Quills Books

In California, psychic sculptress Summer Starr "sees" the magnetic lines that pulse beneath the earth's mantle and has the uncanny ability to "calm" down the earth. Her brother-in-law worries about her safety from an individual accusing her of being a witch. Summer's in-law hires Michael Forest to protect Summer from this avenging person who blames her for causing the death of his brother.

Michael and Summer are attracted to one another, but she knows she must ignore her feelings, as she believes she must marry someone with psychic abilities to pass on her gift. Michael shares her feelings, but carries baggage that makes him believe he is her inferior and not deserving of someone as magnificent and caring as his client. He also has to consider his beloved's safety as two international thugs want him dead. Michael and Summer try to keep the relationship on a protective level only, but the heart does not always listen to the brain.

A TOUCH OF FIRE is a one sitting paranormal romantic suspense novel that never slows down whether the plot focuses on the romance, the suspense, or the paranormal, or a concurrent combo. The story line moves at a rapid rate yet enables the audience to understand the motives of the lead couple whom insists they're not in love. Though the South American and African thugs provide intrigue, they do not add depth to an already powerful third book in the highly recommended Sons of Earth and Wind paranormal Series (see TEARS OF THE HAWK and A BREATH OF HEATHER) for fans will appreciate a touch of Barbara Clark.

Harriet Klausner

THe author has written many works on naval operations and life at sea from the time of Raleigh to the modern day. In addition he has written almost as much fiction.
This book focuses on the use of the ULTRA intercepts in winning the sea campaigns against the Kriegsmarine in WW II.
There is much published, good, bad, and otherwise on the code breakers and activities of the US and Britain in WW II, there is little on how the intel was actually used.
Codebreaking and decryption in wartime is simply an intellectual game unless the results are combined with all available intelligence and gotten to the field forces in good time for use in combat operations. And the same is applicable to peacetime but there is often the luxury of time to ponder. Not so, the cat must pounce or the prey will flee.
Thus, this book is quite interesting as it focuses not on the war effort as a whole. A compartively slender tome it covers the subject and analyzes the use and then the author concludes.

Using SIGINT is always difficult because, first, the special security needed to keep the secret. This was not so much a problem with naval ops because the decrypts went to the Admiralty by courier and landlines. Field headquarters ground and air staff personnel were not all indoctrinated and those who were, were forbidden to go in harm's way for fear of capture and compromise. An indoctrinated USAAF officer went on a mission over Germany against orders, but managed to conceal his knowledge from his captors.
Second difficulty is the need to make cover for use so that the blame for the defeat can be placed on any source other than SIGINT. Thus, aircraft were often sent out to spoof the convoys from Italy to North Africa and deliberate deception leaks were made to point the finger at actual spies in the ports of departure.
Deserves a place on the shelf of every student of operational use of intelligence.

After watching the Masterpiece Theatre presentation of "Portrait of a Marriage" years ago, I went on a search for more information about the life of Vita Sackville-West. This bio was one of the gems overturned in that quest for treasure. Having only been able to find it in UNCA's library at the time, I was delighted to be able to stumble over it again during a search at Amazon.com. I have now made it a permanent addition to my extensive library of a subject I call "The Three V's." The three V's are: Vita Sackville-West, Violet Trefusis, and Virginia Woolf, three women joined via literary and emotional attachment with Vita Sackville-West acting as the hinge.

Libby Creelman's Walking in Paradise is a wonderful collection of short stories that speak to the intricacies of family relationships and resonate with the viewpoint from the children as they watch their dysfunctional parents in a variety of settings. She choses her words sparingly but never fails to give the reader a sense of how the narrator is feeling as he or she experiences a sibling rivalry or a an abusive parent. While Ms. Creelman currently lives in New Foundland, she grew up outside Boston and summered in Maine and many of her stories show glimpses of her Maine background and her love for nature. Her insights into human fallibilites and the fragility of relationships is exemplar. The stories provoke a variety of feelings that everyone will have something in common with. A great read.

Every so often on the science fiction channel on cable, they run the movie titled Flesh Gordon. Every time, I watch the thing simply because it is so bad, it is good. It features a human fighting for the good of the universe on a distant planet where evil is pure evil, and all the women are beautiful, dressed in some great outfits and attracted to the hero. It came to mind when I was reading this book, which is pretty much along those lines. The hero is great, the evil is really evil and lots of women are half naked or completely naked. Of course, our hero must save the known and unknown universe; the women are all attracted to him and require his personal and complete attention.

Our hero is Jason Williams. Jason is troubled by a regularly recurring dream that is incredibly intense and disturbing. He goes to see his family physician, Dr. Arnold, who eventually refers him to a Dr. Gottenberg. The doctor is a specialist on psychiatric paranormal abnormalities.

While waiting for his scheduled appointment, Jason takes a small detour to a local antique bookstore. There he discovers a book that looks to be a vintage edition of the star charts of Copernicus in 1520. Inside, a small sheet of something falls out showing the star map of the constellation of Cancer with the center star Praesepe, noted in detail. With Praesepe 525 light years away and spacecraft still only able to travel sub-light, it would take over a thousand years to get there and Jason can't understand why such a detailed map on a strange paper surface was hidden away inside the book.

In the same box the book came in, there is a metal amulet. Jason realizes that it is from his dream and once he touches it, he can't seem to let go of it. It as if the amulet and the book are linked together through him for some reason and he decides to buy both objects. The box they came in offers no information as to whom or where it came from since all it has on it is the address of the bookstore.

He makes his purchases and goes to meet with Dr. Gottenberg. Dr. Gottenberg seeks to analyze the dream as a possible portend of the future. Some of the elements of his dream are thought to be of good things, while other elements seem to describe some sort of great evil. The doctor asks him to return the next evening for some tests in the parapsychology lab so that his brain waves can be monitored in case he has the dream again. Jason agrees and goes back to his motel room for the evening.

He begins to examine the book and the amulet in great detail before falling asleep and plunging back into the dream. But, this time the dream is even more vivid and does not stop where it had always stopped before. Soon he learns that the dream is in fact real and he has transported across time and space to Praesepe.

What follows is a Flesh Gordon style work on the world of Praesepe with Jason living a life of danger and eroticism. He must save the Lady Charni and her people from the Evil Ones led by her brother, Khurami. Khurami has dark designs on her body and the help of various creatures in his attempt to capture her. While fighting the good fight, along the way Jason experiences the pleasures of female slaves as well as an occasional lady in distress that he has to minister to in an hands on way to save her from the formidable powers of the Evil Ones.

The entire novel is spent on Praesepe with a very open ending, more so than one would expect of the first volume of a series. Furthermore, while my copy stated it was rated PG, I would rate it an R with very explicit scenes at times and descriptions of various topics, which can't be covered here. While heavy on the erotica at times and with an ending that is way too open in my opinion, overall this is a fairly enjoyable novel. The characters are rather stock characters but at the same time, the author is clearly not taking himself or the work too seriously. Take it for what it is-sheer escapist reading and enjoy!

London's literary work has been sliced and diced into so many "greatest hits" collections; it's always great when a publisher rereleases a volume of his stories in their original collected form. This gives the reader a glimpse into a particular stage of London's career, and also provides the opportunity to discover "lost" stories that don't make it into the many editions of "The Call of the Wild and Other Stories". This collection was originally published in 1911, about the middle of London's career, when he was branching out from his tried and true Klondike subject matter, and experimenting with new settings and new literary techniques. The stories take place in San Francisco, Tahiti, Korea, Australia, and the open seas. The pieces range quite a bit in terms of quality. Three of these stories, "The Apostate", "The Chinago", and "A Piece of Steak" are among London's best, masterpieces that alone are worth the price of the book. On the other hand, "A Wicked Woman" may be the worst London story I've ever read, and there are a couple others in this book that could vie for that title. A real discovery for me was "A Curious Fragment", a futuristic socialist tale, reminiscent of London's fascinating novel The Iron Heel. All of London's stories are available for free on the internet, but if you want to read a good, solid collection of his stories in printed form, with typesetting that's easy on the eyes, this inexpensive book is a good purchase.

Henighan's assault on the icons of the Canadian literary scene is essential reading for anyone. All that's required to enjoy this book is a detached view of what constitutes "literature." Hollywood and other hype forms have elevated such figures as Timothy Findley, Carole Shields and Michael Ondaatje to elevated status. Is the adulation warranted? In most cases, according to Henighan, the answer is an emphatic negative. These essays, derived from his reviews of literary growth in Canada over two decades, reflect a strong historical awareness. Canada, "endowed by history . . . with the literary language of the world's two most powerful empires, the British and the American," was shedding its British roots just when the American "elephant" came to dominate the literary scene. For Henighan, a sound historical context is fundamental to producing in-depth literature. In Canada, that history was swamped by those imperial intimidations. Canadian writing is thus constrained, with its literature, just gaining an identity, being flooded by market requirements.

Market became the dominant force as Canadian writing was beset by commercial ideals. Writers falsified history to capture sales. In the finest analytical piece in this collection, Henighan dissects two key works of the "transition" period: Michael Ondaatje's "The English Patient" and Ann Michaels' "Fugitive Pieces." Henighan finds both clarity and obfuscation in Ondaatje's work - "at his best, his prose is unbeatable." Henighan faults Ondaatje for transforming history into metaphor. Historians object to authors projecting modern values into the past. Ondaatje commits this sin repeatedly, "neutering the past into harmless, ecstatic visions," according to Henighan. Using fiction as the medium is no excuse, according to Henighan, since this technique leads the reader into false views of history's lessons. Michaels falls into the same trap by "anesthetising the Holocaust." He finds "most of Fugitive Pieces is shapeless showing-off.... The reader's role here, is "to make you impressed with yourself for having read" the book. Not a compelling reason for taking it up.

In the same essay, however, Henighan depicts Jack Hodgins "Broken Ground" as a "deliberate inversion of The English Patient." He contends Hodgins is "sparring" with Ondaatje with his frighteningly realistic portrayal of trench warfare in WWI. This comparison surely diminishes Hodgins' writing skills. Hodgins is purely his own man as a writer, hardly needing Ondaatje as a foil. It's surprising that in his later expose of the Giller and Governor General's awards Henighan overlooks the great injustice done Hodgins over this outstanding work. This oversight is one of Henighan's few serious lapses, since he credits it as Hodgins' most exceptional book.

Canada's role in literature was hampered in the 90s by the rise of "neo-conservatism" typified by a public seeking "traditional values," particularly in family matters. Carole Shields is targeted here most stridently. Once derided for this approach, "her fiction has acquired a glib pseudo-postmodern veneer . . . her contentedly family-values vision of existence" is "cut by the sting of a certain school-marmish reproval." Henighan calls "The Stone Diaries" the "flagship novel of Free Trade Fiction" in referring to the impact of pandering to the American market. That the book succeeded in this market is testimony to the worth of his assessments.

If Henighan seems to appear only negative, offending your perceived tastes in writing, never fear. He finds treasure in regional writers - often scorned by "establishment" reviewers. Besides Hodgins, he cites Wayne Johnston, Alistair MacLeod and David Richards as prominent choices. Unlike those Henighan faults, these writers sanitize neither history nor characters. His agile evaluations are supported by appropriate examples. He is perceptive and incisive at the same time, and his analyses might be applied with equal validity in other places. Critical reading is often difficult in the face of overwhelming and sometimes dubious marketing ploys. Henighan's aim is to awaken readers to what they face. He performs a needed service to all readers. Take heed of his appraisals and remember them when you are enjoined to read a novel because "you must."

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

If one wishes for an intriguing historical romance, with some paranormal thrown in for good measure, this is the book to read. A heart-wrenching story told from the Native American point of view, this will keep one engrossed through the end.

Hiawatha Craft is in a bit of a dilemma. While waiting for his car to be fixed, he visits a local junk shop, and peruses their Cherokee artifacts. Something about them strikes a familiar cord though he can't for the life of him figure out why. After his car is functioning again, he ventures on his way to a nearby city known for its Cherokee history records, in the hopes of tracking down some of his ancestors. Much to his dismay, a tornado comes up out of nowhere, sucking him into itself and depositing him elsewhere, alive and uninjured, but over 150 years in the past!

Valerie Redhook despairs of ever being happy again. Her family and their village have all been rounded up to head west, along the "Trail of Tears" to their new home. Her people have long suffered on this journey, falling ill faster then ever as winter approaches. All she longs for is to do her best to tend to those in need, and to prove to her father she is more than capable of becoming Chief someday. When a man in strange garments appears and is put in her wagon with her, she is unsure if he is the answer to their prayers, or the biggest danger yet to be faced.

Hiawatha is in disbelief over his plight and his only thought is to find a way home to his own time. What follows surprises him. As he travels the Trail of Tears with the Cherokee he is amazed by the quiet strength of his people, and of Valerie herself. As with any long journey, this one is fraught with peril as they try to overcome their difficulties and find their destiny. He is drawn to Valerie the more he is with her, and soon faces his greatest fear yet. How will he leave this woman he has come to love when he must return to his own time?

This was an interesting look at one of the most heartbreaking events of Native American history - The Trail of Tears. This period of history is one many wish they could forget ever happened, realizing that the government may not have been the wisest at the time. The reader experiences the hardships of the harrowing journey of the Cherokee from the only home they had ever known, to a new place they have not yet seen. Yet through it all, the illness, and lack of food, the deaths of many loved ones, and a long cold journey, the people never lost hope. They believed that at the end of the road they would find a new home they could love, even if it never replaced the home of their hearts. The reader will feel their pain and sorrow, and their joy of life throughout the whole tale, and will find oneself wishing not to know how things really played out for them, long term.

Hiawatha and Valerie are strong characters. He has to overcome what happened, and find the purpose behind it, for he never doubts there was a reason such an extraordinary thing happened to him. Valerie suffers in silence, never complaining about her plight and the added responsibility now falling on her shoulders as Chief's daughter. She is proud of her people and her tribe, feeling the greatest thing that could happen to her would be to be chosen to lead them in their new life. Yet she deals with the traditional beliefs that a woman cannot lead, hoping to prove otherwise through her deeds. Hiawatha and Valerie are a good match, her quiet dignity the perfect compliment to his more modern views, as well as balancing his drive to return home, only for him to find out home is not what he thought at all.

One thing this reviewer liked about the book was that there is not the traditional good vs. evil plot. This story was a saga of the life of the Native Americans on their journey west, so there is no particular "good" or "bad." All of the characters were a complex blend, from Valerie's uncle, Charles, who is an embittered man, to little Sally Black Cloud, who shows the indomitable spirit of a child.

What was also nice was that the Cherokee did not rail at their fate, crying about the injustice of it all. They kept their pride and as much of their old ways as they could, in spite of what was happening to them. Hiawatha too, does not allow himself to complain about what happened to him, he carries on, knowing he has a purpose, hoping he finds and fulfills it before he must leave.

This was an excellent story, the first this reviewer has read by Ms. Troxel. It kept her interest and made her hope for more stories by this talented author. Hopefully, more will follow in the near future.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, December 2003. All rights reserved.

This book does an excellent job summarizing and interpreting the history of birthing in the United States in the last 100 years or so. I makes a wonderful case for natural birth settings. Several lovely tales of Amish home birth. Then I felt totally betrayed in the end, when they made a completely unsubstantiated statement that birth is safest in birth centers. I take this to mean the authors either 1 - think American women are incapable of lovely home births due to the history they've given in this book or 2 - are trying to reconcile theirselves with modern medicine when the information they've presented, clearly indicates that modern medicine has little to offer normal birth.

Sarah Martin remains jumpy after being assaulted with fists and a knife by a lunatic named Jack. Her best friend LeeAnn takes her to a singles bar where she meets a seemingly nice fellow Josh. However, Jack arrives, grabs Sarah and tries to kill her for the second time. Sarah presses charges, with plenty of witnesses able to testify. That night, Jack makes bail and is released. Sarah flees Los Angeles heading to her great-grandmother's home in Wyoming.

Sarah arrives in Moose Creek where she enters a church and stares at a stained glass window. The next Sarah knows is she has awakened in 1870 where she meets Joshua Campbell, who insists she is his mail order bride. Sarah meets her ancestors, who like everyone else cannot understand Sarah's ways. However, that does not stop Joshua from falling in love with her. She reciprocates his feelings, but rejects his consistent marriage proposals because her time is one-hundred thirty years in the future.

YESTERYEAR'S LOVE is an interesting time travel romance that takes a modern person back to the wild west. The opening chapter in LA adds nothing to the tale. However, once Sarah lands in the nineteenth century, the story line turns enjoyable. Most charming is Sarah's actions and words causing much consternation among the Moose Creek residents. However, Sarah's own reactions seem off-kilter for someone who showed six years of interest in the era starting with her great grandmother's diary. Still Janet Quinn paints a warm tale that leaves readers thoroughly entertained.

Harriet Klausner