smell the coffee". Will Ian sell his soul or find it? This book takes you on the personal journey of a man faced with chosing integrity, accountability or selling out. In the process he finds his spiritual center and remembers what is important. I couldn't put it down. Thanks for the book and the coffee David!

The Soul Café is a book for NOW.

It's a novel, job manual, and self-help book all in one. Drawing from the collective wisdom of Mohandas Gandhi, Margaret Fishback Powers, Jesus of Nazareth, William Shakespeare, Henry Ford, and others, author David McLean presents a colorful and enjoyable story that is easy to read but offers up a timely and decidedly compelling message.

This book traces the story of a materially successful Chicago business executive, Ian Archer, who finds himself in an increasingly precarious position within his workplace, a position which encourages him to compromise his integrity and all that believes in. Competing impulses tear at Ian, on the one hand insisting he play it safe and tow the company line, and on the other urging him to blow the whistle on the corruption and decay he has uncovered in an internal investigation but risk losing his job and the affluent lifestyle to which he, his wife and twelve-year-old son have become accustomed.

Unhappy, empty and confused, Ian desperately searches for answers, which begins oddly enough in a small unassuming soulful coffee house where he comes across a peculiar but intriguing stranger who asks him: What is your pain? At first unsettled by this question, the protagonist tries to ignore it, but eventually finds it will niggle away at him until he chooses to tackle it head on. By connecting more strongly with nature, with the values and beliefs with which he was raised, and with a number of vividly-drawn personal mentors, Ian eventually finds reconnection with his father, wife, son, and, most importantly, with his own soul. It is only once he has done this that he is able to grapple with the dilemmas at work and understand that some risks are ultimately worth taking. After all, "What will it profit us if we gain the whole world but lose our souls?"

In a world rife with competition, deadlines, and layoffs, companies and individuals today often find disconnection, apathy, and malaise rampant in the workplace. Any business in the 21st century-large or small-would be wise to heed the message in McLean's "The Soul Café," a message advocating the importance of recognizing and celebrating the individual talents and abilities of all employees and of instilling a sense of soulfulness in the workplace.

This is not just a book for business, however. Anyone-in any walk of life-who wants a lucid, entertaining, and thought-provoking good read will find that "The Soul Café" offers it up-"one cup at a time."

This is one well written book. Its brilliance is in the controversial references aimed at our modern technologies and the rapid advancements of our current military might. Did we receive help from an outside entity? There's even some hint of our Biblical origin being questioned. Take this book in with an open mind and enjoy the story. There's enough skepticism and conspiracy laced throughout the chapters for both the sci-fi guru's and thrill seeker alike.
I give it 5 Stars mostly due to the authors' ability to capture the fervor of the books anecdote while they're able to maintain a sense of reality. Take this book in the equivocate manner in which it was intended. I love the story line and the plot only thickens when arriving at the end. I do hope there will be some follow up to answer some of the presumptions made. (hint)
Enjoy this one people.
Rich

Great book, could not put it down. Can't wait for the sequel.

Quite possibly one of the best page turning Sci-Fi's of the new millennium. This is a revealing story of the unknown, unanswered, and unmentioned.
The author does his best to keep every detail as realistic and exciting as possible without loosing the reader. Technophiles will love the (concepts) of strategic weaponry while the enthusiast will raise an eyebrow at the possibilities of Area 51 and so on. I liked the reading of the book and the story. Keep an open mind and rule nothing out! You'll be surprised that the plot only thickens with each chapter.
Enjoy

Like other reviewers, I have enjoyed Ms. McLean's previous books but found "The Nanny's Secret" to be her best written and most entertaining work so far. The story concerns a young woman who wanders onto a ranch after having an auto accident. She has no memory of who she is or why she's there except that she must find "the baby."

Brooks Hart and his two brothers (Mitch and Dean) own and manage the ranch in question, and have recently taken in their nephew Timmy who is the four-month old son of their recently deceased brother, Luke. When Brooks arrives home one afternoon, he finds a young woman asleep on the sofa and assumes that she is the newly hired nanny, Amelia Rigsby. The woman has no memory of who she is and assumes that because of her strong feelings that she is there to find "the baby," she must be the new nanny, Amelia. So, the story proceeds with "Amelia" settling in as the nanny, taking wonderful care of Timmy, and falling in love with Brooks. The outcome of the story including solving the mystery of "Amelia" is written in a touchingly beautiful and seamless fashion.

I found this book at a tag sale and am so glad that I picked it up. From the exceptional writing in the very first few pages, I knew that it would be a terrific book - and it is!!! The characters are interesting, endearing and clearly drawn. I particularly like the fact that the pace of the writing is steady with no unnecessary repetition of the plot (which I find annoying and usually skip over). For an entertaining, heartwarming read, I recommend this book very highly!

I've enjoyed Ms. McLean's books in the past, but this was the best one yet. I felt all the emotions that the characters were feeling throughout the entire book. I hated that the book had to end so soon. I can hardly wait for her next book to come out!

Amelia Rigsby has suffered a terrible accident. One she can't even remember! She awakes to find herself in the ranch home of Brooks Hart, a huge bump on her head and absolute no memory of who she is or how she got there.

Amelia stays on at the Hart ranch taking the position of nanny to Brook's baby nephew all the while awaiting for the return of her memory. Little things freak her out, sending her into shuddering pieces. Something has happened to her in the past, something horrible, only she can't remember what it was.

Brooks Hart has his own troubled past in a family of abuse and abandonment. He's sworn to live his life without the companionship of a woman, sure that it will prevent him from making the same horrible mistakes as his father. But this woman, Amelia Rigsby, has touched his soul in places no woman has ever reached.

Fantastically written, Monica McLean has created a gripping story of abuse, amnesia and love. The characters are real, believable and take hold of your heart from the very first page. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll laugh so hard you cry. Definitely recommended!

Max McLean makes the New Testament come alive with emotion. His passionate reading holds my interest and brings the stories a reality that other cassettes lack. The volume is annoying, however, because it alternates between too loud and too soft -- and I have to continually adjust it. Also, the background music is a bit distracting. All in all, though a good purchase.

This dramatic audio presentation is a fresh approach to discovering the biblical authority and wisdom of the New Testament through hearing the words of scripture spoken outloud. Listening to narratives is not new to anyone, however, the availability of audio recordings today of artistic and spiritual merit through advanced technology are new. Several times I have been transfixed listening to the narratives spoken by Max McLean while driving in my car in heavy traffic as well as during the quiet times I have had sitting down in my favorite chair, listening to the CD recording at home. In spoken dialog, he takes on the persona of the person speaking, and the reader begins to sense flesh and bones and emotions behind the words. Max's voice engages your attention and you desire to know and hear more. You ask yourself, "What does this mean?" I recommend this recording for all ages because it is a wonderful, enriching way to learn. At times I have followed along in the bible seeing the written word at the same time Max was speaking the words outloud. For any serious student of the bible, the recordings will add depth, insight and meaning to scripture. Just as some readers enjoy finding text in books or in poems that seems to jump off the page, listeners of Max McLean's can find joy in experiencing spoken words jumping out at their ears, making them want to hold their breath as they lean forward to hear more.

This is the best audio bible I've ever heard. Max McLean's dramizitation supersedes Alexander Scourby's King James version (no disrespect intended). McLean puts you in a time machine and takes you to the streets of Jerusalem to walk with Jesus. He makes you feel the passion in Paul's letters (especially the eighth chapter of Romans). You will find yourself rewinding your tape frequently because you will be hearing things that you missed in your reading. McLean's unique, dramatic style is very helpful for scripture memorization as well. This is one of my most prized biblical resources. GET IT!