Clubs Books

Having read romance novels for much of my adult life, it's hard for me to find anything that doesn't seem like the same tired old thing. Ms. Nelson's book, however, was refreshingly different, and just plain fun to read with all the elements of a good romance.

The Future Widow's Club is a must read! I loved the sassy secondary characters. As clever and engaging as the plot and premise were, it was the hero and heroine's long lost love that touched me the deepest. Don't miss this book!

Jolie Marshall is living for the moment that she can divorce her husband Chris. He is abusive, cheats on her, and has stolen money from her mother and other investors in their software company. He has the money to pay them all back, but puts in in off shore accounts instead. Jolie is slowly putting together the money to pay off the debts and compiling evidence to use in her divorce case. She married Chris on the rebound, when her boyfriend since third grade, Jake, got cold feet on the subject of commitment. Her father had just died and she wanted more from the relationship, Jake decided to concentrate of his career with the Sheriff's Office instead. Angry, Jolie went on vacation by herself and came back with Chris, to her eternal regret. A support group of sorts, The Future Widows Club, asks her to be a member. They look forward to the death of their spouses. They arrange the funeral, pick out an outfit, and most importantly, buy a hat. The meetings once a week are a godsend for these women, being the only place where they can be open about the problems in their marriages. Unfortunately, shortly after Jolie really gets into the spirit of the FWC, her husband is murdered, and his penis cut off and missing. More unfortunately, Jake is the detective assigned to the case. She never fell out of love with him and he apparently feels the same way. In spite of an ironclad alibi, she really LOOKS guilty.

I loved this book!!! The members of the FWC are very vivid and funny. The author enabled you to really get into the story. You get annoyed at Jake, hate Chris, and feel sympathy for all the future widows. I will definitely be looking to read more books by this author.

In Moon Valley, Jolie Marshal regrets marrying charming SOB Chris who embezzled money from their company leaving friends and her mother potentially in the lurch. When she can pay back her "creditors", she will divorce Chris, who she married when vulnerable following the death of her father and rejection by her boyfriend Jake, who was not ready for a wife.

The Future Widows' Club invites Jolie to join their group. Finding solace, she agrees and begins following some of the rules like taking out life insurance on her spouse. However, someone was irate when they shot Chris in the heart and cut off his penis. Could it be Sheriff Dean who has pictures of his wife with Chris? Or Police Officer Jake who is livid that this worm hit Jolie, the woman he still loves and regrets he let down? Or perhaps the grieving widow who just took out insurance on the rat?

THE FUTURE WIDOWS' CLUB is a strange dark humorous romance with police procedural elements to add excitement to the question of who killed Chris. The story line initially appears to be one of an abused spouse but switches gear once the merry widows invite Jolie to join. Rhonda Nelson writes a strong satirical dark look at society that accepts plenty of abusive "values" under the label of protecting the family.

Harriet Klausner

Jolie Marshall's husband Chris sure fooled her. He came along at just the right time when she was nursing a broken heart and conned her into her marrying him. Since then he's managed to steal most of her mother's life savings. She can't divorce him until she gets enough evidence of his adultery and other dirty dealings. Meanwhile, she's found an outlet to help her keep her sanity while she's waiting, The Future Widow's Club. The FWC is a place where she and other wives can come and plan for when they can finally be free. After all, why settle for half when you can have it all? But when Chris is murdered, her affiliation with the FWC may not be a good thing.

The detective on the case is Jake Malone, the man who broke Jolie's heart and sent her straight into Chris' arms. Jake knows he made a terrible mistake when he let Jolie go and he's suffered watching her in a horrible marriage. Now that Jolie is free again he wants a second chance. But as long as Jolie is a suspect in her husband's murder he is unable to become personally involved with her. Once she's cleared Jolie better watch out, because Jake is determined to correct his past mistakes and get Jolie back where she belongs, with him!

I couldn't stop laughing while reading The Future Widow's Club! From the moment Jake and Jolie share a scene together, the chemistry and emotion is obvious and I became thoroughly engrossed. Plus the mystery about who really killed Chris is extremely well done. I will be looking for more in future from Rhona Nelson who I foresee quickly becoming a must-read author. Humor, suspense, and a well-written love story: The Future Widow's Club has it all!

Melissa
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

My copy is a Sierra Club Book. This is beautifully illustrated and has spectacular photographs. Once you get past the coffee table fluff, There is a lot to be learned. Save this as one of the last Big Bang books that may go the way of the Piltdown Man. 'Einstein's Greatest Blunder? : The Cosmological Constant and Other Fudge Factors in the Physics of the Universe" ISBN: 0674242416

Take heart, as there are other in print books by Timothy Ferris.

Life Beyond Earth by Timothy Ferris ISBN: 0684849372. Just put the number in the search box and press go.

I read this book maybe 20 years ago as a little kid, and I still think about it. It really stimulated a lifelong interest in astronomy and cosmology. If you aren't schooled in astronomy I think it will open your eyes and present to you a view of the universe that will change the way you look at things forever. If I could find more copies of this book, and it were cheaper, I would hand it out like candy to the numerous people unschooled in astronomy I've met in the last 20 years, who, I am sure this book would greatly enrich.

The strength of this book is its photographs from various observatories around the world. I have not--in 20 years of looking, found a collection of astrophotographs that comes close. They are inspiring! Other manmade illustrations in the book vividly illustrate just where we are in the universe. Mr. Ferris also does an admirable job taking you by the hand and poetically explaining what is really out there when you gaze into the night sky. You will be amazed by what you don't now know.

If you can get a copy, get it, read it, enrich yourself, show it to your kids, and don't let it go.

Heaven's net casts wide.
Though its meshes are coarse, nothing slips through.
-- Lao Tzu

If ever there was a physical manifestation of poetry, the starry sky at night, the panoply of objects that populate the heavens, would come close. The character of Dr. Arroway in Carl Sagan's Contact exclaims, upon seeing the glorious objects of the universe up close during her epic flight, 'Poetry! They should have sent a poet!'

This book, Galaxies, is a book on a grand scale, as is its subject. It is a lavishly illustrated coffee-table book the size of a small coffee table, the pages measure 13 inches by 15 inches, a huge footprint of a book, with most of the photographs and diagrams sized full-page.

Timothy Ferris, at the time of this book was first published, was a professor of English at Brooklyn College CUNY. He has since gone on to fame as a science writer, particularly in the field of astronomy, and now teaches astronomy and science writing on the other coast, at UC Berkeley. Largely due to clear writing, diligent research that is thorough, and a good eye for visuals (astronomy is a visual science in many ways, and Ferris selected the photographs for this book himself) Ferris has put together a tremendous introduction to the subject of galaxies, impressing with the scale of the book the tremendous size and scale of galaxies.

Being an English professor, he of course had a wide knowledge of literature, and this is apparent from his choice of side notes, quotes and references, which populate not only the captions and taglines, but interpermeate the text on a regular basis. Here in the midst of scientific discussion one will find quotes from Shakespeare, Thornton Wilder, St. Juliana, Heraclitus, Ben Jonson, and more.

The first section deals with the basic definitions of what a galaxy is, the discovery of galaxies, and our place (and their place) in the cosmos. From here, Ferris takes us on a brief tour of the galaxy from the inside, using of course our own Milky Way galaxy, the only galaxy we can know from the inside. By looking at the constituent elements of a galaxy--stars, nebulae, star clusters, supernovae and black holes--Ferris introduces us to the life cycle of stars and some of the dynamics of galactic formation and evolution. Some of the more stunning photographs of this book are in this section, particularly the nebulae (gaseous formations that represent both the beginning and the end of life cycles of stars).

From a tour of our own galaxy, Ferris proceeds to the Local Group of Galaxies, and begins a discussion of the different kinds of galaxies. Our own, the Milky Way, is a fairly large spiral galaxy. This is not the most common type, however, nor the most rare. Our galaxy has attendant galaxies, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (named so because they are only visible from the Southern Hemisphere; named in honour of a European explorer who trekked down there), which are mostly blobs of stars, with no formal structure as a spiral would have. The nearest spiral is the Andromeda, part of the local pair (most spirals come in pairs). Andromeda also has smaller, blob-like satellite galaxies, with a smaller proto-spiral (M33) not far off.

In the next section, Ferris examines the types of galaxies which populate the Local Group, the Local Supergroup, and other groupings of galaxies. These include elliptical galaxies, spiral galaxies, barred spiral galaxies, and lenticular (or SO) galaxies. Ellipticals often appear as blobs, sometimes with halos, and no intricate structures. Spirals can be more of less tightly 'wound', arms around a nucleus with a bulge. Barred spirals are more intricate yet, and have a 'bar' or spindle-shaped grouping of stars that extends straight out from the central bulge and nucleus, to which the arms of the spiral seem to be attached. Lenticular galaxies are hardest yet to categorise--they might be ellipticals in a spiral mode, perhaps somehow robbed of their arms. How they evolved is a mystery. Beyond this, there are yet other irregular galaxies, which are often the results of galactic collisions and gravitational interferences.

Some galaxies seem to have violent events occurring, gaseous jets or lots of light and radio activity which speaks of harsh activity. Vast energy spikes and marred appearances give an interesting flavour to astronomical research. Often these happen from interactive galaxies, in which they are playing off each other, or indeed, as some will swallow up others.

Ferris continues his outward rush to the very limits of the universe, until we encounter quasars, the largest of large groupings of superclusters, and a brief discussion of the geometries and nature of space and time. The expansion of the universe, and possible futures (infinite expansion or ultimate collapse, or somewhere in between?) are discussed, as well as paradoxes which might arise in a collapsing universe.

Photographic plates are shown throughout in colour, in black and white, in negative, and in grid-overlays. There is a wide variety, showing the variety of ways in which astronomical objects are examined. This is a fabulous book. Rush to get it.

What we have learned
Is like a handful of earth;
What we have yet to learn
Is like the whole world.
-- Avvaiyar

This is a wonderful book if you can find it. The photographs are spectacular--for example, a two-page spread of the Hercules cluster in which every one of the hundreds of objects in the photo is a discrete galaxy.

This is a must-have for every astronomy buff. It makes a great coffee-table book as well.

. . .is what one reviewer said when this book was first published. It's a claim which is hard to dispute. The hard core scientist might not appreciate it's "coffee table" book format -- but heck, the book wasn't written for such a person in the first place!

Filled with readable and comprehendable text and citations ranging from Thorton Wilder's "Our Town" to St. Julian's "Revelations of Divine Love", this book will prompt even the most unscientific mind to gaze at the sky with new wonder.

But beyond the layout, beyond the scientific information, beyond the citations, the book is best described by its absolutely stunning deep-sky photography. It is mind-boggling to me how someone could look at the night sky and question the existence of God.

"He who made the Plei'ades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning,and darkens the day into night,who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out upon the surface of the earth, the LORD is his name" -- from the book of Amos the Prophet

I started the book about 6 p.m and finished about 1 a.m; I could not put it down. Every golfer, every Masters fan, every body in Augusta will want this. Lots of great (and courteous) insider stories about the the Club; the creek, the community power fights about the creek; about great golfers, the caddies; the role of women; the founders of the club; the author's learning golf; rubbing elbows with Washington big whigs.

I know the author personally; I never dreamed her book would be interesting; I certainly never expected to be glued to her book, but it is a gem. I've got a couple of golfing buddies in mind who will want to read this book.

The story about the golfer who would "never" play with a woman was great...he parted with a dollar of two.

The "ownership" of the caddies, the nicknames of caddies and the nicknames given by caddies to their "horses" was fascinating.

The stories about the club president show a man "bigger than life."

Perhaps some of you know what trunk bangers are...now I know.

My grandmother lived a few blocks from the club and she rented to people who attended the Masters...so the book brings back memories...

Anyone struggling with golf, all you addicts out there, who day dream about shots, greens, the rough, creeks and sandtraps will identify with the author, whether male or female.

I'm not even a golfer, but my daddy was; and after listening to him talk golf, get down with 90, high on 72, talk about lights for night golfing, discuss the game over a few drinks, I found this book a clincher. I never expected to enjoy a book so much.

I enjoyed the book, but I was eager to learn more about the men in their lives. Who were these men and how did they feel about the experiences.

I started the book about 6 p.m and finished about 1 a.m; I could not put it down. Every golfer, every Masters fan, every body in Augusta will want this. Lots of great (and courteous) insider stories about the the Club; the creek, the community power fights about the creek; about great golfers, the caddies; the role of women; the founders of the club; the author's learning golf; rubbing elbows with Washington big whigs.

I know the author personally; I never dreamed her book would be interesting; I certainly never expected to be glued to her book, but it is a gem. I've got a couple of golfing buddies in mind who will want to read this book.

The story about the golfer who would "never" play with a woman was great...he parted with a dollar of two.

The "ownership" of the caddies, the nicknames of caddies and the nicknames given by caddies to their "horses" was fascinating.

The stories about the club president show a man "bigger than life."

Perhaps some of you know what trunk bangers are...now I know.

My grandmother lived a few blocks from the club and she rented to people who attended the Masters...so the book brings back memories...

Anyone struggling with golf, all you addicts out there, who day dream about shots, greens, the rough, creeks and sandtraps will identify with the author, whether male or female.

I'm not even a golfer, but my daddy was; and after listening to him talk golf, get down with 90, high on 72, talk about lights for night golfing, discuss the game over a few drinks, I found this book a clincher. I never expected to enjoy a book so much.

This is a terrific book written by a member's wife and their daughter. I am a big golf fan and have read several books about Augusta National and the Masters in recent years, but this one has an entirely different angle--a woman's perspective, and an insider-woman at that. The authors are respectful of the club, but they also are open in offering dozens of refreshing anecdotes that are funny and border on irreverent. There are also a bunch of photos in the book depicting the golf course from a candid viewpoint.

I started the book about 6 and finished about 12. Every golfer, Masters fan, everyone in Augusta will want one of theses books.

It's full of real inside stories of the Club, its founders, the grounds, the caddies, the famous players.

I know the author personally and figured her book would be interesting but did not expected to be glued to it. The wording contained many of the unique phrases used at the National and un golfing. I could not put the book down.

I am not a golfer, but my dad was and I have heard him day dream about golf; I've seen him high on 72 and down on 90; it seems the author got to the point she day dreamed about sandtraps, the rough, the fairways, how she would handle different shots.

Stories about personal encounters with famous golfers and politicians were great. The stories about the caddies and their betting, "ownership" of golfers, their nicknames were fascinating.

The stories about how one gets into the club gives the Augusta National a sense of intrigue.

The stories about the president of the club presented a man bigger than life, who put fear into the hearts of the wealthy and powerful.

Fishing stories, access to the club during the Masters, access to the club during off season were all highly readable and clearly inside, non-public, unpublished views into a closed society.

That only a few people were there at a time off season was amazing; there is/or was a wonderful wine cellar; there were no socials unrelated to golf and no 5 somes.

This is a wonderful book of private information that every golfer will enjoy, buy 2 of (one to keep and one to give away).

Godschild Covenant
Godschild Covenant, written by Marshall Masters, is a very unique, poetic and uplifting book. In it, Mr. Masters shows great insight into the immense strength of the human spirit, insight which many people alive now have been unable to notice, whether it be because of their busy lifestyle or their aspirations toward a specific goal.
From beginning to end, Godschild Covenant demonstrated moving, poetic tenderness. While restricted by circumstances, the story of the sexual love between Anthony and Tanya was shown to be heart wrenching and full of the emotional beauty of a love between two soul mates.
This unique book is futuristic, yet full of truth. It uplifts the reader from the normal, mundane, everyday existence to a place that all of humanity will eventually reach. Ahead of his time, Marshall Masters is giving humanity a message, a prediction, which will soon come to pass. Meanwhile, Marshall, with his mastery of imagination and narrative skill, leads the reader through entertainment to the truth of a realistic, yet hopeful land, the land of the Godschild Covenant.
This story surpasses all other novels and works of fiction.
It is an immensely rewarding journey; it is so inspiring, so enticing that it makes one want to reach the last word of the book, while still feeling sorry for the fact that the book is drawing to an end.

Ming Friedman
April 27, 2003
...

Godschild Covenant, the return of Nibiru, presents the reader with a rip-roaring good read combining the best of several genres. Classification is difficult as it's as much a science fiction novel as well as an adventure novel. Combining the two genres as well as including several aspects of new age spiritualism and being able to hold the whole thing together would seem rather difficult in perspective. Marshall Masters has managed to do it all. From factual technical aspects to fine points in descriptive narration the author manages to do a top job. Recommended for all ages this is a fine debut novel.
Howard Crawford - April 2003 Darringtonoutback.com

Marshall is a good author. I enjoyed the book and am impressed by his writing. His descriptions are so visual, they make you think your watching a movie. As a whole, the book was fun to read. In fact, I read the entire last 300 pages straight through in one sitting!

Mobipocket Review
http//www.mobipocket.com/en/eBooks/BookDetails.asp?BookID=11321

Godschild Covenant, written by Marshall Masters, is a very unique, poetic and uplifting book. In it, Mr. Masters shows great insight into the immense strength of the human spirit, insight which many people alive now have been unable to notice, whether it be because of their busy lifestyle or their aspirations toward a specific goal.

From beginning to end, Godschild Covenant demonstrated moving, poetic tenderness. While restricted by circumstances, the story of the sexual love between Anthony and Tanya was shown to be heart wrenching and full of the emotional beauty of a love between two soul mates.

This unique book is futuristic, yet full of truth. It uplifts the reader from the normal, mundane, everyday existence to a place that all of humanity will eventually reach. Ahead of his time, Marshall Masters is giving humanity a message, a prediction, which will soon come to pass. Meanwhile, Marshall, with his mastery of imagination and narrative skill, leads the reader through entertainment to the truth of a realistic, yet hopeful land, the land of the Godschild Covenant.

This story surpasses all other novels and works of fiction. It is an immensely rewarding journey; it is so inspiring, so enticing that it makes one want to reach the last word of the book, while still feeling sorry for the fact that the book is drawing to an end.--Mobipocket.com

I wish to add one more statement to an earlier review of Godschild Covenant.

Marshall's insight from Godschild Convenant that described the 3-Gorges Virus shows exactly what is happening in China - the spreading of SARS. According to the Indian News, China has created this virus from its Bio-weapons lab. This is another of Marshall's phrophetic warning from his book.

Terrific. Black, sordid, entertaining and most weird. Lots of fun!

I read it an thought it brillianly funny, and highly original. Fidel Castro seemed less than enthusiastic in his review, realising that this book has the potential to undermine all that he has strived for over the past decades of social and political revolution. "I read this book and realise that it is a legitimate, well thought out critique of the workers' paradise I have strived to establish in Cuba. It's back to the drawing board for me. I wish Hughes had never left his. I am a shattered icon."

"Hughes is good. He's got the same hold over readers that Tom Sharpe, Kingsley Amis and the late Bob Shaw created so effortlessly. Okay, so he's damn good -- one of those authors who hooks you with intelligent humour and run-amok storylines. His fiction is irresistable. So why fight it?"

(Lisa DuMond: Locus Magazine/SFSite)

"The writing is literary in quality and the characters are finely detailed -- highly recommended."

(Lida E. Quillen: Scribes World)

"Curious, innovative and highly entertaining...dripping with black humour, highly irreverent, sarcastic and, quite simply, very funny!"

(Nicola Jolly: The Preston Citizen)

This is Greyminster, a smoky, post-industrial milltown tucked away in the northwest corner of England. A pleasant enough place except for one fact. Greyminster is the Spaghetti Junction of the Fortean World. Time travel, ravenous space beasts, manic old biddies and robots with a penchant for Hob Nobs. This enormous volume contains all four Greyminster novels, five Greyminster novellas, characters by the barrow load and enough good humour to blow your socks off!

First off, I think I should probably preface this review with a few important facts.

1. Brian Hughes is a close personal friend of mine.
2. I haven't (yet) actually read the book.
3. When I was a young boy, I had an extra nipple.

The Greyminster Chronicles is undoubtably the most important written work ever published since the twin tablets Moses brought down from the mountain, which as you probably are already aware, contained probably the worst practical joke ever.

The Greyminster Chronicles has the unusual property of being able to hold things down. Should you say need to force an peice of important paper to stop walking about, or to provide anistesia to a cat, or to stop your television from flying about the room, or even to prevent your fireplace from going out on dates without you. This is the book for you.

The Greyminster Chronicles is also the perfect accompanyment for J.D. Sallinger's The Catcher in the Rye. In fact, I've heard that it has been listed as mandatory reading for the Insane Wackjobs With Crackpot Assination Plots Everywhere Union. You can find more information on the IWWCAPEU from the CIA...

Everything considered, you should feel in danger of experiencing the phemomina termed spontaneous combustion, if you do not buy this book immediately. Oh... and could you please stop by my wishlist and buy one for me as well, as a cartoonist, I'm slightly poorer than dirt.

Very innovative and entertaining...loaded with black humour, irreverent, sarcastic and very, very funny. I couldn't put it down!

I couldn't put it down. This story kept me captive until I read it all. Ellis's style quickly captures the reader and keeps them hanging on until the finale. The setting in Eastern Ohio provided a touch of reality to the story line. (Especially "The Chair"!!)The spiritual emphasis provided me with with a sense of validation of God's promises amongst the trials of this life. Great writing. Looking forward for more!!!

Beautifully written - Joe Ellis is an artist who has been able to paint visual images with words throughout his story - with carefully drawn phrases, the reader is able to feel - the warmth of the sunshine - and an unexpected cobweb; smell - the sweet aroma of a spring flower garden - and the nauseating stench of decaying animals; and hear - the early morning Doxology of a choir of birds - and the terror only found in total silence in the dark

He draws the reader into Elijah Mulligan's soul before the end of the second paragraph of the book - and holds the entire story together as we follow/share in this gentle giant's wrestling with the forces of evil threatening his church and persons dear to him. Here is the blending of a love story, a tightly woven mystery, the pranks of three 12-year old friends, and the ever-present struggle of good and evil. All become a powerful vignette in the life of one small rural church, the Scotch Ridge Presbyterian Church, high on an Appalachian hill on the outskirts of a small Ohio town.

ýI was a bad man once. I hate to think about the terrible things I did. It makes me sick. But you gave me another chance. Dear Father, use me to offer another chance to this strange fellow.ý (The Healing Place, pg. 1, Joe C. Ellis).

Even in the most unlikely places, evil can lurk. But where ground is sacred and consecrated as holy, God is present. When doubts arise and it seems there is no hope, when our past sins rise up to haunt us, there is always a place we can go. This is The Healing Place, Elijah Mulliganýs place of refuge, where he goes to meet with God.

The Healing Place is set in the beautiful Appalachian hills of Eastern Ohio in the town of Martins Ferry. Scotch Ridge Church and the legendary monument known as The Chair, in its adjoining graveyard, are factual sites in this community.

Ellis weaves the eerie superstitions of three twelve year-olds and The Chair with the diabolical notions of a young man, Nathan Kyler. Kylerýs own life is corrupted by a past that haunts him and the only one who recognizes the truth of his warped mind is Elijah Mulligan.

Elijah has experienced Godýs healing power numerous times, but nothing prepares him for the ultimate evil encounter that brings to surface uncertainties about love, past sins and a life he just canýt seem to let go of. His friendship with the three kids mixed with the love he is reluctant to accept from a widow named Annie, offer a balance to the thrills of eerie suspense. The Healing Place is a must for the person who enjoys sitting on the edge of their seat, only to be eased back with a touch of romance, then to be completely thrown as tales of love, evil and everlasting healing unfold in a most unpredictable way.

The Healing Place is an engaging story, that is attractive for readers of any genre. It has a hint of horror, a well-conceived mystery and an inspirational message that makes you feel good about the characters. It is impossible to put down once you start reading. If you read it you will enjoy it.

THE HEALING PLACE by Joe Ellis

I had the privilege of editing Joe's book in the summer of 2000. I became well acquainted with Elijah Mulligan, the larger-than-life hero and his antagonist, Nathan Kyler. Characters drawn with strong, almost visual brush strokes, draw the reader into a story that is both very real while at times almost surrealistic. A sleepy town in Ohio is being stalked by a man obsessed with death and killing. Will his fantasies and his torture of animals lead inexorably to murder? What has brought him to the point of such rage at the people around him? What clues does Elijah Mulligan piece together as suspicion of the young man increases? The mystery of THE HEALING PLACE weaves through the fabric of small town life contrasting with the bright summer, irrepressible teenagers, a faithful minister and his congregation, the village cynic and a love story between Elijah and a pretty widow. Ellis has created a novel of suspense with a storyteller's grasp of detail. You can find the Ohio town described in his novel, and there is still an annual celebration of the Betty Zane Days mentioned in the story. As a first novel, THE HEALING PLACE lives up to it's name as faith in God and the possibility of redemption even of the most violent person holds together a beautifully written work. Hopefully it will be only the first of many for this author. Donna Swanson: Artist, Teacher and author of MIND SONG, RACHEL'S DAUGHTERS and ANGEL WORLD TRILOGY

This is my favorite Saddle Club book ever! Stevie Lake, Lisa Atwood, and Carole Hanson are just plain broke! And they die after going to a horse store. Stevie, well knowingly got carried away and blabbed around with a horse-sitting business. And WAY too carried away! Veronica also pitched in blabbing around with 6 polo ponies to get watched. Wait until you see how they manage! :) I love this book! I definatly recomend it!

I guess it was pretty good, but it was kind of a mixture of a couple of the earlier books. It was fun how they wanted this stuff and how Veronica bought the bridle that Stevie wanted. But it was kind of monotonous. They were endlessly working and so on, great, but not awesome. This was a pretty good, and funny book, but definetly NOT Bonnie Brayant's best.

This was the first Saddle Club book I ever read.I went out and bought it awhile after i read it...I say it was very good.....All that work just causeof some stuff!!!!!!!Taking on that many horses would be hard work....But the Saddle Club did it!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the first Saddle Club Book I have read and it is still one of my favorites and I own over 40 of the books. After reading this book I went out to get more and it basically got me into this series and now I am hooked! This book is full of crazy plans and crazy buisness deals and there is also a little bit of pay back to Veronica!

Lisa,Stevie and Carole are broke!Then Stevie comes up with one of her wild schemes.Carole and Lisa end up helping Stevie and the three become 'Horsesitters'. The part we enjoyed most was when Honeybee,the great Palomino,went missing and Lisa and Deborah tried to make an excuse for Aunt Eugenia and her old fogey friends.Then as suddenly as she disappears,Honeybee turns up again. The other part we enjoyed was : Stevie watched, dumbfounded,as Veronica pulled out a credit card and paid."I can't believe it,"she whispered to her friends."She's buying MY bridle!It's just not fair." "She's just doing it to make you mad,"Carole whispered soothingly. "Well,it's working,"Stevie snapped.She glowered at Veronica,but the other girl didn't even glance at The Saddle Club as she took the bag from the clerk and sauntered out of the store. "What a jerk,"Lisa said when Veronica had gone.

Take this one to the beach but put on a lot of sun screen before you go. The plot will grab you and the afternoon and pages will fly by. Wall does a great job of keeping the narrative moving while evoking the beauty and unique culture of the coastal South Carolina lowcountry.

Arriving on the island (Hilton Head) for one of my quarterly visits, I stopped at the book store and was attracted to the "Local Authors" table. I picked up In for a Penny and took it to my villa.

I got so involved in the plot, and taken by recognizing the settings, that I read well into the night and straight through the next day. I enjoyed everything about this book, including the wonderful quotes from Bartlett's.

On day 3 I went back to the book store and bought the second in the series. I did force myself to do things in addition to reading for the remainder of my stay, but I am now hooked and will savor reading all of the Bay Tanner mysteries.

Excellent plot with interesting characters! This is a great mystery with lots of twists and turns - has excellent and accurate descriptions of the South Carolina coast and its people. A great "beach" read, perfect for anyone who loves a good mystery or wants to escape in an engrossing story...

The package had arrived by the time I got home from work on Friday. I tore into the package and then tore into the book. Didn't stop until I finished on Saturday! The book may be called "In for a penny", but you will be "In" for a great read!

In for a Penny was a good solid read with well-drawn characters that had believable relationships between them. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Not only did I write it, but I am just in love with the book because of the pure and raw passion that it has.

This book is filled with a love that is raw, but forever sweet. The poetry is natural, well written and very easy to understand. As the reader, you can feel how the love begins between Zeta & Mesiah and it leaves you wanting more.

Excellent!!!!! Great Job!

This is a very unique book of communicative poetry letters between Zeta and Mesiah. With each prose, the two exposure their affections and pour their souls onto each page! The love within these pages is pure, open and honest!

I commend the two for allowing us a glimpse of how true love begins! Award potential! -LC

The poetry is this book was captivating and sensual. I fell in love with the poets and I felt as if I was apart of their relationship. The love and passion they conveyed to one another from one poem to the next was a delight. However, you really don't know which poet is writing what, unless they state a gender. I really enjoyed the book.

The poets are in-depth in their expressions of love for one another. You instantly feel the love, passion and vibe they share in their relationship. This is an excellent book of poetry that examines internet dating from an African American couples perspective.

My friends and I (all women) just recently started an investment club and this book was just great. It provided useful forms, guidelines and warnings on how to setup your club and who should be in your club. A lot seems like common sense and lot isn't. We took this book with it's nice forms, etc. and ran with it. Today we have a bonafide investment club, filed our taxes and have been making investments that make us happy (not necessarily rich).

Like some of the others I bought other investment club books but you really don't need them. This one will do just as well and it's entertaining to boot.

My friends and I at my work place were interested in starting an investment club but we were not sure how to do it until one of the women said: "Aha, Motley Fool has put out a book about it!" So, we ordered the books, highlighted everything, and got excited about starting a club. And we did it all because of this book.

My sister and I were looking for info on starting an investment club for our family and we turned to the Motley Fool book. It was great for everyone in our family as we are all novices to the investing game. It was easy to read and everybody got through it before our first meeting. A big, big help!!!!

In starting an investment club it's important that everyone involved has a good idea of what to expect from a club. In signing agreements and feeling as though you are going to be bound to a group for a long term endeavour, this book helps to ease the anxiety that goes along with the club forming experience.

As with any other Motley Fool book this one has a reasonable balance of good, clear concise information, and foolish humor.

As a primer for beginners, this book is the best I've seen. It has lots of samples of forms and the agreements and by-laws. It is written at a level that any investor should understand what is going on.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in starting an investment club.

I have read both Starting and Running a Profitable Investment Club: The Official Guide from the National Association of Investment Clubs and The Investment Club Book in addition to this book.

While the other two books are very thorough and very well done, this one is the easist to read and understand.

I recommend all new Investment Club members to try this book.