W Books

Whether you are starting your own internet business or just in the midst of cleaning out your basement, you have probably asked yourself how much you could make if you sold your inventory on eBay. The online auction site has largely become a household name and given thousands of entrepreneurs a platform for starting an online business. Regardless of the size of your business, eBay's Secrets Revealed provides numerous tools and insights that will undoubtedly help you find success.

Blacharski provides detailed step by step instructions to guide you in the most important aspects of making your business succeed. Aimed at the new or existing entrepreneur who wants to add eBay to his or her web-based marketing arsenal, eBay's Secrets Revealed provides specific insight to most concerns that can emerge when using eBay, such as various costs and expectations of customers. The detailed descriptions are especially useful for the newly initiated making the process of getting started less intimidating. Although the book may seem like more information than you need if you just plan to sell a few items, it is still a valuable resource for helping to make sure you do not encounter any of the most common pitfalls.

Full of advise from those who have made their eBay business soar, eBay's Secrets Revealed covers all of the business owning fundamentals as well as special sections on specifically eBay related topics such as protecting yourself from fraud and web-based marketing strategies. In addition to useful eBay information, Blacharski provides an overview of other similar websites as well as their comparative strengths and weaknesses. With concise and well written explanations of all tools and services eBay offers to facilitate smooth management of your auctions and easy transactions, eBay Secrets Revealed is highly recommended to anyone starting an eBay business.

Dan W. Blacharski's EBAY'S SECRETS REVEALED is for any who would expand their eBay business by tapping into expert advice. From watching out for spyware and understanding search engine optimization to cross-selling techniques, this is designed to help eBay sellers expand upon basics.

These days, it seems that everyone's had an experience with buying or selling on eBay. In the book eBay's Secrets Revealed, Dan Blacharski gives the reader everything he or she needs to know the set up and run a successful eBay business. Competition is fierce in the eBay business, states Blacharski, and any edge can translate into bigger profits for a business. This book gives you the edge that other successful eBayers may not want you to know - the secrets of the trade.

Blacharski starts at the beginning by describing the origins of eBay, and gives a comprehensive look at all aspects of running the business, from finding products through business accounting. Blarcharski also describes the technology that will make your business a success, such as anti-spam software, auction tools, photography editing software, and working with search engines.

The step-by-step guide is so encouraging that it seems easy to get started selling. There can be many pitfalls to running a business where the customer and seller never meet, and the product isn't seen until after it is purchased. Blacharski reassuringly addresses common problems and helps the business owner avoid trouble through proper planning.

The book has a colorful, attractive layout. Sidebars offer interviews and tips from the pros, checklists, and warnings. A logically-arranged table of contents steps the reader through the process. The chapters are clear and free of jargon, and the reader can easily jump to the topic he or she needs the most. Cute graphics are sprinkled throughout the book, and crisp photos end each chapter.

A new eBay business owner, or someone considering the business, will need this book. All you need to learn to start selling is addressed within the pages, and at less than 300 pages, it is an easy read.

Ebay's Secrets Revealed
By Dan W. Blacharski
5 out of 5 stars


In the 21st century, almost every American with internet access has either searched Ebay or at least heard of Ebay. There are multiple books out that have a reoccurring theme, which is "make money, make money," but that is about all that is to them. This book not only is a guide to making profit, but it takes you through the in depth steps to get there. It even goes into all of the different branches of information that will answer any almost any question imaginable that has to do with Ebay.

I have found that this book contains an abundance of valuable information to both current and future Ebay sellers. Meta tags are a key tool that are commonly over looked by Ebay sellers, but in this book Dan Blacharski not only covers the topic, but gives examples and even basic tutorial information on the subject. This book truly is revealing the secrets of Ebay.

Reading all of the advice and informative stories from actual accounts is another benefit of this book that gives the reader a personal connection. I also like how the author even gives resources as to sites that are similar to Ebay. I think that any person that needs guidance about Ebay should most definitely read this book. You are enlightened on every subject such as the history of Ebay, how to promote, shipping and handling, and even the legalities.

This book is magnificent, because once you finish reading it, you are truly educated on all of the possible in's and out's Ebay. I have stayed on the side of being a buyer on Ebay, and have never bothered with the selling aspect of Ebay, because I have always thought that the entirety of being a successful Ebay seller was too complicated. After reading this book I feel like I have gained not only a complete understanding of how to be a successful Ebay seller, but I have also gained the confidence to pursue being a seller, because I was finally able to comprehend how easy it can actually be.

eBay's Secrets Revealed
by Dan W. Blacharski

I laughed the first time a buyer sent me postage stamps for a payment. I returned the stamps and told them I accepted money orders or payment through pay pal. She did not laugh. She wrote a negative comment about the transaction and then filed a complaint against me. The litigation lasted for months and I was frustrated and confused. For several years I struggled with my site on eBay. I learned a few tricks on my own through trial and error.

Many powerful eBay sellers were reluctant to pass along any of their secrets. My site was floundering. I decided this enterprise was not for me. If only Dan W. Blacharski's book, `eBay's Secrets Revealed' was available to me way back then, my business would have been a success.

In the very first chapter Dan discusses name recognition. This is an extremely important concept in eBay auctions. Studies show that consumers feel comfortable with items and locations that are familiar.

Dan's information contains simple information regarding keywords that a first time seller may not even consider. The in depth chapter on accounting and taxes can literally save your business. Dan takes a step by step approach on how to succeed in your eBay business.

Make no mistakes eBay is a business and a livelihood for many individuals. Dan lets you know about security, customer service, fraud, payment methods and everything one needs to know to be a success in this burgeoning enterprise. Even the images you post reflects whether this item will be looked at and possible purchased.

Chapter 10 states the importance of positive feedback. This is not something you can shrug off. It can mean quitting your day job or failure. If terms like, second chance, reserve price, buy it now, absentee bid and insertion fee are foreign words to you, purchase this book.

This book can direct a novice, inform a buyer and lead an entrepreneur to success. The money invested in this book will ensure an easy and attainable transition in the art of selling on eBay. This information can also be applied to any other business project. After reading Dan's book, `eBay's Secrets Revealed' I feel confident to once again try my hand at selling and buying on eBay.

I give this book a rating of 5.

I really enjoyed this book. I picked it up for a school project, and didn't set it down until I was reading the epilogue. It is fabulously written, and very easy to relate to.

This book by Eva Schloss is totally amazing. Not only have I read the book more than once I have actually met Eva Schloss herself!! We managed to meet her because my year six teacher knows her and managed to arrange a meeting for all of the year six's to meet her. She read bits of her book to us and we were shocked and dismayed by the state the Nazis treated these people. She showed us her tattoo, and said that you could only just see it because the person who marked her done it lightly because her mother had begged them to do it lightly. I also got her book and she signed. I was very pleased.
This book shows the horrors of World War II and what it was like it Auschwitz-Birkenau.

I also teach an extensive unit on the Holocaust and Anne Frank. I am always on the look out for survivor stories for teens. This book certainly makes the cut. It is easy-to-read yet does relate the horrors of her experience in the camps. Her relationship to her mother and others in the camps shows the definite role companionship played in survival.

Eva's relationship to Anne Frank is simply a plus for the book. To have lived so close to Anne and even played in her house with her cat makes Anne become even more alive. Eva's relationship with her brother parallels Anne's relationship to Margot. Interestingly, Heinz and Margot seems to have similar personalities as do Anne and Eva. ...Her courage to speak about this terrrible time in history is a reminder to us all to remember what happened and those who are no longer with us and have no one to remember them.

Eva's Story is another powerful tale coming to us from the Holocaust. Eva Schloss was the step sister of Anne Frank (her mother married Anne Franks father after the war). Her story parallels the story of Anne Frank in many ways: both were young girls in Amsterdam, both went into hidding, both were betrayed, and both were transported east to Auschwitz. The only difference is that Eva Schloss somehow survived. If one wonders what would have happened to Anne Frank if only she had lived, the answer is in Eva's Story. The book is powerful, well written, and easy to read. It includes 16 pages of photographs as well as comments marking the major events of the war. The last pages of the book carry her story up to 1984. The book is another powerful contribution to history and survival.

Eva's Story is another powerful tale coming to us from the Holocaust. Eva Schloss was the step sister of Anne Frank (her mother married Anne Franks father after the war). Her story parallels the story of Anne Frank in many ways: both were young girls in Amsterdam, both went into hidding, both were betrayed, and both were transported east to Auschwitz. The only difference is that Eva Schloss somehow survived. If one wonders what would have happened to Anne Frank if only she had lived, the answer is in Eva's Story. The book is powerful, well written, and easy to read. It includes 16 pages of photographs as well as comments marking the major events of the war. The last pages of the book carry her story up to 1984. The book is another powerful contribution to history and survival.

I teach elementary physics at a local university. One of the complaints of my students was I didn't relate the material to real-world examples.

The Flying Circus of Physics contains a huge number of examples relating basic physics principles to events/phenomena in the real-world. I usually use one or two of these examples per lecture as 'breaks' from the standard material. The students enjoy them and quickly become engaged in the discussion.

if you are a physics teacher this is a good one for your library. You won't use it everyday but it is nice to have.

Opens the mind to concepts of Physics. I'm a high school physics teacher and just wish I had more time with my classes to explore the ideas presented by Dr. Walker. His video series Kinetic Karnival is also great, but I haven't been able to find it available to replace my damaged copies.

I am a retired science person who volunteers as an eighth grade science teacher. My primary notion is to convince the students that an understanding of the basic ideas of physics will enable you to comprehend more complex principals. To accomplish this, I am always searching for real life examples which demonstrate physics ideas. "The Flying Circus of Physics" provides a rich mix of these examples that makes the student see physics as part of their day-to-day life and not an abstraction.

For about a year, I've restrained myself from buying this book, since the reviews and description did not reflect the 2007 (once set at 2006) edition. About a month ago, I suggested they do something about it. I may have even written to Walker. At last, the description is up to date. However, a week ago I just decided to buy the book and write a mini-review. I'm just going to say a few words though.

It's a much larger format width/height wise. The answers are placed after the question and they are generally much longer responses than the first edition, which I thought were a bit too brief. These are completely new topics. The references are gone, but I do believe they are on his web site--in spades. There's quite a bit of supplemental info there. To find it his site just Google to "Jearl Walker" flying circus.

I suspect another difference in the book is the questions seem to have gotten further away from common basic physics. For example, in his first book he poses the question why does the cardboard stay in place when you turn over a glass of water with a cardboard over its mouth? Of course, there are many deeper questions in edition one. Nevertheless, his questions are interesting in the second edition. He's punctuated the book with some fun "short stories" like fire-walking. The book strikes me something like the approach of Mad about Physics, which also pulls examples from (a) physics journal in the manner of Walker's first edition. I don't quite see the "conceptual" tone as in Paul Hewitt's book Conceptual Physics, or in Epstein's Thinking Physics. Just different ways of thinking about physics.

i'm do organic synthesis. i reference this one once a week on average. it's the first stop whenever a protecting group questions comes up.

if you are synthetic chemist you ought to have this book with you

There are other protecting group books out there but I found this one to be the most comprehensive and easy to use.

This book contains methods for the installation and removal of practically every protecting group you can think of, and likely some you've never encountered. Most methods are referenced to articles containing representative procedures, saving valuable time scouring the literature. It is compact, well-organized and reasonably priced. Along with March's Advanced Organic Chemistry, this book is a must have for any organic chemist.

If you doing any sort of organic chemistry in the lab, you will really get your hands into this handy reference on protecting groups. The book neatly organized into functional groups and their protecting groups. A Primer for organic chemists. It will save you zillion hours of researching for papers/references on the appropriate protecting groups used in reactions.

My son loves the Happy Baby series! I can't say enough good things about these books. It's hard to find a book that will have my toddler sitting down for a few minutes and sitting quietly reading, but these books do it.

We bought Happy Words to help with his vocabulary, and it didn't take long to see his interest grow in wanting to know the names for things around the house. I know he enjoys the book because he pulls it out nearly every day for me to read it, even more, he's starting pointing to certain pictures asking me to repeat the names, so I know he's learning and taking it in. This book has about 13 full spread pages each with a familiar scene for a toddler- getting dressed, eating a meal, going on a walk, taking a bath, facial expressions etc. What I like most is that these scenes and words included are pertinent to a toddler, they're not just about whatever, but things a toddler needs to know the names of. Last but not least, did I mention my son loves this book??

So, if you're a mom of an infant/toddler or buying these as a gift for one, these are a SURE BET. They are also reasonably priced in my opinion. Other books in this series we own and enjoy are the Colors and ABC's. We'll definitely be buying more too as time goes on. Way to go Roger Priddy!!

I've been on a mission to find a book that meets the following criteria for my 9 month old son:
- Must be a board book (because he chews everything!)
- Mustn't be too long (32 pages maximum because we're dealing with a short attention span here)
- Mustn't be too big (so my son can easily pick up and play with the book)
- Must contain photographs of familiar objects and other babies (because all of his other books only have illustrated pictures of animals for some reason!)

"Happy Baby: Words" fit all of the above criteria perfectly and my son loves it to death. He can actually turn the pages himself and he gets so excited seeing all the baby photographs inside.

Great book!

perfect for identifying objects. bright and cheery, so babies and toddlers love to look at the pages.

I read this to my little one and it has helped increase her vocabulary. She loves pointing to the pictures and saying the words. She is also able to associate the pictures to what she sees in her day to day activities.

Our copy has been through two children. Both of my kids love the bright and clear pictures. We are teaching my son sign language and this book is great for teaching simple words and signs! A well loved book!

This engaging book fills the void that other Civil War histories leave, and that is an understanding of the everyday experiences of the foot soldier. "Hardtack and Coffee or the Unwritten Story of Army Life" by John D. Billings is an exhaustive and fascinating look back at the flesh, bones, and blood of those lines and arrows on the maps of Civil War battle strategies.

The book is filled with anecdotes, observations, and songs arising from the era. (I very much appreciated the introduction which details the election of 1860 and started the whole terrible tragedy that ensued over the next half decade.) The generous amount of illustration truly helps evoke the period. "Hardtack and Coffee" is a perfect companion to Bell Irvin Wiley's "Life of Billy Yank: The Common Soldier of the Union" and "The Life of Johnny Reb: The Common Soldier of the Confederacy". And it is a perfect part of anyone's Civil War/American History library.

Rocco Dormarunno, author of THE FIVE POINTS

I am a Civil War reenactor, and this book has been an excellent source of ideas for first person scenarios and ideas for living history. It is an insightful, unique record of the soldier's life for living historians or students of history. I would highly recommend this engaging book.

This is the best book on the life of the Civil War soldier. The other reviews attest to this, so here is something different.
Charles W. Reed, the illustrator, was ALSO a Civil War veteran.
He served in the Ninth Massachusetts Battery and won the Medal of Honor at Gettysburg for saving his commanding officer, Captain
John Bigelow, who had been seriously wounded in the fight at the
Trostle Farm on 2 July 1863.
My favorite chapter was the one on the army mule.
Buy, read & enjoy this book!

Hardtack and Coffee provides an excellent picture of Army life in the mid-nineteenth century. The sketches illustrate the text superbly. This is a useful handbook for students and teachers as well as an intriguing introduction to the Civil War.

I'm one of those men with the "Civil War Itch" who can't get enough reading, can't get enough time on the battlefields. This book is hands-down one of my favorites in my extensive collection, re-read several times and dog-eared. It's something I always put in my bag for air-travel reading, because you can pick it up and put it down when you need to...the author and the illustrator both were participants in the Conflict, so you know it's accurate. The content is educational but not stuffy, since it was written to explain to soldiers' families what exactly Union Army life was like...and the humor still carries through to this day. After you've read the historical studies or walked a battlefield, THIS is the book you want to read to put yourself in the shoes of the everyday soldier--and it's easy to do with the author's skills. For me, the best chuckles are the chapters "Jonahs and Beats", and "The Army Mule". A must-read for those wanting more than just a general's biography or an order of battle.

Feeling down and out? Think that the world is against you? Frederick Bailes has this quick self-help tip for you: It's not how you feel that matters, but what you do. You may have thought it went the other way around, I did. I'd tell myself, "I'll get up earlier, when I have more energy. I'll return phone calls, when I'm not so moody. "

All the while, such thoughts weakened me. Bailes colors this entire book with stories that hit to the heart of how humans destroy themselves and all the while blame their suffering on an impartial reality. I will not divulge story examples here because it would soften the profound psychological impact that Bailes' words have on the reader.

I read "Hidden Problems for Human Problems" aiming to lift my spirits. Mission accomplished.

What can I say, this book by Frederick Bailes is FABULOUS! When I read about his description of 'parent thought' vs 'master thought', i said to myself "Wow! Why hasnt anyone written about this before!". Where has this book been, in all these years I was trying to find the correct method to treat my false beliefs! As a hint, there are only 7 False Core Belief that most people have that caused ALL their problems. Defeat those 7 Core False Thoughts, and you can be sure no negative thought can be 'created' by your mind anymore!

Dr Bailes healed himself of diabetes with New Thought, after reading Thomas Troward's book.

Even if you have read New THought books for years, this book is still a must! It categorises the False Beliefs of race consciousness, and teaches the True Beliefs to neutralize the false ones. Now we have all read in other New Thought books that "there is no loss" "no competition" etc, but those concepts by other authors were a little all over the place, don't you agree? They were great and knew what they were, but no one ever put them in categories (to be attacked/healed with Master Thoughts) like Bailes does!

FURTHERMORE, the author seems to be really creative and intelligent in coming up with ingenius visualization techniques (could he have been the first NLP practitioner??). Plus he teaches several verbal affirmations that make it easy for you to belief it, such as "Of course it is working even now, whether I can believe it or not".

Also recommended is Dr Bailes' Science of Mind Treatment book, which details all the mental visualization tricks he has. This guy is way ahead of his times!

This inspiring book provides workable suggestions and practical examples on how to apply the power of thought to overcome problems and illness. The first part deals with the author's own discovery of universal law and gives examples of how others were helped. Part Two contains all the methods of harnessing universal laws and includes: - How to give a healing prayer treatment; Five different methods for setting the creative process in motion; Blueprint of parent (error) thoughts and the (corrective) master thoughts to overcome them. There are helpful summaries at the end of each chapter and at the end, a guide-list for overcoming specific problems. A very good read and a valuable reference work that should be on every healer's shelf.

It would be almost impossible to over-praise this book, which gives great practical insights into how our thought processes determine, not just how we feel, but what we actually experience.

The start-point for Bailes' teachings is instructive - and startling. As a young man, Frederick Bailes was diagnosed with diabetes, which was not only incurable but, in those pre-insulin days, untreatable as well. Indeed, he was told that he could expect to live for only about eighteen months.

Happening upon the philosophy of Thomas Troward, and having nothing to lose, Bailes decided to apply the 'thoughts determine outcomes' approach, with the dramatic result that he was eventually completely cured of diabetes, a healing proved by exhaustive medical analysis. He went on to apply the same principles in business, with great success, before embarking upon the teaching and publication of his remarkable approach to life.

Analysis of the 'thoughts determine outcomes' approach led Bailes to identify a series of negative thought-patterns, which he calls 'parent thoughts' because, unless and until tackled, they go on creating negative thought processes which adversly affect our lives. Such 'parent thoughts', described and detailed in this book, include fear, iritation, loss and inadequacy. Throughout his career, Bailes applied these processes, resulting in many seemingly-miraculous healings, many of which are described here. But the benefits of this process are by no means confined to matters of health.

This book is both inspirational and practical, and can be life-changing, too. A superb insight into how the world works, and how to improve your life and experiences.

Frederick Bailes was WAY ahead of his time writing way back in the 1950's. He presents truths about healing and having a richer life and creating pure desired results that are exceptional. These ideas/truths might be considered so deeply hidden to most people that they would most likely never find them without a CONSIDERABLE amount of time, effort and commitment to search them out and find them. Even then it might be decades of searching before they're found.

If you want to find out why things are the way they are in your life..and most importantly what you can do to change them EASILY..read this book.

Mr. Bailes most notably helps his readers understand that things are NOT hopeless no matter how dark or grim one's life has been. A GREAT life filled with success and happiness and love for yourself and others as well CAN be yours!

Follow his great lesson from the law of life which states.."learn or suffer". Surely great suffering can be avoided in life on all fronts by reading this book. Read, enjoy, and prosper!

Very informative book on the mechanics of getting to the moon in the 1960s; also,contains some very good photos.

This book is pitched at the slightly more technical level. So if you're the type of person who likes expanded description, who has a pilot's licence maybe or likes flight simulators, or has mechanical curiosity then you'll find more here on those matters than in the biographical/anecdotal books.
It really is a very satisfying book.

I have over 200 books on the early space program and the race to the moon but this book is by far the best and most detailed I have ever read on just how it was done. I couldn't put it down. If you ever wanted to know, for example, what every abort mode meant during launch or why and how the crew made certain burns during the flight, get this book! It takes the reader from liftoff through splashdown explaining in fantastic detail every step of these wonderful voyages. This book is not a techno-geek's only book. It explains to the common man in the street everything from transfer orbits to gimbal lock. Get this book! I guarentee, even if you thought you knew a lot about it, you'll be amazed at what it took to fly to the moon.

First of all, I second all the wonderful things that folks have said about this book in the other reviews. It beautifully fills in the gaps as to what was actually going on, and explains in relatively simple terms how the systems work. An engineer or space enthusiast won't have any problems with the terminology. A less educated reader might be somewhat less able to understand - but then again, they're probably not the target audience, anyway. As someone who spent his teenage years watching Apollo live, I'm very happy to have the book in my collection.

There are a few quirks that stuck out at me:
(1) The book literally stinks. I don't know what kind of paper and ink combination they used, but the book smells AWFUL. There's something in it that I'm allergic to. It makes me sneeze if it's within 18 inches of my face, so I have to hold it at arms length to read it without my eyes watering and my nose running. I hate to mention that, but it's enough of an issue to be more than just annoying. I have never had that problem with any other book.

(2) Most of the black and white photos are reproduced very darkly. Some of them are so dark that it's difficult to tell what we are supposed to be seeing in the photo.

(3) The author says up front that he will insist on using metric instead of English units because that's the way the rest of the world measures things. As someone who has memorized all the pertinent dimensions of the Apollo from his youth, it's very disconcerting for me to see them expressed solely in different units. In some cases, the author's writing around the units makes this even more bizarre to my American sensibilities. For example, we would say the F-1 engine produced 1.5 million pounds of thrust. On page 19, the author says the F-1 "produced a force that could balance 680 tonnes of mass." I only recall him using the word "thrust" once in the book - the rest of the time, he speaks of balance tonnes of mass.

(4) The editing was a little sloppy. Perhaps the book was not intended to be read sequentially, but there are examples when entire paragraphs are reproduced almost verbatim in several chapters. One section has a footnote that refers the reader to the previous chapter - the one we just read - for a discussion of a concept. The author also introduces verbatim transcripts of transmissions from actual missions to illustrate points about systems that he is discussing. However, he tends to include more of the conversation than is pertinent to the issue in question. It's as if someone is showing you film clips that go on a little longer than they should, past the punch line.

These are relatively minor quibbles, though. Again, I believe this is an excellent book than any fan of the Apollo era will want to have in his or her library.

A page-turner for those interested in the mechanics of spaceflight. Even though it records the events of nearly forty years ago, it is still hard to believe that men put their faith in such frail craft; the chances of safely returning from the voyage to the moon were put at no more than 50/50.

What struck me most about this book was the depth of research, and the revelatory nature of some of the material. For example, while I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about the mechanics of Apollo, having eagerly consumed anything and everything I could get my hands on since I was a kid watching it on TV, I was surprised to find out the accuracy required to safely enter lunar orbit. This book reveals that an SPS burn even 2 seconds short or longer than planned could result in either a crash into the Moon or slingshot into solar orbit. And that, once in orbit around the Moon, the time between loss-of-signal and re-aquisition was pre-calculated to the second, and their calculation was invariably right on the money. All this in the era of the slide-rule.

If you have even a passing interest in the technical detail of Man's greatest accomplishment, get this book. Guaranteed to please the hard-core space fan.

We have a lot of Little Critter books in this house. They're short, they're funny, they're topical, and they're cheap.

This book is a very realistic portrayal of how children remember things, or forget things... or remember what they should do but decide not to do it anyway :)

Like, Little Critter forgets to feed the dog, but not the fish - the fish just didn't look hungry! (In the illustration, we can see the fish eagerly eating all the food Little Critter is giving it.) He didn't forget to take his boots off - he's going back out in the rain! He won't forget to put away his toys - oops, maybe he *did* forget.

Pretty funny stuff, if my nieces are any indication.

My daughter loves this line of books and I love reading them to her. She is picking up on the words. She is also learning the lessons within the book. When I read the book to her, I will apply the situation to her life and ask her what she should or shouldn't do. Regardless of how she answers, we continue on to see how the story ends. Then, I apply that to her as well. It also makes reading fun. She almost always picks one of the lil critter books to read at bedtime.

My son is 8 yrs old and loves this series of books. The reading is fairly easy and the stories short so it keeps his interest. We read them as bed time stories and they are perfect. We own several of this series and we like them all.

My little guy is five, and we've been reading this book since he was three. Usually he likes to read long books, and has little interest in what he calls "short stories". This book is short; it only takes a few minutes to read. Mercer Mayer books have a special exemption, however - he loves the stories and this is one of his very favourites.

In the beginning of Mayer's book, our hero looks straight at the reader, slightly lifts both arms, and states: "Sometimes I remember, sometimes I just forget." For example he (or she?-it's difficult to tell the gender in this "Little Critter" book) puts his dishes in the sink, but forgets to put away the milk. Humorous twists on the `I remembered this, but forgot this' motif lift this book above the ordinary. For example: "I didn't forget to feed the goldfish, he just didn't look hungry," and, after a bath, "I didn't use soap, but I didn't forget to. I just don't like to." His mother is alternately tired, frustrated, and amused, and the clever story ends on a warm note. This is a sweet and simple story that manages to cover many familiar situations with honesty and empathy for all involved. Watch for the little mouse friend on every page!

Another standout winner from JWH. If you're looking for an emotional, romantic, erotic, powerful story, this is it. The mark of a great story is when you're 1/3 into it and you're already thinking this is an awesome book and I can't wait to read it again. Every erotic romance reader should experience the emotional transcendence that comes with JWH's books!

As a new reader to the erotica genre (this was only my 3rd read), I was actually suprised at how into this book I got! The characters became so real to me, I felt like I was on an emotional roller coaster. Tyler is the ultimate alpha male, yet so sensitive, and Marguerite has so much soul deep pain, it almost hurts to read about it. This book is definitely going on my "keeper" shelf, to be enjoyed again and again.
I highly recommend reading this book, even if you aren't a fan of BDSM erotica. This story is so moving, any D/s play almost takes a back seat.

Ms. Hill has done a great job once again. With this next book in the Natural Desire group, she plots the romance between Tyler and Marguerite in perfect time. There are scars on their souls, Marguerite's being much worse, but Ms. Hill does a phenomenal job in the character growth in relation to that. The journey is sometimes painful to read, but the author does a fantastic job drawing the emotions out of the characters. You will not soon forget them. Their story deserves the two books it takes to tell it, so do yourself a favor and grab both at the lower bundle price. It will kill you to wait for Nature of Desire: Mirror of My Soul to get to you to finish the story.

Marguerite and Tyler's relationship is extremely complex, to say the least. However, their dynamics work for them. The way that they approach being Master or Mistress are very different, and yet when you put them together, they complement each other. She's very emotionally detached from the submissives she chooses. For her, it's more of a religious awakening, a path to nirvana through submission, control, and pain. For him, it's a seduction. He has to be in control but he also cares for his submissives and looks at the role more as a father figure. This is exactly what Marguerite needs, after being sexually abused by her father. She doesn't allow anyone to touch her, but slowly begins to trust Tyler. He works so hard to try to gain her love, even going so far as a devastating whipping applied by Marguerite. And yet he still wants her and she still wants him. It's fantastic, and I love the way Hill writes. She so sympathetic, without making the story melodramatic, too sappy, or even uncaring. I loved it and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a little something more from their romances. It was hot and heavy, and I fell in love with the characters. This is a QUALITY story from a fantastic writer. Brava.

Marguerite Perriquet is a well-known mistress at the local BDSM club,
The Zone, where she is referred to as the "Ice Queen." Marguerite has
two separate lifestyles. During the day, Marguerite manages a popular
tea room, Tea Leaves, and supports local domestic violence centers. At
night, she is the "Ice Queen," a dominant mistress at The Zone with a
loyal following of men. She seldom sees the same person twice, never
shows emotion, and is never forgotten by anyone. Marguerite keeps
herself shut off from emotional connections, except with friends.

Tyler Winterman is a respected businessman and a partial owner of The
Zone. Tyler is also a dominant master at the club. Tyler is very
attracted to Marguerite and he feels there is more to her than meets
the eye. He's is not really surprised when Marguerite calls him to her
store, because he is pretty sure he knows why she wants to see him.
Since he is partial owner, Tyler has some say in how matters are
handled at The Zone, and Marguerite has a requirement to meet of she
wants to continue frequenting The Zone. Marguerite needs to "submit"
to a dominant master to better understand her submissive partners.
Marguerite wants Tyler to waive the requirement or simply say she did.
Tyler refuses.

Marguerite is torn because she does not want to submit to anyone. She
finally relents and agrees. She wants Tyler to be her teacher, but she
has three rules; no kissing, no sex, and no discussion of the scars on
her body. Tyler agrees, and they decide to meet that weekend. The
weekend is very difficult for Marguerite because she has a hard time
relinquishing control. It is intense and stirs emotions in both Tyler
and Marguerite.

Marguerite runs from Tyler and herself, and she begins to spin out of
control emotionally. It takes a toll on her, and after an incident at
The Zone, Tyler realizes that Marguerite needs to regain her balance
and accept her feelings. He comes up with a plan to help her find her
true self.

Ice Queen is a sexy, erotic, and emotion-packed read! Marguerite is so
strong and sexy, but underneath she is vulnerable and scared of letting
herself go. Tyler is strong, sexy, and he knows what he wants:
Marguerite, and he will get her using any means. Tyler will not let
her be damaged anymore than she seems, not even by herself. Joey W.
Hill has a true talent of letting her readers feel her character's
emotions. This was my first BDSM book and it enthralled me. I cannot
wait for the next. With Ice Queen Joey W. Hill writes a rich,
emotional story that pulled me in, and she does it without having to
use any restraints to keep me there. Excellent!

Gracie
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed