I enjoy a quality romance novel as well as I do any other well-written, creative book with memorable characters. Unfortunately, Summer Moon does not totally fit my bill. It will, however, likely satisfy avid readers of formula mass-market romance paperbacks.

Kate Whittington, a prostitute's daughter raised in a Catholic orphanage in the late 1800s, answers a "wife wanted" ad and finds herself living in Texas with a landowner who may or may not actually be her husband. She is also charged with raising and taming the landowner's Comanche-raised son. Throw in sideplots involving a reforming prostitute, the landowner's best friend, and the town minister who falls in love with Kate and the book falls into a comfortable, predictable, formula romance.

While Landis obviously knows how to write (the plot moves smoothly from event to event and her structure is clear), creativity does not seem to be her strong suit here. All her characters are predictably gorgeous, ruggedly handsome, sexy, and/or heroically beautiful. The plot is as predictable as a hot Texas summer, replete with cowboys and indians.

Despite these negatives, Landis admirably limits the novel's most intimate moments to suggestively sexy scenes that stroke the libido without resorting to the graphic anatomical grossness so prevalent in today's romance books. And in the end, she deftly weaves her swooning prose into a predictable but romantic payoff that will please avid romance fans.

Kate has been brought up in an orphanage in Maine, and now finds herself in search of her purpose in life, as well as the family she never had. After answering an ad placed by a Texas rancher she decides to move to Texas and become his wife. There is a glitch in the works when she arrives and the man she has poured her heart out to in the many letters she has written doesn't even know of her existence. Add a wild young boy brought up by the Comanches and life takes an unexpected turn for our Kate. So begins her great adventure to finding true love, and the family she has always dreamed of. This was a great summer romance a light fun read, perfect for the beach. Kelsana 8/06/02

Summer Moon is the story of Kate Wittington, a woman who at the age of nine was dropped off at an orphanage by her prostitute mother. When Kate is twenty-nine the orphanage closes and she must decide what she's to do with her life. She answers an ad in the newspaper for a woman to be a mail-order bride. She takes a chance and answers the ad and is the lucky woman who is chosen to be the wife of Reed Benton. When she arrives in Texas she finds out the shocking truth. She married Reed Benton by proxy but he knows nothing of their marriage. It seems they were both tricked by Reed's father, Reed Benton Sr., a devious and scheming man who devised a plan to get his son back home to the Lone Star Ranch. When Reed Jr. returns to the ranch, wounded, and with his son who has been raised by the Commanche for the past six years he finds out he's married to Kate. Since he's wounded and can't care for his son he hires Kate on as his housekeeper and caregiver to his son Daniel.

This book was very entertaining and very easy to read. The characters were very life-like and well developed. Every character in the book has a purpose and they serve their purpose well. Ms. Landis seems to have thought out her character before she began writing. Even the secondary characters are well rounded. They all add to the story in their own way.

Summer Moon moves along at a steady pace. Again, the storyline seems to have been well thought out before the book was started. The author clearly had every scene planned out and this makes the book very enjoyable to read. The book doesn't seem choppy or hurriedly put together. It just seems like a well planned book about everyday characters on the Texas frontier.

Summer Moon is an excellent read. I was able to finish this book in just two days. I couldn't put this book down. I wanted to find out what was going to happen but at the end didn't want the book to end. I felt like I personally knew the characters and could feel their emotions. Summer Moon is a great book and will make a great addition to any romance lover's or Western romance lover's library.

I agree with the other reviewers -- the typos, punctuation errors, and "every" "other" "word" being "in" "quotes" is very annoying. (The reason is that the book is basically self-published, through iUniverse.com.) Some of the information is good, though so far it hasn't added anything to the Abraham material, which is by far a better read...

One thing I found to be a minus in Ms. James' book is the fact that the author says she "has always been open-minded, enthusiastic, optimistic." Okay, that's great, but optimists naturally have an easier time attracting what they want because they start out with positive vibrations; they don't have to overcome all the negative thinking that most of us seeking to learn how to manifest have to first learn to overcome. For me, this translated much like a rich person saying how easy it is to be rich when (s)he has never known what it is to be poor--perhaps of some value, but probably not to most who are reading the book.

Instead, I would recommend Sharon Warren's "Manifesting Your Heart's Desires." Although not the epitome of great writing, it does have great enthusiasm (if you can get past all the "yummy"s) and provides more solid information. Plus the magnets are not only a visual demonstration of Law of Attraction, but they're fun to play with! Also Lynn Grabhorn's "Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting."

Best of all, however, are the actual Abraham-Hicks materials themselves, as mentioned above. (And no, I don't get any kickbacks for recommending them...I just find the information very helpful.) The tapes are especially useful; I listen during my daily commute, whereas I might not otherwise find time to sit down and read.

Basically, I would sum up by saying this: how glad I am that I only checked out "Manifesting 101" at the public library.

I read a lot of metaphysics and physics and this book is good for the reader needing a simpler view of life. The Abraham Hicks material is very compelling and empowering. If you want deeper information of the whys, whats, etc. read Holographic Universe by Michael Talbot and go from there....Abraham has a lot of cool things to say, Holographic Universe will give you the willies because of the deep truths in the book. You decide. Warm and fuzzies=Abraham info, Heebie Jeebies and Deep Deep Truth=Holographic Universe.

If you can get past every other word being "in quotes", and lots and lots of typos, this book has some decent information within it (mostly from quotes and exercises taken from other printed material). It's a decent book, however. It would REALLY be worth it for the author to have a professional editor look it over, however.

After reading Marcia Willett's first wonderful novel, A Week in Winter, this book was a real disappointment. Willett spent far too much time trying to make us understand the psyche of the characters and way too little time with cozy descriptions which is what gives English books their charm and magic. There were spurts of that magical quality throughout the book but it was tiresome to wade through boring and tedious psychoanalytical descriptions of each character to get to these glorious and sparse tidbits. Instead of wanting to settle in with a cup of tea and a scone, I wanted to put the book down and do anything else I could think of. I hope that Willett will aim for a cosier book her third time around because she definitely has the potential as evidenced by her first novel.

A very enjoyable read, this story follows the fortunes of four women over the course of a summer: Brigid, a naval wife who lets a few select summer guest cottages on her rural property, her mother, Frummie, half-sister Jemima, and cottage guest, Louise.

Ms. Willet artfully develops their characters, such that you grow to care about each of them increasingly as the story unfolds.

The only reason for four stars rather than five, is that I found the character of Martin rather unbelievable. His actions move the plot along nicely, but I find it hard to accept that anyone would actually behave that way!

But this is a minor quibble, and the story remains thoroughly entertaining.

If you are a fan of Rosamunde Pilcher or if you enjoyed Marcia Willett's first American release, A WEEK IN WINTER, do not hesitate to pick up a copy of her latest release. You'll find the same "aga saga" settings filled with cozy descriptions of the countryside, loving characters you come to truly care about, and a story that moves at a leisurely pace allowing you to enjoy every delicious moment of this satisfying tale.

At the heart of this story are four strong female characters: Brigid, the owner of a delightful longhouse with two guest cottages she rents; Louise, a cottage guest with a past that threatens to breaks her spirit; Frummie, the mother who abandoned Brigid as a child but who is in desperate need of a place to live at present; and Jemima, Brigid's estranged half-sister who skips happily through life until a great romance upsets her emotional equilibrium.

Following the lives of these four women gives the reader interesting insights on the nature of the mother/daughter relationship. What is the genetic instinct that keeps daughters tied to their mothers, even negligent mothers, and why do they spend a lifetime longing for the mother's approval? What are the secrets we bury that wreck our mental health and destroy our relationships? What are the circumstances that lead a mother to abandon her child? And can the after-effects of such an abandonment ever be truly put in the past?

Pour yourself a cuppa and settle down with this engrossing trip to the moors of England and the opportunity to meet four memorable women.

Sonny Baca is a private detective investigating a cult murder of his cousin Gloria. The story weaves together a fabric using the old Native American, the Hispanic, and the Anglo traditions that are so juxtaposed in Albuquerque, and most of the Southwest. Anaya keeps us involved and entertained well by the cast of characters from the beginning to the dramatic climax. He shows us the good and the bad aspects of these traditions. In the end the reader is left with a greater appreciation for the natural beauty of the Southwest and a greater feeling for the traditions and beauty of both the fantasies and realities of these indigenous peoples. It helps to know a little Spanish to catch some of the brief phrases used, so a Spanish dictionary is helpful at times. However, the story never taxes the Anglo with Spanish since most of the words are either very common expressions or are explained in the text (except for the curses!). Hopefully, we can look forward to more about Sonny (and Rita) in the future.

The novel is admittedly uneven -- I suspect that hard-core mystery fans will become impatient with the see-it-coming-a-mile-away nature of some of the occurances -- but worth reading. Anaya's prose is frequently lovely and the characters resonate. In addition, it's a pleasure to read an author who presents the mystical/spiritual with respect. In my opinion, Anaya wasn't preachy, but he clearly agrees with Jung's assertion that the religious impulse in human beings is as ineradicable as the sex drive.

This was a book that I could hardly put down. Sonny Baca is one of a kind. Bring on more like this, Mr. Anaya!

This guide is published every time Ty releases a new set of Beanies and, of course, is outdated weeks after it is published. This is essentially the same book which is published again and again with a few minor revisions. Most of this information is for novice beanie collectors and can be found elsewhere (on the web or that horrible ad catalog called Mary Beth's Bean Bag World) and more up to date. This company tries to jump on any moving bandwagon. They've recently produced a Pokemon book (surprise surprise) and folder for statehood quarters (surprise surprise again). I suppose Checkerbee is trying desperately to come up with something (anything) to do with Harry Potter books. Shame on the greed of this publisher.

Good checklist for beanies. Disregard the price/value guides in these books, however, because they are not accurate. Only a dreamer would believe that the beanies are worth what is stated in this book and the ones prior to this one. Great photos and beanie history!

Looking for a good book to give you information on your collection? I know this book sure helps me! This guide with it's color-filled pictures, and acurate Ty prices is the perfect book to help you with your collection. It also has bonus ways on how to tell a counterfeit from an original. I almost bought a counterfeit Pincess and Doby, if this guide didn't help me. It includes a time line of all Ty Beanie Baby events, plus information on how to tell which Beanie Baby will be expenisive in a year. I bought one for (sadly) $20 and it was $40 two months later. And don't forget, this book it good for all different stages of Beanie collecting! If you're a collector, this Beanie book is the book for you! :-)

Summer Gone is a fine novel, and I don't want to disagree with the comments of the other reviewers. However, while the story has several memorable moments, there was one theme that for me stood out above the others. I saw the book as being largely about the main character's failures; failures in many areas of his life. Thus, if I had to describe the book in one word, I would say "depressing". Does Bay redeem himself by the end? (Maybe, maybe not. I'm not telling.) But whether or not there is redemption, the overall "feel" of the book left me depressed.

I don't want to discourage anyone from reading the book. Just be aware of what you're in for.

This is the second book I have read by Macfarlane. Although I find his first, Danger Tree, a better and more powerful book, Summer Gone is still an excellent read. While it takes awhile to move through the time and generation jumping that he does, one eventually recognizes and relishes the vehicle and how it empowers this story of family and loss. I await whatever MacFarlane writes next!

This is a wonderful story, beautifully written, and so what about perceived cliches! I suspect that some who don't like it are defensive Canadians whereas those who complain about the writing style cannot write too well either. "Three strikes and YOUR out"? For heaven's sakes!

I started this book yesterday afternoon--and finished it an hour or so later. That is, I spent about 40 minutes actually reading the first 60 pages, then skimmed the rest to see if it seemed to get any better. It didn't. Stone has a wooden hand with dialogue and a melodramatic approach to character and plot. She goes on my "avoid" list.

After reading "Places By The Sea" I was very disappoined in this book. It's an easy read, but was too prdictable. Also I felt it was loosely based on the Kennedy's life. It is not one I will keep to re-read as I have with "Places By The Sea". However I will try more books by Jean Stone.

This is the first Jean Stone book I have read, and I was captivated by her writing, it draws you in and by the end of the book you feel like you know the family. Is romantic, funny, sad, and heart warming all in one. It took me back to my childhood memories and thoughts of first love. I would recommend this book to anyone who is in the mood for a great read. I can't wait to read more of her books.

I really wanted to like this book and at times found myself engrossed in it. However, though purportedly based on real events, this book prodded on slowly to the obvious "self revelation" which was hinted at early in the book. The underlying themes of self-denial and family dysfunctionality never veer from the expected. Okay so it is "based on a true event". I, unlike some others on this page, am not asking for revenge at the end. Unfortunately, though, the totally unimaginative approach of this book led me at last to not really care what happened to Richard.

E.W. may next time instead choose the lecture circuit or discuss the matter with a therapist

I recently had the pleasure of being taught by E.W. Summers at the Sewanee Young Writers Conference in the summer of 2001. Ms. Summers is an excellent teacher, and when I started her novel it was hard to put down and I finished it in three days. I have not read The Prince of Tides, so I cannot compare the two; but I found this to be an interesting account of an extremely dysfunctional family with a sordid past and the ramification of those events through the oldest son. While the ending was a bit of a let-down, I found it to be more realistic, and the confrontation was not supposed to be Richard's revenge, it was the psychological aspect of it that was important for him. Can't wait to read what comes next from E.W. Summers.

I didn't know when I read this book that it was based on a true story, and that the "Hayes" family really exists. What a shame. I can't imagine having to live with a family like this. But as far as a novel goes, E.W. Summers has constructed a strong narrative, told from the viewpoint of Richard Corey Hayes. He's the brother to a woman who murders her abusive husband. Claire is her name, and due to this murder, Richard spins a story of a family that would make anyone's skin crawl. Not only is one of the parents extremely abusive and sexually perverted, the other parent takes delight in watching the perversion go on. There's also a gay brother, Max, and a runaway sister, Elizabeth, and a deceased sister, Tina, who committed suicide as her means of escape. Ms. Summers moves between the present narrative into flashback episodes very smoothly, and the book has a haunting quality. I find it hard to really like any of the characters, although I wouldn't be human, if I didn't admit I felt pity for them. Even though the happy ending seems a bit contrived, and the just desserts are not meted out, at least it keeps the novel from being a real, real downer. Ms. Summers first novel demonstrates a great talent; let's hope her next novel is NOT based on any dysfunctional families. It's comparison to "Prince of Tides" is irrelevant when one considers the story is based on true facts.

Michael Butts

Eclipse is one of those books that is so full of information that it becomes a reference manual! There are questions and answers in this book, that many authors are reluctant to touch, yet Mary Summer Rain matter-of-factly poses the questions and the answers to many of life's most difficult questions. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for answers to the spiritual questions that are left untouched in the status-quo books that are confined to limited thinking. If you have an open mind--or are willing to question things--this is a book that will stretch your imagination!!! And expand your awareness!!!

A prolific writer, Mary Summer Rain is well-known in metaphysical circles. Eclipse, her eighteenth book, answers questions asked by readers of her previous books. The questions are wide-ranging, from "What is prayer?" to "Will the IRS ever go away?" Summer Rain looked toward the moon when selecting the title of her book, saying that the "full moon signifies an enlightened world [and] the new moon represents the shadowed darkness of confusion and ignorance." The moon in eclipse symbolizes "the intermittent spells of forgetfulness or the clouding of the answers to life's seeming mysteries." Her intention is to provide illumination to chase away "the darkness that shadows the brilliant knowledge of the spirit's intellect." She believes that all things are interconnected, and her answers reflect her beliefs, often in a humorous way. She isn't afraid to talk about difficult subjects, such as whether or not evil is inherent in some people. Her answers are filled with practical advice, and often refer to situations in her own life. Readers will often feel as if they're sitting at the table, having a cup of tea and good chat with an old friend. Summer Rain is patient and understanding, knowing that many people are confused about how the universe works and their role in the overall scheme of things. Although the questions come from those who have read her previous books, readers new to Summer Rain will find Eclipse an enjoyable and enlightening experience. Her earlier fans will find her as delightful and forthright as always.

Sandra I. Smith Reviewer

Oh,I see Mary Ruffled a few more feathers,good!Wonderful book,Eclipse.Thought provoking,itelligently written EXSPANDS on topics promised to be revealed in prior books.If a subject appears repeated,please notice the different angles Mary approaches her responces with.This book encourages us all to think deeper,broaden our spititual awareness.I love the Q & A format,simply because most questions I myself wanted to learn more about.The fact that their was no particular order (by subject)was a great idea because you never knew what was coming next!This book ,along with all of Marys other books,are a must read for anyone REALY searching for spiritual Knowledge.Mary wont Make you spiritual...Just kind of gives you the A B C's...The KEY for you to unlock the door of truth.With honesty,respect for all,and no ego involement.Imagine for one moment a telephone(in this case a book)On the other end is someone filled with Knowledge.You can asked them almost anything and recieve either a direct responce or a thought provoking one to think upon.Wouldnt you call?Isnt it good to know a messenger has been sent to us all in the name of love?Because we are so well loved!Mary has once again bought to light many truths and concepts....And I am so enternally grateful for her giveaway.Spread the word folks...tell everyone you know about this book.Lend it to a friend or buy it as a gift...What a treasure...

Ms. Summers demonstrates a unique understanding of the inner-workings of the
music industry. Her insights are often pithy, helpful and even humorous. This
tome should be assigned reading for anyone wishing to make a career within
the oft-confusing walls of the contemporary music world.

I have own a marketing company in Portland, OR,and after "Almost Famous" came out I decided to branchout into the music business and have found everything Jodi has written to be so helpful.

Thank you
Pennie Lane

It's obvious why Billboard Magazine gave Making and Marketing Music such a great review. It's full of interesting stories on how so many different platinum bands from so many areas of music succeeded.

If you're looking for step-by-step instruction on how to market and promote your album - this book is incredibly helpful!