Shadow The Books

Right off the bat, you find out that the main character's son has been kidnapped. We're still on the first page, and we find ourselves pulled into the action by our eyebrow hairs. Page after page of action, interspersed with a very believable and sweet romance, and then back to the action before you can even blink. I stayed in bed all day to read it, nursing a cold -- and after my Nyquil kicked in, I pretended to still be sick so I could stay in bed and finish. I can't wait for the sequel.

This book was a great delight to me. It was refreshing to read with the values I believe in as a Member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Yes there is mystery, intrique and the drug cartel smack in the middle of it, but it also has the tenderness of a pure and true love that took my breath away. It definitely is a must read and you won't want to put it down.

I thought I was going to read a few chapters and I had read the whole thing before I knew it!
Intriguing, rollercoaster ride of a romance that satisfies the heart. Fast action entertains while the reader really gets involved in Caroline's quandaries.
Surprising twists and lyrical phrasing left me wanting to read the next book right NOW!
Highly recommended!

Don't start this fast-paced book in the evening, because you won't be able to put it down until the wee hours of the morning.

It is a must read.

Congratulations to Mary for writing such a compelling book. I live in Australia and our past adoption practices are under review and it is the birthfathers that have been forgotten. Never given a chance to have a say - the law discriminating against birthfathers. Now through such a book - people will be educated and listen to fathers. It really is a joint project - many birth matters were never allowed to mention the father's name - if they did - it was trouble for the mother. Birth father's parents also had no rights - the only rights available was with the authorities -

Finally some one is helping birth fathers speak out and I can only hope that birth fathers in Australia have the opportunity to read this book and come forward in the forthcoming Inquiry in the State of Victoria, Australia. This book will give them the confidence to "speak out" so that the true picture can be heard by the adopted children. Their parents loved them - and in many cases, had no say as to their own child's future.

Hopefully Australian birth father's will come across this book. I will certainly be doing everything I can to promote the book in Australia.

To all Birthfathers who spoke to Mary congratulations and to those that did not - speak out now.

Being a dad who put my child up some years ago, This book help to grow and go on with my life. Thank you So much

As a birthfather who lost his children in a closed adoption 25 years ago I found Mason's book to be a breath of fresh air. Birthfathers are the invisible and often unwelcome members in the triad world and this book shows that we are parents who can love and care deeply for the children we have lost. I have become active in triad issues since my reunion with my son and daughter a year ago and this book has helped me keep going when faced with the sometimes daunting birthmother-centered focus in our corner of the triad.

Since I did my interview with Mary I have been reunited with my son for 6 Years. All I can say is that being able to tell my story,along with the reunion with my son, brought me a closure to what I had been through that I could have never acheived without either event. I am truly gratefull to Mary, and the people my story has touched. If anyone wishes to talk about there situation I am more than willing.

Shadow is the best book I have read in a while. My dad fought in the Korean war and this story took me back in time to the 50's and 60's when war movies were so popular. There were those that were love stories as well as war stories. Shadow reminds me so much of those movies where stories were told and acted out of not just the action of the war, but the trauma on a soldier's life and his family and friends as well. I am a 50+ year old woman who couldn't put this book down. It pulled at my heart strings and kept tears running down my cheeks. Anyone close to a soldier of Any War should read this for a true to life perspective from a soldier, his wife, and his comrades.

On one level, Shadow, by "Tuck" Tucker is a story about the Korean War by someone who was there; someone who lived it. It is also a story about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and how it affected one man's life. On a deeper level, however, Shadow is a story about courage, perseverance, and hope. It is about the indomitable spirit that fuels the heart of every man or woman who has faced adversity alone -- not only faced it, but conquered it. Tuck's writing tools are experience, compassion, conciseness, and a love for the English language. They are tools that are held by capable hands.

A war story is usually considered for male interests, but this book is also poignant and romantic. It gave me a better understanding of the horrow of war and the trumatic effects it has on its survivors and family.

Eloquently written, Gordon Tucker grips the reader from page 1 and you will cry--in anguish but also joy as you walk in the footsteps of LT Mike Ryan.

In my opinion Shadow should be made available in every veterans facility in the country. I've never read a story dealing with the horrors of war, told with such sensitivity and beauty. It should be required reading for anyone that feels we should always "Support Our Troops" even if we don't support a war. Supporting our troops doesn't end when they return to American soil.

Mr. Tucker has done an incredible job of telling the story of Lt. Mike Ryan, a man without memory and having wounds of the mind (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) who was found living in the mountains of North Korea by a crash site recovery team. In a military hospital, Ryan learns that he was a much decorated infantry soldier who escaped from a North Korean POW camp. Searching for American lines, he was shot by the North Koreans and by the Americans he tried to approach. Confused, disoriented, he found sanctuary in a series of abandoned caves until he was discovered and evacuated. His story emerges painfully, heroically, and is told with great passion. It's impossible to read with a dry eye.

Susan C. Haley
Author, "Rainy Day People"

An erudite and fascinating look at the role shadows played in the development of philosophy, psychology, astronomy, the hard sciences, and the arts.

The target audience for this book is unclear to me. There is something of interest here for psychologists, artists, art historians, science historians, classical historians and perhaps others. As a professional scientist, I mainly enjoyed the few sections dealing with the history of astronomy. Although the writing is generally clear, the style could be more engaging. Is this because the original Italian text was like that, or did it lose its spark while being translated into English (?) I suspect that the latter is more likely. Anyway, because the book contains such a hodge-podge of information, all centering around shadows, at least parts of it should be of interest to almost anyone; I'm giving it as much as four stars mainly because of this.

Roberto Casati's Shadow Club about shadows goes far beyond their usual definitions to probe shadow's legends, influence on myth and religious beliefs, and changing scientific concepts of the shadow both on Earth and in space. Shadow Club is very highly recommended as an intriguing blend of history, science and anthropology which presents unusual insights into shadows and their lasting impact on mankind.

Ignore the hideous subtitle forced on the book by some idiot editor; "The greatest mystery of the universe" --- give me a break.

We've all read pop science books that include a mixture of anecdotes and history along with their main subject matter. This book is of that genre, but is far superior to most of them, largely because of the intelligence, scepticism and wit of the author, an accomplished scientist. Unlike most writers, rather than simply informing us of each anecdote or historical fact, he frequently then explains issues around the fact, and concludes with a summary as to why the supposed fact, the received wisdom, is nonsense. This could be tiresome in the wrong author's hands, but is really works well here.

As other reviewers have noted, the subject matter is indeed something of a random mixture, perhaps a third dealing with cognitive issues surrounding shadows (things like how do babies perceive shadows, or how does the language we use to discuss shadows tell us something about how we naturally classify the things and the naive physics of the prescientific mind), perhaps a third deals with how shadows (for example eclipses and transits) helped advance the science of astronomy, and a third is misc other things like how shadows helped renaissance artists come up with a theory of perspective. It's rather a strange mixture, but if, like me, you're broadly interested in psychology, history, astronomy and just the world at large, every chapter is fascinating.

Ms. Pinard's story of Emma Kate's journey to New York to join a ballet company is a fascinating study, merging the author's keen insights into the world of ballet and the coming-of-age of a midwestern raised young woman.

The author starts the story with Emma Kate's break from her parents, and moves on to her difficulties in adapting to life in New York City. Her main character struggles not only in her relationships in the ballet company, but also in trying to shift from a homogeonous midwestern lifestyle to the melting pot of New York.

Emma Kate is a brave young woman, and surprising capable in getting used to her new situation. But she is also naive in many respects, especially in dealing with men. She has a rough time understanding what the men in her new environment want from her, and sometimes has to pay a high price for her lack of savvy.

This is a fun book to read: a fine insight into the mirrored cloister of the dance studio, and a touching tale of a young woman's struggle to achieve her dream to be a ballet dancer.
By E. Hazel, author of "Tarot Decoded"

Emma Kate is a teen ballerina who has left her small midwest home to join a ballet school in New York City, against her father's wishes. There she confronts her talents, their limits, and three male mentors who each make very different demands on her life. Can she change her name, dance style and very soul to please them all? The world of dancing and its demands - especially its emotional challenges - is realistically portrayed in Shadow Dancingp, a fine novel for older teens and adults alike.

It was a little strange reading a novel by someone I know. Several times I put the book down wondering how that woman who stood up in front of the classroom gained so much knowledge about so many things and made it sound so real. Nancy is a teacher of Creative Writing. (I passed her course so this isn't really necessary.)

I admit my male machismo played a part in my hesitancy to pick up and read a book about a ballet dancer. There was also my lack of knowledge for ballet, and other personal prejudices. (I have two left feet permanently imbedded in wet clay and I don't speak French.) The story took me deeper than I ever thought I would go into the mind of a dancer and her profession. And I enjoyed it. And I learned. I also gained a greater insight into Nancy's ability as a writer. The few snippets of her writing she let out in class only gave a small clue to the scope of her talent.

I especially admire her characters and their development. She did what she tells her students to do; dig into the cracks and find the diamonds in the dirt. The quality and consistency of the writing carried through the entire book. She left no loose ends, doing a great job on the ending. That took guts. It's a surprise and yet true to the whole story. Although she wrote about a dancer, I can see the same story in most professions, male and female.

Lots of authors take on the challenge of shining bright lights on moments of passage, moments when the real truths of life are revealed. That's what Nancy Pinard tackles in her deftly written SHADOW DANCING.

Through the eyes of seventeen-year-old Emma Kate Thomas, the reader gets a first class excursion through the world of a New York ballet school and the not-so-mean streets of the big city itself.

Pinard sets her story at the time when the sixties were about to mellow into the seventies, a time when females were being encouraged to find their own drummer and follow that beat.

Emma Kate is a Midwestern-bred gal who hears the promise of that new era, shucking off the fears and dreams of her parents and the possible marriage to her small ballet company partner to experience the chance of a lifetime, a chance for celebrity, a chance to shine big-time.

What Emma Kate finds is that she may not be Cinderella after all.

"Among Daniel's chosen I looked childish and chubby, an ungainly puppy disrupting his swanlike corps de ballet. Even my name was wrong. The dancers in front of me had names like Kendra and Camille and Patrice, which spoken in Daniel's voice sounded like rare species of orchids. He moved among them, tending his hot house, purring and pruning at their loviness, sovereign god of his personal Eden. Emma Kate was a geranium name."

Pinard is an insightful storyteller whose style is easy and comfortable. She handles images and emotions with great maturity considering this is her first piece of fiction.

SHADOW DANCING is an interesting trip into the late sixties, a time when everything seemed so possible, but like Emma Kate, everyone must find what's really lurking in the shadows.

A poignant and touching story woven together from journals and notes. It speaks of true Christian faith, love of family and sacrifice for others. It is rich in desription and brings back many memories of living in a small town and attending a local Methodist church.

This book offers the reader hope, understanding, and how the Robertson's faith saw them through so many hardships. The Robertson's suffered pain, sorrow, and adversity, but their steadfast love and abiding faith in the Lord always prevailed throughout the turmoil in their lives. Even though it was a simpler era of time, the hardships that they endured then is still prevelent today. I would strongly suggest that anyone suffering these adversities to read this book in order to gain a stronger appreciation for what we have and to gain faith and understanding for tomorrow.

Shadow Dawn is a one-year diary/journal kept by a pioneer "steel magnolia" during the mid-thirties. Mary Adelaide Webb and her Methodist minister husband, Doctor Webb, take the reader on a journey of faith of the shadows before miracle drugs or bypass surgery as well as the joys of their "holy vow" kept throughout a forty-year Christian marriage. The reader is swept up in the optimism Mrs. Webb exhibits even under dire circumstances and the grace she imparts through her thoughts and actions. I wish I could have known Mary Webb; what an inspiration she is!

This is a truly inspirational book and extremely well written. It focuses on the life of two people after the Civil War and the struggles they endured and gives the reader hope and encouragement for a better tomorrow in the world we live. Those principles applied at that time as well as today. The book is a comfort to the hurting in today's world.

In Wyoming ATF Agent Conner Hawk is attracted to fellow agent Abigail Wells, but she refuses to mix work with pleasure as her last assignment ended poorly because of that. She goes so far as to make Conner believe she loathes him though he cannot ascertain why.

However, personal feelings aside, they work together with other Feds on a raid that goes completely wrong leading to a massacre. They realize they were set up, but the agency believes Hawk sold them out in spite of his taking a bullet. He desperately tries to stay free and keep Abigail safe as he assumes she has to be eliminated as she knows too much. Thus until he can uncover the identity of the real culprit, he handcuffs Abigail to himself. She assumes she is his hostage; his gut insists he keep her out of harm's way.

The above is just the first few pages of a one sitting police procedural romantic suspense that hooks the audience the moment the lead couple is handcuffed together and never slows down until the final confrontation. This exhilarating thriller will blow away readers as Hawk and Wells battle one another and an unknown common enemy who wants him dead and she might be collateral damage; no witnesses.

Harriet Klausner

ATF agent JT Hawk knows he has been set up by one of his own. As he flees trying to prove his innocence, he takes fellow agent Abby Wells along for the ride. He knows she is in danger also, but convincing her of that takes persuasion and proof on his part. Follow them on a very exciting journey!!

These are two very complicated, and likeable characters. They have great chemistry that will draw you from the beginning, and keep you interested throughout the entire book. The secondary characters Logan and Callen were very well written, and you end up rooting for them as much as you do Hawk and Abby. The mix of action, suspense, and romance makes this a very good read.

Jill Shalvis pens another sexy and suspenseful story in Shadow Hawk.

ATF Agent Conner Hawk latest mission has him on the run for his life. Something has gone terribly wrong and his partner Logan is fighting for his life. To find out who set him up as the fall guy he takes fellow Agent Abby Wells as his unwilling hostage. As Hawk works through the clues to find out the mastermind he realizes Abby's life is in danger as well.

ATF Agent Abigail Wells is used to being a field agent. When she almost loses her life several months ago, she transfers to a much safer desk job as a computer tech. Abby is assigned to work with Hawk. There is just something about Hawk that pushes all her buttons, buttons she thought were long dead.

As more facts come to the surface Abby is forced to rethink who she should trust. And she has to face the terror from almost losing her life. Her heart is opening up to Hawk and Hawk is realizing the treasure he has found in Abby.

Shadow Hawk weaves the right blend of romance, snappy conversations and high stakes suspense. Jill Shalvis has written another keeper.

Take one strongly capable male and one fiercely independent but completely feminine female, add some bad guys, suspense and intrigue, and then top it all off with smoldering sensuality and you've got the makings of SHADOW HAWK, the latest Blaze offering from the talented Jill Shalvis.

When a mission to recover over 300 rifles stolen from ATF storage goes to pieces while agent Abby Wells listens from a mobile communication center, she can't help but rush out into the action to see if she's needed. Abby was formerly active in the field herself, until an earlier mission went wrong and left her emotionally scarred. Someone within the agency is assisting the criminals, and as soon as Conner Hawk grabs her and forces her to go on the run with him, Abby thinks that he is the rogue agent and she is determined to escape him. When Hawk tells her that he suspects their director is involved, Abby is disbelieving, as the man who has raised Hawk's suspicions is the very man who rescued her several months before. Almost as quickly as Abby is convinced that Hawk's suspicions are true, the two have an incredibly passionate encounter that leaves both of them a little confused, yet wanting much more.

Hawk realizes that he has deeply frightened Abby by kidnapping her and that he's asking a lot in wanting her to believe him. He realizes that Abby's life is also in danger and that the race is on to find the true bad guy while fighting to keep them both alive. Hawk has always been attracted to Abby, but never dreamed that the two of them would actually get together. Hawk now needs to get Abby to drop her defenses so she can open herself up and accept his feelings for her.

Jill Shalvis has penned a fast-moving romantic suspense with intriguing lead characters that readers will quickly become attached to. Secondary characters are equally important and a sensual side romance is an added bonus. SHADOW HAWK is a bit of a change from the humorous, quirky characters that Jill Shalvis often gives her readers. Abby and Hawk aren't the light and fluffy characters you might associate with a Blaze. Each is dealing with serious issues; current dangers for Hawk and indescribable horrors in Abby's past, give this book the bones of an excellent suspense.
COURTESY LAURIE/ROMANCE JUNKIES

Shadow Bay is a small, peaceful town in Michigan where murder is not supposed to happen, but still, Sheriff Shelby Cort examines a body discovered in an old privy hole. Meeting her at the crime scene is the new county medical examiner Ricardo "Ric" De Chaux. He immediately finds blunt force trauma on the back of the victim's head but when he does a thorough autopsy, he finds that the victim is drained of blood.

Ric is the new Overlord of the local vampire community consisting of six other creatures of the night. He has to figure out if one of them got too careless or if this was the work of a rogue. While trying to assert his authority over the group Ric also has to make sure that the beautiful sheriff is kept in the dark about the possible existence of vampires. While Ric and Shelby work close together they begin an intimate relationship, one that might not last when she discovers her lover is one of the undead and didn't tell her.

The undead society in Jaye Roycraft's vampire series is a paradoxical one because they look at humans with contempt yet they live among mortals in secret. The hero of this book changes from despising humans to loving one of them so much he is willing to end his existence for her. SHADOW IMAGE is a fantastic vampire romance.

Harriet Klausner

A woman seeking a quieter existence . . .

Shelby Cort found that she was a victim caught up in the chaotic lifestyle of a big city police department. Seeking a quieter environment, she accepts a position to be the local Sheriff in the quiet lakefront town of Shadow Bay, Michigan. Shadow Bay
was suppose to offer her a peaceful opportunity to gain the solace her soul so desperately needed. Unexpectedly, the local privy digger discovers a series of dead bodies. It is up to Shelby to find the culprit that is responsible for wreaking
havoc on her peaceful little town. She enlists the help of the new Medical Examiner, Ric De Chaux. In Ric she finds an ally and deep down she knows there is so much more to be discovered.

A man ready to explore the living . . .

Richard De Chaux, had the notorious reputation of being known as le docteur la mort and ex-Paramont for the Undead in France. He has been avoiding human existence for centuries and slowly makes his way back into society by becoming Overlord of the local undead in Shadow Bay. His hidden lifestyle is masked by his position as the local Medical Examiner. When he discovers evidence that links the latest murder victims to one of the undead, he knows he must keep this secret from the local
Sheriff, Shelby Cort. In Shelby he sees someone who is a threat to not only his society but also to his heart.

With each book I read in this captivating series, I find myself quickly needing more of this extraordinary writer's talent. The author intertwines her own police background to lay the foundation needed to create very realistic elements. Paranormal fans world-wide, be sure to commit the name Jaye Roycraft to memory - she is quickly blazing a fiery trail in the romance industry with her superb writing style.

Shelby is the Sheriff of a small town in Michigan, mainly an area for tourists. A man is found in a shallow grave and she calls the new ME to examine him. The new ME, Ric is really the Doctor of Death to the vampire community. He is the new overlord for the local small and messed up group of vamps in the area. He generally despises humans and has to cover up a vampire's part in the murder, but finds himself drawn to Shelby.

This was a fast moving novel. Though very short, it is packed with enough action for a much longer book. Good read.

A woman seeking a quieter existence . . .

Shelby Cort found that she was a victim caught up in the chaotic lifestyle of a big city police department. Seeking a quieter environment, she accepts a position to be the local Sheriff in the quiet lakefront town of Shadow Bay, Michigan. Shadow Bay was suppose to offer her a peaceful opportunity to gain the solace her soul so desperately needed. Unexpectedly, the local privy digger discovers a series of dead bodies. It is up to Shelby to find the culprit that is responsible for wreaking havoc on her peaceful little town. She enlists the help of the new Medical Examiner, Ric De Chaux. In Ric she finds an ally and deep down she knows there is so much more to be discovered.

A man ready to explore the living . . .

Richard De Chaux, had the notorious reputation of being known as le docteur la mort and ex-Paramont for the Undead in France. He has been avoiding human existence for centuries and slowly makes his way back into society by becoming Overlord of the local undead in Shadow Bay. His hidden lifestyle is masked by his position as the local Medical Examiner. When he discovers evidence that links the latest murder victims to one of the undead, he knows he must keep this secret from the local Sheriff, Shelby Cort. In Shelby he sees someone who is a threat to not only his society but also to his heart.

With each book I read in this captivating series, I find myself quickly needing more of this extraordinary writer's talent. The author intertwines her own police background to lay the foundation needed to create very realistic elements. Paranormal fans world-wide, be sure to commit the name Jaye Roycraft to memory - she is quickly blazing a fiery trail in the romance industry with her superb writing style.

This is a terrific story woven in a fantastic mix of medieval romance, fantasy, and even comedy. Ms. Biondine creates vivid landscapes, and characters that feel real and alive. As a design professional, I was truly impressed that Ms. Biondine's details & descriptions are fluid and easy yet wonderfully imaginative. I couldn't help feeling conected with the characters and settings. I'm hoping this is part of a series of books on these characters.

To simply say that I enjoyed Shadow in Starlight would be a gross injustice to the characters brought so vividly to life by Ms. BiondineÕs pen. Shannah Biondine has created a compelling adventure infused with ancient lore and magic; enhanced by an intriguing plot, and rich, believable characterization. One canÕt help but be caught up in the magical world that is Shadow of Starlight. I look forward to more from Ms. Biondine.

For Starters...WOW! Shadow in Starlight follows the standard romance theme: man meets woman, they fall in love, something happens to tear them apart and then they get back together. However, what makes this novel so special are the characters themselves. Set in the Middle Ages of a mythological world where dragons still fly and wizards do roam, Moreya Fa travels as an unwilling royal bride to a neighboring country as a weapon to annihilate the family of her future husband. You see, when ever she is outside, she calls the dragons within the vicinity, who kill everyone around her and carry her off to their caves. Our hero, Preece the Warmonger thinks himself immune to the beautiful woman he is escorting through treacherous borders to her fiancé. An outcast, that hires out his sword to save money to go to Atarxia, an island where he wouldn't have to live with constant scorn, he doesn't understand how Moreya could see the person he is behind the dark cowl he hides behind. However, when they are attacked, and the dragons come, somehow after rescuing Moreya, she pleads with him to take her to his Island sanctuary. Unable to deny the beauty her request for assistance, Preece takes her as both his wife and life mate, but before they are able to flee the continent, they are betrayed. When each of them tries to save the other, the new lovers are torn apart when Moreya is prevented from escaping with the dragons.

SHADOW IN STARLIGHT is a very fast paced magical journey with many twists. Both our characters are well developed. Although there are few descriptive details, somehow the world itself is alive and creates a visual masterpiece that stands out with exceptional clarity. With unique ideas, the romance is heartbreaking and achingly sweet. This is a real page-turner that will keep you enthralled till the happy end! I am greatly looking forward to future books by Ms Biondine!

Preece is used to being alone. Everyone fears the tall warrior who always wear a black cape and cowl to cover his face. It is rumored that he can kill anyone, anywhere and he is called Preece the Warmonger or sometimes The Royal Blade. Yet Preece is tired of being a mercenary, tired of death. He takes jobs just to earn enough money to buy his own ship and sail off to an island paradise that his guardian, an old wizard, has long told tales of. He is eager to make his dream a reality, when the king forces him to agree to escort Moreya, orphaned daughter of one of the king's most revered ambassadors, to her new fiance, prince of a neighboring kingdom.

Moreya is half Yune, a beautiful and sensual race well known for their prowess in the bedroom, and is amazingly lovely. With her lavender hair and gorgeous figure, Preece knows that it will not be easy to escort her through the sparsely habited no-man's land between the two kingdoms. Preece is stunned by Moreya's kindness to him and knows that he needs to stay as far away from her as possible or she will ruin all of his plans, but he cannot, no matter how hard he tries. When Moreya bursts into his room one evening, she is stunned to discover that Preece is not horribly disfigured, as is widely believed, but is the most beautiful man she has ever seen. Trying to ignore her physical attraction to Preece, Moreya demands to know if her future groom does indeed prefer men to women. When Preece reluctantly admits that the prince does, Moreya offers him a fortune to help her escape, but no price is worth the king's wrath.

Moreya despairs of escaping her upcoming nuptials and cannot understand why Preece hides himself from others. Preece cannot understand why the king is forcing Moreya to marry the prince, when it is such a waste of her Yune beauty and sensuality. Preece quickly understands the king's reasoning when Moreya saves the caravan by displaying her power over dragons and their attraction to her. He knows that the prince will soon die if he is ever with Moreya outside and then the king can simply take over the neighboring kingdom. Moreya soon learns that Preece hides his face because he is the last of the Waniand's, an ancient race that used to rule the land in peace and harmony. They are descendants of the bear god and have great power and skill, but are mocked because they only go into sexual heat a few times a year, and then they mate like animals, almost insatiable.

Preece knows that he cannot let Moreya be married to the prince and end up killing the whole royal procession, as she would certainly be killed afterward and be blamed for the ensuing war. Moreya is still attracted to Preece and does not care that he is a Waniand. Desperate to escape, Preece proposes that they marry and set sail for his tropical island. They bond and mate for life and Moreya proves to be Preece's match in the bedroom and outside of it. For the first time, Preece knows what it is like to be happy. But they are soon betrayed by one of Preece's own men and just barely manage to escape with their lives, cruelly separated as they are forced into hiding. Preece makes it to his tropical paradise, where the islanders do everything they can to try and heal him from the terrible torture that Preece underwent in the dungeons. He dreams of Moreya and is desperate to find her and reclaim her love. But the islanders hide a great secret - Preece is not the last Waniand and the wizard who raised Preece raised him to fulfill an ancient prophecy that will change the world. Preece is furious and hurt, not knowing who he can trust. He comes to believe that Moreya's love was a cruel trick, just another spell cast by the wizard whom he thought loved him. He demands that the wizard remove all memory of his mate, Moreya, and that he never have to look about the face of the wizard, the only parent he has ever known, again. When no one can dissuade him, the wizard, heartbroken, casts his terrible spell upon Preece. Moreya is safe in a convent far away and is sure that Preece will come for her, but times passes and no one comes. When she hears of a group of Waniands in her homeland, she is determined to journey there and find her long-lost love. Yet, what will she do when Preece denies ever having met her?

This book was a wonderful romantic fantasy with an absorbing plot and fabulous characters. Moreya was a strong heroine, but still feminine and beautiful. Preece was a wonderful hero, unwittingly groomed to be the savior of his people and understandably bitter at feeling he had no choices in life. Their attraction was very strong and the scenes between the two of them are hot. The supporting characters were a little hazy, but the two main characters were larger than life and seemed to overshadow everyone else in the book so it is barely noticeable. The story is evenly paced and makes for a nice, fast read with plenty of little surprises for the reader. I thought that the history of the land was well developed and enjoyed this book immensely. It is only available as a download, but is worth the price and the format.

Harriet Ford was a reporter/columnist for the Rockford Labor News in Rockford, Illinois. She covered Ted Kuhl's trial for the murder of his girlfriend. At the time Ms. Ford, as well as many others, felt that the investigation into the murder was sloppy and many other possibilities were overlooked. Along with Joe Lamb, an investigator, she delves more deeply into the case and even has an expert criminologist look at all the evidence, interviews done prior to the trial and interviews Ms. Ford conducted. All the evidence pointed to the very strong possibility that Ted Kuhl was not guilty but no one in the Illinois justice system including Paul Logli, IL State's Attorney, will support a retrial.

When they started their investigation Harriet asked Joe, ' what're we going to do if no one pays any attention to all of our efforts here?' and he said, 'Well then we go to plan B. We write a book.'" Joe died shortly before the investigation was completed but Ms. Ford completed `Plan B' with Shadow in the Rain - a fictionalized version of Ted Kuhl's case.

As the fictionalized reporter, Tia Burgess, pursues finding the truth about Ben Krahl (Ted Kuhl) or at least as much evidence as she can to show the need for a new trial, amazing lapses in investigative procedure, police coercion in interviewing witnesses as well as Ben himself and the suppression of some witnesses information come to light.

All of the documentation Ms. Wood included at the end of the book which makes for an even more interesting read. It is appalling that such a travesty of justice was carried out to begin with but even more so that there has not been a retrial with the new evidence coming to light.

Intertwined into the real story is a fictional story that keeps readers turning the pages with a lot of excitement. The combination of the fiction and the non-fiction is entertaining but also an enlightening look at our justice system.

I want to begin this review with one word, DISTURBING! The further I read this book the more I shook my head and thought, how could this be happening in the land of the free? The story you will find between the pages of this work will keep you absorbed from beginning to end. Part fictional story aided by the truth, our author takes us into the world of murder, one that hangs in my opinion unsolved and very disturbring.
In 1999 a young woman was shot in the parking lot of a local Bar & Grill, seemingly for no other reason than a jealous ex-boyfriend. He is arrested, tried and put in prison for her murder; but the question that has not been answered without considerable doubt is this - did he really pull the trigger? Is he truly a cold-blooded killer? Many say yes, others no and as far as I can see by the evidence shown within this read; the proof is definitely not in the pudding that he is guilty.
This entire story is wrapped about the true case of Ted Kuhl who has been imprisoned for the murder of his ex-girlfriend. However according to the evidence presented something is definitely amiss in this entire investigation. From the beginning it is running over with Police blunders, no DNA testing, alibies not checked, suspects let go, the entire working of this case was like that done by the Keystone Cops of yesteryear, and should be an embarrassment to our justice system. How can this be ignored? Someone in authority must step up to the plate and reopen this case for further investigation. If they don't, it certainly would seem a solid question to ask, why not? Cases have been reopedend for less than what you have here.
Listen, I'm all for putting the bad guy behind bars or worse, but when the evidence in a case is so lacking and so many questions are left unanswered as in this one you just have to wonder, who doesn't want what uncovered? And who has the power to make sure it isn't? We have the best Justice System in the world, and the best country as far as I am concerned, but even at that there are always times when something just doesn't add up. This is definitely one of those times. I am but one small voice, but this voice is yelling, "what are you thinking?" If the man is truly guilty, prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt, reopen the case and answer the unanswered.
Read this book, it may scare you because we all can only pray this type of nightmare never darkens our door or those we love. America is justice for all, remember, for all; let her bell ring.
Shirley Johnson

Based on a true situation, Harriett Ford's book brings to the forefront a man, not just a number, who is a victim of a legal system that has turned a deaf ear to true justice. The intermingling of fiction with the realities of this case was interesting as well as an eye-opener. As a college instructor, I find it a must read for students doing a persuasive essay about the need for reform in the criminal justice system. Criminal justice students, as well as those already employed in the area of law enforcement, would find this book not only a great read but a valuable reminder as to how the system holds a person's life in its hands and why that system must be thorough in investigative practices. The author did a fantastic job of investigation. Too bad the authorities did not.

Great read, scary that we put so much trust in our law and judical system
and a sad outcome