Kearney Books

This book, written in 1951, is taken to mark the start of a reassessment of the Royalist position in British Civil War and Restoration studies. That is to say that prior to this time the dominant themes were that while Cromwell perhaps went to far, that in general those who opposed monarchy were principled and victorious and those who supported monarchy were misguided, deluded and devious.
Wormald describes Clarendon's activities - both parliamentary, diplomatic and literary during the years 1640-60, and establishes Clarendon as a Loyalist - i.e. faithful to a limited monarchy, in opposition to the King up to about 1641, when he felt that parliamentary opposition to Charles I exceeded its own powers. Wormald brilliantly establishes the differences between Clarendon's contemporary actions - in favour of the existence of limitations on both the monarchy and the established Church, - and his subsequent writings -written in hindsight, from exile - wherein he aligns himself with the winning argument. Thus while his writings would lead us to the view that Clarendon was in favour of a powerful, comprehensive Church of England, with little or no toleration, Wormald indicates that in fact Clarendon considered an established Church, represented in Parliament as necessary for the proper running of the state, he also indicates that the powerful position which the Church of England seized in the Restoration settlement probably exceeded what Clarendon envisaged; and was brought about more by the vacuum created by Charles II's lack of a clear vision, and Clarendon's need to find reliable Parliamentary support.
Wormald also indicates the relationship between Charles II and Clarendon, and gives a clear view of Clarendon's loyal but essentially passive support during the long European exile, during which he fought to preserve a `Loyalist' view opposing both the militarism of the French-leaning royalists and Charles' various compromises with Presbyterians and Scots. Clarendon's view was that the internal contradictions of the Parliamentarians would, ultimately, lead to their implosion and the Restoration of the monarchy, however, over the years he responded mainly with passivity to the various schemes to re-impose the Monarchy through invasion and/or internal revolt. This passivity led in the years after the Restoration to an indolence which ultimately brought about his downfall in the wake of the Second Dutch War - this last is beyond the scope of the book.
Overall the book is the fruit of extensive research and gifted analysis. I find it too forgiving of Charles I - indicating that he negotiated with Parliament in the hope that Parliament would collapse, thereby invalidating any agreements reached; this seems to forgive Charles his duplicity - and royalist authoritarianism. The book covers only a period of Clarendon's life, and some prereading would be necessary to get the full backround - of Clarendon's humble origins, his rise to power with the members of the Tew circle would be especially useful.

In this book, Kearney shows her interpretation of the American girls' movement of "Riot Grrrl" as "imagined community" which is Benedict Anderson's definition. According to Anderson, a nation is the "imagined community" because "the members of even the smallest nation will never know most of their fellow-members, meet them, or even hear of them, yet in the minds of each lives the image of their communion (Anderson's "Imagined Community" p6). Kearney employs Anderson's theory to discuss the imaginary circle of Riot Grrrl. She writes: "The imaginary community of Riot Grrrl provides female youth with both a network of supportive friends and a forum for discussing their personal problems, larger social issues, and visions for a better future without fear of censorship, silencing, or retaliation" (p64).

An important factor which underpins Kearney's interpretation of Riot Grrrl as imagined community is its "participatory culture." Kearney demonstrates that the girl fans expand the spectrum of consumerist practices by establishing "'participatory culture' through various interactions with and appropriation from media texts" (p37). As powerful cultural agents, the girls create their strong "imagined community" by participating in various types of culture including fanzine, film, website, online chatroom, message board, and so on.

The author's writing is sometimes repetitious and too much information was detailed, but overall, I really enjoyed reading this book.

Rebeccasreads recommends I KNOW THAT NAME! for every trivia buff, throne & den/game room, giving glimpses of how companies started, flourished, were gobbled up by bigger ones, or fended off takeovers to continue toward modernday prosperity.

I KNOW THAT NAME! has lots of photos to illustrate this collection of histories about ordinary people, some Canadian born, others immigrants, with a few just passing through: all, however, made their mark on a nation & its culture -- from shaving cream to publishing houses, cough drops to body builders, distilleries & breweries to moving companies, film makers to musical instruments, toys to washing machines, hats to construction, glasses to razors, ladies' wear to fake meat products, advertising to flour, business forms to farm equipment, & on it goes.

A picture book of regional interest; local photojournalist and pilot, Robert Ayers, took to the sky and documented changes in the city of Kearney Nebraska over several decades in the 20th Century.

The series exposes the changing land use, documents the development of a patch of Interstate 80, and show urban and agricultural encroachment in the valley and into the historic channels of the once mile-wide braided Platte River.

I teach collective bargaining & labor relations in the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program at the University of New Hampshire. Kearney's book is the sole comprehensive text on public sector labor relations available at this time. Its thorough coverage includes the history of public sector labor relations, the ins & outs of collective bargaining, the impacts on budgets and personnel policies, and much more. I've used it as the primary text in a graduate-level course, supplemented by journal articles and case studies. Several students remarked that the book was detailed yet readable, as well as realistic (students often catch on when an author has never been a practitioner of the subject matter). I recommend this book for courses in public sector labor relations, and it would be useful in most Public Administration programs. A good complement to this text is Najita and Stern's Collective Bargaining in the Public Sector: The Experience of Eight States, a reader of case studies that illustrate most of the concepts described by Kearney.

Susan Kearney continues her Sutton Babies trilogy with "Little Boys Blue." After the murder of his wife, Cameron Sutton moves his twin sons back to his hometown in Colorado. The family's new life is interrupted when his rich in-laws sue him for custody of the boys. His wife's cousin Alexa comes to help him fight for his sons. When danger strikes, putting Alexa and the children at risk, can Cameron find who's targeted them before it's too late?

"Little Boys Blue" is an improvement on Book One, "Cradle Will Rock," and Kearney's best book in years. An energetic tale full of action, the author throws her characters in one dangerous situation after another. This is a page-turner readers will have to try hard to put down. Best of all is the care given to the characters. Cameron and Alexa's romance is well-done. They have palpable chemistry and depth of emotions. Alexa is given a compelling back story that adds to her character, and the boys are adorable, naughty without being bratty. The characters from the last book are also used well. Like book one, "Little Boys Blue" uses a plot hook. I won't mention what it is, since it comes so far into the story that it seems like a spoiler to have the back cover copy spell it out. Unlike book one, it's well integrated and feels necessary to this tightly written story.

Although the villain's identity is fairly easy to guess, the suspense is kept high. My only real concern is that this book doesn't continue the storyline started in "Cradle Will Rock." That book indicated there was a larger plot targeting the entire family. This is not mentioned at all in "Little Boys Blue," which seems to have dropped the whole element. It's not a major issue. It does make me wonder where the series is going. That could be a good thing.

"Little Boys Blue" is a entertaining read that should please fans of "breathtaking romantic suspense."

The 1860's were turbulent years throughout the west and the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming were no exception. Francis Carrington's reminisces of these times are essential to understanding not only army life on the frontier, but also the true facts of the horrid Fetterman Massacre of 1866.
Venturing west as a young bride to Lt. George Grummond, she describes in detail the landscapes, people and day to day existence of trail life while on their way to establish Ft. Phil Kearney on the eastern flank of the Big Horn Mountains. The fort's purpose was to protect emigrants traveling to the gold fields of Montana.
With the land initially promised to the Sioux in treaty, the government's newer policies of allowing a road and forts to be built through this region fueled acts of violence from the Sioux.
Frances' husband Lt. Grummond, along with Lt. Colonel William Fetterman and a total of eighty-one men were led into ambush by the Sioux in December 1866 and all killed. The post commander, Colonel Henry Carrington, gave explicit orders which were disobeyed resulting in the slaughter of these men.
An informative and expressive read which also upholds Colonel Carrington's command.

Sixth book in the Heroes Inc. series: Daddy to the Rescue, Defending the Heiress, Saving the Girl Next Door, A Burning Obsession, Hijacked Honeymoon, Protector S.O.S., and Uncontrollable.

Description from the book back cover:

When Sandy Vale was forced to enlist the help of Travis Cantrel - the last man on earth she wanted to see - she didn't expect a more intense, more in-control version of his former self. Since he was a member of the top secret Shey Group, Sandy knew he would use every available source to search to find a kidnapper before time ran out ... except she had to use all of her strength to keep him firmly at bay. Working with Travis 24/7, Sandy was soon consumed by a passion that defied all reason. As the clock ticked down and the deadline for their perilous mission neared, could Sandy allow their love a second chance with everyone's future hanging in the balance?

The back of the book says:
Jack Donovan needed a vacation, not another dangerous assignment from the elite paramilitary Shey Group. But this mission was personal- Piper Payne, the sassy girl who'd grown up next door, had been set up and marked for death. A fiercly protective Jack vowed to keep Piper safe at any cost, only to discover that the twenty-five- year -old virgin was hell-bent on seduction. Somehow he'd have to keep his mind on the job and his hands off her never-ending curves. Because he couldn't afford to make mistakes, not when their lives- and his heart- were on the line.

I enjoyed watching the girl go after the guy in this book. She could hold her own in the fighting and there were some interesting, and unexpected, scenes which required them to be more daring than most. Truly an enjoyable read, although the ending seemed a bit rushed.

I thought it started off pretty interesting, then went slowly downhill. It all begin to go sour for me when her suit would stay transparent. I kept waiting for the bad 1970s porn music to kick in. Things really got bad for me when it got to the point that the heroine could not possible make a mistake. She miraculously becomes a filthy rich with little to no effort. The author's logic for this? Oh, well, you see, she worked a few months for a business mogul as his bodyguard. Oh? Really? Then there must be thousands of filthy rich bodyguards out there who have done the same. Right? Oh, no? Hmm...I wonder why not? Lastly, I cannot stand when an author decides to make a couple fall madly, and I do mean MADLY in love with each other because they had sex. Sex does not equate love. Overall, I'm disappointed.

Tessa Camen is a woman of skill, and the Secret Service Special Agent in charge protecting the President of the United States. During a public address Tessa recognizes a potential threat and throws herself bodily upon her leader. As shooting and the resultant pandemonium ensues, Tessa removes the President from the scene. Her maneuvers are to no avail, because as their car leaves the scene it becomes clear that they have been betrayed by one of their own. Tessa's last thought as she throws herself in front of the bullet meant the President is that she's failed in her duty.

Tessa awakens to find herself naked in the arms of a hunk. She's pretty sure she's died and gone to heaven but her first thought is for the life of her president. Kahn informs her that her quick action had saved the president in that instance, but that in fact she has been dead more than 300 years. He tells her that seconds before the assassins bullet would have killed her, she had been transported to the future and that the current government of Earth had chosen her as their best candidate to perform a challenge that would win aid for their now polluted planet. Success would also win full membership in the Federation for his own world which had been mostly destroyed by nuclear warfare. That was to be his reward for training her for "The Challenge". All he had to do was to bring out her psi ability. Tessa is skeptical of the whole scenario and speculates that this could be a terrorist brainwashing tactic. Time travel wasn't possible and she certainly didn't have any psi ability.

Kahn is disgruntled at having to train a woman to perform the challenge. Women on his planet were protected and respected. Bring out a person's psi required them to be highly frustrated, and he would have to use different methods on Tessa than he would on a male contestant. The method went was totally counter to his own beliefs. Rather than using his considerable combat skills he would have to frustrate her sexually but, he knew that the needs of his world must come before his personal integrity.

However distasteful the training would be, Tessa fit all the criteria. She was selfless, a virgin, and had no living relatives, something which had complicated previous challenges. But Khan hadn't taken into account that Tessa was not a docile or obedient Rystani woman. She was a warrior. Rather than frustrate her and bring out her psi, his methods make her quite brazen. It isn't long before Kahn realizes that he's met his match and that in order for her to succeed in the Challenge he's going to have to adapt as much as she does. A change of tactics is definitely in order.

Of course no good science fiction romance is complete without and evil enemy to make the quest more challenging. Jypeg is evil alien with a vendetta against Khan. He had killed Khan's wife in a raid on Rystan and bore the scars of Khan's fury. The scars were a subject of mirth on Jypeg's planet and he will do anything to destroy Khan for the insult, even if it means breaking the laws of the Federation by interfering with the Challenge.

The cast is rounded out with Dora, a sentient computer, with an affinity for Tessa, and sex on the brain. She stirs the pot by providing the information Tessa needs to deal with her circumstances, often to Kahn's complete aggravation.

As the two cultures collide, Tessa and Khan will find much to admire and respect in each other's customs. The greatest challenge after all is of the heart. When you throw an alpha male and an alpha female together there are bound to be fireworks, and that's what makes this story so much fun to read. Sparks fly as the two go from being combatants to becoming soul mates. The sexual tension is palpable, but the best part of all is the love and respect that Tessa inspires in Kahn and his people simply by being herself. She is a being unlike anything they've ever encountered but her courage and heart will be a lesson for them all. The story ends with a preview of the sequel, "The Dare," and I suspect that Dora may just get a chance to try her feminine wiles out on a real man after all. The result is bound to be hilarious. I can't wait. --- Reviewed for PNR Reviews

I really truly wanted to hate Susan Kearney's "The Challenge." To my consternation, it was written rather well and the story was genuinely interesting. At the end of the story I found that I did not hate the story so much as I loathed the hero of the book for being such a "me big strong man, you weak woman" kind of guy. In the end, I not only loved the hero, I was rooting for the little bugger. Of course, the sex scenes helped. I mean if I saw those same scenes depicted in a movie I'd likely die from laughing so hard. But in the moment they were . . . appropriate. You have to read it to understand.

Frankly, I'm embarrassed to associate with this book, and I expect better out of an author who claims to be a "USA Today bestselling author." If this were the author's first or second book, or first major release, sure this'd be great. But...

"The Challenge" is fluff, silly premise with a futuristic setting and a world setting entirely ridiculous. The back cover of the book is spot on for setting and plot. Woman with no psychic powers teleported to the future to take a one person challenge from alien powers, where winning will save the Earth. A man from another planet must awaken her psychic powers using erotic teasing -- his own world is also at risk. Throw in spanking, bondage, see-through clothing (hers), an over-the-top control freak hero, and a few inconsistent premises (virginity a must until it becomes inconvenient). The leading man is so obnoxious, that I don't understand why she doesn't murder him in his sleep.

There is one bright spark, which is that the main female lead doesn't ever get caught up in anger over past events or things that (constantly) don't go her way. She quickly accepts the situation, takes enjoyment where she can, doesn't fight against the odds to get her own way, and doesn't ever hold a grudge. I wish I could be more like that.

I've read my fair share of scifi romances that I have just loved to bits, but this book was an utter sham. It wasn't even a bodice ripper with laser guns, just bland and utterly unbelievable. The universe it's set in doesn't make a bit of sense and the characters are the archtypes of the romantic leads. Pacing in this novel was poor. Some parts were so silly, I had to laugh out loud and roll my eyes. I give it one star because the grammar was good.