Book Description
In this sexy erotica anthology, three hot authors reel you in with sizzling novellas about alpha heroes who will do anything to get the women they want -- even kidnap them!
Bestselling author
Sherrilyn Kenyon presents "'Captivated' by You," the second sexy story in her series featuring the Bureau of American Defense. Rhea Stevenson is a "BAD" agent who has just been handed her most challenging assignment. She must go undercover as a dominatrix to bring in a deadly terrorist. The only upside is that her fellow agent, "Ace" Krux, whom she has long desired, is her training partner. Almost immediately the roles of master and slave are wonderfully blurred and Rhea and Ace unleash a wealth of hidden desire.
From bestselling romance author
Melanie George comes "Promise Me Forever," the story of Savannah Harper, who has finally put her breakup with pro-football player Donovan Jerricho behind her. But when Tristan comes home to Mississippi on the eve of Savannah's wedding, he still wants her. And when he carries her off and holds her hostage, Savannah's surprised to find that the desire's deliciously mutual....
From
Jaid Black comes "Hunter's Right," the fantastical story of Corporal Ronda Tipton of the U.S. Army, whose chopper goes down in the Arctic Circle. The only survivor of the crash, Ronda happens upon a hidden civilization of Vikings -- where she must face the bridal auction block. Only Nikolas Ericsson, the man who found Ronda, can save her by claiming her as his own according to sacred rights. But will she and this primitive brute give in to the sparks made when their worlds collide?
Sensual and playful, these three novellas will carry you away!
Download Description
"In this sexy erotica anthology, three hot authors reel you in with sizzling novellas about alpha heroes who will do anything to get the women they want -- even kidnap them! Bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon presents ""'Captivated' by You,"" the second sexy story in her series featuring the Bureau of American Defense. Rhea Stevenson is a ""BAD"" agent who has just been handed her most challenging assignment. She must go undercover as a dominatrix to bring in a deadly terrorist. The only upside is that her fellow agent, ""Ace"" Krux, whom she has long desired, is her training partner. Almost immediately the roles of master and slave are wonderfully blurred and Rhea and Ace unleash a wealth of hidden desire. From bestselling romance author Melanie George comes ""Promise Me Forever,"" the story of Savannah Harper, who has finally put her breakup with pro-football player Donovan Jerricho behind her. But when Tristan comes home to Mississippi on the eve of Savannah's wedding, he still wants her. And when he carries her off and holds her hostage, Savannah's surprised to find that the desire's deliciously mutual.... From Jaid Black comes ""Hunter's Right,"" the fantastical story of Corporal Ronda Tipton of the U.S. Army, whose chopper goes down in the Arctic Circle. The only survivor of the crash, Ronda happens upon a hidden civilization of Vikings -- where she must face the bridal auction block. Only Nikolas Ericsson, the man who found Ronda, can save her by claiming her as his own according to sacred rights. But will she and this primitive brute give in to the sparks made when their worlds collide? Sensual and playful, these three novellas will carry you away!"
Customer Reviews:
Jaid Black's contribution is the best, but the others are worth a read .......2007-08-13
Captivated By You - Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Rhea Stevenson is pretty hot, but she's also a by the book girl, and a little uptight. She's secretly crazy about Ace, one of her fellow Bureau of American Defense (B.A.D.) agents. Since he's a womanizer and she's set on following the "no office romance" rule, she acts as if she hates him and gives him the cold shoulder/evil eye every chance she gets. Unfortunately she's been assigned to work a case with him that has her posing as a dominatrix at an exclusive club to catch a terrorist.
Ace Krux has got it bad for Rhea, but she hates him and he doesn't know why. Fortunately he's maneuvered her into working a case with him that will involve her in skimpy outfits practicing her dominatrix skills on him. He's hoping that his charm and their near nudity will result in a little action. His prayers are answered and things heat up pretty quickly between them after she ties him down. Only now Ace isn't so sure he likes the idea of sending her into a room alone with a terrorist.
The characters weren't terribly well developed, but we did catch small glimpses into what made them who they are, and that made the romance more believable. I like the lengths that Ace was willing to go to in order to keep Rhea safe.
Promise Me Forever - Author: Melanie George
Ten years ago Savannah Harper and Donovan Jerricho were crazy in love, but with his pro-football career taking off there was a lot of strain on their relationship and when a misunderstanding causes Donovan to believe that Savannah has slept with one of his friend, they break up and Donovan leaves town without looking back. Savannah is pregnant, a fact that Donovan knows nothing about, and never will if she has anything to say about it. Now Savannah, a single mom to a precocious little girl, has finally agreed to marry Jake, her boyfriend of two years. Only, a few days before her wedding, Donovan Jerricho blows back into town stirring up feelings she thought were dead. They are both angry and bitter about the past, but can't help feeling that pull towards each other. Donovan learns the truth about that old misunderstanding and realizes that he made a big mistake and threw away the only woman he ever loved, but can he convince her of that before she ties the knot? He just might if she gave him half a chance, but since she won't he resorts to drastic measures and kidnaps her and plans to hold her hostage in their old love nest until she hears him out. And when will she tell him that Reese is his daughter?
I'm not sure how I felt about this story. He resorted to kidnapping, which was kind of creepy, but he couldn't find it in him to hold her. It bothered me that Savannah was willing to marry Jake after she realized that she still loved Donovan and that she loved him more than Jake. It bothers me that such a sweet stand up sort of guy would marry someone who didn't love him wholeheartedly and slept with her ex shortly before the wedding. Seriously, doc, have a little self-respect! Nice is one thing, doormat is something else all together! I hated that Savannah didn't have the guts to let Donovan know that he had a child and that she didn't tell her kid who her father was.
Hunter's Right - Author: Jaid Black
Corporal Ronda Tipton, U.S Army, is excited about her new assignment. She's going to be stationed at a research base in the Arctic. Unfortunately, her helicopter crashes somewhere in the Arctic Circle and she is the only survivor. Hoping that she was somewhere near the base when the chopper crashed, she heads out on foot. When she finds what appears to be a door in the side of a mountain, she thinks her prayers have been answered. She soon finds that she was mistaken as she stumbles upon the hidden Viking civilization of New Sweden that has thrived underground for hundreds of years. She is discovered and chased by giant Viking men. She nearly escapes, but is caught by Lord Nikolas Ericsson, a cousin to the King and a revolutionary. He believes she is a military spy and questions her about how she came to New Sweden. When he learns she is telling the truth about the accident, she is sent off the bride auctions. The auctions were once a respected tradition, but the Kings corruption has turned it into something of a sex slave auction where the men fondle the women who are brought before them naked and shackled. When it's Ronda's turn up on the block she takes serious offense to being manhandled and uses her martial skills to smack down the offenders and get free. Just as all hell is breaking loose Nikolas claims Hunter's Right, the law that says a man may keep a woman he has captured. Nikolas did not intend to marry until after the revolution, but not only did Ronda make him hot, she was a fighter and he hated to see her punished or handed over to one of the Kings vile friends. Ronda believes she must escape and find the base so that she can inform the military of what is going in this secret world, but she soon finds herself drawn to Nikolas. Will she choose freedom or love?
The sexual stuff is hot ... really hot, though this whole chains and aphrodisiacs stuff kind of squicks me. I really enjoyed the characters and though the whole women as property thing doesn't appeal to me overly much, I found myself very intrigues by their world and most especially that prophecy of theirs. I've read one other novella and Deep, Dark & Dangerous which were both set in New Sweden and I have to say, I'm looking forward to more.
4 Stars for Jaid and Jaid Alone.......2007-04-14
First of all, I've never been a big fan of Sherrilyn Kenyon's BAD series. I think the stories are unrealistic, the heroes are arrogant alpha males with no redeeming qualities, and the women are too fast-mouthed and sassy for my tastes. Also, I'd already read the collection Born to Be BAD and had read the short story in this collection. I wasn't impressed the first time, and I was equally underwhelmed this time.
As for the Melanie George story, it was such a snooze, I skipped to the next story after reading the first 5 pages. Boring!
Thank God for Jaid Black, who might be the only reason this collection even sold. Hunter's Right is erotic, passionate, and entertaining--almost enough to make up for the clear misses by Kenyon and George. I read another story about Black's underground Vikings in the novella collection Playing Easy to Get, so if you liked Hunter's Right, I'd suggest you check that one out. It has another equally bad BAD story by Sherrilyn Kenyon, but also includes the first story in Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series, which is a real treat if you like paranormal romance. I have that collection to thank for leading me to Jaid Black, and while Hunter's Right was great, it's not enough to make Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down worth purchasing. I'd buy it used or check it out from the library instead.
Almost a Loser, Saved by Jaid Black.......2007-02-13
Anthologies either tend to be really good or really bad. With authors Sherrilyn Kenyon, Melanie George and Jaid Black, I was expecting great stories and only Jaid Black delivered. If not for her story Hunter's Right, this book would have rated a quick trip to the garbage can.
The first story in the series is Sherrilyn Kenyon's Captivated by You. Secret Agents Rhea and Ace are assigned to a terrorist case whose leader prefers S&M. Rhea and Ace must learn the ins and outs (no pun intended)to successfully convince their quarry that they are legitimate S&M artists so they can gain his confidence and get the information to crack the case. The problem with this story is all the cheesy one liners and predictable interlog and jokes. It was actually rather boring.
The second story "Promise me Forever" by Melanie George was the worst of the three. I only thought the first one was boring until I read this story. If you want to be dumped by your longtime boyfriend after he becomes a famous football player only to take him back after he is down and out (and by the way dump your good as gold fiance for him) go ahead, but don't expect readers to buy it. There was no passion and no warm fuzzies with this story.
The last story by Jaid Black "Hunter's Right" was by far the best of the three stories. Ronda is a military official on a secret mission in the Artic Circle. When the helicopter she is on crashes, Ronda is the only survivor. Knowing there is a secret military headquarters nearby, Ronda goes searching for help only to stumble across a hidden underground civilization of an ancient race of Vikings. Believing the prophecy that their forefathers warned of where women would become near extinct because of genetic tampering with births, these Vikings venture above ground from time to time and steal unattached females to put on the "Bridal Auction Block". An injured Ronda stumbles onto an auction in progress and is horrified to see these women striped naked and inspected like livestock by men looking for wives. She attempts to flee, but is captured by gorgeous Nikolas Ericsson. Nikolas covets Ronda but believes she wouldn't want him, however when he sees her taken away in chains after beating [...] out of the auctioneers, he claims hunters rights to keep her safe. Nikolas is building his weapons supply and army to overthrow the current leader of the underground nation. He wants to restore more dignity to the bridal auction and make civilization better for all the citizens. When Ronda realizes she can never return to her old life, she decides to make the best of her marriage. Ronda and Nikolas end up falling in love. The sexual scenes definitely are not boring, however some people may be turned off by the crude language and descriptions both Ronda and Nikolas use. However, I think this story saved the series. I kind of wish it had been a longer more in depth story as these characters deserved development, but it was still good.
Don't Bother.......2007-02-04
I like all of these authors, but this book had very little to offer in the way of erotic romance. Don't bother
Couldn't put it down..........2006-11-02
I thought the stories in this book were good for the length of each one. I have to say that "Captivated by You" was the best of all three. If you like short, steamy, predictable stories you'll like this book!
Book Description
A classic novel from the enchanting series The Donovan Legacy.
Only the phenomenal Nora Roberts could have created the remarkable Donovan clan. Fascinating and irresistible, the mysterious Donovan cousins share a secret that's been handed down through generations -- a secret that sets them apart from ordinary beings.
Captivated
His interest in her was purely professional . . . Or so he told himself. Nash Kirkland had sought out the alluring Morgana Dovovan to help him research his latest screenplay, though the hardheaded skeptic didn't believe for a minute she was what she professed to be. But, as Morgana revealed herself to him, Nash found himself falling under her bewitching spell. Nash had never trusted his feelings and always kept them in check. So how could he be sure the irresistible passion he felt for Morgana was real and not just some conjurer's trick?
The Donovan Legacy continues with Entranced, coming soon from Silhouette Books.
Customer Reviews:
A Good Story.......2006-10-28
This was a reread for me. I really like this book. It is the first in a series about the Donovan Cousins that were born each with different magical powers. Their family is magical going back many generations.
This is Morgana's story. She is the witch in the family who specializes in spells and magic. She owns a shop called Wicca that sells crystals,lotions and bath salts along with other magic tools.
Nash Kirkland is a sci-fi, horror movie writer and seeks out the infamous witch to help with the research for his next screenplay. He doesn't believe she really has powers and she isn't out to prove herself.
This is a fun fantasy filled tale. It is fun to watch him realize her power is real and to watch them fall in love. Like all good romances they have their obstacles to overcome. A Very enjoyable read.
You'll want to read the next three stories starring Morgana's cousins.
cute read, nothing dramatic.......2006-09-02
I am a lover of Nora Roberts because she always seems to be something grabbing about her novels, something that pulls me in and doesn't ever let go; then there are the books that seem to be filler books. This was a filler book.
Yes, in the typical Nora Roberts fashion, it was cute, and romantic. But there is nothing about this book that makes me regret renting it and not buying it. Don't look for the next book to add to your collection. Use it as a filler book, just something to pass the time. You won't be disappointed if you have no expectations.
It was just o.k. for me!.......2006-05-03
I had read The Reef which was a great book so I decided to read this one. Well it was just o.k. The Reef was much better!! There was just not much to it. It was just a clean cut happy story. No x-boyfriends, no enemies, nothing except that Nash thought Morgana had put a spell on him when all it was was he had fallen head over heels in love with her. Yeah you do stupid things when you are in love. If you like sappy love stories with not much of a struggle this would be perfect for you. I like my stories with a little excitement, some struggles the characters have to go through then when they do get together it makes it all the more sweeter. Plus it is more interesting to read. If you want to read an enjoyable book with action, (good), interesting main characters, tropical settings, and a realistic romance story with problems but they do work them out then read The Reef. It's a great book!!
Captivated.......2006-03-15
It is heartwarming to find the dashing Nash Kirkland find
love with the mysterious and captivating Morgana Donovan.
It's a perfect adult fantasy tale.
Captivated.......2006-01-30
Nora Roberts is always a delightful read. This was just the start. The other two in the Donovan legacy complete it. It's a re-read!
Book Description
In this guide, award-winning author Nancy Kress explores the crucial relationship between characterization and plot, illustrating how vibrant, well-constructed characters act as the driving force behind an exceptional story.
In teaching writers the fundamentals of creating characters that will keep their readers spellbound, Kress utilizes:
* Dozens of excerpts from well-known fiction
* Enlightening exercises to help writers build strong characters starting from the outside-in
* Beginning chapters that focus on the physical elements that comprise a character, providing techniques for using external qualities to reflect personality
Building skill upon skill, writers blend these qualities with emotional and mental characterization, forming multidimensional characters that initiate exciting action, react to tense situations and power the plot from beginning to end.
Customer Reviews:
Do You Want to Write a book--read this.......2007-09-23
Book Review
Dynamic Characters
by Nancy Kress
Dynamic Characters is the fourth book on Characterization I've read. I have two to go. I've been beating my head against the wall of traditional publishing for almost forty years. Instead of taking creative writing classes at UCLA, and other universities, I should have been reading books like this one. I would have learned so much more. When I recently started on this quest to improve my craft for developing characters in the fiction I write, I thought that all the books I was going to read would echo and reinforce each other. I was wrong in my assumptions. So far, each book stands alone just like characters in a novel are unique individuals. Nancy Kress does an admirable job in showing the connection between character and plot. The book is divided into three parts. Part one focuses on creating strong and believable characters through such externals as choosing descriptive details, naming the character, how to use dialogue and the pitfalls of basing a character on real people. She actually answered a question I had in chapter eight. Part two of this book covers the internal workings of a character. Chapter thirteen was a learning experience for me, as I had never really considered it important to make your villain as real as your hero. Chapter fifteen provides a system for investigating your character in depth and Kress explains how such a system should be used. Part three focuses on character and plot and how both interact. I found chapter twenty-two specially rewarding when Kress addressed basing plots on real-life events--her advice was priceless. If I had read and studied this book decades ago, my writing would have been different and a lot of grief possibly avoided. Robert Frost wrote a poem about two paths in the woods and choosing which one to take. Forty years ago when I started to take creative writing classes instead of studying books like this one, I went the wrong way. I don't see how I can do justice in reviewing her book in such a way that it would convince all aspiring writers that you should buy this book and devour it, and then keep it on a shelf for support when needed. Once you have done that, don't stop there. Use [...] and the rating system it has to find other books that will teach and guide you to improve and polish your craft so the odds that the rejections slips that keep coming will stop and turn into acceptance. The books on the craft of writing I purchase were all highly rated and only one has disappointed me.
Other Books.......2007-09-04
I ending up finding this because I was looking for sequels to her Probability series. No luck there, but I found this book.
It was actually very readable, and filled with examples taken from a lot of books, which was pretty well done. Not that I am a writer at all, this book was still worth reading.
Another great book from this author.......2007-07-05
Nancy Kress writes really informative books, bottom line. This one is so full of great information that it is hard to incorporate it all. Good characters drive good fiction and this book gets to the heart of the issues involved in creating those characters. I'm a beginning writer who has no formal classroom training, so I'm relying on books like these to help me hone my craft. This one, and other titles by this author, are among the most helpful books I have read.
Entertaining and Helpful.......2007-05-14
The reader-as-aspiring-author needs to know a little something on his own about writing dialog and creating characters. But it is a great refresher to return to again and again as you are polishing your story or novel.
Helps You Build a Character From the Ground Up.......2005-09-06
First of all, don't let this book sit on your shelf! Nancy Kress is an amazing author. She has such a feel for words and makes the reader want to keep reading. It flows well from the first page.
She has checklists for characterization that can be found on the internet! She divides the book in three parts: internal, external and plot.
After having followed other articles and books by Ms. Kress in Writer's Digest, I knew I was a huge fan, but this book convinced me beyond a shadow of a doubt.
I'm focused right now on the "internal dialogue" chapters which someone else might skip over, but is vital to my thriller.
I think that's what I like so much about this book. You can zero in on what you need and don' have to read the whole book, cover to cover. She isn't chatty, and is not boring.
At the end of each chapter she summarizes what she covered, which is great for me. Sometimes, I go straight to the summary to see if I want to read that chapter.
I feel like I have the benefit of Nancy herself telling me where the "thin spots" are and the "implausibilty in the plot" can be found. The lessons I've learned in the few short weeks since this book arrived are amazing.
If you can only afford one book right now, I seriously recommend this one.
(I also think you should get her book, "Beginnings, Middles and Ends")
Customer Reviews:
Too smooth.......2007-06-29
Loved the magic but everything just went to smooth. Roberts usually has a bit more twists but i guess since it was a 3fer they had to fall in love fast.
Five Stars .......2007-04-28
Another great trilogy by Nora Roberts. This time the Donovan cousins Morgana, Sebastian and Anastasia who are best friends and witches. Each of them are very interesting and well written. Morgana runs a wicca store and meets Nash who wants to write books about witches. In Sebastian's story he uses his powers to assisst the police he's brought in by a desperate mother looking for her child and meets Mel, a private investigator who doesn't believe in magic or witches. The last story Anastasia mets Boone who moves in next door with his young scene stealer daughter Jessie. All three are wonderful stories that I've read a hundred times and will contiune to re-read.
The Donovan Legacy.......2004-01-07
I had read the Nora Roberts novel "Entranced" several years ago and always wanted to read the books for the other two Donovan cousins, but never got around to it. A few months ago I picked up this book (which has all three novels in it) and read straight through the entire thing in a few days!
The three stories are "Captivated," "Entranced," and "Charmed."
"Captivated" centers around the first Donovan cousin, Morgana. She is a witch who runs a wiccan type store in Monterey. Nash is a novelist who specializes in horror stories (like Steven King I guess) and he is planning to write a novel about witches, so he comes to meet Morgana since she is infamous in the area for being a witch. At first he doesn't believe her powers are real, but as the two continue getting to know each other and fall in love, he begins to believe. I love both the characters, Nash and Morgana. They are extremely well written and fun, I quickly became attached to them. Their story was fast-paced and easy to read, I found it thoroughly enjoyable!
"Entranced" is about the only male Donovan cousin, Sebastian. He has psychic powers and often uses them to help the police when they are stuck on a case. Mel is a private investigator searching for the kidnapped baby of one of her friends. She doesn't want Sebastian's help, but the distraught mother called him anyways. The two of them go on an intriguing journey to find the lost child, and in the process (of course) fall in love! This was my favorite of the three stories - I really became fond of Mel especially. Probably because she reminds me a lot of Eve Dallas, the main character of Nora Roberts' (aka J.D. Robb's) "In Death" novels. Again, the characters are fun, sympathic and enjoyable to read about. This book is more of an adventure than the other two, which made it all the more enjoyable to read. I've read it half a dozen times and I STILL love it. :)
"Charmed" is about the final Donovan cousin, Anastasia. Her extraordinary powers specialize in the healing arts. A widowed (I think, I can't remember) father, Boone, moves in next door to her with his young daughter, Jessie. Ana and Jessie get along extremely well and because of this Ana and Boone end up spending a lot of time together and fall in love. The big problem is, Boone doesn't know Anastasia has magical powers which ends up causing a rift between them when he finds out. Honestly, I thought this was the weakest of the three stories. It wasn't as interesting as the first two and while it was still good, it had the potential to be so much better. Even so, I really enjoyed the characters, especially Jessie who definitely stole the story.
All three books are fun, I really enjoy Nora Roberts trilogies. I get really attached to characters, so seeing them again in a new book is such a fun experience! I highly recommend this set, any Nora Roberts fan will enjoy these books.
Three of the Donovan books.......2003-09-05
"Captivated" is a nice basis for the story of the three Donovan cousins. Morgana's principles are admirable. I found myself giving her a few mental you-go-girls when she lost her temper. Nash's progression to belief was well-written and his trip to the castle in Ireland and his meeting with the family were amusing.
In "Entranced" I noticed shades of Eve Dallas and Rourke. I didn't think I was going to like this story but I was won over by the the love story and the development of the characters. Sebastian and Mel are an interesting couple.
"Charmed" was my favorite of the three stories. The best parts revolve around Boone's daughter Jessie. She stole the show. The stories within the story were lovely.
The supporting characters in this book are very endearing.
If you enjoy a twist of the paranormal, you'll enjoy this book.
Awesome-Thoroughly Pleased.......2003-08-11
Nora Roberts is one of my absolute favorite authors. I have collected all of her books, including the reprints becoming available, and The Donovan Legacy is one of my continuing favorites. It combines her amazing writing skills with the realm of the supernatural, giving it a unique flavor. Each storyline for each of the three cousins, Morgana, Sebastian, and Anastasia are original, yet intertwined with one another and fully charged with the power of their magic. The characters are fully, expertly developed, each displaying their own skill, and it is a book that I go back to time and time again if I am ever looking for romance and magic.
Customer Reviews:
Captivated.......2007-05-07
Not one of the stories had a great plot and the all lacked even a little bit of a relationship beyond the sexual exploits.
Only one readable story but that's a splendid one!.......2006-11-25
Most of the stories in this book are a total waste, trying to use S&M (which I usually have no objection to unless it's gratuitous and emotionless as presented here) instead of good writing and logical plots to carry the story.
"Ecstasy" is just plain silly with a smirking "hero" who fakes submission in an implausible, female-dominated society. "Bound and Determined" had too many nasty moments where the two protagonists snipped and snarled at each other; I got tired of them both. "Dark Desires" had a few steamy moments but neither character was believable or likable.
However, the last one "A Lady's Pleasure" by Robin Schone was worth the price of admission - glorious, erotic sex with passionate characters you really care about and wish well. This one rates 5 stars, the others are just goofy trash.
Buy this book used or borrow it. It's mostly going to be a waste of your time, your money and your patience.
*OH YEAH*.......2006-07-22
I LOVED IT! Erotic to the core! Great writers all! Highly recommend it if you are a Susan Johnson or Bertrice Small fan!!! If you are not you will be now!
Depends on what you want it for.......2006-07-02
You may rate this item higher...it just depends on what you're looking for in a "romance." This one is dark indeed, a sort of "how-to" for the S&M crowd. Therefore the stories are completely ridiculous, the characters implausible, the attraction between the characters inexplicable, and the setting as realistic as a child's painting. BUT, if you're just into it for the sex, there's plenty of it here, and all the rest of it you're just going to skim over anyway. In which case, you may rate this a bit higher than I have. I KNOW Bertrice Small can do better, though I don't think this is any better or worse than anything else Robin Schone has done and I don't know the other authors. My advice is: keep looking.
This book was lucky to have Robin Schone!.......2006-02-09
Wow! I expected so much more of these great writers, however . . . .
I stopped reading Beatrice Small's offering after about 15 pages. It was completely absurd.
Susan Johnson, who I normally LOVE, seemed to phone her story in. Predictable and lacking depth (but what else shoud I expect from erotic romance?)
While Thea Devine's tale was very erotic, by the end of the story I wanted to kill the "hero". He was such a jerk and insisted on sexually humiliating his wife.
The only story worth reading was Robin Schone's, and I know I can usually count on her. Not only was the story VERY erotic, but the love was sweet, and most importantly: plausible. This book was lucky to have Robin Schone.
Don't waste your money, check it out from the library.
Amazon.com
In 1996 the editor of the journal of the Poetry Society of America asked several poets to write about their first verse loves. So inspiring were their responses that the feature became a series, and now we are lucky enough to have 68 contributions in book form. Surely every poet in First Loves hopes that his or her choice will increase that work's audience; some even cheat and include several other objects of affection while they're at it. John Hollander, for instance, gets in everyone from Robert Louis Stevenson to A.A. Milne to Rudyard Kipling to James Weldon Johnson before settling on James Hogg's "A Boy's Song." Similarly, Elizabeth Macklin tells us, "It depends how far back you want to go," giving herself the chance to tout Frost, Lorca, and Countee Cullen en route to anointing Auden's wistful villanelle "If I Could Tell You."
Though they range from the serious to the whimsical (Billy Collins begins with "My first love was a tall, thin brunette named "The Flea" by John Donne that I met when I was in college"), most entries stress their choice's power and mystery, its ability to transform, console, and enchant. Some contributions are short and sweet. A.R. Ammons's single paragraph allows John McCrae's "In Flanders Field" the starring role it deserves. Ditto for Richard Howard's two sentences on Browning's "My Last Duchess." On the other hand, Eavan Boland's six paragraphs preceding Yeats's "The Wild Swans at Coole" set her moment of discovery at 15, and also manage to encompass what's past, passing, and to come.
Of course, singling out some for high praise is to omit many inspired and inspiring others. Readers will be struck, for instance, by Wanda Coleman's choice of Lewis Carroll's classic: "Perhaps because when he freed Alice in the mirror, he also freed my imagination and permitted me to imagine myself living in an adventure, sans the restraints of a racist society." "Jabberwocky" also figures in Joyce Carol Oates's and Lawrence Raab's entries, and one of the delights of reading First Loves is seeing which poets pop up more than once. As several make clear, Stevenson's Child's Garden of Verses merits a grown-up audience too. There are of course Yeats and Auden, Wordsworth and Dickinson, but also the now unsung Alfred Noyes and Swinburne. If anyone can rescue the latter from neglect, it will be Ursula LeGuin: "Some might consider this like a thirteen-year-old finding that Southern Comfort tastes nice. (Get that away from her! Quick! Pour it out!) But Swinburne took me past story, past meaning, into the pure music of the word."
In many ways, Carmela Ciuraru's anthology is a subversive plea for the power of control, discipline, and study. These artists have spent endless hours with their forebears, and know that their vocation requires discipline and knowledge in addition to inspiration. Heather McHugh is clearly none too happy that one of her graduate charges "asked in class just who was this John Donne I kept mentioning." Yet First Loves both prods and delights, and the participating poets have planted a very adult garden of verses. --Kerry Fried
Book Description
When Carmela Ciuraru, former editor of the Journal of the Poetry Society of America, asked poets to recount their first experiences with verse, the response was astounding. Poets ardently selected the poems that made them fall in love with poetry, commemorating the sparks that led to a lifelong commitment to the architecture of language. The result, featuring many Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning poets, is a marvelous anthology of poignant, intimate, often humorous essays accompanied by the poems that inspired our most celebrated poets. Regardless of your relationship to verse -- reader, student, writer, or someone entirely new to its myriad pleasures -- First Loves is sure to enchant and delight.
Customer Reviews:
'True Happiness Is Mine..........2006-08-20
...I have been eating poetry.' The quote at the beginning of the book is now, since reading it, my poetry mantra.This book is a delight.Others share their favourite poems after their reason why/or the reason/s they love poetry.There is a real mix of selections, which make a pleasurable read for anyone with a taste for poetry.
The Beautiful Gift of Heartbreak.......2006-05-15
An anthology that proves that the gift of heartbreak are the art forms that celebrate a testament to the lost love, such as poetry that allows the remembrance of that love to live forever.
Thinking about early exposure to poetry.......2004-08-06
Think about your childhood, or the time when, as a teenager, you idly turned the page onto a poem that forever changed your world. Then multiply that experience by 68 and you have the contents and flavor of FIRST LOVES. edited by Carmela Ciuraru. Some of the poets she asked to contribute are already no longer with us, so their comments here have a slightly valedictory quality which makes this book even sweeter now, than when it first appeared three years ago.
It is also a good book to share with your own children. What's nice to know is that, in the middle of today's crazy world, young people are still stumbling across their very first poem, and again are succumbing to the pleasures of the word. A noble book, filled with lasting memories.
A neat idea and a neat little book.......2002-11-21
Simply a series of short essays in which poets comment on the poems that first awakened them to poetry. Fortunately, the poets seem to have felt no need to be "poetic" in their essays, which are all fairly straightforward and insightful. The poems themselves are, of course, included as well. It's interesting to see the diversity of poems that others have found meaningful and to hear their explanations as to why: Two selected "Jabberwocky" to my mild surprise, while another selected "Suzane Takes You Down" and another selected a Rodgers & Hammerstein lyric. Others selected more obscure poems that I find it hard to believe anyone would regard as meaningful, but that's the charm of this book. The one who selected "For a Dead Kitten" ("How could this small body hold / So immense a thing as Death?") is my new Favorite Poet, even though I've never heard of her or read anything she's written.
Wonderful Anthology.......2001-05-15
Poetry can be inspiring, uplifting and daunting. This book, however, takes a tack which will inform even the most casual poetry reader. Editor Carmen Ciuraru asked writers to name the poem which inspired them to write -- so, in this handy volume, you get a short essay about a poem and then get a chance to read the poem itself. It includes a wide range of poets and poetic forms, from Yeats and Dickinson to Rilke and Williams. It's also fairly easy to read because you can select certain essays to read in one sitting. This is a perfect book for those who think they like poetry and don't exactly know where to start.
Customer Reviews:
Looking for an Ideal Match..........2007-07-22
that's what the handsome, rich and powerful Matt Whittaker had on his mind. He's the most sought-after male in town, twice named the Bachelor of the Year, and he's tired of running. When he makes an appointment with Lauren Fletcher, beautiful owner of Ideal Match, she soon finds out that Mr. Whittaker is a hard man to please. And he isn't just any guy either; he was also a groomsman at her wedding that never took place four years ago, a wedding that didn't happen when the intended-to-be groom fled the scene, just before the wedding. Imagine the humiliation of having to return all those expensive wedding gifts, not to mention the cost of the wedding to which Lauren had agreed to pay half. Fortunately, her fiancé didn't ask for the engagement ring back and Lauren hocked the darn thing to start her business, which was doing quite well, by the way. Eventually though, she gets the message that she's the one Matt Whittaker really wants, long after the match-making ordeal is over. Yep, another happy ending. Anna DePalo writes a great romance book. I recommend it.
Five Stars .......2007-02-21
Matt Whittaker the most eligable bachelor comes to Lauren's matchmaking to hire her to find him a wife. He agrees to her suggestions, following her advice what Lauren doesn't know is Matt wants to marry her. Lauren 's a little uneasy about being around Matt because he was going to be the best man in her wedding and he was there when she was jilted. This a very good and sweet story.
Dr. Date and the best man.......2007-01-12
I'd give this book 3 1/2 starts.
Tired of his Most Eligible Bachelor title, millionaire CFO Matt Whittaker is looking to find a wife using a matchmaker whose "almost wedding" he attended years ago. Matt was best man at the wedding where his matchmaker was jilted. His matchmaker (aka Dr. Date) feels uncomfortable because Matt was there for her most humiliating moment, but she can't help feeling attracted to him. While she's trying to set him up with eligible women, he's trying to get her to date him! Along the way, Dr. Date also "coaches" Matt to make him more accessible to his dates. This makes for some very interesting and even funny times.
Captivated by the Tycoon is the last of four books by Anna Depalo featuring the Whittaker siblings - Quentin, Allison, Noah and Matt. The other books in order are 1. Having the Tycoon's Baby; 2. Under the Tycoon's Protection; 3. Tycoon Takes Revenge; and 4. Captivated by the Tycoon.
I thought the best of the series was Under the Tycoon's Protection.
Average customer rating:
- Engrossing trawl through the history and business of ginseng
- A fascinating read
- Who knew ginseng could be so interesting?
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Ginseng, the Divine Root: The Curious History of the Plant That Captivated the World
David Taylor
Manufacturer: Algonquin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Herbal Remedies | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Naturopathy | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Plants | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Botany | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
Naturopathy | Alternative & Holistic | Medicine | Subjects | Books
Botany | Biological Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
General | China | Asia | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1565124014 |
Book Description
The story behind ginseng is as remarkable as the root itself. Prized for its legendary curative powers, ginseng launched the rise to power of China's last great dynasty; inspired battles between France and England; and sparked a boom in Minnesota comparable to the California Gold Rush. It has made and broken the fortunes of many and has inspired a subculture in rural America unrivaled by any herb in the plant kingdom.
Today ginseng is at the very center of alternative medicine, believed to improve stamina, relieve stress, stimulate the immune system, enhance mental clarity, and restore well-being. It is now being studied by medical researchers for the treatment of cancer, diabetes, and Parkinson's disease.
In Ginseng, the Divine Root, David Taylor tracks the path of this fascinating plant—from the forests east of the Mississippi to the bustling streets of Hong Kong and the remote corners of China. He becomes immersed in a world full of wheelers, dealers, diggers, and stealers, all with a common goal: to hunt down the elusive "Root of Life." Weaving together his intriguing adventures with ginseng's rich history, Taylor uncovers a story of international crime, ancient tradition, botany, herbal medicine, and the vagaries of human nature.
Customer Reviews:
Engrossing trawl through the history and business of ginseng.......2007-04-12
Let's see, what do I know about ginseng? It's a supposed herbal panacea, from China (or was that Korea?). It began invading New Age consciousness and health food stores around the time of Woodstock. It has quite a nasty, bitter taste. Oh, and didn't some clever American farmers recently start growing ginseng and selling it back to the Chinese? Clearly what I knew was not a lot, and after reading Ginseng, the Divine Root, I realized half of that was completely wrong. Two facts underpin David A. Taylor's fascinating book: ginseng has been growing in North America for 70 million years; and North Americans have been selling ginseng to the Chinese for almost 300 years.
Treasured by Chinese as a tonic for thousands of years, ginseng had been pushed towards extinction in China when half way around the globe a Jesuit missionary made a fortuitous discovery. In Quebec Joseph-François Lafitau was ministering to Mohawk converts, but in that great theology/science duality so characteristic of his order, he was also intently studying the Iroquois. While there he happened on an article by a fellow French missionary who had travelled extensively in China. Lafitau was intrigued. The article described ginseng, its use and value in Chinese medicine. He then, rather remarkably, set out to see if he could find the plant locally. In 1716 after only three months of searching, Lafitau with the help of the Mohawk, had identified Panax quinquefolium, American ginseng, virtually identical to Asian ginseng. The root had long been used medicinally by the Mohawk and other Native Americans but never with the same passion as the Chinese.
So began a rush for 'forest gold' as thousands in Canada combed the woodlands for wild roots, all destined for a lucrative market on the far edges of the Pacific Ocean. As ginseng fever spread, even Daniel Boone was later involved in the trade down in West Virginia. Ginseng, writes the author, became the United States' first major export to China.
Taylor weaves together the many threads of the ginseng story, a tale that straddles two continents with vastly contrasting cultures. This is reflected, in the differing ways ginseng is valued and used in each. "In Chinese medicine," writes the author, "it's an all-purpose tonic, often blended with more toxic herbs to mellow their effects. In Western medicine it's gaining converts for relieving severe fatigue."
The book reads like an adventure as Taylor follows the American ginseng trail throughout one season, meeting farmers, traders, and various experts, even joining a ranger on a night stakeout in a national park trying to nab poachers of wild ginseng. The story is perhaps most interesting when Taylor joins diggers in the 'hunt' for the root in Appalachia. Wild ginseng is such an idiosyncratic plant that the search for it is considered more akin to hunting - it can, for instance remain dormant underground for several years, waiting for the right conditions before sending up a new shoot. Some diggers claim the plant can camouflage itself or even move! What is more certain is that its relative scarcity these days only adds to the challenge of finding it, and no doubt, to its market value.
It was not until the Seventies, more than 250 years after Lafitau identified the plant that ginseng started to become widely known in the United States. Now Americans spend more than $100 million annually on products listing it as an ingredient.
There are three types of ginseng (in descending order of value): wild, wild simulated, and cultivated. Such is the value of ginseng that 'ginsengers' protect their plants like gold prospectors defend a claim. Even cultivated ginseng, the most common form, is difficult to work with and requires six to eight years to reach the size desired by Asian markets. Wisconsin-grown ginseng is now considered the world's best, and fetches a correspondingly high price. Wisconsin is also the leading exporter.
As quickly as the newer markets for ginseng are growing, China will likely remain the primary market, and not just because of China's huge population and expanding economy. In the West, for every ginseng buff there is a cynic, and five others who couldn't care less. In China by contrast, so strong is the underlying traditional belief in the restorative powers of ginseng. that just about everyone is at least an occasional user.
The book is aimed at the general reader, but industry types might also learn a thing or two given the secretive nature of the business Taylor describes. Readers who are not utter ginseng devotees might find the middle section of Ginseng a little slow, but most of us will be swept through anyway by Taylor's enthusiasm. One chapter though, Served by the Finest Chefs, focusing on ginseng and food, somewhat misses its mark because the central figure, celebrity chef Ming Tsai unlike the other major characters in the book, is not strongly connected to ginseng, at least professionally. He does not cook with the root in his own restaurant, and is surprisingly, unaware of American ginseng.
Taylor winds up this highly engrossing trawl through the history and business of ginseng in Hong Kong and China, meeting with ginseng merchants and visiting specialist markets. We learn, somewhat fittingly for the times, that in China both Asian and American ginseng is now cultivated using modern American methods. That is good news for consumers, but the lasting allure of 'forest gold' has placed the wild root under threat in America, as well as China.
A fascinating read.......2007-02-27
This book is amazing. The writer takes a complex subject and makes it understandable and enjoyable. I found the links between cultures and tradtions to be fascinating--especially the geographic and plant connections between China and Appalachia. I can't wait for David's next book.
Who knew ginseng could be so interesting?.......2006-07-27
Great book, full of colorful characters and interesting stories and facts. The author obviously enjoyed talking with all these people (diggers and traders, herbalists and doctors, smugglers and park rangers and many more) and I really enjoyed reading about them and about ginseng. Fascinating book and plant. I need to go plant me some!
Customer Reviews:
Funny.......2006-07-07
I found this and the previous book funny,but they are alittle weird. You might not like this book if you want abook that is believeable romance. It is good if you can laugh at some of the farout there magical things.
Another winner for the queen of zany fantasy fables.......2004-08-21
Again we meet the kitten carrying Fates, Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos, whom we adored in Simply Irresistable. This time they are entrusted to an average Joe, Travers, brother of Vi and Meagan. Vi and Dexter (a.k.a. Superman) ask Travers to take the fates back to his hometown of Los Angeles, from Portland where he attended their wedding. Thinking this was going to be a simple favor, a brotherly thing to do, Travers agreed to transport the three unusual women. But before he knows it, he's changed his destination to the one place on the planet that he vowed never to visit, Las Vegas.
Travers couldn't explain his affinity with numbers, and he considered it fortunate he could support his 11-year old son, Kyle, as an accountant. A non-believer in magic, he did concede that he was eeriely lucky when it came to guessing lottery numbers. Hadn't he made enough money picking lottery winners to pay for his college education? He was carefully not to select all the winning numbers on lottery tickets, just enough to win a few thousand here and there. But he hadn't used his talent since college, and preferred to use it to help his clients. He was extremely good at making for them money, too. So Vegas seemed the likely place to test his "number" affinity, a number man's Mecca. But Travers didn't trust a place where odds were a way of life. Somehow he knew his life would change forever if he went there.
Travers' eleven-year old son, Kyle, is immediately drawn to the blond, brunette and redhead, who recognize his magically powers and befriend him. He is intrigued by them, and recognizes that they are the "Wyrd Sisters" of old Norse myth and legend, and wants to help them. Kyle is already aware that he's special, although his father is in denial and fearful. After all, how many eleven year olds can hear people broadcasting their thoughts, and draw comics that predict the future?
In Las Vegas, all the fun starts as Travers life appears to spiral out of control and the insanity begins. It starts when he meets Zoe Sinclair, a Vegas detective the sisters were searching for in LA. The chemistry is spontaneous. Although Zoe is a mage of one hundred and fifty years, possessing a great deal of power, she chooses to live in Vegas as a detective to help ordinary people. She knows who the Fates are, realizes that not only they, but the entire magical world is in danger when she learns that three children of Zeus are now in charge, and agrees to help them find their lost wheel to return their powers.
Although he is only thirty years old (don't you just love a younger guy with an older, more mature woman) there is no doubt that Travers is the man of her dreams. (After all, the fates destined Zoe to meet her true love at the entrance of Faerie). The introduction to this magical chaotic world for Travers, and Zoe's mentoring of Travers education makes for an intricately funny story.
I love the pace of this book. The banter of the Fates reminds me of the quick wit and dialog of my favorite TV show, "Gilmore Girls", which last the majority of the book. I enjoy the way the Fates talk one after the other, finishing each other's sentence. At times, I found myself rereading passages because of a dizzying dialog, but it always made me smile.
The imagination of this author amazes me. She doesn't haphazardly mix a variety of mythology into her plots, she blends characters like fairies and comic book heroes that make you believe this world is real! I think it's fun that the setting is Las Vegas, the land of faires, where the Fairy Kings live. It's peopled with magic creatures like mages and evil fairies with pointed ears who steal magic from mages and spend fairy money that disappears after twenty four hours. Bet you never knew this side of Vegas! Speaking of fairies, I loved Hershel and Gaylord, her fairy friends, who imagine themselves as bikers and want to duplicate Evil Kinevel's death defying jumps. Even the animals are magical, like the dog she finds for a client that is really a "familiar." He confesses to Kyle that he doesn't like the name Bartholomew and wants to be called Fang, an unusual name of an obese, sausage loving dachshund. Every character or situation is inventive and unusual, which keeps your attention throughout the story.
I confess, I was disappointed that Travers didn't walk though a casino and have all the slot machines pay off at once. I was expecting this since he learned he had the magical ability to shower Zoe's detective office with five-dollar bills, although by accident. But that would be too predictable for this unpredictable genius of an author. I also would have like more dialogue between Zoe and Travers and more romantic situations. What about dinner and a show?
Again, the Fates outcome is unknown, but it comes as no disappointment since I know this means another inventively, funny novel is in the making. I'd like to see more of the fairies introduced in this next book, maybe Gaylord, the evil fairy that wishes he was mage. Then there was a mention of stealing the "wheel" and having Robin Hood do it!! And the fun continues!!
If you enjoy a lot of fantasy with your romance, you'll love reading this fast paced, zany book!
Hardly romantic.......2004-03-21
I read the back cover and thought this seemed interesting. Well, I was wrong. Granted, I did not read the book(s?) that came before this one, but I feel like this author has no concept of the term "romance."
There is very little relationship development between the lead characters. There are no intimate scenes other than a few kisses, so do not expect any lovemaking. I never really felt like I wanted these two characters to be together for the rest of their lives.
I kept getting confused with all the rules of the different magical systems and why I should care. It also took forever for the action of the story to get going. I felt like I was stuck in a rut for 50+ pages for the hero to decide to accept his magic. The Fates were amusing, if sometimes annoying. I did like the son and his psychic abilities. That was probably the only bright (and humorous) spot. If you feel compelled to read this one, don't say I didn't warn you.
not enough romance.......2004-01-30
For a romance novel, this sure lacked a lot of romance! I think the leads kissed 2, maybe 3 times throughout the book. They didn't really get to know each other very well - seems their "love" was based on the Fates prophesy and that's about it. It was kind of interesting to find out the Fates' fate in this book, but the plot just never seemed to really GO anywhere. It plodded along until it just came to an end. I was somewhat disappointed in Simply Irresistable (the book before this one) and I think I was even more disappointed in this one.
charming fantasy romance.......2003-12-31
Los Angeles based accountant Travers Kineally wants to refuse the entreaty of the three dingbats who suddenly haunt him. However, though he can say no to the frantic females, he cannot deny his eleven year old son Kyle who persuades him that the quintet should journey to Las Vegas in order to help the nutty threesome regain whatever they seemingly misplaced.
Vegas based private investigator Zoe Sinclair figures she has seen it all in her century and half as a mage especially since becoming a sleuth. However, Zoe will soon learn she is a rookie when it comes to life's ironies. Her lesson is taught to her by her new clients, the three whacko Fates (Lachesis, Atropos, and Clitho) who have lost their enchanted status. To regain their former eminence the trio must locate a lost magical artifact. Protecting the three zanies from their millenniums of enemies is a full time job in of itself, but alas poor Zoe knows her fate and does not like it one iota though she finds the cynical Travers quite attractive.
Fans of fantasy romances will find ABSOLUTELY CAPTIVATED SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE due to the return of the chaotic causing trio. The lead couple is a delightful pair with both suffering from skepticism amplified by love. Though his son is very precocious (he is only eleven) readers will be Completely Smitten by the amusing antics of the Three Fates.
Harriet Klausner
Product Description
Let 4 Masters of the historical romance take you to a world where all of your fantasies can come true and passion is bound by the limits of your imagination--- a world that will arouse your senses and hold you completely enthralled,,,,,
Books:
- Too Deep for Words: Rediscovering Lectio Divina
- Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith
- Treasures Underfoot : Quilting With Manhole Covers - Round 2
- Welcome to Oz: A Cinematic Approach to Digital Still Photography with Photoshop (VOICES)
- What's A Ghoul to Do? (Ghost Hunter Mysteries, Book 1)
- White Lies (The Arcane Society, Book 2)
- Wicked Fantasy: A Novel
- Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman
- Wizard Twins: Menage a Magick (Book 1)
- Yarn Harlot: The Secret Life of a Knitter
Books Index
Books Home
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Playing Easy to Get
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