Quills Books

This book provides good, simple advice and interesting case studies that provide good examples of how to use the advice.

I have read hundreds of parenting books and this one is one of the best by far. It gives you concise, easy directions on things to follow. I keep it out to use as a reference all the time. You cannot go wrong with this book.

This book is priceless. All my friends who have a second child get a copy of this book. ****The trick to this book is to re-read it every 6 months.*** We all have a tendency to fall back into old habits. I always know when it is time to re-read it because my kids start fighting and getting on my nerves again. I stumbled across this book accidentally and it has made alll the difference in my life and my kids life. It won't solve all the problems your kids have with each other but it takes you out of the loop so it doesn't bother you so much and they learn to deal with each other in a healthy way.

This book sure helped me survive being a parent! It helped so much that the book was written in a way that I could pick it up, read quickly for the few uninterrupted minutes I could actually get, and then put it down. The cartoons were great- there were some that I copied and hung up around the house as reminders to myself, for the habits that I wanted to form. This book especially helped me learn when to step into sibling disputes, and when to let them work it out. Now that my children are pretty much grown, I'd have to say that this book was probably the most helpful in raising them. They get along quite well!

A wonderful book on helping siblings get along. But I also highly recommend for parents and teachers the book:Bully-Proofing Children: A Practical, Hands-On Guide to Stop Bullying. More than a bullying book, this really focuses on practical strategies,scripts, actual lessons and stories to teach children conflict resolution, friendship and communication skills; the importance of helping others and getting along with a great design for creating environments that foster love and peace.

Writing for women's magazines like Elle, Cosmopolitan, Woman's Day, Ladies' Home Journal, Redbook, Reader's Digest and the rest of the big names in publishing takes more than technique and writing skills. It takes knowing what works and what doesn't. Donna Elizabeth Boetig demystifies the process.

>From links to resources and tips on how to slant a story to make it a must read, Feminine Wiles: Creative Techniques For Writing Women's Feature Stories That Sell offers sound, proven advice and a lot of experience in the trenches. Having made most of the mistakes from time to time, her timely and time tested methods illustrate how to take a so-so idea and make it stand out.

Boetig also gives the inside scoop on what editors like to see from writers and how to hook an editor with a winning query. She also explains the difference between gushing, a technique guaranteed to land a quick rejection, and plucking the right emotional string.

Savvy and honest, every writer needs a copy of Feminine Wiles if they're serious about writing that sells and keeps selling.

Boetig's lead coverline, "Creative Techniques for Writing Women's Feature Stories..." doesn't give the whole picture. I found it to be "Creative Techniques for Writing That Will Sell" - period.

I am a relatively new (notice I didn't say young) writer who reads every book I can find on How to Write, How to Market, and How to Paper My Walls With Rejections. Although I write mostly nonfiction, I give Boetig's "Feminie Wiles" a Blue Ribbon.

Her tips, examples, anecdotes, and words of encouragement apply (and appeal) to all writers. I will be using her book as a reference in my upcoming writing classes, and I will encourage my students to purchase their own copies. It is a gem.

Feminine Wiles may be marketed toward women, but the advice offered will work for anyone whether you are writing for women or Field & Stream. Boetig reviews the basic process for lining up an interview, dealing with editors, and writing what sells. This is by far one of the better resources for freelance writers on the market today.

As a freelance writer, I'm always looking to expand my interests and marketability. Boetig's book brought a fresh perspective with lots of real world helpful ideas. The packaging is clever and the voice is easy to read. I particularly like it that you do not have to read the book in order, but rather, open it to the page you need and benefit immediately. Organized well. Well written. Lots of helpful information. Highly recommend.

Of the many how-to books on writing that I've read, I am really pleased with this one. From the very beginning, I gleaned tips that I have never read before. It's written in a relaxed style, much like actually talking to the author. I highly recommend this book if you want to write for magazines.

A fantastic treatise on a much overlooked medical problem!

As a third year medical student, I was largely unaware of the prevalence of B12 deficiency and its devastating repercussions. This book, a combination of anecdotal evidence and solid research provides a strong case for the importance of B12 testing (using Methylmalonic acid urinary testing not serum B12 levels!) and B12 treatment.

The chapters on B12 & Multiple Sclerosis as well as autism were particularly interesting!

All in all a great book! Easy to read, but with profound repercussions.

I have some technical questions I would love to ask the authors, should they wish to contact me.

Paul Theodorescu
paultheo2004@yahoo.ca

This book is a must read for everyone in contact with other human beings. I have dealt with the devestating effects of b12 deficiency for all of my 20's and 30's (at least) with everything getting nothing but worst in the last year. My little boy shares many of my symptoms and is being tested as we speak...now that we know how to test! My son's doctor had no idea how to test him. Two weeks into B12 therapy most of the symptoms that have been plaguing me for years are gone! The rest are slowly improving and I suspect that they will continue to improve. When I think of all the doctors and tests and appointments and medications and theories I have had over the past years, it is downright depressing. All I needed was what my body was screaming for...B12! Cheap, easy to get, effective and mandatory B12!!!!

This book lays it out well and is very well referenced. The format is very reader friendly with many great examples. If you are looking for a book that you could bring into your doctor for their education (for your own survival!), this is the one. It is an absolute horror that this illness goes unfound for so long in so many people. Protect yourself and your loved ones and have this book on hand always. This is the best gift you could give anyone. It saved me in ways I don't even want to think about. Thank you to the authors for this important piece of knowledge that is far too ignored in the medical community.

If you have or suspect having a vitamin B 12 deficiency or if you need to learn about this deficiency for any reason, I recommend you read carefully the book " Could it be B 12 ? An epidemic of Misdiagnoses " by Sally M. Pacholok and Jeffrey J. Stuart. But don't let it be your only source of information about the deficiency. Because at least half of alternative reliable scientific reports about this subject strongly disagree with the major allegations of the authors of this book. You must also be aware of the alternative opinions before deciding on what to do about your vitamin B 12 deficiency. I am not a medical expert and do not say who is right or wrong. However, I am glad I researched other sources of information after I was diagnosed with B 12 deficiency and after I read this book. I couldn't find any other books on this subject but there are a lot of serious scientific reports published on the internet by credible hospitals, laboratories, medical journals etc. You don't have to be a medical expert to understand them, they are written for the general public. Some of the information on the internet is crap but a significant portion is reliable , very informative and based on sound scientific reasearch and experiments.

Search from Google under the headings of vitamin B12 deficiency, homocysteine, methyl malonic acid, intrinsic factor and pernicious anemia. A lot of articles will pop up among them by reliable hospitals such as the Mayo Clinic and some labs etc. Also search under the same headings from the websites of Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia, American Family Doctor and Lab test on line. There are many other websites that include reliable information on Vitamin B 12 deficiency. After reading the book " Could it be B 12 ? An epidemic of Misdiagnoses " my initial reaction was an anger towards my doctor who diagnosed me with a B 12 deficiency believing that he had given me false information. I also had written a very favorable review of this book immediately after having read it two and a half months ago on January 19 2008. I have hereby replaced on April 11th 2008 my previous review of the book with this one based on my subsequent research on the internet about the topic from about ten different reliable scientific reports from different sources. My initial review was based only on the book. The present review is based on both the book and my subsequent extensive research. About half of the medical literature agrees with the authors of this book on the method of diagnosing and treatment of the vitamin B 12 deficiency. The remaining 50 % that disagree also base their views on sound scientific studies.

The authors of the book claim that most doctors in the world are ignorant about vitamin B12 deficiency. After finishing the book I initially bought this argument. However, after conducting the research on the internet I mentioned above I disagree that most doctors are ignorant about it. Surely there are a lot of doctors who are in fact ignorant about it and who misdiagnose. Even my doctor told me some things about vitamin B 12 deficiency some of which I still think are wrong. However, not all doctors who disagree with the authors are ignorant ; there are many among the disagreeing doctors who are very knowledgeable about this subject. Their methods of diagnosing and treating the deficiency maybe different than that of the authors. That does not necessarily make them ignorant. You can see this for yourself by reading their reports on the internet where they express alternative opinions about vitamin B 12 deficiency. Yet the authors of the book accuse all doctors who disagree with them with ignorance. I feel that it is unfair and unconvincing to accuse everyone who disagrees with you with ignorance. I got suspicious about that and found the alternative opinions. I am glad I did not let this book be my only source, I almost went and expressed my disatisfaction with my doctor based on this book. I regret that after reading the book and before reading alternative reports I got into an argument with a neuropsychiatrist whose acquaintance I made in a sports club who challenged the views in the book when I mentioned them to her.
Fortunately I did not go and quarrel with my own doctor based on the book ( it scares me to think I almost did ) because I had the sanity to investigate the deficiency from alternative sources.

The major allegations by the authors about which there is approximately 50 % agreement and of course 50 % disagreement among medical experts throughout the whole world have to do with the method of diagnosis and treatment of vitamin B 12 deficiency.

The authors claim that a serum ( blood ) B 12 test for a deficiency is unreliable by itself and must be accompanied by urinary methyl malonic acid ( MMA ) and serum homocysteine tests. Because in some cases a vitamin B 12 deficiency may damage the nervous system many years before it shows up on blood tests. Doctors who rely on the vitamin B 12 blood test alone could miss a B 12 deficiency if it does not show up on the blood test. The authors allege very strongly that the best measure of B 12 deficiency is the urinary methyl malonic acid and creatinine ratio test done properly along with serum B 12 and serum homocysteine tests. In the medical literature I researched there is strong support for this view. But there are also equally strong arguments in favor of the alternative view, claiming that on the contrary urinary MMA test results are not a reliable indicator of vitamin B 12 deficiency and that serum B 12 tests are more reliable. This is exactly the opposite of what the authors of the book claim.The book mentions that there are doctors that claim this. And it claims that these doctors are ignorant. However, in the reports the doctors state the reasons why urinary or blood MMA tests are unreliable and explain the results of scientific studies in support of their view. They are by no means ignorant.

The other major disagreement is about the method of treatment. The authors of the book claim that Vitamin B 12 oral tablets even in high doses are very often ineffective in treatment of the deficiency and insist that pain free injections directly into the blood is indispensible as a treatment method. They claim that nobody should lose time and risk ineffective treatment with oral tablets. In some cases this maybe true for swallowed oral tablets which have to cross the digestive system. However, I came across many different reports on the internet that mention the effectiveness of sublingual ( under the tounge ) oral vitamin B 12 pills that are also absorbed directly into the bloodstream. Especially during the recent several years many independent studies throughout the world indicate that sublingual vitamin B 12 pills have been found to be as effective as injections into the blood, making the injections unnecessary in many cases. After discrediting the oral tablets and strongly promoting the injections throughout their book even the authors back off from their claims on page 153 under the heading : " A Final Word about Oral B 12 " where they admit the promising recent studies about the efficacy of oral tablets administered sublingually. After I took 1000 mg of swallowable oral tablets for four months my serum B 12 level shot through the roof rising from far below the lower limit to more than twice the upper limit ! My doctor told me to discontinue swallowing the pills.

So, read the book and read any serious other sources you can find on the internet and then decide with your doctor about how you will proceed to diagnose and treat your or your loved one(s)' vitamin B 12 deficiency. Just don't take everything the book or the reports say for granted. Make your own analysis and draw your own conclusions based on a varied rich source of reliable information about this subject. Good luck !

This book has taught me so much, it is a must for everyone to read. An absolute eye opener even for someone who already suffers from the condition.

This book contains critical information that could change the lives of many people. Anyone with any sort of unexplained health problems, from Alzheimers to leg pain to autism, must read this. I also wish every doctor would read it and become more aware of the prevalence of B12 deficiency. After reading it at the library, I bought a copy for myself and one for my doctor.

The story focuses on the LeAnne McVeigh's hunt for the killer of Jillian. Jillian's husband, Marcus "Snake" Gallego is the first and most logical suspect. But things start happening fast and furious, clearing Snake of the murder, but leaving the cops with more dead women and clues that lead toward a dangerous climax.

But there is more to this story-particularly in LeAnne's characterization. She is struggling on a personal level, with the murders, political pressure, her fiancée, her attraction to Snake, and most poignant of all-her own upbringing that makes her hauntingly vulnerable as a woman. A man like "Snake" riding his Harley straight into her well ordered life forces LeAnne to re-evaluate what looks good on paper and what is real.

If you like romantic thrillers with solid plotting and good characterization wrapped up in a sensual package, this is the book for you!

Kiss of Deceit by Patricia Rasey is an intense, smart, and sexy thriller that will keep you turning pages and keep you guessing. She leaves clues throughout the story that allows the reader to follow along in the investigation. Several times you think you know the killer, only to find you are wrong. I highly recommend this book, but only if you have a good block of time because you won't be able to put it down.

In the small quiet town of Henry County, Ohio, a young woman is found strangled, her pale and beautiful body tied to the bed. All evidence leads the police to believe the victim's husband, Marcus "Snake" Gallego, to be the killer.

Homicide detective LeAnne McVeigh arrests Snake, though his claim of innocence, as well as his demonic good looks, somehow weakens her determination.

Her theories prove wrong when, suddenly, another young woman is murdered in the same gruesome way. Snake is soon released, and LeAnne finds herself with the dreadful task of hunting down a serial killer on the loose.

In spite of her engagement to County Prosecutor Chad Baker, LeAnne is more than ever powerfully and dangerously attracted to Snake, the feeling heightened by her guilt for having been responsible for his unjust incarceration.

As the mystery evolves and reaches its climax, suspects are interrogated, more innocent women are murdered, and Snake joins LeAnne in trying to find the killer. But his proximity proves disastrous... In fact, being with Snake proves almost deadly.

Queen of suspense Patricia A. Rasey has another winner here. With seemingly effortless skill, this author has created an original, keenly suspenseful and deeply entertaining thriller that will make your heart skip and your pulse race to dangerous levels. Superb characterization, razor-sharp dialogue, and an excellent knowledge of police procedurals are only some of the fine qualities which make this a first-rate novel. The beginning will hook you. The middle will enslave your hands to the pages. The climax will leave you breathless. Definitely five stars!

Marcus "Snake" Gallego accompanied by Egan "Villain" Tate and Ginny Summers returns to Henry County, Ohio to try to keep the woman safe from her biker friends. If the California based Lord's Chief Randy Craig learns where Ginny is he will kill her and probably former member Villain too as no one quits the gang.

Someone kills Ginny in the same manner, tied to a bedpost, in which Snake's wife was murdered two years ago. Homicide detective LeAnne McVeigh investigates the murder that brings her former lover Marcus back into her life. Though she loves Marcus, LeAnne is angry with him for deserting her without a look back. Serving as temporary coroner, Doctor Whitney Montgomery also works the case, but finds an attraction with the aptly named Villain. While LeAnne and Whitney wonder if the one each of them loves is the killer, the Lords are coming to town. Randy does not mind running over the innocent if it enables him to get to Egan, who knows that his beloved doctor is such a target.

EYES OF BETRAYAL, the sequel to the taut KISS OF DECEIT, returns two strong characters from the first novel. The story line starts at a dark rapid speed and never slows down until the climax. Readers will wonder who killed Snake's wife and Ginny, whether the biker gang will murder townsfolk including the two women, and will either or both couples stay together if they survive. Fans of terse thrillers will want to read this one, the previous one, and what one phone call from the grave sets up the next Patricia Rasey's chiller.

Harriet Klausner

In Ohio homicide detective LeAnne McVeigh brings in for questioning Marcus "Snake" Gallego biker husband to the first female victim Jillian, dead of erotic asphyxiation. However, soon other women soon follow with the only connections between them apparently being that they cheated on their husbands and that the serial killer relishes his deadly power trip.

LeAnne continues to investigate Snake and his cronies, but is shocked how enticing the big biker is though she is engaged to prosecutor Chad Baker. Other suspects surface, but the killings continue placing Henry County under the terrorizing grip of a dangerous serial killer. LeAnne thinks Snake is innocent and actually a good person hiding inside his biker garb but Chad has no doubts he is the culprit. His fiancee wonders is that unprofessional jealousy talking?

KISS OF DECEIT is a tremendous police procedural with enough romance that will entice romantic suspense readers too. The story line moves faster than Snake's Harley can go, but insures that he and LeAnne come across as real people. On the surface the lead protagonists seem opposite one another as he lives for the day in his grassroots lifestyle while she looks to the future yet both have deep senses of loyalty and duty. There are plenty of suspects with motives provided for each one. No deceit, this is a winner for those fans who enjoy a taut mystery with plenty of racy tension. Strongly recommend also reading Patricia A. Rasey's backlist to include FAÇADE, DEADLY OBSESSION and THE HOUR BEFORE DAWN as this reviewer intends to do.

Harriet Klausner

Whether you're an astrologer or just an astrology buff, your library is just not complete unless this classic book is a part of it. Sakoian's Astrologer's Handbook is not just one of my favorite "go to" astrological sources, it's every astrologer's "timeless" professional "bible".

This was the book which actually introduced me to astrology, and it remains by far the best I have seen after all these years, both in that category, as well as a general book on the topic for the whole spectrum of those acquainted with the field from beginners to scholars. It is a serious, easy to read, no-nonsense primer, which at the same time acquaints the novice with the actual philiosophy behind the subject in the form of concise delineations, and that is what is really important. More than that, it is also devoid of the mumbo-jumbo which many use to try and "spice up" and mystify an otherwise very real art, and which has ended up in discrediting it and making it a laughing stock. I will say no further, suggesting to the reader that it should be read directly instead to form an opinion about it, rather than reading its reviews.

ive used this book for over 10 years, well written
and fundamentally sound methodology, some sections
are not fullfilled, since it was written in 70s
planets in later signs such as neptune in scorpio,
to aqquarius , pluto in libra to capricorn are thin
still one of the best, buy this instead of online
horoscopes, because its got the basics, however, does
not do interpretations of transits to natal , or
progressions still i like it

The book is neatly written,it explain step by step "How to Caste your own Horoscope", and interpret it. Further the book explain the importance of not only Sun,but moon,the houses and the importance of aspects in study of horoscope.This book is unique because it considers the horoscope not only from Sun sign,but in totality.Acker & Frances have intelligently used their previous experience as writers to explain in clear,concise way "the systems approach" of casting and analysis of horoscope.Book is free from any ambiguity.The book is recommended for beginners as well as advanced lovers of Western Astrology.After reading this book you will be hungry for the next book by the writers.
Dr.Parihar(Vedic Medical Astrologer)

I like this book quite a bit. It has the standard introductory to casting a chart, but it has two particular things in it that I have not found in any other book I have ever read.

First, it describes each house cusp in each sign. Normally books just describe Ascendant and Midhaven, but this includes the other 10 houses.

Second, when describing the aspects, it doesn't do the standard Good Aspect - Bad Aspect - Conjunction. It does all five major aspects: Conjunction, Sextile, Square, Trine, and Opposed. Separate interpreations for each aspect for each planetary combination.

Those are two excellent things that no other book I've ever ran across has.

The only down side is that the interpretations are a bit new-agey, so you have to sort the wheat from the chaff while using it.

Don't you just hate that term? Well, I do too, but it applies to this book, in the sense that that is what you find yourself saying over and over again as you read. A non stop, can't put it down great read! I warn you, don't start this book unless you have the time to devote to doing just that. If you don't set the time aside, you will go crazy with suspense!

Very suspenseful, exciting, and thoroughly enjoyable. And the pacing...wow, eight pages into the book the main character has lost her husband and unborn child, and then watched a little girl get kidnapped...and that kind of tension is sustained until the end! You've got a vicious villain, a sympathetic heroine, and plenty of genuine thrills...don't miss it!

Once you pick up this book, you won't be able to put it down until you've read it cover to cover. Ms. Delisi maintains the suspense from first page to last. Excellent!

I finished this book in 2 sittings; I found it riveting and touching without being the least bit maudlin or far-fetched. The heroine, Marie, still subjected to the torturous memories of her past, has the chance to make a difference in the life of a young child; her determined actions force the plot to move as rapid and dangerously as whitewater and simultaneously flood hope into her own life and that of an interested young police officer. Quite good!

Reserve this one for an otherwise quiet evening!

If you're looking for a fast-paced read that will engage your heart as much as your mind, then Elizabeth Delisi's Since All Is Passing is the book for you! Marie is a heroine to cry for, cheer for, and bite your nails to the quick for. Rebecca, the little girl whose kidnapping hurtles the story into overdrive, seizes your heart and won't let go. As for the kidnapper, he is terrible in the very banality of his villainy. Unlike so many of the overblown and poorly motivated bad guys that appear in thrillers today, this monster is both understandable and all too human. And that makes him all the more terrifying.

Since All Is Passing is an exciting and emotionally-satisfying read.

A thoroughly enjoyable read. Annette's fascinating life and experineces validate the credibility of her gift. Although at first reluctant to pursue her divine gift, she relents and is set upon a unique life path that aids so many of us mortals through her connection with the goodness of the heavens. A really interesting life, and with so much she has generously given back. Thank you Annette!

It's so wonderful to have someone who has the gift not get all "mystical" about it -- yaaay Annette! It takes courage to carry and embody the gift of the white light...but it's not some fantastical power. Annette doesn't use her talent with the light to set herself up as someone to be held in awe and worshipped; rather she exchanges information with you and wants you to put it to use! By the end of this book, you will adore Annette Martin because she is so real, humble, and unassuming about her gift. I think she'd rather get your attention for her fabulous acting and singing!! Thank you Annette for letting us peak into the world/work that you do!

GIFT OF THE WHITE LIGHT: THE STRANGE AND WONDERFUL STORY OF ANNETTE MARTIN, PSYCHIC provides a biography of a noted psychic who spent over 36 years using her psychic ability to help thousands, assisting law enforcement agencies, channeling Edgar Cayce, and making accurate predictions. Her life and psychic evolution makes for fascinating, absorbing reading perfect for any collection strong in modern psychics' biography.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I received this book in a professional capacity. I receive approximately 4-5 books per month, and rarely read them, just skim through them to get a feel for them. I began perusing Annette's book, and three hours later I found that I was still reading! I absolutely could not put it down! It's a fun, interesting and personal story about a lovely woman whose beautifu personality and love of life and people shines through on every page. I couldn't wait to read what adventures she would embark on next! Highly recommended!

I picked this book up with more than a bit of skepticism, but I then found I could not put it down. It's interesting to think that there is more to reality than what we can see. This is the first time I have read about a psychic that gave me enough facts to make me believe. I like the clean prose that gets out of the way and let's the story tell itself. I found it hard to put down. Definitely worth the price. Entertaining, thought-provoking, and fun. I was sorry when I got to the end. I wanted more.

This book is a great tool for working with children on the Autism spectrum. Theory, assessment checklist and therapy activities are all included.

Do Watch Listen Say - is a book that I was required to purchase for a class. Although is was required reading, I found it to be very helpful in planning and implementing strategies for teaching a range of students, including late talkers and kids with communication delays in addition to those diagnosed with ASD. Highly recommended for both teachers and parents - easy to follow and read. Good hands-on suggestions.

I am a speech therapist and found this book to be a useful addition to my library, although I would suggest that anyone looking for information on autism check out multiple sources. There are simply too many viewpoints out there and too many different techniques for any one book to be 'the' book on treating autism. Also, this book was published in 2002 and at this point many of the suggestions will probably be nothing new to anyone familiar with the fundamentals of social skills training, using visual aides, and incorporating sensory techniques into therapy.

This book gives a good, balanced overview of how to effectively work with an autistic child. There were also a number of good suggestions and ideas for how to plan therapy sessions. I found some of the suggested activities to be a bit mis-matched in terms of ability level - some of the suggested 'games' for very basic skills, for example, seemed too complex for children working at such a beginning level. Overall, though, a good resource.

A practical book with some great advice for therapists and parents on having your autistic child OBSERVE AND LEARN FROM THEIR ENVIRONMENT! That is what we want right?

I like this book because it gave me practical advice to work with my son the very same day on suggestions that work.

For the holidays and birthdays give this book to your therapists/aides and teachers vs. another gift. It is a good, worthwhile read.

A very practical, hands-on approach to working with the autistic child.

If you or a friend like Erik Estrada - you'll enjoy reading this book. It is written to keep your attention and interest to continue. WELL DONE! A great gift idea for an Estrada fan.

I HAVE ALWAYS LIKED ERIK, SINCE I WAS A TEEN AND NOW TO READ ALL ABOUT HIM, WAS GREAT, I REALLY ENJOYED TO HEAR HIS LIFE STORY, AND HOW HIS MOM RAISED 3 KIDS ALONE AND HE DID HIS BEST TO KEEP HIS MOM HAPPY, AND I LOVE CHIPS I WATCH IT EVERY MORNING ON TNT AT 6:00AM IN THE MORNING BRINGS BACK MEMEORYS OF HIM. I VERY GLAD TO HEAR THAT HE FINALY FOUND THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE. AND HE'S A GREAT DAD TO HIS TWO BOYS AND HIS DAUGHTER. AND GLAD TO SEE HIM BACK ON TV ON THE BALD AND THE BEATUIFUL. TAKE CARE

I've been a fan of Erik Estrada's since the first season of "CHiPs", and am still an actively dedicated fan. I bought the autobiography in hardcover on sight without hesitation. The fan wanted the book immediately, and the amateur critic and aspiring writer have yet to regret the decision.

I don't read a lot of autobiographies because I lose either interest in the story or respect for its author. The conversational style and the honest and balanced telling of this story grabbed my attention on Page 1 and held it through a cover-to-cover reading. Aside from giving details not usually revealed through other means, this book presented itself as something special from the first moment. I wasn't reading an autobiography with stylized prose and a detached third-person feel. I was listening as someone I have long admired told me about who he is and where his roots lie. I felt the story as it was being told, from the frustration of Hollywood's own form of politics to the elation of true love and a treasured family. From triumph to tragedy, it's all there. It's a story of courage, determination, faith and love - personal, cultural and spiritual.

It's easy for celebrity autobiographies to become self-serving tell-all's, but this book maintains a straightforward perspective, allowing the story to be told with dignity and with class. It's a breath of fresh air, and an absolute pleasure to read. The fans who have remained devoted through the bad press and the "where are they now" stories have long held the hope that the truth would be revealed. It has in a compelling story, straight from the heart and well worth the wait. Thank you, Erik, for sharing your side of the story.

If you're a fan, this book is a must. If you're not, read it and you just might become one.

I always had a crush on Erik Estrada since I saw him the first time on "CHiPs". Now that I have read his autobiography, I know that he is not only the most handsome actor I have ever seen, but also a very kind, intelligent, honest and nice person in real life. I found his story of life so very gripping, that I could not put down the book until I had read it out. I did not know how hard the road was, Erik Estrada had to go until he finally found love and peace for himself, and I admire him and look up to him, because he never gave up hope, even in his darkest hours. I can highly recommend this book and think, you can learn a lot from it, although if you are not a celebrity but just one of the ordinary people. I have to say that this book has really touched me and even changed my life somehow. I think it is a little treasure and can help you to think positive about your own life and situation. To me it was a real comfort and great support and it made me hopeful about my own life. I spent more hours reading this book than I have ever spent reading any other book. I consider this book as very tastefully written and full of feeling, and to me Erik Estrada is and will always be a man of character and a real personality, whom not many other actors can hold a candle to. I wish Erik Estrada all the best for his future, that the love between Nana and him will never end and that all his hopes and dreams will come true. Erik, take good care of your family and yourself and stay the way you are. To me you will always be a very special person and will always have a special place in my heart.

Erik Estrada's book is the best Hollywood bio I have ever read. He holds nothing back and is very honest about rough times and regrets in his life (i.e. failed marriages, his shaky relationship with Larry Wilcox). He seems like such a terrific person and great friend, too. God bless him, Nanette, and his two boys.

Also, wasn't Mr. Estrada so much fun to watch in "CHiPS '99:? :)

I'm not a gambler, at least not a gambler the likes of the hero in this book, but Mr. Evans makes the characters and the situations come to life. I felt the desperation of Chance and his gambling buddies. The description of the baseball games were eerily similar to the way I listen to a game that my wife is watching. The various plot lines converge on a riveting climax. The book is funny, sad, witty and clever. Buy it.

The first few pages of "Good Money After Bad" made me think that it would be an exercise in adjectives, flowery descriptions and word painting of places in Chicago. Very quickly though, the novel started to move faster and grip my attention. No more flowery descriptions, quick ideas being projected in my head showed me a world I was not aware of... that of sports gambling. I personally do not care for spectator sports and I was afraid that sports gambling would make no sense to me, however, the story is 99 percent about gambling as an addiction and only 1% sports. Unexpectedly, the nightmarish world of a black market for human organs entered the picture and it added a very sinister angle to the story, which read as a thriller from there on.
My only complaint is that I could not put it down even when my eyes were too tired to keep reading comfortably... this is a great story and I look forward to reading more novels by the same author.

Gamblers never win, in the long run, but it's the thrill of the race they are after, not necessarily the finish line. Don Evans has written a great book that shows the reader some of the inner workings of the rat race of the Chicago neighborhood gambling world. But it is also a book about trust, about who to trust, who can you trust and why and how do they deserve your respect. I enjoyed how the author walked you through the city and made it come alive on the page; not an easy task. Buy it, read it. ...Cuz I said so.

With his appropriately named protagonist Chance Skinner, who of course always seems to have a Lucky Strike dangling from his lips, Donald G. Evans provides a fascinating insider's glimpse into the dizzily seductive and oftentimes ugly world of sports gambling.

Using Wrigley Field, the home ballpark of baseball's Chicago Cubs, a team well-known for misfortune and losing, Evans sets a tone of doom that builds throughout his winning debut.

Like holding a pair of aces and jacks in your hand, you won't want to put this one down. Evans doesn't disappoint all the way to the end when he gives the reader a thrilling and surprsing payoff.

Put your money down on this one. "Good Money After Bad" is certainly a good bet.

Don Evans takes us into unfamiliar territory as we visit the inner workings of the mind of a gambler. His main character, Chance, doesn't so much have a gambling problem: Gambling, and the processes around it, provide the entire context for his day-to-day life.

As we follow Chance we begin to see how he is forced to operate. The story is fascinating and unique. You like him, but you know that he's made his own bed. And in the middle of the story, you have some reluctant sympathy when he says out loud he's going to quit as soon as he breaks even.

The novel is very much a Chicago story. The North Side is a major character. I didn't totally buy the love interest story line early in the book, but the 'resolution' there makes the journey worthwhile. Chance seems like more of a struggle-to-score-the-one-night-stand, quirky kind of guy; I didn't see a woman this good choosing him.

The story starts a little slow: I kept asking myself why I cared about this guy. The investment is worth it. As I read, I started to understand that the author was showing me around the town and trying to give me some basis in the day-to-day life of a compulsive gambler. About half-way through the book, the story gets humming, and the character molding makes sense, and the resolution is satisfying and surprising.

My advice? If you like realistic fiction, that's a little dangerous, with some great dark humor, read Good Money After Bad. But be sure to take a shower afterward.