Texas Books

HA! big blond creep? - a jerk? ------- and Samantha [not a good girl]is excused for her part in the misunderstandings?
Someone didn't read the same book I did --
RANSOM MY HEART by Gayle Wilson!
And who the devil is Jim Wilson - at least get the author right, you guys! Gayle Wilson as is on the book!
Please get this book listed under Gayle Wilson's book list.

The two McCuller brothers are very close. An then Mac is killed.
Chase is convinced that Rio Delgado is responsible. I guess that is known as "Kill the messenger." It turns out that Rio is his half-brother.
Chase is a man of honor, at least he tries to be until Samantha seduces him. Her father has demanded that Chase stay away from her.
Chase has been in love with Samantha since she was 17 but he is older than her. At 21 she seduces Chase and then they sure get their wires crossed, as he deals with Mac's death and his determination to put Rio in jail.

Now Samantha knows she is pregnant but refuses to inform Chase - yup, bull-headed and stubborn just like her daddy. He still has no use for Chase. So many little things lead to their estrangement.

Ah, but Sam Kincaid wants the best man for the job, when his granddaughter is kidnapped. Lucky for Samantha that it turns out to be Chase. He would do anything for her.

Now to deliver the ransom money, which takes Chase and Samantha on practically a wild goose chase. They get ambushed and suddenly Samantha finds out that Chase still wants her and maybe she had gotten things all wrong about him. Yup! just like all women who operate on their emotions.

It turns out that Samantha and Chase dealing with a true Mexican gentleman as a kidnapper. But then who wants to kill them??

Finally these two learn to follow their hearts and make a family. Chase is still willing to give Sam what he wants. A grandson!

"HOME TO TEXAS" series is starting out with a bang and I hope it just keeps getting better. This is definitely a keeper!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED -- Even though Samantha is a twit.
Now onto Rio's story - "Whisper My Love" - 5 years in prison, UGH!

We have read almost all of the Harlequin books, and this one interested us the most!!! We thought that Samantha should have told Chase in the beging about Amanda being his daughter.We can understand why Samantha loves him, but why did he have to be such a Jerk to her?! Ugghhh!

"Ransom My Heart" is a great book, except for one BIG problem: the hero is a complete jerk. In the prologue that sets up the story, he has sex with the heroine, then casts her to the side for reasons that really don't hold any water for anyone with a brain. We move ahead five years, where the man, Chase McCullar, is hired to find the kidnapped daughter of his one-time love, Samantha Kincaid. Although Samantha is mysterious about the girl's father, the reader already knows who it is the whole time. That doesn't detract from the story, though, as they have to struggle through a danger-fraught trip through Mexico to find the girl, only to discover secret dangers lingering back in Texas... Wilson's action sequences are great, I liked Samantha (especially for putting up with the Big Blond Creep, Chase), but he ruined the book for me. Arrogant, condescending, and insufferably rude, I wanted her to knock him over the head through just about all of the book. Frankly, I couldn't understand why Samantha would even want him, considering the way he treated her, but I guess if the cover art is any indication, she thought his looks were good enough.

This is the first book of Wilson's "Home to Texas" trilogy, and it makes for a good beginning. Unfortunately, Chase plays a prominant role in the other two, "Whisper My Love" and "Remember My Touch," and he's a jerk in both of those too. Fortunately, a development in that last book takes him out of most of it, something that we all can be grateful for. All three books are worth checking out.

right up to the last page. I fell in love with Chase and Samantha's romance. This book, the first in a three part McCullar series, was the perfect mix of romance and drama. I've already started the second book, Whisper My Love and can't wait to get to Jenny's story in Remember My Touch. Gayle Wilson is going on my permenant to be bought list!!

This was definitely the best book I've read in ages! While some readers might feel that Chase is a jerk, if you read carefully, you'll know that he didn't mean the things he said, and he knew from the beginning that he loved Samantha with all his heart. This is one of those books where I couldn't wait for the end, and then when it came, I wanted more! Please, Gayle, write another book about Chase, Samantha and Mandy!

When I ordered Bill Jacobson: Photographs the Rocky Schenck book was automatically recommended by Amazon. I am so glad it was.

These images are simply haunting and beautiful, a kind of nostalgia for a memory you've never had.

Highest recommendation.

Excellent work from a photographer not known enough in Europe. Only seen in real, by me, in Paris-Photo fair. A book to have, for argentic pictures lovers, fond of plastician photographs.

Rocky Schenck is a gifted photographer, the images within this book are dark, moody, melancholy, and hard to take your eyes away from. Schenck has been a long-time influence in my own work, so I was excited with this purchase. Just be aware that this book is 99% images, with very little explained about the artists inspirations or techniques. I was hoping to find a little more insight into his processes...BUT, this book is still a keeper. Keep it up Rocky!

As an owner of one of Rocky Schenck's photographs, I was thrilled when I saw that there is a book published that is dedicated solely to his phtography. And what a book it is! This beautiful book, documenting Rocky's work from the mid ninties through the present, is a work of art in and of itself. Since the price was so reasonable I never expected such high quality production. The paper used is perfect, as it has a great "hand" and a subtle glossiness. Each plate has it's own page as well it should for a book of photographs. Rocky Schenck's work is just so beautiful! Even if you are not familiar with his dreamlike and brilliant compositons you would be safe to treat yourself to this book sight unseen.

Rocky is one of the most interesting fine art photographers at work today. While there is a little of the turn-of-the-century Pictorialist sensibility in these pictures, he warps that tradition in sophisticated and surprising ways. In addition, he shows how powerful suggested narrative can be in the right hands. Stories are everywhere in these images--but the photographer leaves them open-ended, the mystery intact. This is work that gives one hope for contemporary fine art photography.

The so-called El Paso Salt War is one of those important events seemingly forgotten in the swirls of history. Yet it is a tale that ripples through Anglo and Mexican relations to this day.

Undoubtedly, one of the reasons this chapter has gone relatively lost is the complexity of the story. It involves hundreds of people, many with backstories vital to understanding what happened and why. There are numerous shades of grey and nuances that demand a subtlety beyond the scope of most researchers and writers.

But not Paul Cool.

Years of intense study and investigation provided him insights previously undiscovered. Moreover, Paul has been able to take this huge amount of information and present it in an easy to understand, intelligent yet compelling book. His talent is a gift to the reader.

And make no mistake--Salt Warriors is a grand tale of greed, ego, ethnic and cultural hatred, duplicitous behavior and violence that no novelist could have come up with. If this were fiction, readers would dismiss it as a flight of fancy. But it's dead-on history. It really happened. And it impacts current border relations.

Paul Cool has done an incredible job of revealing the people and events of the Salt War, and of bringing them to life for the modern audience. This is a must for the library of any Old West history fan.

Salt Warriors is both a work of scholarship and a terrific read, one of those rare history books that is willing to consider the past on its own terms while reevaluating it in the light of the present. The best book on Old West history published so far this year.

The Salt War is one of those subjects that we have often heard without understanding its significance. Cool gives us an opportunity to catch up in a hurry. This book should appeal not merely to lovers of Old West history but to those who want to understand how it connects to the politics of our own time.

I have just finished reading Paul Cool's first book, Salt Warriors. The story of the Salt War in El Paso in 1877 is a complex saga of politics, greed and personal conflicts and Cool has done a wonderful job detailing the events and the combatants. He has exhausted every possible source in the search for new and expanded details on the conflict. In doing so, he has managed to deliver a very balanced account of the trouble. In particular, the author has used his outlaw/lawman research experience to help provide greater detail on all the participants. The result is a triumph of research and writing, that stands above previous works on the subject. Cool's ability to unlock background details of the key players allows for a greater appreciation of the motives of both sides and thereby engages the reader in the events. Salt Warriors is a great read and a truly important historical work, written by a gifted author and indefatigable researcher. Congratulations Paul Cool. The book was long overdue but worth the wait.

Although not as resonant in American borderland history as the Alamo or San Jacinto, the El Paso Salt War left a lasting imprint in Anglo-Hispanic relations, especially in western Texas and New Mexico. With this first full-length study of the Paseño insurrection in El Paso and environs, borderlands historian Paul Cool has advanced both our knowledge of history and our understanding of the roots of present-day borderland issues. Cool, with prodigious research and use of a myriad of untapped primary source material, has shed new light on this 1877 insurgency that saw murderous clashes between Mexican-Americans, known as Paseños, and newly arrived Anglo-Americans.

Hispanic settlers had apparently been communally utilizing and selling nearby salt deposits as a cash crop for generations. With the coming of Anglos and a differing concept of resource ownership, a culture clash and an ensuing clash of arms was inevitable. Paseños thought the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo guaranteed their unfettered access to the salt even as the region was ceded by Mexico to the U.S., but the Anglo-dominated Texas legislature had other notions. Mix in the personal tragedy of putative manager of the salt lakes and provocateur of Paseños, Charles H. Howard, his angst explained by Cool's insightful analysis of his humiliation and his southern notions of honor and gratitude, and the triumph of violence over diplomacy was unavoidable. And triumph it did, for three deadly months.

Neither institutions nor individuals come off particularly well- the Texas Rangers, the U. S. Army, local law officers, the main protagonists or antagonists- although the author probes the motives and depths of each and makes it all compelling. Most on the Anglo side are incompetent or craven to one degree or another, several are plain cowardly. Others, notably a Silver City contingent of hardcases masquerading as a peace force, led by Dan Tucker and John Kinney and including killer Jim McDaniels, are worse, functioning as little more than a gang of robbers, rapists and murderers. An especially valuable section for the reader's closure is a follow-up on the key participants in the Salt War drama, tracing their later, post-insurrection, years, often with poignancy.

This overdue study is beautifully written, and is a significant achievement in the scholarship of southwestern history.

The best book about the war over the salt flats just west of the Guadalupe Mountains in West Texas.

Sam Houston is a figure who aroused great passions beginning in his own day and continuing to the present. Jim Haley's well written biography, supported by fifteen years of research in original archives not available (or used) by past researchers, joins the ranks of major works on this interesting figure. The book should join the library of anyone interested in the Texas Revolution and its heroes. With impressive scholarship, the book is well written and enjoyable to read. A major achievement, worth the wait.

Sam Houston was larger than life! Prof. H.W. Brands has stated that you could never write a novel based on Sam Houston's life because nobody would believe it: He was right! What a great figure! Admirable with all his flaws, a true hero. Mr. Haley's book is written well, though not perfect, I recommend it to anyone looking for a great story and a great and well lived life.

The question begs asking -- "Who is James L. Haley?" -- because this author has come forward without a lofty academic post and shown the cheek to produce what is probably the finest modern biography of Houston yet written.

With several dozen good biographies of Houston already in print, James L. Haley went the extra mile and built a terrific book based mostly on primary sources, many if not most of them apparently first mined by him. He appears to do research the old-fashioned way -- in archives, accosting private collectors, and pursuing the odd distant family source as well. At a time when the lions of academia are being dragged through the mud of plagiarism and scandal, blithely recasting and repackaging the hard work of others, Haley's work-ethic -- which is purely Puritan -- is pure refreshment to find.

His book has more heart and soul than either Marshall De Bruhl's or J. H. Williams's works. And just as importantly, Haley -- lack of academic-world gravitas notwithstanding -- writes with the strongest sense of voice. He gets carried away a bit when he's feeling his oats, but the result on balance is sterling biography. As the eminent Texas historian Elliott West says on the back cover, all future scholarship on Houston and Texas will have to reckon with this striking, substantial book.

James Haley's "Sam Houston" is a study into a man's soul. Using new resources he has humanized the man and the legend. Mr. Haley has done the best possible job of getting into the head of Sam Houston and explaining his life long habits without falling into the easy trap of revisionism. As a matter of fact in my mind he is a champion of the facts, using common sense logic when faced with the incompleteness of facts that is often found in history. He often has to navigate through the propaganda of the day and connect the dots with the straight edge of reality. This is well demonstrated by the facts presented about the biggest Sam Houston mystery of all, why his marriage with Miss Eliza Allen failed. You will have to read the book to find the answers.
Easy to read for the casual reader, well noted for the serous researcher. James Haley's "Sam Houston" is a great read.

This is one of the most awesome books I have ever read! I didn't want to put it down! This is a wonderful biography for a history buff or just a person curious in learning about the life of one of this nation's greatest leaders! Great buy!

As a former Ambassador College, Pasadena student (1974 - 76) and ex-WCG member, Showdown at Big Sandy opened my eyes to many of the events that occurred during my tenure. I was privileged to meet the author and have many informal chats with him in the Pasadena Student Center.

I was delighted to be reacquainted with him more than 30 years later through the WCG Journal website. We had a lot in common having attended Ambassador College at the same time, and upon reading his book, I was re-introduced to many of the mutual friends we had and each individual's subsequent struggle with the dogma and rules that were enforced upon us as members.

I was especially impressed with Mr. Doudna's Biblical investigation into many of the doctrines that were blindly followed by most of the cult members, including myself. This was an intoxicating belief-system run by charismatic leaders and I was seduced by their dogmatic answers to all of society' ills, as well as the future of our world as explained by the Armstrongs and their church elders who combined prophecies from Daniel and Revelation to literally scare us into joining the cult.

Mr. Doudna and his small group of friends challenged many of these beliefs and there is a step-by-step account of this in his book which I find fascinating as well as instructional.

I recommend this book to anyone who is familiar with the Armstrong Empire, and especially to people who are interested in the inner workings of a cult and the hold it places over its unsuspecting membership.

Gillian Lynn Katz
Author, Scarsdale, New York.

This is the most thoroughly researched work of apologetics and the history of one of the worst cults to form in America. Greg has done a marvelous job of comparing the way doctrinal concepts were formed and how the followers of Armstrongism were so easily brainwashed into accepting them.
It behooves all who are exiters of the Worldwide Church of God(past and present)to read this excellent history of that church.
Myra McQueen

"Big Sandy" in the title of this book got my attention and gave me a strong desire to read it. Big Sandy was a big part of my life as I spent two years there working in the press, met my future wife there and got married to her there. We stay in touch with friends who live there now. Recently Big Sandy was even in the sports news at the time of the Super Bowl. The coach of the Chicago Bears, Lovie Smith was from Big Sandy, TX. During the NFC championship game between the Bears and the Saints I saw someone holding a sign that said "Big Sandy, TX loves Lovie Smith". One of my Big Sandy friends wrote me to tell me the sign holder was one of his neighbors. So Big Sandy has a special place in my heart and a book about Big Sandy sounded interesting.

The title of the book is rather long but it's probably the clearest statement of the author's reason for writing the book that you'll find. The book is more than anything a record of Doudna's efforts to confront the leadership with his constant barrage of written new found truths from his young and inquisitive mind. An effort shown to have been largely wasted.

The book is written in three segments: (1) Innocent in Paradise, (2) Creativity, and (3) Denouement.

In the first part of the book the author tells us how he came to be in Big Sandy at this strange college and then he gives a quick glimpse into the history of the church and the leader behind the college. That gives us a look at Herbert Armstrong and the Worldwide Church of God. Although he paints a fairly accurate picture of some of the teachings and beliefs of the Worldwide Church of God he focuses on those few teachings which he immediately challenged with his youthful exuberance and creativity. That paints a rather narrow picture of the church. It seems that he can't really spend much time on his innocence or on his paradise as he jumps right into several of his creatively new articles in this first segment of the book rather than putting them all into the second segment.

The author is quick to point out that his youthfully creative articles were not really all he thought them to be at the time as he now relegates most of his articles and newly discovered truths to the trash pile of history and hallucination. He does convey quite strongly that he was full of enthusiasm to learn and to promote his own discoveries. After reading through several of his newfound truths it was hard not to take his advice which he gave several times that the reader could skip over his next thesis without missing any of the story of the book. But there is the problem the author faced in telling his story. The story of the book is Doudna's various articles. On the one hand he tries to tell how he struggled to get the leadership to read and evaluate his articles and on the other hand he gives us these articles in their complete and lengthy original form. Reading completely through them got a bit tedious.

As I read further in the book I kept wondering why such a one dimensional character was being presented. Doudna's writing gives the impression that his life consisted of very little more than writing one thesis after another. A life of one challenge to church doctrine after another. He does mention a job he held on campus and a few classes but only in the context of how they related to his articles and challenges. Having experienced life at Ambassador College myself and having experienced it much differently than the intellectual wonder child that Doudna seems to be I had to wonder if there were any student activities in his college life. Were there any dates with the co-eds? Was there no time for romance in this paradise of his? What about sports or other interests? Was his only interest proving and promoting new truth?

The book made interesting mention of various students and faculty I knew personally in Big Sandy. I did not know Doudna as he came after my time at AC. So overall I enjoyed reading the book and found much that stirred old memories in my mind. It did leave me wishing that Doudna had spent more time writing about his more normal college relationships but maybe he didn't have those. I also longed for more about his reasons for going back to his Quaker roots. But then to put all that into this book he would have had to eliminate some of his many articles and that would have defeated what seems to have been the point of this book, namely to impress the reader with his youthful intellectual brilliance.

The book is definitely interesting to read if you have any interest in the history of the church or college.

This fascinating book is a Forrest Gumpian romp through the Worldwide Church of God and Ambassador College in the mid-Seventies. But instead of naive Forrest we have intelligent and clear-minded Craig Doudna to recount and analyze events. Like Forrest, destiny brought Douda into contact with many of the most influential people and events in the Worldwide Church of God at that time. But this is not a just a light cultural tour. Doudna's penchant for writing revisionist and cogent doctrinal papers led him to the ideological heartland of Armstrongism, a heartland populated with colorful characters with interesting behaviors. Since his doctrinal papers challenged tradition, Doudna engaged these institutions and ideologues in an evocative way that exposes for the reader the essential core of Armstrongism. But this was all done with sincerity on Doudna's part. As a student at Ambassador College, he was not a firebrand radical but a serious student who sought to add to the integrity of the Armstrongite ideology. Likewise, the theme that runs through this book is not one of unremitting polemics but rather the development and awakening of a young person in the crucible of fundamentalism. This reviewer was present at Ambassador College when Doudna was there and can vouch for the fact that Doudna has effectively captured the spirit of that time. For those people who are familiar with the Worldwide Church of God and its history, this will be a "page turner". For those interested in an academic analysis of fundamentalist sects, this will be an excellent case study. Both entertaining and thought provoking, this account should be required reading for young people who are drawn to Armstrongism but do not have a broad and balanced view of its history.

Greg Doudna was a student at Ambassador College, Big Sandy during the turbulent Seventies, and this is his story. Showdown at Big Sandy seems to be mercifully free of the hobbyhorse apologetics that spoil many books of this sort. This is, in addition, more than just an AC alumnus on a nostalgia trip. The author, who later returned to his Quaker roots, is in fact something of an authority on the subject of the Dead Sea Scrolls, with articles in The Journal of Hebrew Scriptures and The Bible and Interpretation, and an 800 page text published by Sheffield Academic Press entitled "4Q Pesher Nahum: A Critical Edition." Be assured, however, that Showdown seems anything but a dense academic dissertation, and will be compulsory (and perhaps compulsive) reading both for those who attended Ambassador College in its heyday, and those of us who are simply fascinated by the history and evolution of Armstrongism.

Showdown at Big Sandy was first published in 1989, but has been out of print for some time. Greg has now updated and reissued the book. I'm very glad he has.

Wow! I just finished this book & am amazed at the example Joe Massengale has lived by. If you're looking for a book on parenting & how to live your life, this is it. Character, determination, focus, love, confidence... what else can you say. Joe Massengale leads his life by example & instills all of the above qualities in his children.

I would encourage any parent or anyone looking for a blueprint on how they should live their life to the fullest to read this book.

As the father of two sons, ages 14 and 11, I found the book to be very inspiring, uplifting, and valuable. The authors deliver beautifully on the title's promise to tell a powerful story about how a father succeeded in raising six successful sons and the back cover's promise to articulate the ways in which the qualities of confidence, fortitude, pride, persistence, fearlessness, and focus are important for a successful life. But beyond that, the way the book is organized and the excellent writing gave the experience a depth of richness that was much greater than I anticipated and more pleasure than I could have felt justified in expecting.

We can all learn from Massengale. Each of us has our own story; our own past,our own struggles. What makes Joe's story special is how he transcended incredible adversity all the while teaching his children these invaluable lessons.

Joe Massengale is a remarkable man who's led an extraordinary rags-to-riches-to-rags-back-to-riches life...from fearing for his own poverty-stricken life in the days of lynchings, to working his way up to owning his own race horses in Hollywood. His biography alone would make an inspiring, thoroughly readable book -- but having it woven through such valuable lessons, and memorable object lessons, all in service of passing on hard-earned down-to-earth wisdom on something as crucial as character-development...well it makes this book all the more important. And how refreshing to have a "good for you" book that's so well-written! David Clow not only writes elegantly, but knows how to get out of Joe Massengale's way to let his subject's own distinctive voice come through clearly. That Joe Massengale happens to be African-American makes me wonder why Oprah Winfrey hasn't devoted an hour to him yet, but let me hasten to add - his lessons are UNIVERSALLY relevant. You do NOT have to be any particular color to "get" this wisdom, nor to need it. Turning children into responsible adults is the hardest and most important job in the world, no matter your color, age, station in life...or gender. Yes, I'm saying even moms can get something valuable from ths book. So could kids, single adults, you name it - anyone with an interest in the being, and shaping, productive, respected members of society. Only perfect people need not learn these lessons, and if you think you're perfect you need this book more than anyone! Need I mention, as I glance at the calendar, that this would make a HECK of a Father's Day gift?

Six Lessons for Six Sons, written by Joe Massengale and David Clow provides a enlightening approach to providing your children with important gifts to guide them through life. The authors have identified the gifts that help individuals believe in themselves and develop the strength to deal with the inevitable setbacks we all experience, and rise above them. This book is extremely well written, unpretentious, and presents, in a simple straight forward way, six qualities that lay down a foundation for living a rich, admirable and principled life. Massengale and Clow do an outstanding job of presenting these lessons in a way that should inspire fathers (and mothers too) to look at the art of raising children to be productive members of society. It stands head and shoulders above all of the self help books on the market today.

The six lessons are ones that I wish I had in raising my own sons.


Kevin J. Lyons, Ph.D.
Editor, Journal of Allied Health

The best poetry I've read by a living poet. I've read these poems over and over. I particularly like, for example, the sestina, A Variation on Themes by the Doors. It's work on paper, but unlike so much new poetry, it is not paper thin. It is lyrical, inventive (without being eccentric), evocative and dense with meaning and mystery. It is emotional and yet the author never spews or sprawls. He is pointed, and controlled without ever being rigid. He uses traditional forms effectively, without ever being pedantic, employing them to make the greatest use of what they might have to offer. In a world where so many don't even know what the forms are, this is especially welcome. Such inventive and rigorous poetry, poetry that works the mind AND the soul of the reader, is rare indeed.

Mark Svenvold's new collection of poetry, entitled appropriately, Soul Data, is a rich tapestry of material and etherial images (lumberman boots "hobnailed and treble-stitched", "air like silk drawn into the lungs," "mist of angels on the head of a pin"), of bold and subtle twists on traditional poetic forms (sonnet, villanelle), of personal and universal histories and geographies. Svenvold's debut soliloquy is really more of a symphony, a harmonious blending of different voices and sounds (from the wind in the trees to "chantey and anchor clank") that do not so much transcribe as transcend the data hovering somewhere in the fields and folds - and along the many shores - of the soul's memory. As both a professor of literature and poetry, and an amateur poet, I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in discovering what is both new and timeless in the poetic tradition spanning the United States.

Since you posted the terrible Kirkus review (always wretched)you need to hear a few words from Seattle's "Stranger" written by Jan Wallace, since these words express my sentiments precisely : 'Heather McHugh had her wits about her when she awarded the Vassar Miller Prize to Svenvold's "Soul Data," a book of poems that transforms form from the inside out. I've followed Svenvold's poetic progress for over ten years -- his work has only gotten more and more intense and precise. Sonnets, a villanelle, a sequence of couplets -- formal structures here are made to hold and expose what, without that girding, might explode. Svenvold, a homegrown Seattleite, takes as one theme the Cabaret Hegel, a reading and performance series which local poet Stephen Thomas ran in the old Buffalo Shoe Factory for four years in the '80s. His series of 11 sonnets, "Death of the Cabaret Hegel" (previously published as a chap book), has lots of local interest, including a Jimi Hendrix graveyard trip, plus lines like "As the sun sets the body becomes liquidier,/until in darkness all is sloshing and carrin' on,/the body's jellies a prelude to the sobbing that's to come--/but what of it? That's the way we like it here,/a steady rain stipulating the water,/constancy copied and dopplered into open/space, like promise or premise to build upon." Svenvold takes delight in linguistic play, and manages to intensify and make tangible his emotions rather than eclipse them with his smarts. This is a rare bird of a book. The atmosphere, the language, the mood (there are three different poems entitled "Desperate Message..."), the use of form, and the motional intelligence behind these poems have everything to recommend them.' From this reader's point of view Svenvold's is an orginal voice and Kirkus (as usual)hasn't a clue what they're reading.

In the mid '80s, the Cabaret Hegel, a reading and performance series was held in an old boot factory in Seattle, Washington, until the structure was torn down to make way for a major freeway interchange. Fortunately, the Cabaret Hegel has been remembered more poetically by one of its participants, Mark Svenvold, in the opening sequence of his first book, Soul Data. But to say that this homage consists of a series of sonnets is just as inadequate as my flat statement of the cabaret's history. Poetic forms do not restrict Svenvold; rather, they provide a framework for displaying his insight and playfulness. There's nothing stodgy about "Sex Fiend Sonnet," for instance, and "Variations on Themes by The Doors" is an intricately written sestina. Poet and critic Heather McHugh selected this book for the Vassar Miller Award, in 1997, and the two share a deft juggling of language that never overwhelms the content. "I'm not here to double your entendre or your fun/ though, trouble is, trouble (both ex- and in-/ tends, virus-wise, to spread out everywhere," the fiend explains, and the new crowd at the Comet Tavern, the setting for "Variations on Themes by The Doors," is "black-booted, blue-eyed, baby-faced & beer-fisted." Svenvold turns his descriptions, puns, rhythm, metaphors, and occasional surreal twists to such varied topics as Thelonius Monk, pornography, baseball, bad dates, and the death of parents. One of the three poems called "Desperate Message" begins, "There hands have found in each other/the impossibility of bodies," and these hands end up, "like tourists without visas, cameras without film, busily, purposfully/taking picture after picture after picture." Fortunately for us, Svenvold has caught these poetic visions to share.

SOUL DATA by Mark Svenvold is a poetic elegy to place, time, and family.  In EVIDENCE, "...liberty--/ how most of us have used ours up and carry/ what's left as we carry our bodies,/ pouting and untenable, from place to place--".  And in SEX FIEND SONNET: "the wreck I've caused I am."  Serenades, augury, and elegies are all part of the mix here.  Svenvold's western voice is as clear and as erotic as that of Hugo or Wright. The subject throughout this wonderful first collection seems to be the endurance of language and identity between the needed mountain and the histories of clouds, waves, and stone.  SOUL DATA is a book well worth the read.

Scott Hightower (72050.2350@compuserve.com)

Luke Chisum has spent a good chunk of his life running from the past. Luke was adopted as a infant and though his parents have always loved him it seems as though his older brother hates the fact he is part of the family. When he was a senior in high school, he dated Becky (Bec), the sheriff's daughter on a dare. The first date was a dare but all the subsequent dates were because he fell in love with her. The only problem was that he never told her about the dare. When she found out, she refused to talk to him anymore and started to date someone else. Luke was devastated and joined the Army and left town.

Now sixteen years later, he is back. He's home to help out his mother after his father has a stroke, and to work on the family farm. He has never gotten Bec out of his system and would love to pick up with her. But she is a divorced woman now and has a son in high school.

Bec is scared that Luke will learn her secret. But a couple of shocking family revelations will stun not only Luc but all in town. What will happen when Bec reveals her secret on top of all of this? Will they all have enough love to survive the issues?

In this final chapter with the friends of River Bluff, we meet Bec and Luke who have quite the past together. I enjoyed Texas Bluff, though I had not read any of the other books in this series. I must say Ms. Warren did a great job in throwing in a number of unforeseen connections. I think that Ms. Warren has definitely found the genre that she thrives in and adds a new twist to a popular genre. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and wish there was another in the series to visit the area again. If you enjoy Texas romances, you will like Texas Bluff.

Tanya
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Luke Chisum spent most of his life running from his past. Now
a family crisis had brought the former River Bluff daredevil
home. Home to the small-town girl he still loves-and the secret
that could tear them apart again.
Sixteen years ago, Like dated Becky on a dare and broke her
heart. Now he's back, rekindling desire and tempting Becky to
give him a second chance. But she can't risk Luke discovering
the truth about the child she's kept from him all these years.
Becky isn't the only one keeping secrets. A shocking revelation
about his own family is about to test Luke he never imagined -
as a father and a son...
Even though Texas Bluff is apart of a multi-author series (Texas
Hold'em by SuperRomance), Linda has made this book standalone
in the series - I didn't need to read the earlier books.
Linda does a wonderful job of making the characters and conflict
real to the reader. She shows how different generations of
a family can be, and yet how similar they are.
For those that have read Linda's other books will not be disappointed
in this very excellent read.

Becky falls for the sexy cowboy named Luke on their first date. She thought he felt the same for her, until she hears that their date is nothing but a dare. She ends their relationship and her daddy gives Luke his first taste of hell. Luke enlists in the army, leaving River Bluff.

Years pass and Luke returns home from injuries sustained during combat. He is no longer the reckless teenager but is still devilishly handsome. He finds things have changed except for Becky who is still as beautiful and sassy as ever. She never left River Bluff. She works as a nurse at the high school and helps out at the clinic. She is always there when someone needs her.

Luke and Becky's unresolved issues with their past keep them from going forward. Living in the same town puts them together too often for Becky's comfort. Becky's first marriage ended in divorce. Now she lives with her father. Bravely she tries to take care of her wayward son who is at the age where he needs money to buy a car.

Luke has his own problems with his family. His older brother resents him, his father is recovering from a stroke, and his mother relies heavily on Becky to get through the hard times. Wherever Luke travels, Becky is either there or on her way to help someone in trouble. He just can't avoid her no matter how hard he tries.

Becky has her own troubles. The fact that her son doesn't want to be around the man who is his father should be a good sign, but it isn't. She also has a secret. She knows that she needs to keep it quiet, but doing so makes her feel guilty. When it leaks out it will change their lives forever. She isn't the only one with a secret. Luke's family has one of their own. Will the news blow Luke's life apart in ways that were untouched when he was fighting the war or can he survive?

TEXAS BLUFF is a riveting novel by Linda Warren. The story is skillfully written with characters that are true to life. In this story, Linda relates to issues found in many homes today, where family members come home to take care for their aging parents. In this tale, she gives insight on how Luke handles and helps his father's recovery along with Becky's help. Becky is a gutsy woman who takes life by the horns and meets it. Luke's training in the army helps him to handle most circumstances without flinching. Both traits will see these two to the end. Will they get together, or will their deceit destroy them? Run to your nearest store and pick up a copy of Linda's book. No bluffing, this is an excellent read!

Reviewed by Amelia at Romance Junkies

Becky has been keeping a secret for years. Behind her sweet, nice demeanor she has been dying inside since Luke Chisum has come back to their hometown of River Bluff, Texas. She is afraid Luke will find out that years ago he fathered a child and she has raised him as another man's son. Becky is the nicest nurse around, will help anyone with anything even the family of the man who broke her heart before he left town for good.

Luke Chisum was just as heartbroken when Becky found out about a bet and ended their relationship. She thought she was a joke to him, but he loved her more than life. He left town to heal, and became career military to block the pain. Sixteen years later he has to return home and his heart still wants the girl he once knew.

TEXAS BLUFF is an extremely well written tale that will keep readers sighing for more. As parents know they will do anything to protect their young - and the parents in this story have done their best, yet heartache is about to come to the surface. The emotional ups and downs of this story will make every reader come back for more.

Linda Warren has a writing style that just gets better with time. Ms. Warren is a talented author who just keeps getting better! The tight knit story line, combined with the creative pictures Ms. Warren has written, give this book a dimension that will make readers feel right at home in River Bluff, as though they can look out their window and see the clinic where Becky works! After more than twenty published novels, this author's writing is still fresh, her creative plots flow from one scene to another drawing the reader in.

This is an author to be watched! Her next novel, due out this spring ALWAYS A MOTHER is sure to be a keeper!

Review Courtesy of Love Romances and More.

After being away from his hometown for years, Luke Chisum returns to River Bluff, Texas due to a family crisis. However, the former military helicopter rescue officer knows he is still attracted to the girl he took to the prom years ago Becky Parker but she gives him the evil eye and cold shoulder for he abandoned her.

He wants a second chance with his Sweet Bec, but she refuses to have anything to do with him. Becky knows she still loves the man who broke her heart sixteen years ago and would love to give him a second chance to mend it. However, she has kept one secret from him; he sired her beloved fifteen years old Shane.

This is fascinating second chance at love romance that started years ago with a poker bet and now the game is renewed once Luke returns home (medical discharge from war injuries) with he and Bec bluffing to hide their deepest secrets and feelings from the opponent they love. Luke and Bec are wonderful antagonists while the townsfolk amusingly watch the two combatants in action in the final Texas Hold Em romance.

Harriet Klausner

Texas Charm is a must-read book--four complete novels in one volume. Romance, intrigue, suspense and plenty of Southern charm. Heartwarming plots, believable characters, human interest situations that anyone can relate to. Another winner from popular author DiAnn Mills.

DiAnn Mills has done a fabulous job weaving a common thread throughout the four novels, yet each is equally interesting as a stand alone novel. These stories will reel you in and take you from tears to laughter and back again. Beautifully crafted stories and each has an important spiritual truth. At the end of each novel you know the characters and consider them friends. I couldn't put it down. I would recommend this book to everyone I know...and even a few people I don't know. My words cannot do it justice.

The cover draws the reader into a quiet afternoon setting, sitting on the porch of a plantation, with the breezes gently blowing. Each story has at least one character that you get so involved with that you feel every emotion the character experiences. Country Charm set the stage for the rest of the book, with Paula, a widow woman who had no intentions of loving again. The author expresses the fear, doubt, and uncertainty of each character along with prayer, godly wisdom from friends, and patience from God. The second story, Equestrian Charm, is an excellent story for all ages regarding the importance of premarital purity and the purity covenant of people in love. It is also a fun way to learn about Arabian horses and it made me want to go horseback riding. Cassidy's Charm is the third story of this great novella. Unforgiveness of ourselves and and the effect our past has on others keeps the reader turning every page of this story. Forgiveness is the central theme. Cassidy's Charm helps the reader see the importance of forgiving ourselves and the old ways of traditional thinking regarding muti-cultural relationships. The author adds another life lesson to her final story, Compassion's Charm. With all odds thrown against Rachel, she should be bitter, but she isn't. This last story has some nail biting adventure running through it. In each story, the author brings in spiritual life lessons that you can learn to apply to your life, and the prayers are simple yet powerful. When I finished reading this book, I thought about it for several days and the lessons that impacted the character's lives. You won't want to lay this book down.

Texas Charm tells the stories of four strong, determined women who each face a terrible tragedy. Some overcome by holding tight to their faith in God, while the others overcome by discovering a new-found faith through the midst of the tragedy. DiAnn Mills does a skillfull job of combining four excellent books into a single, excellent package. I had previously read Country Charm and Equestrian Charm but it was a delight to go back and read them all over again. I was impressed with the tight way she weaves all four stories together, as well as the research that must have gone into each book. Each book builds upon the last and each book is just as good as, if not better than, the last. I truly enjoyed reading Texas Charm and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone.

It is beautifully written and very entertaining. It's the type of novel you don't want to put down until you finish it. She writes with an excellent sense of humor throughout the book. I really enjoyed being able to laugh along with the characters in their situations. She uses biblical principles and scriptures in solving the everyday life challenges her characters go through. It was good to see prayer used by the characters for their situations. She also showed the model love of Jesus in the characters of each story. The cover makes one think of a quaint country home in the springtime with a large rounded porch to sit outside and enjoy the nice breeze and scent of bluebonnets. It makes you want to have a porch like it and sit there to read a good book and/or dream. My favorite was the 1st one, Country Charm. It as a very charming story with the character Paula planning and decorating for her business. It's easy to picture a very beautiful place with all the details she included, especially the antiques, decorations, furniture and the colors. The 2nd story keeps it interesting with unusual information Kristi is learning about Arabian horses and photography. The 3rd story is also very interesting with details of Cassidy running her boutique and adding homemade leather items to sell. The 4th story shows how Rachel learns she has more talents than she thought. There is an interesting facts page about Texas and Houston. Each novel fits the romance category very well. All 4 novels show the patience and unconditional love the characters show to the ones having their challenges of life."

if you are a true Texan...then this is the cookbook for you...the bbq sauce recipe from Rosebud is what I grew up eating as well as the Texas yum yum and the oatmeal cake...This is the BEST EVER cookbook and I will be ordering more to give as gifts!!!

This is one of the best cookbooks I own, and I own a lot of them. I can read cookbooks like some people read novels. The recipes I have tried in this book have all been extremely good. I am buying several to send to friends who live in the North - (they don't know a lot about good Southern cooking!)

If you like southern cooking, this is the cookbook for you. We've tried many of the recipes and have yet to be disappointed. If I could use one phrase to entice you it would be: "Just like my mother used to make". The recipes are simple, easy to prepare and delicious. 'Nuff said.

This is one of the best cookbooks I own, and I own a lot of them. I can read cookbooks like some people read novels. The recipes I have tried in this book have all been extremely good. I am buying several to send to friends who live in the North - (they don't know a lot about good Southern cooking!)

This is a great source for excellent recipes! It is primarily "comfort food" and family tradition type dishes - items which are not usually found in routine cookbooks. I've never made anything from it that was not outstanding. That says alot, since I'm from Texas myself, and a good chicken fried steak or chicken and dumplings recipe is hard to find! I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to make all those "traditional" down home meals but doesn't know how to do it from scratch.