Authors Books

One of the reasons we read is to remind us we are not ordinary. We are beautiful, complex, brilliant, and flawed at any given moment. Mary takes us deep into the parts of humanity we crave: the excitment of desire, the edge of fear, the loveliness of sorrow, the pull of longing, the danger of love, the disconnects...
She captures us with unique images and strong language and moves us toward a greater understanding of ourselves. Those of us who are seaching creativity are inspired.
We're all connected on this path--if only in imagination

Mary utilizes colorful phraseology in her deep and passionate verse. Her contemporary style evokes promise unlike those in similar fashion. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys avant-garde, thought inspiring poetry.

When reading Ms. Eastham's poetry I'm reminded of an impressionist or expressionistic painting. She uses words like an artist uses color. At times the ideas are clear and recognizable coming clearly into focus but more often this artist is not spelling out every detail for the reader. One has to use their imagination, creativity and experience as a human being here. These ideas take a moment to penetrate and sometimes require multiple readings in order to establish a connection. It's definitely an interesting read, one that will give you pause for thought.

Lovely, lovely words and feelings, images and emotion. Amazing writer you are, Mary. What an imagination and talent you have for moving your reader on a deep level.

"When asked to describe her childhood, she said it was like riding a bicycle through sand." Ahhhhhhh. Perfection.

Kissing Harrison sent me on a journey of emotion that comes from rich and authentic details. In the end, I ached for her lost love. Same with the title poem. Beauty, too. Loss and love, the two thematic threads tie the book together. Universal, thus evocative.

Undertones, deliberate? or not? hint at deeper themes. A man can't give her what she wants because another woman has already stolen his heart. hmmmmmmm

To love and to lose. Mary's book leaves me determined to live fully in love while thumbing my nose at the impending loss...

What a joy to find this book. Ms. Eastham has found the words for her heart. This is a lovely, special book of poetry that anyone who has thought they were living life will be surprised by. It touches in deep corners.

Rachel Kramer Bussel's anthologies are always a hot read, you can count on that. I've read several of them: Dirty Girls: Erotica for Women, Tasting Him: Oral Sex Stories, Tasting Her: Oral Sex Stories, and now Spanked: Red-Cheeked Erotica. Each time I'm impressed by the variety of authors and their unique writing styles. In Spanked you'll find 20 very different erotic tales that are all centered around spanking, as the title implies.

What I really like about this anthology in particular is that it gives insight into a topic that once was very taboo and now is a mainstream fetish. All kinds of people like spanking for all kinds of reasons. Each person has their own payoff from the experience - not only do I mean the spanker and the spankee, but each pair has their own experience and each person uniquely in that pair has their own experience. No two spanking sessions are the same, and as in real life, no two spanking stories are the same in this book. Some you will like more than others, because they appeal to that part of you. Some you may like less because they just don't resonate with your curiosities and desires. As a whole, the book will entertain you and give you plenty of motivation to play around with spanking.

I recommend this book especially for those couples who are curious about or into spanking, especially if you are trying to introduce the topic to your partner for the first time. It is a nice way to ease into the subject - as a couple you can read a story, have one person read aloud to the other, and open the door to a topic that may have otherwise been awkward to bring up. For monogamous couples, I think it's the intellectual equivalent to spicing up your sex life with a naughty movie.

This book is great. I sped through it in a week or so. It's prefect for those that are looking for an introduction to spanking and for the more seasoned in the art. Every single story illustrates why spanking can be hot. A great read.

It would be easy to write a book about spanking that comes off "over the top" or simply paints the authors as hyped up freakshows with bizarre fetishes and/or unresolved childhood issues. "Spanked: Red-Cheeked Erotica" is a collection of diverse, interesting, funny and sexy pieces of erotica that provide readers' preying eyes a peak into the complex world of erotic spanking.

The tantalizing variety of stories in this spanking-themed anthology are like rich chocolates, with each delectable morsel leaving the reader wanting just one more bite. Rachel Kramer Bussel has put together a fabulous collection of stories in Spanked. She proves-- once again-- that she is not only an outstanding author, but a shrewd editor with a keen sense of pacing that leaves the reader eagerly anticipating the next story.

Among my favorite stories in this collection are Shanna Germain's shiveringly good "Perfect Bound," Alison Tyler's naughty-but-oh-so-nice "Betty Crocker Gone Bad" and Donna George Storey's teasing confessional "A Rare Find." Speaking of rare finds, I was also pleased to discover some new-to-me authors in the lineup, including Rick Roberts. Roberts' delightful "Spanking You" opens the anthology and sets the tone for a variety of delicious intimacies.

Spanked is one of those books you will want to share with the one you love... or the ones you know love spankings!

From the cover with its delicious female bottom gently reddened to the last story written by RKB, this book was amazing. I've long been a fan and an avid follower of all things RKB but receiving this book from the editor herself, well, it was the icing on the (cup)cake.

Whether your tastes run from hetero spanking to sweet girl-girl interaction, this anthology has it all. My favorites included "Depths...", "Pink Cheeks", and "Indulgences". If it's spanking erotica you want, it's spanking erotica you'll get in this anthology.

Ooo la la - this book is hot. You will get burned touching it. This will appeal to anyone that wants to be enticed by some serious erotica. Zane has put together quite an ensemble of short stories by various authors that will make you... well you know!! Read it and feel the burn!!!

SUCCULENT: CHOCOLATE FLAVA II, the Eroticanoir.com anthology, is more vintage Zane-esque erotica and you know what that means. Hotter than hot stories, unique storylines and undeniable entertainment. Stories like Curiosity Stirred My Cat, which features a curious love triangle, and Emma's Triangle, which puts yet another sultry spin on love triangles, had me turning the pages and fanning myself. Likewise, 'Til Death Do Us Part, was both touching and sizzling, and definitely in the running for favorite status.

Page for page, it doesn't get any sexier than this. So if you've got a sweet tooth for in-your-face erotica, this anthology doesn't disappoint. ZANE keeps bringing it, harder and hotter, and she always manages to round-up talented authors to help her pull it off. This one is worth adding to your collection.

Reviewed by T. Shelly B
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

Once again, Zane keeps it BLAZING HOT! I thank her for introducing us to an array of talented authors from Tigress Healy, Ms. Lovelie Ladie, B. F. Redd and then not letting us forget who the master is by saving herself for last! Absolute favorite stories were Emma's Triangle, An Arresting, Intoxicating Situation, Cougar, Come See Me & Trisexuality. Please keep em' CUMMING :-)

I've satisfied my sweet tooth and any other cravings with this one for awhile! I especially enjoyed the story with the older woman accepting his wife's pregnant mistress, the friend going home with his boy for the holidays and getting lucky with the mother and the daughter, Riding the Friendly Skies was another favorite with it's engaging storyline that offered you something more than a sex scene was on point. Now the mile high club sounds like my kinda of place. Where do i sign up so i can ride the friendly skies?

Overall this book is a scorcher and deserves it's due. So if you want that itch scracthed or that sweet tooth satisfied then this is your book!

If you love chocolate like I do then you'll love Succulent. Be aroused as you read this erotic treat! LeBlanc author of "Characters of Lust" in stores now. Click here Characters of Lust

very good,worth reading,written by various people.....
enjoyable,gets you thinking,nice photographs too.
As you may or may not know African coyly hair is quite unique in vision, texture, behaviour and probably in chemical make up too. Coily haired women around the world, go to the most extremes in terms of spending.
(Spending time, spending pain and the spending price to have African coily hair styled)
A hairstyle that we believe looks good or will help us to become socially and economically advanced.
Or maybe for our own self-esteem and maybe to attract the charms of a love interest. Either way your hair is a reflection of the state of your consciousness, your internal beliefs and your relationship with the world.

This book is like having group therapy or interviewing other women,but it is not all black women's views.I am reviewng it because I think it is worth a read.

As you may or may not know African coily hair is quite unique in vision, texture, behaviour and probably in chemical make up too. Coily haired women around the world, go to the most extremes in terms of spending.
(Spending time, spending pain and the spending price to have African coily hair styled)
A hairstyle that we believe looks good or will help us to become socially and economically advanced.
Or maybe for our own self-esteem and maybe to attract the charms of a love interest.
Either way, psychologically and philosophically I believe that your hair is a reflection of the state of your consciousness, your internal beliefs and your relationship with the world.
What about exploring physics through african hair?
For example how much pressure, gravity and tension and tearing do we put our hair through by combing it?
let alone excessive harsh combing.
Mathematically speaking how many of you readers can tell me how many curls/coils per inch your hair has, and does it vary in coil and moisture?
Next question:When does the nature of the hair change and why?
(i know it does!)
It seems to me all these books on afro hair are good and I welcome it, but we still need to be more informed and they all seem to need better editing, just like Black American beauty magazines.I must campaign for better grammar and less air brushed photos!!!
It is as if we like to see ourselves falsely rather than the reality of what we are...
Black women need to demand more scientific reasoning from our books and be less competitive over black men which only fuels their egos and as a result probably creates more baby-mothers!!!
Sorry but I had to vent out my opinions.

I give this book four stars for the effort and time invested as a writer I know it takes time...
I maintain that it is still worth reading,more than any carcinogenic chemical so called hair treatment that you pay for.

Anyway what do I know I am a black african british woman!!!!
Most of you Americans think we in Britain have no trains or any kind of progressive development!!!
Anyway if I wrote my book answering my questions that I put to you how many of you would buy it?

This is a wonderful book for anyone who would like to explore the issues that Black women face vis a vis our hair from a variety of viewpoints; not just the "politicaly correct" ones.

The book was all that, very positive, and at times emotional (I'm thinking of the passage where a father is trying to figure out how to braid his daughter's hair since her mother is across the country. His trying, and eventually getting it right, turned into bonding sessions for them. It was beautiful.) Of course the book had my favorite culture critic, bell hooks, and as usual she gave me a new persepective: to look at the whole "perm" phenomena as initiation into womanhood. Just about any Black woman who was on the brink of adolescence and was dying to get a perm should relate to that. I did. That's what this book does, it helps Black women to see just how similar our trials have been with our hair; and it's not just a generational thing. Black women from 50 to 80 years ago had the same issues and thoughts Black teenagers have today. Everyone remembers hot combs and Goody pink rollers and Royal Crown grease. Looking back many women had feelings of remembered pain, and not just from the burns on the tips of their ears and on their scalps, but inside their hearts for our collective struggle with an unattainable beauty standard.
What I also admired about this book was that it touched on the subject of hair and erotic intimacy. There was a whole section devoted to hearing the responses of Black women and men when confronted with the bedroom question: Can I run my fingers through your hair? It showed a depraved relation to our hair. In order to get and keep that salon fresh look, sleek and shiny, it must not be touched (by you and most especially your lover). Hair does not bring pleasure in the sense of us luxuriating in how it feels. How can you when it's not even yours? Weave. A woman tells the story of a young man with whom she was getting intimate with, and he wanted to run his fingers through her seemingly long shiny tresses. The moment was interrupted when he felt the hard tracks on her scalp before she could effectively slap his touch away. "You have to train these men early," another woman admonishes, "not to touch the hair." A man married for over 20 years complains of his wife's hair roller pins always poking him when she's "going down on him." He also hates, but has gotten used to, her wearing a head scarf anytime they make love. It is described in the book as Black folks having perpetual menege trios, he, she, and the head scarf. Another man wakes up to his girlfriend's "100% Korean Hair" all over the bed and floor after an especially heated night; he later ends up paying $200 dollars to have it all put back in again. The women speak of not even wanting to touch their own hair, refering to it being "hard as a rock" from gels and hair sprays. It's all in the name of a certain look, the processed one. (It's this look that lured their mates in the first place right?) It's sad that Black women talk about orchestrating certain sex positions around not messing up their fresh 'do. "You don't even think about it after while." They compensate not allowing their men to touch their hair with confidence and boldness in their performance, "It's so good he won't even be thinking about touching my hair."

I love this book. It isn't just politics or just us behind closed doors. Every possible reference to what is done to our hair is mentioned, even going bald. A Muslim woman opened my eyes to how not showing her hair takes away from having to compete for attentions based on beauty standards of hair, by being above them. It reminds us that as women, we shouldn't let physical beauty define us, even though most times it does, and we let it. "Ms. Strand" tells her tale with humor, cultural criticism, African storytelling, and 'round tha way truthfulness, barring nothing from the conversation. Truly, Tenderheaded should not be passed over.

I expected to really enjoy this book, but was disappointed. Some of the stories/essays were very good, but some of them were poorly written and/or could have done with some serious editing. It might have been better if some of them had been omitted: the book would probably have been half as long, but the overall quality would have been significantly improved.

I was also disappointed by the way the book was laid out. It seemed jumbled and poorly conceived. Photos, illustrations and cartoons/comics were seemingly thrown in randomly, with little context or relation to the surrounding content. The graphic content of the book was good, but the layout just did not display it to full advantage.

The idea behind this book was a good one, but the execution could have been a little bit better.

This is a very unique book. I have to say I LOVED IT! My being a young black woman, all the stories hit close to home. This book gave a non-bias look at black women's hair, and black culture all around the world including here in America. It gave many view points, from men women, blacks and even whites. I recommed this book to anyone who is confused about their hair and themselves. Nappy is defiantly Happy!!!! Peace.

I am using this book to teach 1st graders about the differences between the USA and Latin American countries. I was born in a Spanish speaking country and had never heard of the tooth fairy until coming to the USA, el ratoncito Pérez was the one giving us money for our teeth. It is funny how different each country can be! I found it very useful and entertaining.

When I was a child my mother had a very peculiar way of us getting rid of our fallen out teeth. She had us go into the unused garage attic and throw them in with a little poem she wrote that would give us nice new strong teeth. I do not know if this is one of the tooth fantasises but it was interesting to read. She was Russan in origin.

Oh my goodness, what a great book about the tooth fairy and other traditions around the world. My 6yr old just lost her 1st tooth, but we purchased this book before she lost it so that she could read about other kids and what they do with their baby teeth. She loves this book, and I love this book because it teaches her about different places, people, and traditions from around the world with a subject that she can totally relate to!

This is a fun book for all children. It raises awareness of traditions from different cultures. With older children you can look at themes behind the custom.

Am a Dental Hygienist and enjoy this book for the entertainment of my patients.

I discovered this book in the town library when I was in high school. I kept checking out this book over and over again and I couldn't get enough. My mom bought me the book one year and I was soo excited to own it for myself. It was one of the best presents I have ever gotten. The book is worn out now and I have to turn the pages delicately in fear of wearing them more. That just makes me love it more. My history since I have boughten the book is that I read it through and through and put it on the bookshelf for a year and forget about it. It doesn't take long before I long to read it again, I then pick it out of the bookshelf and fall in love with it all over again. If I had to choose only one book in the world that I could keep, it would be this one. Needless to say I love it!

I grew up with this book. My dad had one from his childhood (an original 1942 edition) which was used and used, the binding held together with duct tape. It was known in our house as "the Brown Book." It seems that the source of all the the famous lines from literature can be found in here. "Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink." "And you Brutus?" Lincoln's Gettysburg address, George Washington's Farewell, even the letter from Lincoln to Mrs. Bixby (which was quoted by the commanding officer and served as the reason for "Saving Private Ryan" in the movie. Due solely to this book I was familiar with the letter long before that movie came out.) This is a wonderful resource, reference book and collection of so many of the valued literary and historical pieces from our culture. Even my five year old loves it when I read passages from it to her. Every house should have one.

I learned to read literature of many sorts when I was just a child. I've remembered passages from this book for nearly 50 years. This is a must-have volume of outstanding workmanship. Every homeschooler will benefit from having it in their reference library.

This is the most amazing book! It includes any famous quotes, speeches, stories, poems, songs, etc. It is like having a mini-encyclopedia in one book. We use it all the time in our homeschool. You have to have this book.

A lot of comments I've heard about this wonderful collection remark on
the odd juxtapositions within its pages: Shakespeare next to
"Silver Threads Among The Gold"; The Marine's hymn next to
Poe's "Raven"; Lincoln and Longfellow next to one of Dorothy
Parker's quips. It's true that this is one of this book's charms, but
I found something more to be prized. The "Treasury" is
exactly what it claims to be: a treasury of the hundreds of songs
you're familiar with but don't know by heart, and don't know where to
look up.

Everyone will have their own list of works they think
they'll never find again. Here's a partial list of mine; perhaps some
of these are ones you're hunting for too: Langdon Smith's
"Evolution" (When you were a tadpole and I was a fish/In the
Paleozoic time); Oliver Wendell Holmes' "The One-Hoss Shay";
Robert Service's "The Cremation of Sam McGee"; Henley's
"Invictus" (source of "I am the captain of my
soul"). And dozens more.

I found much I didn't care for here,
but much more I did. This is truly a remarkable collection. It
belongs on every bookshelf, if only because you'll never find another
source for so many of the poems within it. Buy it; you'll discover a
lot of old friends here.

In her sophomore stand-alone novel, TROUBLE THE WATER, Nicole Seitz takes on the grim themes of terminal illness, divorce, alcoholism, suicide and sexual abuse, but leavens them with quirky characters in a story that will engage faith fiction fans.

Like her debut novel, THE SPIRIT OF SWEETGRASS, Seitz sets TROUBLE THE WATER in the South Carolina low country --- this time, St. Anne's Isle. The book jumps back and forth in time, mostly between June and December of 2006 and includes several first-person points of view. It's an ambitious undertaking and can become confusing until you get used to it. But the characters are interesting enough to hook you.

Honor Maddox is an amateur painter in the grip of despair, trailing a string of broken relationships behind her. When her attempt to end her life is foiled by some Gullah nannies, she ends up bunking in a crumbling pink mansion with "Duchess," an elderly white woman who has problems of her own. (Gullah, for those unfamiliar with the term, refers to African-Americans of the low country of South Carolina and Georgia).

Duchess is a hilarious character. She has a passion for running around naked or donning only one or two pieces of apparel (a fur stole, for example). Honor wonders how she ended up with a crazy woman whose mansion is as filthy as she's ever seen. However, Honor finds purpose in cleaning it from top to bottom, symbolic perhaps for her own need to be free of a past full of shame and disappointment. For Duchess, Honor is "like a floating lifesaver sent from above to haul my flabby white rear back up on shore again." She has her own "dirty secrets" from the past and "stink might can be covered up, but it doesn't ever go away unless it's aired out proper."

Both the Duchess and Honor are mourning their pasts in different ways; together, they help each other heal. Soon, Honor is painting up a storm and discovering her natural talent. By helping Honor, Duchess pulls herself somewhat together (she still likes running around in the buff) and begins to socialize again.

Honor's beloved sister Alice wrecks her car, and it sets in motion a chain of events that spark a new realization of Honor's past and the tremendous load of guilt and shame Honor carries. Reading Honor's journals also causes Alice to face her own problems, especially an alcoholic, abusive husband, and determine what she wants to make of the rest of her life.

The frequent point of view shifts, as well as the aforementioned time jumps, are challenging for the reader. The characters are the strength of the novel, and keep things cooking. The storyline relies on the rather often-used breast cancer theme (a favorite of faith-fiction novelists) although of course, the issue of breast cancer is no less important for being used so much. I was disappointed, however, in the way Seitz tied up Duchess's storyline. It seems contrived and less believable than the rest of the plot. And the plethora of problems --- cancer, suicide, sexual abuse, alcoholism --- seemed excessive.

However, what works well is the relationship between Dutchess and Honor, and the portrayal of how the best emotional healing sometimes comes through helping someone else. As Honor reflects, "I knew for a fact that Duchess wasn't playing with a full deck, but this was my task...Like her or leave her." And as Duchess says, "...When you meet a true angel, you're never the same."

Seitz is an excellent writer, and her portrayals of the Gullah culture in the low country of South Carolina will engage readers unfamiliar with the area. I especially enjoyed how she wove healing techniques and traditions into the narrative. Painting your house blue, for example, helps keep the "haigs" (ghosts) out of your house. Propping brooms outside your doors mean that a "hag" (an old woman who can shed her skin at night) will have to stop and count every piece of straw before coming inside. Otherwise, a hag might ride on someone's chest all night "till they can't breathe anymore."

It's these sort of fascinating tidbits that enrich the story, and make TROUBLE THE WATER an interesting read.

--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby

This is a book about the love of sisters. Honor is a free spirit that had gone through life and done things she wasn't proud of. Each chapter changes characters between Honor and her sister Alice, and the Duchess.
Duchess makes the story interesting with her strange ways. This is a very easy read, just not as gripping with emotion as I thought it would be. There were so many un-answered questions, like what did Alice do for living on the Island. If you are looking for a good book that is easy to read this for you.
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This book is unique, uplifting, and well-written. Both the characters and the story draw you in from page one. The author deftly switches among narrators, locations, and dates. A lesser writer would have lost the reader, but Seitz is able to enrich the story instead. I highly recommend it.

This was one of those stories where you just wanted to be there and talk to the characters! I began reading on a weekend morning (when I was supposed to be doing my chores) and ended up reading all day. Read a chapter (or two or three), do a chore, read a chapter..... Really excellent read all the way through!

Not only is this second novel a poignant, heartfelt tale; it is great fun to read. Living in the SC Lowcountry it "spoke to me" in many respects. But, for those living elsewhere it serves as an enticement to visit our beautiful shores and marshes and learn more about the Gullah. The author did a splendid job in portraying love between sisters, love between friends, illness, and the fact that no woman is an island.

I look forward to her next book.

Twenty-five years ago I read Franz Wright's father's poetry feverishly. Twenty-five years later I read the son even more feverishly. James Wright did do a good job no matter what the son says. Success comes in many different ways. Including loneliness, or "trying/to stay alive", even abandonment. "All is for the best in the best of all possible worlds." This is an odd place I can finally agree with Voltaire's satire in his famous novel Candide.

In the book of poems titled Walking to Martha's Vineyard, Franz Wright will surely ponder reader's minds everywhere. There is a constant theme involving spirituality throughout his poems. Often you will find his poetry calling out to a higher power or demanding faith through fear. He provides a sense of something that is hidden to the outside world that only he will ever fully understand. He keeps secrets from his audience. The spirituality woven throughout this collection of poems can be compared to Rainer Maria Rilke's poetry, although it is not as heavily demanding in the spiritual sense. Wright's actual prose can better be compared to Some Thing Black by Jacques Roubaud.

Franz Wright was born in Vienna in 1953, and grew up mostly in California. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Walking to Martha's Vineyard and was a also finalist for his work titled The Beforelife. He currently lives in Waltham, Massachusetts with his wife Elizabeth and works for the Center for Grieving Children and Teenagers.

His poems are all connected in an orderly fashion that slowly moves the poetry forward with a subtle taste of satisfaction. There is no set form to his free verse and he uses punctuation for a reason, never taking it lightly. In his poem "Fathers," Wright beautifully discusses and compares his own father and a higher power, or a heavenly father. He calls out to the creator of the stars to create a new heart in him. I believe the most beautiful stanza in the poem is right after this when he writes, "Homeless in Manhattan, the winter of your dying." It flows so beautifully on the page. There is a constant sense of wanting to belong and to be loved. The last line reads, "and how often I walked to the edge of the actual river to join you." It is so wonderful because it is so real. It is not known to whom he is calling out to. It could be his real father that passed away when he was a child, or the Heavenly Father. It could be both.

His poem titled "June Storm" speaks about a sad journey through life - always living with a question and never knowing any answers. He always ends his poems with a very solid statement that ties the entire poem together, but at the same time leaves the mind to wonder. In "June Storm" specifically he talks about how as a child and now as an adult he does not know the names of trees or birds or leaves. There is a sense of realization that comes with age and is also despised. He ends the poem in three lines saying, "I felt this as a child, and now I know it."

When reading this work of art, it is best to read it from beginning to end in order to obtain connections and meanings in their entirety. While one poem can inspire you, all of the poems can change you. Wright's poetry should be read by everyone, religious or not, because there is no damnation, only captivating secrets and questions among the pages.

It's a remarkable book, and his poems are so true. Look at the poems about his father; that should make the decision.

With this volume, I believe, Franz Wright finally, fully passed from beneath the shadow of his father, the famous poet James Wright. In fact, upon Walking to Martha's Vineyard being awarded the Pulitzer for poetry, James & Franz became the only father & son tandem awarded the Pulitzer Prize in the same category.

Like a number of critics, I felt much of Franz's earlier work got bogged down in issues relating to abuse and addiction - it seemed for a time he was destined to banish himself to a truncated audience by making himself into a single issue, thematic poet. However, in Walking to Martha's Vineyard, Franz Wright forcefully breaks free from simple categorizations - his poetry comes alive, embracing the whole of human experience, including of course genuine suffering and loss. This slender volume is somatic, visual and emotive - it reaches the reader on many levels. Also it's mastery of the line, the springboard of rhythm, is a wonderful balance of experiment & tradition.

I give Walking to Martha's Vineyard by Franz Wright 5 stars - something I rarely do. I think there is much here for almost all lovers of poetry to cherish. I believe you will find yourself, like I have, returning to its treasures over and over again, always wanting for more.

Franz Wright speaks to me, perhaps more so than any other modern poet, and he does so with an elegant, minimalistic style. He has a keen way of recognizing the common, often mundane aspects of our existence. Yet, when he captures them on paper and puts his characteristic spin on them, it's a thing of beauty.

Not to mention, Wright has lived. I mean really lived. This is an artist who has suffered from major depression, alcoholism, poverty and has come out on top. Although if you talked to him, I am sure he would say that everyday is a journey of new found meaning and sobriety. From interviews I've read, he is a class act!

This collection, as a whole, is about redemption and his new found idea of positive living. Everyone could learn from that.
The poems are never long, never tiresome or tedious and always interesting. He uses rhyme scheme sparingly and when he does, it's hardly noticeable. I also love his use of white space. In my opinion, no matter how great a poem is, if it's laid out poorly it becomes boring and its meaning lost. Wright understands that and has structured each poem to be its own work of art. Some of these poems could actually be framed.

Unlike other Pulitzer winners of the past, I feel that Wright definitely deserves the honor bestowed him.

Favorite poems and quotes from "Walking to Martha's Vineyard":

1. University of One- "And I've lost my fear/of death/here, what death/There is no such thing./There is only/mine,/or yours-/but the world/will be filled with the living."

2. Untitled- "Some say/the more you stray/the more you're/saved,/I wouldn't be surprised/....Set the mind/before the mirror of eternity/and everything will work."

3. Letter- "The humiliation I go through/when I think of my past/can only be described as grace./We are created by being destroyed."

Go out and buy this book. I promise it will speak to you...

Jane Butkin Roth's book of poetry is wonderful. It reminds me of all the stages that I went through in my own divorce. Each poem shares a certain vantage point of those difficult and wonderful times. The poets know how to express their thoughts and emotions in such simply beautiful ways. I highly recommend it!

I'm hardly an unbiased observer, as the author is my younger sister. But Jane Butkin Roth has created a wonderful compilation of poems by women who have gone through the experience of divorce. As one might expect, the voices are diverse--some painful, some humorous, some terribly sad, others with a note of relief--yet all convey an intensity and an honesty not often found. I think this is probably the best single book out there for women who may be contemplating or going through a divorce.

This book is a far cry from the "male bashing" that one might expect. I found many of the poems poignant and uplifting. Divorce, like life, is not all black and white/good and evil. This book does a good job of demonstrating the many complex layers of divorce. What I liked best about this book is that each poem gives insight not only to divorce, but also gives a snapshot history of each marriage which allows the reader to care about the authors. I have bought several copies of WE USED TO BE WIVES as gifts for friends going through the divorce process and would recommend it to all going down this path on the way towards a new life.

As a family lawyer, for many years I listened to women who were getting a divorce.I wish I could have given a copy of this book to each of them. I think it would have brought them comfort and assured them that they were not truly as alone as they sometimes felt.I know that's what it will do for readers who are going through a divorce today.

Even though as a happily married man, I'm not exactly the target audience, I loved "We Used To Be Wives." It is a beautifully crafted book from cover to cover that is touching, disturbing, and uplifting all at the same time. Although some of the poems have a harsh, ugly edge to them, they end on a note of hope or beauty and even humor. And that's what I loved about the book. By helping heal the wounds of divorce, "We Used To Be Wives" grows hope out of ugliness and despair.

The Shlians have put together a story that makes use of their medical expertise as well as their great imaginations! Building on their experience as physicians, Deborah and Joel draw you into the world of the characters with relentless precision. The story takes you on a trip from Los Angeles to "small town" California where things aren't nearly the way as they might seem. It keeps you on the edge of your seat while you and the protagonist struggle to put the pieces together.

Wednesday's Child is an engaging and fast paced story about a young physician, Dr. Leigh Novak and her four year old son, Jeremy. Mother and son move to a small town outside of San Fransisco following Leigh's separation from her husband to take over an aging physician's family practice. Upon Dr. Leigh's arrival, the elderly physician takes one look at the young doctor and suffers a massive stroke. Within hours, a small boy with chickenpox dies dispite her heroic efforts to save him. While mom is dealing with the medical-legal ramifications of the boy's death, Jeremy is coping with the strange woman who runs his new preschool nursery. Great start!

This faced paced story is written with an elegant charm uncommon in books of this genre. During the wee hours of the morning, I kept promising myself "just one more" until I had reached the final chapter.

Wednesday's Child by Deborah Shlian and Joel Shlian is a gripping medical thriller that kept me literally on the edge of my seat. If you're looking for a heart-stopping, fast-paced read that's as good as anything by Grishom or Mary Higgins Clark, this is it. I highly recommend it.

Wednesday's Child by Deborah and Joel Shlian is a tense and suspenseful medical thriller that kept me entertained all the way through. This writing team clearly excels in the competitive medical fiction arena, competing with the likes of Robin Cook, Tess Gerritsen, Michael Palmer, Leonard Goldberg, and Patricia Cornwell. I highly recommend this book to fans of medical thrillers and other mysteries who are looking for a real page turner!

From R. Barri Flowers, author of the mystery novels, DAMNING EVIDENCE, POSITIVE I.D., WHEN NIGHT FALLS, MURDER IN THE ROSE CITY, and DEADLY SECRETS IN THE MOTOR CITY.

Dr. Leigh Novak decides to take her son Jeremy away from Los Angeles and to a small town in Northern California called Hartwood, population 3000. The day they arrived should have been happy, but instead went from bad to worse. Leigh finds old Doc Ellsford slumped over in his chair, half dead from a stroke. Once Leigh sees Doc off in the town's only ambulance, Gabe Barker comes rushing in with his 3 year old son Brian who has a very high fever and is in a coma. Brian stops breathing shortly after they arrive. Leigh works on Brian for thirty minutes without any results, Little Brian is dead, and he should not be gone he only had the chicken pox. Along the way, Leigh finds friendship in Nora, a well respected childcare giver.

WEDNESDAY'S CHILD gives a disturbing description of child abuse, but this is not just a book about child abuse, it's a story about small town life and its secrets. The Shlians have written a fast paced, taut and very compelling story, I found the book spellbinding and hard to put down. If you like Mary Higgins Clark you will love WEDNESDAY'S CHILD.