Howard Books

Marvelous news: this amazing book, a book with the power to spark an entirely new process in your life - the process of self-transformation - is back in print! You can get it at a reasonable price under a new title, "Secrets for Higher Success". Discovering this book was one of the turning points of my life; what an adventure it began. Are you weary of it all? The same old patterns, the same old lies - everything always the same? Do you feel, deep down, that nothing you have tried has ever really worked? This noble book contains something truly different for you. Get it, read it with an earnest heart - and give your life just one more chance to change.

I had the opportunity to get a copy of this book through a mail order offer of a course that taught me how to make money with stock options. I guess the guy bought the rights to the book or something, but I consider this book the only thing good I got out of that deal, and it was worth a million dollars. I don't think I paid anything for this book, and I'll never sell. I classify this book up there with Napoleon Hill, Dennis Waitely, W. Clement Stone, Dale Carnegie, Zig Ziglar, and the like.

BUT - this book is so unlike any other I have ever read. It completely changed my life. It helped me to understand that how we look at life is EVERYTHING and will determine everything about how it "turns out". Our perceptions are so powerful and can easily become distorted. You'll read each sentence twice, because each one is such a deep, spiritual insight. You'll never find another writer like Vernon Howard. Absolutely amazing! If this would allow me to, I would rate this one with 20 stars!

Vernon Howard's books present the clearest and most astonishing exposition of timeless spiritual truths I have yet encountered. They certainly aren't for everybody, but if you're one of those who, like myself, were so fortunate as to stumble across one of his books, open it up, and immediately have the sense, "this is something different, this is exactly what my spirit needs," then read on. The present title has been out of print for years and isn't even mentioned on the official VH website. The reason I know about it is that, on a friend's recommendation, I happened to order the 'course' that you will find advertised in Ken Roberts' book, "The Rich Man's Secret". That 'course' cost me about $100 and, apart from the Vernon Howard book, there isn't a whole lot to it (just my personal opinion). Why am I telling you this? Because that one book has been priceless to me. I have most all of VH's books and this one is my very favorite. It is a classic; so powerful, and yet so gentle at the same time. I've lent my copy to several friends and each has (independently) agreed that there is something unique about this particular book, even when compared to Howard's wonderful other works.

The unusual quality of Vernon Howard's spiritual writing needs to be experienced to be believed. As I said, it isn't for everybody; but to readers who already know its value, I say: you owe it to yourself to get this book, it is pure gold. Don't get me wrong: I absolutely do not think you should have to pay $100 to get it. Quite the opposite, I think it's a terrible shame that it isn't as widely available as the rest of Howard's work, and the marketing shenanigans surrounding the way in which it *is* currently available are not to my taste at all (again, just my opinion). If you don't already know and love Vernon Howard, it would make no sense to pay this much -- start instead with one of his many other books, like "Pathways to Perfect Living". I'm just writing this review to make other Vernon Howard readers aware that they do have the option of obtaining this strangely "lost" title, and that, for me at least, it has proven to be worth many times more than what I had to pay to get it.

This marvelous book--a follow-up to the tremendously popular book "Psycho-Pictography"-- IS still in print...under the author's original title: "Secrets for Higher Success."
Any serious student of inner-life studies will want this in their library.

_Practice in Christianity_ is one of Kierkegaard's more underrated books, and should not be overlooked. I will summarize his concepts as best I can: In this book Kierkegaard encourages a rigorous and "militant" practice of Christianity. By "militant" he does not mean violence in the physical sense, obviously. What he means is a determination to constantly find better ways to understand God and Christ, even though every question that gets answered seems to spawn more questions. Rigorous Christianity is a continuous chasing after that which perpetually eludes us. Even though we may never reach a true catharsis in our understanding, the process of continually seeking understanding is still beneficial to the individual. It helps to strenthen the uniqueness of our individuality, and helps to set us apart from society in a way that preserves the "heterogeneity" of society. Kierkegaard stresses the importance of maintaining heterogeneity within society because this is essential in the creation of individual personalities, and is an essential ingredient to conscious life in general. Kierkegaard states it thus: "woe to the Christian Church when it will have been victorious in this world, for then it is not the Church which has been victorious but the world. Then the heterogeneity between Christianity and the world has vanished, and Christiantiy has lost" (p. 223). It is important that society does not ever reach a consensus on what to believe in, because then we will all rest on our laurels and abandon the continual, rigorous striving that is essential in enhancing our individualist personalities. The loss of individualism is synonymous with the end of conscious life and self-awareness as we know it. There must always be individuals who stand out as beacons of virtue, if for no other reason than to infuse other people with life by making them feel inadequate and subjugated. Rigorous, militant Christians must always turn their back on the world and strive for something better, and indoing so they help to blaze a trail into higher realms of understanding, dragging the reluctant congregation behind them.

If these concepts sound interesting to you, I highly recommend this volume. Die hard atheists will probably view this book as a fruitless discussion over a moot point. But people who consider themselves Christian, and want to set themselves apart from other lackadaisical, so-called Christians, could benefit greatly by reading this book. This is not a book for people who show up to church just to show up and then fall asleep in the pew - it is for people who want to reach a higher standard of rigorous practice in religion.

To describe Kierkegaard is, to say the very least, difficult! Not that his style of writing is boring or even overly difficult. Not at all! His style is poetic, warm, and loving. Yet all the while, he makes you feel uncomfortable, leads you to questioning your faith, and often makes one angry! However, the thing that I admire most about the author and the book "Practice in Christianity", is how he has led me to recklessly look inside myself, so that I can see the the truth about who I am! In short, no other author has ever made me just "think", the way that SK has. I have read and heard much of modern theology. For me, this "modern theology" only scratches the surface of these important thoughts. SK will take your mind and heart, to spiritual depths that are thus far, undiscovered.

I am a minister, and although I though I was a prety good theologian, I only understood the fullest of Christ's message (if this is attainable at all) after I started reading this book.
From the beginnings, through his prayer on the first pages, it is the most brillant Christology/Soteriology ever exposed.
I had to stop reading this book because I wasn't sure that I was ready to deal with the type of feelings that I was being exposed to, and I wanted the book never to end, to be honest.
Although I am a convict Protestant, I must say that the Orthodox principle of Theosis started to make sense to me.

If you want to "get it" Christ, I would recommend this and "Works of Love".

I seldom review classical works feeling that posterity has spoken on their behalf far more weightily than I could hope to. However, I had to comment on this fantastic, underrated text. SK wrote in his journal that while he often used pseudonyms in his other works, in part, to distance himself from the ideas, in this book the pen name was employed to distance the ideas from him, feeling himself an imperfect messenger. If we have any access at all to the center of SK's program, this is it, yet it is rarely mentioned as an important work of his authorship.

There is no doubt that Either/Or, Fear and Trembling and Concluding Unscientific Postscript are all brilliant. However, Practice in Christianity deserves every bit as much attention as these works. It is a work of self disclosure calling the reader to examine the basis for their faith and confront the startling choice between imitation and offense based on the risky prospect of embracing paradox. It is also one of SK's most accessible texts that can be read devotionally. One of my favorite books ever.

First a disclaimer. More than thirty years ago, Dr. Lown was one of my teachers at the Brigham and Women's Hospital where I was a young, inexperienced fellow in cardiology. And what a privilege it was to watch this master clinician, consummate healer and deeply moral mentor at work.

A few years later, with Russian cardiologist Eugene Chazov, Dr. Lown founded the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, which, within a few short years was awarded the Nobel Peace prize. "Prescription for Survival" is Dr. Lown's gripping memoir of that time, an amazing chronicle of how a few committed doctors set out to confront the specter of nuclear holocaust, organized tens of thousands of supporters and helped save civilization from annihilation.

This is a "must read" book. It's message of hope, of the centrality of mass action, of the necessity to speak truth to power, of persistence in the face of daunting challenges, is particularly pertinent at this juncture in the history of our planet. At a time when once again events seem to be spinning out of control, when not only rampant wars, but catastrophic climate change, ecologic degradation and unbridled militarism all menace our survival as a species, the lessons of this book need to be promulgated, adopted and utilized if we are to leave a habitable planet to our children and grandchildren.

Buy "Prescription for Survival," tell your friends to buy it, and take its lessons to heart. As Dr. Lown writes at the close of this absorbing, hard-to-put-down book: "This memoir is ultimately a call to action. Only those who see the invisible can do the impossible. This book makes visible a wide terrain wherein action for another world fit for human beings becomes both challenging and possible."

On the eve of this historic presidential election, Dr. Bernard Lown has given us a momentous, lucid, and gripping book.

By all counts, Lown is an extraordinary man: one of the great physicians of the 20th century, a Nobel Laureate, an inventor whose work has saved thousands and thousands of lives. All that is true. What's less well known is that he is a STORYTELLER; a master of narrative. He's a writer in the tradition of Chekhov and the other great physician-writers of the last century. The dude can spin a yarn.

It's rare for so keen and incisive an intellect to convey itself this warmly and skillfully, and with this much humanity. (You don't see Noam Chomsky writing books like this). Lown is keenly aware that one of the first tasks of both a good doctor and a good writer is to compel his subject's attention.

And the book is so timely, so important. As the planet approaches a tipping point the likes of which it hasn't seen, we are facing into the realities of climate change, oil shocks, daunting economic and political instability, resource shortages, a soaring global population, an increase in militarism and state-sponsored violence, and on and on. It's difficult to hold in our minds the magnitude of what we're facing, and its even more difficult to imagine that we can actually do anything about it.

That's why Lown's book is so important. It shows that we--any of us, all of us--can dare to take action, can dare to make a difference. The book tells the story of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nucelar War, from its origin as an idea in 1980, to its recognition by the Nobel committee in 1985, at the height of nuclear tensions between the U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. Within that striking story, Lown makes larger points about the ways in which hope can emerge in the darkest hours, and how much is possible when citizens take action within and across national borders.

This is a powerful book. It radiates a kind of moral gravitas that's palpable. Lown writes out of a deep sense of urgency, but he does so beautifully, with a feel for language and image and rhythm, and a sense of the importance of these things. After a lifetime of clinical practice as a cardiologist, attending to the rhythms of the human heart, Lown has learned his way around it. He writes from that heart and to it--about matters of great consequence, with great wisdom.

One doesn't expect an eminent cardiologist to speak out on nuclear war, to organize a global network of physicians to confront the issue, and to make its enormous risks clear to the world; and ultimately to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. This wonderful book by that very cardiologist, Dr. Bernard Lown, recounts this compelling saga. It is a powerful book by any standard, made even more so by the grace, fluidity, and richness of his prose, surely the equal of our nation's finest writers (further enriched by apt quotations from the great poets and playwrights of the ages). Every caring, concerned citizen of the globe will want this book at the top of his or her reading list. (Full disclosure: I was a patient of Dr. Lown's for some 20 years; I give him credit for the fact that I'm here today to praise not only his idealism but his skill as a physician.)

I'm someone who often purchases important books, skims them quickly and then shelves them, with every intention of getting back to the task of educating myself about the subject. Somehow, I never manage to open the book again, so it sits there among other such volumes, while I turn to literary efforts that may be more trivial, but promise to be more fun. So I was surprised when I started flipping pages to find that the author had turned this critical issue into a detective story. Instead of being bored by didactic lessons that I agreed with, I found myself reading until 2AM to follow the story of these brave doctors who wouldn't take no for an answer. I thought I knew a lot about the subject, but this story surprised and fascinated me, made me laugh and made me angry too.

We borrowed this book from the library and we will put it on our Amazon.com wishlist in hopes of getting it for Christmas. My 3 year old daughter loves this book. The illustrations are beautiful and entertaining. It is well written. My daughter loved the language of the book and had most of it memorized by the third night and would ask for it by saying "Moon light June Night Just right for Raccoon night".

We are very selective about the books we purchase for our kids. If I'm going to be reading a book over and over, it has to be entertaining. This one made the cut.

My 2 year old loves this book as well as I. Fun to read over and over again.

Howard Fine illustrates an engaging and zany story of a family of raccoons by Nancy Shaw. The raccon family prowl the neighborhood making a ruckus until they find just the right dinner dish. The whimsical drawings and trash can antics of the raccoons will delight a wide audience and Raccoon Tune is a very highly recommended pick.

Being a fan of "Sheep In A Jeep" and all its sequels, I waited impatiently for "Raccoon Tune". It was well worth the wait! I read this one often as a bedtime story and my children (aged 10 and 6) are giggling every time. Of course Mom is right there in the thick of it too! The illustrations really make this book! I'll use this one at the Nature Center where I work with my Preschool Storytime crowd - they'll love it!

I am a very picky fan of railroad art and have rejected hundreds of images that weren't quite "right" for some reason or another. Once I learned of Howard Foggs detail, I knew I had to have this book and was not disappointed. Each image is wonderfully crafted and has a descriptive caption, as well as other descriptive features in the book. I fully recommend this book to the railroad enthusiast.

This is truly an beautiful railroad book. I say this from the perspective of one who has been collecting railroad books for over 30 years! Not only are the pictures reproduced in beautiful colors, much the same as the original, the text clearly shows the type of individual Howard Fogg was during his life. It would be my suggestion that if you buy only one railroad book this year it would be this one.

From interviews with those who knew or worked with painter Howard Fogg to full-page color examples of his train portraits, this presents an outstanding survey of the 50-year work of Fogg, who only painted trains. From steam locomotives to diesels and landscapes where trains featured, Railroad Artistry of Howard Fogg presents Fogg's best work, gathered by two of his closest friends.

All of Howard Foggs attention to detail has been captured in the book. The captions and related articles are very detailed and accurate. Included is an introduction from Howard's family. Al Chione has done a wonderful job of presenting Howard's paintings. The book itself is made of very high quality material.

Unfortunately I haven't yet made it to SFMOMA to see the Gerhard Richter exhibit. However, my much anticipated copy of Richter 858 arrived in the mail today, and to say that it didn't disappoint is an understatement. I had initially been a little wary about getting it. It comes with an aluminum slipcase and poetry and an audio CD with music composed by the brilliant Bill Frisell, and while some might find this sort of presentation lush, I, being somewhat of a purist, was afraid these inclusions would be nothing more than bells and whistles-basically a lot of noise to give voice to a suite of paintings that, according to any good Kantian, should be able to stand on its own. Boy was I wrong. People who know me know that I don't like fuss, but even the worry about scratching the aluminum slipcase, or maneuvering the book's awkward size and bulk, or the guilt for not using gloves to turn these impeccably produced pages, couldn't dampen the sheer transport I felt as I drunk in art and text and Bill's passionate and daring compositions with equal abandon. I've been reluctant to embrace anything multimedia, but Richter 858 may have just pushed me into the 21st century.

This is a gorgeous book by a man who in the future will be credited with debunking all the art critics who since the 1950s have been shouting to themselves that Realism is dead, or the ones that still shout "painting is dead." Gerhard Richter breaks all the rules of "being an artist." He has worked in a variety of styles, refusing to produce a "style" as often artists are supposed to do. In his ealy photorealistic -paintings Richter copied ordinary, found images onto canvas, but gave them an indistinct appearance. Again, by working directly from photographs, he manages to debunk all the criticism that such techniques often bring. This subversive realism is now more evident than ever, in these later, almost fuzzy works that still manage to knock the visual senses as if shouting: "Long Live Painting - Long Live Realism!"

I've only recently become acquainted with the range of Gerhard Richter's work, but the series of eight abstract paintings which are being celebrated here are enough to justify his reputation for me, and the sheer richness and resolution of their presentation in this book is of a standard I've never come across anywhere. Elegant, sensuous and gorgeous, this is more than a `typical' art book in manners large and small; includes insightful essays by writers like Dave Hickey, poetry, and a CD by Bill Frisell with a string trio that's a lot more quirky and edgy than his recent stuff, in a good way (no banjos). The book's editor, David Breskin, has done an amazing job - the aluminum slipcase is a pretty sharp touch, too.

You don't have to be an afficionado of contemporary poetry, or an art lover, to appreciate the many delights housed within the aluminum slip case of this work. But if you happen to be either, or both, this book is a must.

The "book" has, in this case, evolved well beyond the concept of an art tome. The joining of music, poetry and lovingly accurate reproductions under one cover makes the circumnavigation of this opus is a particularly rich eexperience. Which is not to say that listening to the music , or dipping into one poem, is not an entirely satisfying moment by itself.

Be prepared, however: this gesamtwerk is big, and will not fit into an ordinary bookcase! The paintings being reproduced to scale has dictated the extra large format, but the extraordinarily accurate pictorial results are worth the extra weight.

For those interested in 1734/Tubal Cain/ Robert Cochrane, and some of the traditional craft, this is a good anthology. The ideas are deeper than most of what you find printed in the Neo-pagan genre, although the text could have used better editing. It is refreshing to read a text that discusses one of our elders frankly in a respectful manner, but without hero worship. The ideas and practices in this book have merit on their own accord, regardless of the personalities who transmit them. I wish more occult books let the philosophy and praxis stand on its own and stopped tying it to the authority of the transmitter. There is no religion higher than Truth.

Anyone like me who has admiration for the ideas of Cochrane will appreciate this volume. I would buy this in tandem with the Robert Cochrane Letters (also published by Capall Bann), because the two together greatly expound many of his ideas.

When you read a book like this it really puts things into perspective regarding the quality of many works on witchcraft. Both Cochrane and Evan John Jones writings are inspired and of great interest to those looking for something a bit more meatier than the standard "cast the circle by visualising a blue light" material that makes up the bulk of most books on the market. The great tragedy, aside from Cochranes death, is that there is not more material of this ilk in print, but then one needs only look around at the market for books on this subject to find the reason why!

FFFF
Martin

Really wonderful collection of essays on elements of major importance to Traditional Witchcraft. Although a smaller volume, this seems much more in-depth to me insofar as esoteric elements of the craft than Evan Jones's "Witchcraft: A Tradition Renewed" (which is also well worth finding, especially for practical ritual). Together with "The Robert Cochrane Letters" (some of which is a bit obscure to wade through), and much of the material coming out of Capall Bann Publishing, this will hopefully foment a renaissance in modern Witchcraft.

Beautiful glimpse into the world of the Traditional Witch! If you are "starved" for some "real food" and tired of a "cotton candy" diet of so-called witchcraft books, you may enjoy this! It is not a "how to" book, but more like reading the private diary of a Traditional Witch, as well as being filled with much wisdom. While no books can take the place of experiencing the Old Ones personally, this book does a nice little job of introducing one to the world of the Witch.
I have a great fondness for it and think every Witch who follows the Ways of Old should have a copy to call their own!
If only there were more like these...

Back during the Seventies Roy Thomas kept the legacy alive of Conan and Robert E. Howard. The book is a tremendous value and a great treasure! All of the stories and art is outstanding. Roy Thomas and John Buscema are my favorite duo! If you can find Conan The Barbarian #275, scarce, which is the last comic (1993)in the series read the last page testimonial by Roy Thomas. He gives credit to his his team members during the years and the last paragraph goes like this "But--did I say "last"? Nay, the ultimate place on this illustrious list, be it written first or last, is that of Robert E. Howard, creator of Conan the Cimmerian, and who has been, as the contents page of Savage Sword has ever proclaimed, the "Soul and Inspiration" of everything we've tried to do. We're only sorry he hasn't been around to enjoy the fruits of his labors during the 1930s, and we'll never quite forgive him for taking himself away from us far too soon. With his talents like these behind him, is there any doubt that Conan, in one form or another, will be a Marvel mainstay for a long, long time to come? Thus, no tears-just a parting reminder: Conan The Barbarian in Savage Sword of Conan #218, by Mike Docherty and - Roy Thomas" Kudos to Roy Thomas. Job well done!! Conan is now in Dark Horse comics along with Solomon Kane, Kull, and a recent story Pigeons From Hell. Get on board at Dark Horse you'll be glad you did.

Must Reads: Conan Hardcover by Roy Thomas and Conan The Phenom, Blood & Thunder, The Life & Art of Robert E. Howard by Mark Finn, One Who Walked Alone by Novalyn Price, Conan The Dark Barbarian by Don Herron, The Last of the Trunk, Selected Letters of REH, All Weird Works by Paul Herman, all by Rob Roehm, The Never Ending Hunt - Wildside Press a complete Bibliography of REH by Paul Herman, The Black Stranger & Other American Takes that has the scariest story ever - Pigeons from Hell, Two-Gun Bob, Almuric, Solomon Kane, Bran Mac Morn, The Best of REH 1 & 2, Red Nails and Beyond The Black River, Lord of Samarcand, and all Conans by Marvel and Dark Horse.

This is a good volume - so far. I received it damaged from Amazon, but that has nothing to do with the content. The issue of The Savage Sword of Conan that introduces Red Sonjia is in this one. The art is excellent, although in Black and white and really, there is very little to say about the quality of writing, it's macho, violent, and barbaric fun. Great bathroom reading.

Robert E. Howard fans will really enjoy this publication. It is a compilation of comics from the 70s and is a faithful reproduction of the Howard stories. The art is excellent. All in all a very enjoyable read.

When I was young, mid to late 70's, I would read issue after issue of Savage Sword more than any other comic or magazine. It was my favorite, and I had quite a large number of issues. Unfortunately, I lost my collection in a fire in the late 80's. When I found that Dark Horse was re-printing the issues of Savage Sword as volumes, and that those volumes would be available here at Amazon, I jumped at the opportunity of obtaining and re-reading those amazing stories again.

The sorcerer Thoth-Amon, Red Sonja, Captain Boraq D' Sharaq, the list goes on and all of them, fantastic characters and some of the greatest fantasy stories that were ever written! I became a 12 year old again.

If you collected and read Savage Sword, any of the other Conan comics, novels, or are just a casual fan, then by all mean, I HIGHLY recommend these volumes (currently, as of Aug. 26, 2008, one through three, with volume four to be released in October 2008)! The stories are just as we remember them in all of their black and white savagery, sorcery and plundering greatness!

Robert E. Howard is by far one of the greatest fantasy writers who ever lived.

Enter the Hyborian Age, and you will not want to return.

Seaborn is a riveting adventure story -- complete with underwater kingdoms, royal rivalries, familial betrayal, and epic battles -- but it's much more, too. It's a rich portrayal of two young women who, in different ways, find themselves in situations not of their choosing and have to use their smarts and strength to persevere. Corina's battle is literally over the ownership of her body - who's ultimately going to inhabit it? For her part, Kassandra's inherited a powerful legacy that, while it brings many gifts, is also fraught with responsibility and pain. The complexity of these women's characters and the beauty of the prose make this book a complete pleasure to read.

_Seaborn_ is a unique fantasy; it's unlike anything else I've read. Chris Howard tells a compelling story of merpeople and of two women who struggle to become their own woman (or mermaid) in the face of opposition.

Our heroines are Corina Lairsey, a California girl who becomes possessed by a megalomaniacal merman while scuba-diving; and Lady Kassandra, an exiled princess of the Seaborn who is hatching a plan to overthrow her usurping grandfather. Howard does a great job with Corina's plight, vividly showing us Corina's terror at finding herself taken over by another being, her heartbreak and horror as her body is used to commit unspeakable acts of violence, and her struggle to free herself. Kassandra can be harder to get a grip on; her behavior and moods are a bit on the erratic side. There's a reason for that, though. Like Corina, Kassandra isn't alone in her head. She carries the voices of her ancestors within her, and their reactions occasionally land Kassandra in trouble. _Seaborn_ follows these two women as they try to seize control of their own lives.

Howard does a fine job of describing the beauty and danger of the sea, and the culture of the Seaborn. Their society is largely based upon ancient Greece, as is their magic. Chris Howard clearly knows a great deal about ancient Greek mythology and occultism. There's a certain satisfaction, to a mythology buff like me, in reading a novel by someone who knows who Melinoe is, and in getting out my books after finishing _Seaborn_ to see whether the character of Akaste is based on a real mythological figure. (Answer: She is.)

There are a few issues. There's a bit of head-hopping. I'm not talking about the shifting POV that Howard uses intentionally to show the battle for dominance inside Corina's head; that's done well. It's the random head-hopping that's the problem; for example, when the POV switches abruptly from Kassandra to a police officer.

Also, there's a fine line between "lush, descriptive prose" and "purple prose," and that line isn't in the same place for every reader. Some of the prose in _Seaborn_ went over my "thin purple line," though this was mainly in the first scene (which is also where the most obvious head-hop occurs). There's some good stuff in that scene too, though. I loved the image of all the pathways to the sea revealing themselves to Kassandra in an attempt to beckon her home. Elsewhere in _Seaborn_, the prose is evocative, and strange in a way that serves to highlight the alien nature of the Seaborn's realm. I could almost smell the sea.

The final issue is that, occasionally, a word or two of modern usage slips into the dialogue of characters who wouldn't be using it.

These small gripes aside, I thoroughly enjoyed _Seaborn_. As I mentioned before, it's unique, and never feels like a warmed-over version of anything else. It's for anyone who loves the sea, and anyone who likes stories about young women striving for independence and their own power.

Maps and family trees are available at Chris Howard's website. I only wish they'd been in the book!

This is a wonderful book by author Chris Howard. It is hard to believe this is his first book. The story is completely enchanting and transports the reader into an amazing underwater world populated by characters that leap off the page. It is dramatic, moving, and a great adventure that carries you from chapter to chapter. It is particularly endearing because of its images of strong young women learning to wield their power. After I read Seaborn I passed it on to my two adult daughters, who both loved it... read it - you will be glad you did!

Not just born of the sea, Kassandra comes from Seaborn royalty as her grandfather rules the species. However, in spite of her regal sea blood, Kassandra has spent much of her living amidst the surfacer (land people) for she is unique as the powerful wreathbearer who possesses the spirits of her ancestors guiding her to free the Seaborn from her sadistic dictatorial grandfather whose weapon of choice to hold onto the throne is mass murder.

Four centuries of incarceration by the Seaborn has devastated the mental state of the previously unbalanced evil sorcerer Aleximor. He has finally escaped and taken control of the body of California surfer college student Corina Lairsey with plans to raise a new deadly force to destroy the surfacers and the seaborn. Kassandra with her family at her side must prevent Aleximor from succeeding, but Corina may be collateral damage; while also at the same time open up a second front war: a coup d'etat to liberate her people.

This is an exciting extremely graphic fantasy, which needs a warning label not to eat while reading SEABORN; Chris Howard is explicit with vivid violent descriptions to torture and mutilation. The story line is entertaining but driven by the heroine who has known since birth she has a quest to bear and now has no time left to learn her skills since her mission has turned out to be on two fronts. Readers who appreciate the realism brought to an epic "military" fantasy by broken bodies, blood and gore will want to read SEABORN, a well written opening saga.

Harriet Klausner

If the word gets around, this novel could even be more successful than "Bridges" . . . Bridges of Madison County lest you forgot. Jeanne Howard has done an outstanding job in putting together a unique plot in a distinctive format guaranteed to leave you breathlessly spellbound. She tells the poignant story of a forbidden romance involving Joanna Ransome, an attractive coed with a promising future and Jared Fowler, a handsome dramatics professor who teaches at the small college she attends. Unlike Robert and Francesca's meager four days together in "Bridges," Joanna and Jared's tale spans four decades. I won't go into too many details as you'll want to see for yourself what fate has in store for this captivating couple who will tug at your heartstrings throughout the entire book. Ms. Howard is to be commended for her snappy dialogue and well-portrayed descriptions of scenes and characters that literally came alive throughout the entire novel. Keep that midnight oil burning . . . this one's a real page turner. In checking the author's website I am delighted to see she has written a sequel: "Jared's Promise."

Seasons Of Forgetting is a nicely crafted novel of the American 50's, before changes in society forever relaxed and broadened people's attitudes toward the nature of love. Seasons of Forgetting is a story of forbidden love with profound consequences through two decades, emotional, impacting, and unforgettable. Jeanne Howard's debut effort as a novelist, Seasons Of Forgetting shows her to have a genuine gift for entertaining and involved storytelling.

I am a male and I read this novel recently. I was intrigued with the letters of love between Jarod and Joanna for all those many years, as I was with the way they spent the little bits of quality time they had together. The one criticism I offered the writer first regarded the repetition of the the word LOVE they so frequently called each other, plus the opinion that I felt the story could have been told in perhaps fifty pages less. I also told her that the story line was excellent, and certainly held my attention, but at times it seemed to carry on longer than I thought necessary. As I neared the end of the story, I had to wonder what ever happened to Dan, the faithful friend of Jarod's who so graciously allowed the use of his cabin to them for their get-away weekends of lovemaking.

When I was finished with the novel, I critiqued it back to the writer as honestly as I knew how, telling her that I did feel it was definitely a woman's story, and not a man's. But as I think about it, most Romance novels are written by women for women. Being a male Romance writer myself, I'm sure my perspective is slightly slanted. I also mentioned to her that as I completed the story, I felt it never had a real ending to it. I can take either a happy ending or a sad one with a Romance novel, but not one that hangs out there like a mystery novel sometimes does.

The bottom line is that it was a very good story that a true Romance reader should not miss out on. It is a different style of Romance story and has several new writing ideas embodied in it. Don't miss it.

Seasons of Forgetting is a delightful read filled with much emotion. It will move you to tears for the main characters and quickly to elation as they meet again season after season. You actually want the main characters, Joanna and Jared, to have this wonderful life they dream of. Because the author uses settings in the tri-state area, you can almost visualize their meetings and feel a part of them. It is definitely a woman's book and would be delightful to read "on the beach" during the summer months or in front of a cozy fireplace this winter.