Fletcher Books

I purchased this book after considering many watercolor painting books on Amazon.com and I'm so glad I did. It is beautiful in every respect. I also got one heck of a good price, too. This book has everything I wanted and more. Super concise and easy instructions and illustrations - just perfect for a beginner like myself. Every step of the painting is shown and explained. You just couldn't go wrong when using this book. I wish I had this book years ago because if I had, I would not have given up trying to paint with watercolors. Now I'm back and I'm going to love every step of learning with this helpful book. Gorgeous photos throughout. You will definitely be inspired!

An Excellent reference for beginning through advanced painters.

Everything needed to paint lovely floral watercolors: Selection of paper and paint colors; step-by-step sequence of demonstrations along with samples of completed "floral portraits".

If I were to own only one book of floral watercolors, this would be it!

I found this book to be very helpful in painting flowers with watercolors. Being new to the medium, this is a very valuable reference.

This book is on the top of my list of books I would recommend to learn to paint and draw flowers in watercolor, and I have a huge number of watercolor painting books to compare it to. It is also great for learning basic watercolor techniques, as the beginning chapter cover everything a beginner would need to know, but it is a book for watercolorists of all levels.

After the basic techniques and materials chapters which are outstanding in themselves, the student is given 26 beautiful flowers to paint, each with detailed instructions, and sometimes close-up views of exactly where the detail such as masking fluid goes, or where the next glaze goes, etc.. Each exercise gives the exact pallet you will need. The instructions are excellent.

I consider myself still a beginner, but was amazed at how beautiful my first flower turned out, and credit most of it to the teaching methods in this book. This book is among the very BEST OF THE BEST to learn from and also to enjoy the beauty of the paintings. I can't think of anything I didn't like about this book. It's tops in every way.

Not all artists can teach, but Adelene Fletcher is definitely a teacher. One thing I like about this book is she tells you all the colours you will need to do each flower in the book, and then gives you some very good instructions in painting them. I have done the first two flowers in the book and thoroughly enjoyed her method of teaching. I am now looking to buy her Trees and Foliage A-Z book but Amazon cannot get it and the other suppliers I've looked at so far do not ship to Canada.

Loved this book. Very clear and easy to read, we just started incorporating the ideas but I have high hopes for the process. It keeps things realistic which is a nice change.

This writer has done her homework. Weight Loss Confidential is well researched. In a compassionate voice, Anne Fletcher shares the real-life experiences of teens who have successfully lost weight and kept it off. Very inspiring for teens, their families and those of us who work with people struggling with their weight. In this book, we see what is possible. Overweight teens can and do learn to feel better about themselves and take better care of themselves. You'll learn their strategies for success - make a rule not to eat out of a bag or a container, swap sodas and sports drinks for water and other zero-calorie drinks, practice restraint, not deprivation. Lots of strategies for you whether you're a teen, a parent or a health professional.

I bought this book because my granddaughter is becoming overweight and I want to help her and my daughter to work on this problem. I am an RN and yet the information in this book was priceless because despite what I know and understand medically, the information on what works for the teens by teens could not be learned in nursing school. I have completed the book and have sent it on to Arizona from Texas so that my daughter and granddaughter can read it. I also took some of the information on keeping a daily journal and portion control and have lost 5 pounds since purchasing this book. I would recommend this book to all ages. The book also lists many other references for children and obesity problems.

A wonderful, quick, and captivating read! This book belongs on the bookshelves of teens, families, AND healthcare practitioners! "Weight Loss Confidential" is a great "how to" manual for teens who want to lose weight, and the book also serves as a source of motivation for teens who are ready to change. "Weight Loss Confidential" can also serve as a fantastic tool for medical and nutrition professionals who work with overweight youth. "Weight Loss Confidential" complies a myriad of pertinent data, quotes from teens, nutrition and exercise advice, effective weight loss programs, and up-to-date research. Finally, the book is a timely and much needed resource as pediatric overweight rates continue to climb. "Weight Loss Confidential" is simply fantastic...Buy it today!

-April Rudat, MS Ed, RD, LDN, author of the upcoming book, "OH YES YOU CAN BREASTFEED TWINS"

What an excellent concept, find teens who were successful at losing weight and determine how they did it. This book has been helpful for my husband and me, and MOTIVATING for my daughter. What I like the most is you see a chart of what things the kids did to lose weight. The ones that top the list are the healthy ones (exercised more, ate less fat, ate less in general) and the ones at the bottom are unhealty (took pills, etc). PROVING ONCE AGAIN that the RIGHT/SUCCESSFUL way to lose weight is to diet and exercise. This has totally motivated her to move more, the KEY FACTOR for these successful teens.

BRAVO!!

I'm so glad to have found this book again. We had an old faded copy when our children were growing up, but I loved to read it to them. We all need to be reminded that there's a place in this world for all of God's creatures. I'm getting copies now for my grandchildren who are enjoying a large banana spider living on their front porch.

I remember this book from my childhood, and have now introduced the book to my own family (which consists of my spider-hating husband and my impressionable toddler). As soon as I heard my daughter proclaim that spiders were icky, I read her this story and her feelings about spiders are now much nicer. She asks us to read her this story almost every night. Not only does Be Nice to Spiders have a nice lesson, but the illustrations are delightful.

Read it to my 3 yo daughter when she was afriad of spiderss, now she likes them. Worth the story

This was a favorite children's book of mine when I was a child, and my daughter has adored reading the book. It is well-illustrated and very well-written in a simple, easy to read way. The book traces the fate of a spider left at the doorstep of a zoo. A very fun book!

Billy is moving to an apartment that doesn't allow pets, so he leaves his beloved spider Helen at the zoo, where she promptly improves everyone's lives by eating all those annoying flies. Things are great until the head of the zoo sends out a misguided order to clean up the zoo --including those spider webs. This is a great book about unexpected and mutually beneficial relationships, and is good for bug lovers and haters alike.

First printed in 1967, this book's illustrations have a definite vintage feel to them.

Thank you very much for the fast and friendly service. Would recommend to others and buy again from you myself. Thank You.

This is the first diet book I have read that I really feel I can do it. It teaches you a new way of eating that is healthy, but good and the same time. This is something I plan on continuing the rest of my life. She explained everything wonderfully. I would recommend this book to anyone who is having trouble losing weight. I have accually bought the book for friends who wanted help with weight. She also provides tons of quick and easy recipes you will love. This will be the last diet book you ever buy!

I hate the idea that being thin is healthy. Just because you are thin doesn't mean you are healthy. That said I wanted to say that I really enjoyed this book! I read it in two days, it usually takes me a month or so to read diet books. Diet books are so boring! This isn't really a diet book but a motivating to be healthy book!
The ideas behind the book are so simple, to lose weight and to maintain that weight. There are tips in here that seem so obvious but we tend to forget, we beat ourselves up and then start the process all over again.

This book is a great sequel to Anne Fletcher's previous book, Thin for Life on eating healthy and losing weight. While I recommend reading Thin for Life first for a lot of great tips on motivation and long-term strategies, Eating Thin for Life has inspiring stories from people who lost weight and a number of strategies as well.

The best aspects of this book are its recipes. It has a short section with suggestions of quick, balanced meals and snacks of set calorie value that you can put together with little to no cooking. Additionally, it has a longer section containing tons of recipes of all kinds - salads, main dishes, breakfasts, quick breads, desserts, etc. The recipes are surprisingly delicious and satisfying for how healthy they are, and I've already learned new cooking techniques for creating healthier recipes of my own. This book has helped me make a permanent switch to a better lifestyle and lose weight in the process!

If you are a life-long yo-yo dieter like me, this is a book that will give you hope for your future efforts in the weight loss struggle. Anne Fletcher has provided helpful weight loss and maintenance tips and strategies from the "masters"...those folks who have lost weight and kept it off for years. It's a "must read" for anyone who is tired of the weight loss merry-go-round. Very encouraging!

This was an excellent book! The mystery was very well done and not too obvious. The descriptions of the ship were also outstanding.

This book is one of the best Murder, She Wrote books in the collection of 17. It is a definate page turner! Very hard to put this book down. Jessica Fletcher is at it again, when on a speaking event on a cruise ship crossing the Atlantic, murder strikes. One of the best parts of the books is that the murderer is on the ship, and cannot escape Jessica! There are so many twists and turns, just when you think you have solved the case, Jessica, with a new friend she meets on the ship, prove you wrong. I definately reccomend this book to any Murder, She Wrote fan!

I sent this book via Amazon to arrive at the hotel prior to us boarding QE2, what fun I thought !!! for my wife.

We've read the book both onboard and again later, we both agree the story is real fine but what we really liked was the detailed ship descriptions - if we were not onboard we would wish we were.

A fine book backed up by its correct backdrop descriptions.

Jessica Fletcher the world renowned mystery writer is invited to be part of a group of celebrity lecturers during a Trans-Atlantic crossing of the QE2. Her fellow celebrities include an elderly fitness freak who climbs mountains, an erratic Italian chef, a very odd woman who does a TV show about plants and an obnoxious actress. Also on board are a lovable little lady from North Carolina who won a mystery solving contest and the wealthy owner of a major TV network. Jessica immediately hits it off with Mary Ward, the little lady from Carolina and as they take a morning walk together on one of the decks, Mary notices a foot sticking out of a lifeboat. It turns out that the foot in question is attached to the dead naked body of one of the celebrity guests. With Mary acting as her Watson, Jessica starts to snoop and while on the trail of the killer (s) these dainty detectives make several astonishing discoveries.

The characters in this book are an excellent collection of personalities and they make the story all the more interesting. The story itself flows wonderfully along and draws the reader in as it goes, and knowing that the killer (s) is/are trapped on board with Jessica and Mary just adds to the suspense. This is in fact one of, if not the best plot I have yet to come upon in this series. Unlike some of the other books featuring Mrs. Fletcher, the clues are for the most part provided for the reader and if you pay close attention you can figure out "who done it" before Jessica tells you. Like Truman Capote in the film "Murder by Death" I just hate it when the reader isn't given all of the clues that the sleuth has until the very end.

Another very appealing aspect of this book is the setting. The QE2 is obviously a legendary ocean liner with a storied past and all of that history and atmosphere just oozes out of every page. The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra even puts in an appearance, just to add to the nostalgic setting. Best of all however is Jessica herself, for this is the Jessica Fletcher we have come to love on the TV series. In some of the other books Jessica does not come across very well but is testy, easily offended and has a very closed mind. This book brings back Jessica as she was meant to be and the way she should be.

This is indeed a page-turner with the plot taking all sorts of twists and turns and with several red herrings being thrown in for good measure. There is also champagne and caviar but the red herrings are far more interesting and tasty. Of course you have to be careful what you eat on this voyage because the sea is rough and there also might just be a little poison hiding somewhere in the food.

Jessica Fletcher is, in one word, endearing. "Murder on the QE2" is brilliant. Donald Bain knows what readers want. His Murder She Wrote novels are all page-turners. Thanks, Mr. Bain, for keeping us mystery lovers interested.

I can't possibly add any comment that wouldn't just echo the praise already heaped upon this excellent novel which I originally read as a teen in the early sixties. With the recent remake of The Manchurian Candidate updated to current events, Seven Days In May has preyed on my mind.

Possible scenario: The U.S. Military, totally disgusted with the Iraq War's civilian leadership and the destruction of a military establishment slowly and systematically put back together after Vietnam, decides to stop the carnage and waste and do SOMETHING about it. Of course, it would only be temporary until the next elections...or maybe not. A chilling possiblity.

This gripping 1962 novel provides a stark reminder of both the Cold War and the fragility of democratic rule. President Jordan Lyman has recently signed (and the Senate approved) a nuclear disarmament treaty with the Soviet Union. But the treaty remains highly unpopular, and has left many in and out of the military establishment frightful of surprise attack and seething with anger. Enter General James Scott, a charismatic leader with political ambitions. President Lyman learns that General Scott may be plotting against him, but the evidence is sketchy, and Lyman doesn't want to act against a possible military coup without something closer to proof. Adding to the President's woes are his current unpopularity, his doubts as to just who is loyal, and his uncertainty as to the correct course of action. As the story unravels, we sense the President's fear as well as the ever-present threats to democratic rule, particularly in times of danger and stress.

SEVEN DAYS IN MAY is an excellent novel as relevant today as it was in the 1960's. This fast-reading book was made into a very good 1964 movie with Frederick March (President Lyman), Burt Lancaster (General Scott), Kirk Douglas, Ava Gardner, and Edmond O'Brien.

Exactly as long as it needs to be--an important thing with books--"Seven Days in May" is a riveting thriller about the totally unthinkable: a military coup d'etat in the United States Goverment. Yet, the author makes it seem possible. A very popular general, a president with the lowest rating since Truman, and a Peace Treaty that has the country and the government divided...could it trigger a popular coup? It does in this book, and it is set forth totally realistically, as if something like this REALLY could happen. We think our country is immune from this kind of Byzantine political intrigue, but it turns out that we really are no less vulnerable from breakdown than your average banana republic...at least in this book. Chilling thought isn't it? Totally awesome book, I recommend it highly.

"Seven Days in May" is an authentic classic political thriller of the first rank. Authors Baily and Knebel present a scenario in which an unpopular President is targeted by America's top military brass for an actual military takeover of the government. The story is complex, but vividly presented with an authenticity that is both disturbing and plausible. The reader is brought to understand that it could happen here, and the story suggests how such a scenario could come about in these United States.

The novel is well-written and fast-paced, never drags, and absolutely holds the reader's interest throughout. The amazing thing about the story is that every bit of it hangs together without straining the reader's sense of credulity. The novel features excellent writing, and the authors weave the plot together towards a conclusion that is startling and believable (no spoiler here).

This was a big budget movie in the 1960s featuring Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster (available on DVD) and I would very much like to see a reprint of the novel become available, as my often-read paperback copy has long since fallen to pieces from frequent readings.

I read this book on a long airplane trip, and the story was so intense it kept me glued from lift off to land down.

As the other reviewers have summarized, the plot centers around "Seven days in May" as the President of the United States and his closest aides secretly scramble to thwart a coup being planned by the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The book is very fast paced, and has no "main" character. The point of view shifts from one character to another, often on opposite ends of the country, with lots of action in between. There are numerous twists and turns, but the book is never predictable or cliched.

It's also a very well-researched story, and anyone well versed in National Security and the Pentagon will be impressed at the two authors' attention to detail.

I was really amazed how un-dated this book is, despite being written in the early 60's. The authors wisely never reveal the year the story takes place, but subtle hints indicate it takes place sometime in the 70's (Kennedy is the last "real" President mentioned). When you hear the logic of some of the coup-planners you have to wonder wheter or not such a scheme has ever been secretly plotted in the past- or wheter a similar one will ever be plotted in the future. Complacency in the stability of ANY democracy can be dangerous, and the events in "Seven Days in May" certainly proves that.

This book highlights the independence that exists between the military and civilian branches of the US government, and the careful dance that the president must do to appease both sides. When it comes to matters of national security, the book raises the important question of who is ultimately responsible. Should the constitution always be respected, even when the safety of the nation is in danger? Does the military have the right to surpass the president if he is acting in a manner that will endanger the country? Does the president deserve to have his role as "Commander in Chief"?

In this era of terrorism and uncertainty, these are all very relevant questions to ask. This book, especially the ending, answers these, and many others, brilliantly.

"This World War II hometown adventure ranges from German P.O.W.'s to squirrel hunting to a tour of Chicago in the celebration of American values and true heroes."

Cottonwood Fall, like Gary Slaughter's highly acclaimed Cottonwood Summer, tells its story similarly to the method of "To Kill a Mockingbird," using the eyes and fertile imaginations of children to tell us what World War II in a small midwestern town was like. We are taken through their day-to-day adventures and learn much about how the people of Riverton accomplished their work. Those of us who are old enough to remember the period are cleverly reminded of a period when phones had numbers like 284 Blue and farm children learned early how to handle teams of horses. I'm sure the younger readers will enjoy their first exposure to this period.

This novel is not a lightweight, but is a significant, well-researched work that for the first time that I know of documents entertainingly much of the history of the World War II period and the largely overlooked experiences of those who remained at home.

Cottonwood Fall by Gary Slaughter is an especially engaging biographical novel recalling a vivid depiction of America during the difficult year of 1944. Slaughter's unique writing style is sure to consume the readers attention as Cottonwood Fall follows two ten-year-old boys through their adventures in a small town, Riverton Michigan, as they encounter vengeful POWs, Thomas E. Dewey and FDR. Cottonwood Fall is highly recommended to the general reader, especially those intrigued by the post-World War II lifestyle of the American citizen. Also a highly recommended book by Gary Slaughter is the prelude to Cottonwood Fall, Cottonwood Summer.

After reading Cottonwood Summer, I wondered just how Mr. Slaughter would keep the continuity flowing with Cottonwood Fall, but the transition was flawless. Although there were many more characters introduced in this second book, Mr. Slaughter has a way of introducing them that makes it easy to follow the storyline.

Besides being very entertaining, Cottonwood Fall is a bit of a history lesson of the post WWII era that is fun.

I liked this book.... a lot.

Slaughter tells another wonderfully light hearted story of mid-American families as they cope with life during WWII. The story line excites while we discover how very different life was only 60 years ago. History books should be so entertaining!

I couldn't put this book down -- from beginning to end the narrator takes your breath away with her dazzling descriptions of the remote and beautiful Driftwood Valley; the accounts of the valley in dead of winter, covered in twenty feet of snow with wolves singing mournfully and stars and northern lights dancing in the sky, brought tears to my eyes. The physical hardships and hair raising adventures she shares with her husband and their animals, her descriptions of the native people and wildlife, fascinating commentary on wilderness survival, and most of all her heartfelt love of the land itself, are nature and adventure writing at their best.

I read this book after finding it in a box in my parents attic at the age of ten. I have been trying to remember the title or author for years so I could read it again! This book is a magical read for anyone familiar with the ebb and flow of life in the wild. It inspired me to move to the Pacific Northwest and I am now planning my own trip to the Driftwood Valley. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys spending time outdoors and reading about nature! Top notch!

I am pleased to see this book has recently been reissued. I have an old, but treasured paperback copy. The author is observant of, informative about, and acutely responsive to the environment she describes. Having experienced winters in that region I would say she is especially adept at rendering the harsh, but radiant winters.

This book is an amazing journey into the frontiers of nature, exploration and science in the 1930's.

I have an autographeed copy the ©1946 edition of Driftwood Valley. I had the privilege of growing up in the same rural Pennsylvania town as Ms. Fletcher. When I was a teenager, I was employed by Ms. Fletcher to clean house for her one summer while she was away. She is a very nice woman with a remarkable background. She has set aside a nature conservatory in Northeast Pennsylvania which is open to the public. She has always been active in protecting the environment and wildlife. I re-read Driftwood Valley every couple of years and just love the adventure and challenges of this true-life story. What made it even more exiting for me is that the author was from my hometown.

I have had the privilege of meeting Carole through a neighbor. Just in meeting her I feel blessed. Her book speaks honestly of her accident. Naturally, I wish that it never happened, but she is so positive and continually reaching for new goals. Her attitude throughout the book illustrates how she appreciated the people and animals around her. The relationships in her own family were exposed and then nurtured. Her blessings are many and suddenly, I could see how she not only turned her life into a survival story but a platform to help others. Anyone that reads this book will understand how Carole found the strength to go on and love deeper. This book truly is the way Carole is everyday. Read and enjoy how horses can be so much more than an animal to ride. I know that I will see horses differently now and think of how they kept Carole being a person who lives from "within" her heart and soul, instead of one who lives "without".
Lou Petty
Quarter Horse competitor and breeder

Carole's book Healed By Horses is absolutely awesome!! It touches many areas of all our lives!!! You don't have to love horses to enjoy and to be inspired by Carole's book!!! And if you do love horses you will be totally in awe of this woman's courage and will relate with the deep heartfelt draw to the beautiful four legged friends that she talks about!!! Carole Fletcher is a true inspiration and I am very thankful she shared her story with all of us!!!

As a fan and student of Carole Fletcher's Trick Training techniques, I was familiar with the bio behind this book before reading it. So it was with a literary mindset that I opened the cover, expecting to view the entire book with a critical eye; curious, mostly, to learn just what did Larry Scanlan do to bring the ashes of Carole's past back to life.

My resolve to be largely unmoved lasted maybe two pages. I was totally captivated. Through Larry Scanlan's ability to weave pertinent and insightful personal details through the charred remains of Carole's past, Carole emerges as she truly is: human, rather than a string of incredible facts. People everywhere can relate some situation in their life to what Carole has endured and draw courage from her story. Her hospital ordeal was gut-wrenching; the stories about her horses have the same effect on your heart. There were plenty of details to whet the appetites of horse people, but there is message and metaphor for every one, everywhere; lessons for all of us on overcoming obstacles, achieving goals, healing relationships, feeling real compassion, looking for the true beauty in every one and everything around you, finding meaning in life.

Through 'Healed by Horses', Fletcher and Scanlan have made a tremendous contribution to society.

Healed by Horses is a wonderful book that gives hope and encouragement to anyone who reads it! It reaffirms the fact that life is a gift, and, if you allow it, struggle can make you better. As Carole states on page 230: "It's working with horses that heals, by developing discipline, courage, patience, and perseverance. You may come to horses -- as I did -- unable to walk, unable to cope, disfigured and in despair, but what I learned is that horses do not judge by looks or class or reputation. Still, you must earn their trust and cooperation, and out of that comes self-esteem."

Healed by Horses is a must-read; a fantastic book that leaves readers entertained, educated and... changed.

Page by page, this memoir delicately, and sometimes dramatically, shows the true story of Carole Fletcher. Its inspiring message touches readers of all interests, ages and spectrums.

The book, on the surface, is about a burn victim whose life is turned upside down after a near-death experience in a gasoline explosion.

Underneath, the storyline is even stronger and deeper, as Carole Fletcher delves into the meanings of inner and outer beauty, self-worth, "a never give up mentality," inspiration and other life lessons.

Carole shows us how horses, who never judge our outer appearances, dragged her out of a near suicidal state and, ultimately, launched her career as an internationally respected trick horse trainer and author.

I've had the pleasure of meeting Carole Fletcher at her Reddick, Florida, home. She is a true gem; a delightful, strong woman who sees each day as a gift. Her book -- and her story -- are a gift to us.

Healed by Horses gets TWO THUMBS UP!

Summer Best
Ocala, Florida

Storm Force, by Meredith Fletcher is a perfect vacation read. The author was kind enough to send me a copy, and I finished it over the course of just a few hours.

Kate Garrett is a wilderness guide in Florida. But an impending, disastrous hurricane is the least of her worries. Her ex-husband has sent their children to stay with her for a while, but someone seems to be following them. Escaped convicts capture Kate and use her to guide them to a hidden stash of money. One of the men claims to be an undercover FBI agent. But can she trust him? Especially, when her children's safety is at risk?

With colorful imagery and a strong heroine, Storm Force is a fun, fast-paced action/adventure story with heart. And a touch of romance. I'll definitely be looking forward to getting my hands on more books by Meredith Fletcher.

Author Meredith Fletcher knows how to escalate the stakes of this gripping thriller. Just when you think you know where the story will take you, it reverses course like hurricane force winds. It's not enough for the heroine Kate Garrett to deal with drunk poachers, ex-cons on a prison break stealing her car, or an impending hurricane, but her ex-husband's business dealings have brought trouble to her door, threatening her kids. Fletcher has crafted a strong and memorable heroine in Kate Garrett and the pace of this book will blow you away. Don't expect to set this book down once you've started. It's one wild ride!

In Florida wildlife hunting and fishing guide Kate Garrett is preparing to get her kids Steven and Hannah waiting for her to take them to shelter before the perfect storm expected to hit the peninsular leaves them in trouble from the torrential rain and tidal aftermath. However, instead of reaching them and subsequently shelter or being able to contact their father, the survivalist is taken prisoner by escaped convicts, who are not only on the lam but seeking ten million dollars of hidden stolen loot.

They force Kate to guide them through the wilderness to where the money is hid. She knows she must move fast and find a way to expedite herself in order to insure her children are safe on high ground. Her chances of survival rests with one of those holding her hostage, Shane Warren, who keeps her alive, but, will not abet her quest for freedom.

Kate is a fantastic lead character whose fears for the safety of her children add tension to an already terse hostage situation at the same time her former spouse Bryce is caught up with a criminal so is out of bounds for any assistance. The story line is action-packed as the readers commiserate with the frustrated and frightened (for her kids) heroine who feels the clock ticking while not understanding Shane's actions or her attraction to him (perhaps the Stockholm Effect). Readers will wonder whether he is on her side or just an escaped convict playing his hand perfectly as the storm is coming. Meredith Fletcher writes a terrific suspense thriller with a secondary romantic subplot enhancing the tale.

Harriet Klausner

Kate Garrett is determined to continue the rugged and successful life she has carved out for herself as a guide and camp owner in the Florida Everglades; moreover, she intends to recover her two children, whom she lost to an uneven custody battle and whom she desperately loves and misses. An accident with a van full of convicts on a narrow Florida road interferes. Then an oncoming hurricane compounds events. At that point problems spin into a desperate struggle what with her former husband's machinations adding to the mix and placing the two children in danger.

"Storm Force" indeed. Nature itself in this version of sub-tropic south Florida could provide a near insurmountable enemy. Then there is fate; the bad luck of convicts that kidnapped her and want her to be their guide to find hidden ransom money.

Kate Garret herself is a topnotch heroine - but her strength, her beauty and resourcefulness, place her in even greater danger with these desperate convicts. And there is handsome Shane Warren, whose resources and strength match her own, but whose motives and story defy acceptance on any level. As if his motives and his personal history were not bad enough, Shane both helps and hinders her by turns. But why?

Through it all one thing matters: her desperate hold on sheer survival, her need to survive and escape in order to protect her children..

Storm Force turns out to be a real page turner. It is soundly plotted with strong characters. Their conflicts are believable and the attraction of heroine and hero to each other seems inevitable. When I finished this book I even wondered if we could have another one, a sequel inhabited with the same people, since I'd grown to believe in and like them. No, we cant - because their story is complete as it is. However, I'm pleased to realize that Meredith Fletcher will continue to work with Silhouette books. Soon, I hope, she will complete another Silhouette Bombshell book.

This is the latest offering in Silhouette's "Bombshell" Series, which routinely features strong, intelligent women. This story's heroine, Kate Garrett, is sexy as well as smart. An independent wilderness guide in the Florida Everglades, Kate is a divorced mother fighting for permanent custody of her two pre-teen children.

The author weaves an intriguing storyline. In the midst of a huge tropical storm, Kate is captured by a violent gang of escaped convicts (one of whom may not be what he seems). They force her to lead them through the swamp to obtain a hidden ransom, on the way to freedom. Complicating matters, Kate's children, who have been taken from Kate's home by her ex-husband, are directly in the path of the storm's approaching tidal wave. Kate must find a way to escape her own captivity in time to save her children ... and she demonstrates laudable courage and amazing resourcefulness in attempting to do so.

Kate's response to her predicament is certainly believable, thanks to the author's ability to mold interesting, recognizable, and understandably human characters. That ability, coupled with the author's thorough research of the Everglades, resulted in a smoothly-paced, informative, and easily-read story that will keep the reader's attention to the very end.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys adventure stories in general, and to those readers who appreciate intelligent heroines, in particular.