Wood Books

Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (5/08)

After a dangerous stint as a Resistance Worker in Nazi Germany, Louisa Schmetterling finds herself evacuated to the safety of Copper Springs, Arizona. Her friend and fellow Resistance worker Dietrich Bonhoeffer connected her with Reverend Robert Gordon, whom Dietrich had met in Seminary, and set it up so she could stay with Robert until the war was over and she was out of danger. In the Gordon household also lives Robert's aunt and Robert's hearing impaired son William.

It is interesting to watch as Louisa develops relationships which each and every one of the members of the Gordon family. Some are easy to form, like with William, while others are more challenging, like with Robert's aunt. With William she plays a pivotal role in enabling him to communicate. Before he had never uttered a word but with Louisa's concern and guidance he began to be able to express himself like never before. She causes changes to come about with Robert as well. When she first arrived, Robert's sermons lacked conviction, but once Louisa started editing them, they became more dynamic and full of energy.

Not everything goes as planned though when former Berlin resident (but now Copper Springs' banker) Friedrich Mueller sniffs out Louisa's past. As an avid Nazi supporter he is a huge threat to her safety. Between the Mueller drama and the secrets of William's mother's past, this book is a definite page-turner!

Fisher has a real knack for creating an engaging fictional story while maintaining historical accuracy. The characters in the book are very interesting and you truly develop a sense of just who each and every one of them is. The plot is intriguing and anyone interested in history, romance, and/or faith, will surely enjoy this easy-to-follow, fast read.

I actually read the 2nd book in this series, "Copper Fire," before I went back and read this first one, "Copper Star" and I can promise you that you will not be disappointed by the sequel to this first book. Fisher is an excellent writer and I can't wait until her next book or series comes out.

Suzanne Woods Fisher has struck gold with Copper Star A beautiful love story full of twists and turns. I can't wait to read the sequel. A job very well done!

It's been a long time since I couldn't put a book down but after reading the first 1/3 of this novel it only took one day to read the rest! I ended up wanting to know more about Louisa's life, both past and future. I hope Ms. Fisher will continue the story!

I could not put this book down. It is a wonderful story with history and clean romance. Louisa arrives in Copper Star as a refugee. Little does she know that God has sent her there on a mission to help the family that is helping her. I highly recommend this book.

I HIGHLY suggest this book. It has an excellent balance of history, adventure, & a love story.

Great intro to the concept of home education with a heavy emphasis on the Charlotte Mason method. I re-read this little treasure regularly to keep myself on track. Loving books as much as I do tempts me to compile quite a list of Books We Must Have for School. The CM way of thinking ensures I stick only with the best, the essentials. I highly recommend it!

I first read this book because it was written by Susan, one of Francis and Edith Schaeffer's daughters. Little did I know that it would become the foundational book to becoming a homeschool parent when I decided to take my youngest child out of the public schools.

One doesn't need to be homeschooling their children to appreciate this book. Susan writes in the same warm and friendly way as her mother. However, if one is homeschooling and using the Charlotte Mason "method", this book is an essential volume to have in your library.

If you're a Charlotte Mason fan, you can't pass this one up. It is my favorite book on Charlotte Mason & is full of wonderful parenting advice. Really, all parents are teachers, not just homeschooling parents. This book offers great insight for all who spend time caring for children.

As one preparing to homeschool, this book was this kind of thing that has been spurring me on to ponder, philosophize and dream about both the general approach I will take, and the beginnings of many specific ideas.

For those who are disenchanted with the high pressure standardized-testing mentality prevalent in classrooms today, this book explains the educational philosphy of Charlotte Mason. It is God-focused (Susan is the daughter of Christian apologtic Francis Shaeffer), natural, and relaxed. It is a must-read for any classroom teacher, homeschool parent, or school administrator.

What a fantastic read!! In Ariel's Journey, the young girls embark on a journey forcing them to realize that what was once considered a problem before their journey began (a typical conflict among tween friends) really wasn't such a big issue in comparison with they were chosen to accomplish. These once naïve girls, turn into brave and majestic warriors as they fulfill their mission for peace and goodness. They become strong and focused as they bond with one another and their Icelandic horses in order to bring peace to Iceland. There is also very knowledgeable information on the Icelandic breed of horses as well. I look forward to reading each book in this series!

At first I was a little skeptical of the plot in Ariel's Journey... I mean, teenage girls traveling back in time to Iceland with magical horses? However, after finishing the book, I'm a BELIEVER! The story moves along at a nice pace and the characters are very well-developed. Kane and Wood give special attention to the little details that make each character endearing, such as Andrea's wild "morning hair" and the unrestrained enthusiasm that twelve-year-olds Kim and Darcy share for pretty much anything that comes their way. This story not only encourages "girl power" and teaches young women that they DO have the inner strength to accomplish great things, it is also rather gritty and realistic in surprising ways. The girls actually charge into battle wielding swords and there is some blood and gore! Ariel's Journey achieves a perfect balance of adventure, dialogue, romance, and female bonding. I have to admit that I became very attached to the characters and was sad when they arrived home, ready to resume their normal lives in modern society. Luckily I can take comfort in the fact that book #2 is coming out soon. I can't wait to see what happens next with Princessa, Skessa, Ariel, Hela, and Kedja and their brave young riders!

Cute book about kids going back in time and visiting Iceland 800 years ago. Two things I liked a lot about it. It depicted Icelandic horses as being very wise and having magical powers. If you know any Icelandic horses, you'll know how they really seem to have those qualities. I liked that the teenage girls in the story developed into skilled warriors who rescue others instead of being rescued. Girls need to read more books like this. I hope these authors continue writing. People who like this book will enjoy an older book called "Cloud Horse" by Miriam Pinkwater. Annie

Ariel's Journey is an excellent book for teens and adults. It is a story that shows the true relationship a rider can have with their horse. Horses (especially the Icelandic breed) like humans have their own unique traits and personalities. This story describes the ability of horses to bond with their riders in a mystical way. It is a great adventure story filled with twists and surprises to keep you on the edge of your seat. It also teaches you a great deal about the Icelandic horse breed and their homeland.
I enjoyed the story from beginning to end. Each chapter leaves you wanting more, therefore, making it hard to put the book down. I am anxiously awaiting the release of the next story.

I enjoyed Ariel's journey! was an easy read, very interesting and informative. I especialy enjoyed the unexpected twist in the story. I also felt it was a real life relationship learning tool for tweens that will read the book. Its a tough time for girls in this real part of their lives and this book tells what can happen when you can put those things aside. The authors did a particularly great job in character descriptions of both the girls on the journey and the horses that were their friends.

Many thanks to IDW for embarking on this publishing milestone. Even the earliest, crudest TRACY strips are entertaining and enlightening. Chester Gould's abilities as a storyteller and artist take shape over the course of years. His economy of action, character and suspense grows over decades. It's fascinating to watch the character and the strip develop in these early panels, especially if you know what's coming. At the rate they are publishing these volumes, it is expected to take five-six years to commit the entire work to book form. There have been other attempts over the years, both in hardcover volumes and comic book variations, to reprint TRACY, but it looks like IDW has come up with a satisfactory format, great design, and a commitment to getting it done once and for all. Please support them.

An excellent start to a much overdue collection! Yes, this first volume was pretty much covered in Tommyguns, but its arrangement and hardcover setup make it worthwhile. I look forward to future volumes!

I've been a huge fan of the Dick Tracy comic strip since I picked up my first comic book reprint of the strip sometime in the latter '40s in the middle of the "Boris Arson" narrative arc from the mid-'30s. It was great stuff, and even at my young age I knew it was the real deal and drew upon some actual events for plot points; "Arson" used an iodine-dyed dummy pistol carved from a raw potato to break out of jail! (Ah there!, John Dillinger!)

I was hooked, and became a dedicated collector with issue #29 (toward the end of the "Flattop" arc) and had every single issue from that point forward 'til #137! (Somewhere, inexplicably, they all disappeared! They survived the disapproval of my father, but not, apparently, my first wife!)

Over the past 30 years I've acquired virtually every "Tracy" reprint I could get my eager mitts on, and they've been for the most part excellent. But due to the selectivity of the reprints (none of which touched on the "Boris Arson" arc), there's been no continuity of the Chester Gould oeuvre until this series debuted, and I was all over it!

I've purchased the first two volumes, devoured both, and, O joy!, "Boris Arson" has appeared toward the end of the second one. The publication date of Volume III is a month away, and I'm like a kid awaiting Christmas morning!

I imagine the reason this "Complete Dick Tracy" project wasn't previously attempted had to do with some sort of "rights" issue, but I'm delighted that it's underway... and I know that unless they accelerate the present two-a-year schedule, I probably won't live to see the "Moon Maid" years, but that's okay!

These early strips show how polished Gould had become since his rather crude beginnings, and how much he developed his technical and creative "chops" over the decades. The format is fine... anything larger to accommodate a fuller sized Sunday strip would probably have put the volumes well above the "widely accessible" price point... so it's but a minor inconvenience for me to wear my reading glasses.

Kudos to IDW Publishing.

Around the early 1930s, as Prohibition was coming to an ignominious end, gangster films began to really take hold. James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson and Humphrey Bogart led the way on screen, while Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler wrote the books, and on the comics page, it was Chester Gould, with his strip, Dick Tracy. Volume One of The Complete Chester Gould's Dick Tracy follows the detective from the very beginning in late 1931 to the middle of 1933.



As the comic begins, Dick Tracy isn't even a cop. When the father of his fiancee Tess Trueheart is killed by robbers, Tracy joins the police force and becomes a top detective without even needing to take an exam. He first solves the murder of Tess's father and then proceeds to be a one-man-gang against murderers, kidnappers, thieves and con men. His first real foe is the gang leader Big Boy, and most of the early battles are against Big Boy or members of his organization.



For those familiar with Dick Tracy's more bizarre foes such as Pruneface and Flattop, there may be a little bit of disappointment with the more mundane villains in this volume. Besides the bad guys and Tess, the main characters are Pat, a rather hapless fellow detective and Junior, a street urchin who Tracy takes under his wing. But it's Tracy who is the lead character, constantly meeting out justice with fist and gun. Like many such characters, Tracy himself is not that interesting, but is made more so by others around him.



Well-drawn and decently written, even these early Dick Tracy strips should appeal to fans of older comics. It may not be the best of these old-time comics (I reserve that compliment for other strips like Krazy Kat, Gasoline Alley or Popeye), but it is a fun read.

While I appreciate the effort to reprint the complete original Dick Tracy comic strips, certainly one of the most uniquely rendered creations in comics, I have reservations about the chosen format. The reproduction size of the Sunday strips is smaller than ideal, making for some challenging reading. To properly accomodate the Sunday strips, surely a larger format would have been better.

However, it's still fascinating to watch the evolution of Gould's trademark graphic style emerge from what started as a very ordinary-looking strip. Since it's probably not going to be done again on this scale, I suppose the best thing to do is accept the Sunday strip reproduction for what it is and board the train -- the best is yet to come.

I thought this book was written by someone who owned a restaurant in Mexico, but was pleasantly surprised to find out the location was in Austin Texas. This book consists of recipes that are on their menu inspired by authentic Mexican connoisseurs like Diana Kennedy and former head chef Roberto Santibanez who now owns the New York based Mexican chain Rosa Mexicanos. Having lived for years in Mexico this has taken me back to the culinary culture that I love and miss dearly. The artwork that hangs in the restaurant is beautifully displayed as is the history. This is definitely a go to book since the recipes are right on to what I remember in Mexico. Definitely worth getting, but remember this is an authentic Mexican cookbook and not a Tex Mex cookbook.

I do not cook- until now. We visited this restaurant in Austin and were so impressed by the beauty of the location that when I went home, I went online and purchased the cookbook. My only intention was to be an "armchair cook" until I read how easy most of the recipes are! I'm shocked to say it, but everything has been easy and delicious. Try it, you'll love it.

This book is a must for every Mexian food lover and art. I have attended a cooking glass by them and have eaten brunch at their restaurant. Absolutely fantastic. The almond flan is superb and very easy to prepare in a blender. The chicken in banana leaves is also a standout. Recipes are fairly easy to understand and prepare, it just takes a bit of time.

Beautiful pictures, great recipe. Perfect for a table book, not just a cookbook.

The cookbook Fonda San Miguel: Thirty years of Food and Art seems to be one of those titles you see from time to time, when an established restaurant puts together a collection of recipes and a publisher hopes that name recognition will move copies. But open the cover, try some of the recipes, and you find a culinary gem.

Fonda San Miguel is a well-regarded restaurant in Austin offering Mexican cuisine. Author credits are co-founders Tom Gilliland (runs the front of the house) and Miguel Ravago (the chef) as well as "text by" Virginia B. Wood, whom is an Austin writer. The foreword is by noted Mexican cuisine expert Diana Kennedy, who apparently is a friend of the founders and whose work has inspired some of the dishes.

From first glance, the book is visually sumptuous: all color photography of the recipes and art in the restaurant with attractive design, hardbound. And here comes the first of my few quibbles: even though the publisher, Shearer Publishing, may have bought the rights to the photography, or even done it in-house, it should have given full credit to the people responsible for the actual photographic and food styling work. There also should have been better photo editing; I noticed a few out-of-focus images, one of which seemed planned and appropriate although the others looked like mistakes.

The recipes, though - marvelous. I tried four for a family dinner: guacamole, Sopa de Elote (a smooth corn soup served with roasted chiles and cheese), Adoba Sauce (pork marinade made with ancho chiles, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and black peppercorns), and Comote Y Piña (baked sweet potato puree with pineapple). The results were uniformly excellent. Unlike many cookbook recipes, I found that I could use each of these without modification or even adjusting amounts, which is pretty rare. I do wish that when a recipe referred to a preparation or technique elsewhere in the book that there was a page number associated, but, again, I did say quibbles.

The book originally came out in 2005, which does have me wondering why the PR firm that sent the copy is promoting it now, but it's nice to see that someone is taking an active interest in promotion this excellent volume.

Books usually are. This is the one to get--if you're interested in The Ed Wood Story.
I read bits and pieces of Wood's prose on the internet--and the funny thing is, or maybe I should say the INTERESTING thing is, he was far better at writing prose, than he was at writing movie dialogue and directing.
The problem with Eddie's paperbacks is that the guy was so damn obsessed with crossdressing. Why? Why couldn't he stay away from it for a while, at least long enough to write a paperback or two or three (even) without having the male lead dress up in a bra and angora sweater?
Sheesh. Stuff gets old after a while.
It's easy enough to relate to him for wanting to do something in the creative realm (as a filmmaker, etc.), and not be able to pull it off.. I mean, whose heart doesn't go out to him for that? Better yet, to anyone? Who couldn't get that?--other than the typical businessman who is solely focused on the bottom line, making a profit?

Anyway, this book has the whole story. It's a sad tale--with a downer of an ending. What can you do? The cards had been dealt--and poor Eddie's hand did not show much promise.

And the biggest BUMMER OF ALL is that people out there are making tons of money off this guy's hard work and sweat!
Justice? What's that?

This is a labor of love, taking ten years and many interviews, as well as research, to give us the best hope we'll ever have of getting an understanding of maverick Ed Wood.

The structure is mostly clips from interviews, letters, and some of Wood's works, mostly interviewes. Thus one gets a sense of Ed Wood that in no way tries to be objective - instead it's about people who knew him, and their statements stand on their own (even when they conflict). There is actual research done as well - filmographies, book summaries, a small history - but most of the book is interviews.

The style however actually works - someone like Ed Wood may not always leave a very good trail. In addition, being very much a unique person in the unique culture of bargain-basement hollywood, personal testimony is just about the only way to have a hope to comprehend his stories.

The result is a fascinating, personal, and respectful book on a surprisingly complex man. Don't expect any punches pulled either - Ed Wood for all his likeability and charm (which he had in spades), was an occasional conman, and as his life degenerated, he fell into alchoholism, poverty, and domestic violence. Do expect a very personal portrait.

This book is an absolute must for any fan of Wood, B-movies, and the underside of Hollywood. As I write this it is out of print, but I gladly shelled out the money for a used copy. May it return to press soon - but you owe it yourself to get it.

Rudolph Grey has interviewed many of the people who knew and worked with Edward D. Wood Jr, and the entire book is compiled of quotes from these people. This non-narrative style may at first seem boring, but it's not. It is fascinating and touching, sometimes funny and tragic and gives a good understanding of several aspects of Ed Wood.

It also contains many pictures and a detailed list of Wood's films and books, including plot descriptions. This definately is a must-have for everybody who is interested in Ed Wood or old Hollywood independent films in general.

I first heard of Edward Wood Jr, the so-called 'Worst Director of All Time', when the Tim Burton film "Ed Wood" was released in 1995. Although the film is excellent, it does paint quite a rosy picture of Wood's life. The story in this book is much grimmer.

The book itself is a collection of interviews with the people who knew and worked with Ed Wood, copiously illustrated with black and white photographs, and covers his life and career. There are many entertaining stories here, covering the making of such films as "Glen or Glenda", "Bride of the Monster" and "Plan 9 From Outer Space", and the reader encounters a wide variety of eccentrics, losers and dreamers, who Wood met living on the fringes of Hollywood.

Sometimes the recollections of interviewees contradict each other, but that is memory. Grey doesn't give his own opinions on the interviewees and their remembrances but wisely stays outside and avoids judgement. The book is a fairly comprehensive account of Wood's life, but it is let down by mispellings, and often the phots are quite hard to see. It is however a must for anyone interested in Wood, 1950s "B" movies, or Hollywood.

Born in 1924, Wood was a highly decorated WWII Marine with an itch to wear women's clothes, make movies, and drink to excess. During his lifetime he would be notorious for transvestitism and alcoholism; he would also be involved in some twenty films, all of them cheaply made, all of them remarkable for their ludicrous incompetence. At the time of his 1978 death he was a raving drunk scratching out a living by writing pornography, and his film career was considered so trivial that not a single industry trade paper bothered to run an obituary.

But time does strange things. Within a few years of his death, Wood's films began to gain a cult-following, and in 1992 Rudolph Grey published NIGHTMARE OF ECSTASY, a loosely structured "oral history" of Wood's life as related by those who knew him best: his various wives and girl friends, his actors, his employers, his friends. The book would form the basis of Tim Burton's brilliant 1994 film ED WOOD.

Wood comes off as considerably less likeable here than in Tim Burton's bio-pic, which stopped short of detailing some of his more unsavory antics--including fraud, vicious alcoholism, the occasional fit of wife-beating, and his work in pornography. The Ed Wood of the 1950s might have been fun to know, at least so long as you didn't have any money in his ventures; the Ed Wood of the 1970s, however, was someone you would might have crossed the street to avoid.

Although a number of Wood's acquaintances led solid lives and attempted to help Wood as his life spiraled out of control, by and large Wood seems to have acted as a magnet for Hollywood hustlers, riff-raff, and trash--and before too long Wood himself became indicative of Los Angeles lowlife scene. While the interview subjects give conflicting accounts of specific events in Wood's life, the end result is the same: a tremendous sense of wasted effort, futile dreams, and unending pathos. This is some seriously bitter stuff.

NIGHTMARE OF ECSTASY concludes with a fairly solid chunk of factual data, including biographical notes on interview subjects, a chronology of major events in Wood's life, a bibliography that includes passages from Wood's novels, a comprehensive filmography--and even an annotated list of projects Wood was never able to get off the ground. I recommend the book, but I do so with a warning: if you're looking for a restatement of Tim Burton's film, you'll be significantly disillusioned.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

This is one of my all time favorite picture books for all ages. Peter Spiers beautiful illustrations need no words to tell this story. The possibilities for interacting with a child are endless as you wander through the familiar and find the surprising! My granddaughter is 2 years old and loves animals. What could be a better birthday gift?

The happy and humorous tone of this book will make it appealing to any child, whatever the family's religion.

The only text is at the beginning and it is a charming translation of a poem that summarizes the story of Noah. The poem is delightful in and of itself- Spier did a great job of translating.

The illustrations are then left without text, which is very refreshing, since there are so few picture books nowadays. I enjoy leisurely paging through this book with my young daughter, talking about the pictures in and of themselves, as pieces of art and as pictures that tell a story. I feel that the pressure is off in terms of trying to finish a sentence or a story when there is no text there.

In addition, this book is appropriate for Muslim families as well, since the illustrations (and beginning poem) are sufficiently vague as to accommodate for the small differences in the telling of the story in the Qu'ran and the Bible.

My first Peter Spier book. Not saccharine, wonderful details (including Noah mucking out the ark). Great to have a child read to YOU.

This is an excellent picture book - my three year old really loves it. My only "complaint" is that it takes a long time to go through all the pictures and talk about each one making it less than ideal right before bed unless you want to spend 20 minutes on just one book! Seriously though - the book is just wonderful and allows parents to go into whatever level of detail regarding the Noah story as they feel is appropriate for the age of their child. It is a softcover and the pages and cover are not of the highest quality - it would be lovely to have in hardcover with larger pages.

This book really does not need any words. It is so well illustrated that you can understand every part of the story. His detailing is stunning. Every time we read this book, we find new details. This is the best book of Noah's ark story!

Ol' Lady Grizelda by Justin Matott is a fabulous book about when you were a little boy. Ol' Lady Grizelda likes to eat kids stew. Ol' Lady Grizelda lives up on a hill and a little boy lives below Ol' Lady Grizelda. At midnight they see her planting peas and looking for treasure with keys.

This book has a wonderful lesson hidden within a delightfully told story about acceptance. I LOVE THIS BOOK AND HAVE FOR SOME TIME!

Mr. Matott came to my school last week and told us about how he met the lady in this book. It is a cool story and he said he wrote a chapter book about it. I want to read that too. Read all of Mr. Matotts books because HE ROCKS!!!

When I first saw this book i thought the lady was scary and weird. My teacher reads this book again and again now because we like it so much. It is a story about how mean people say things and then they find out they dont even know people. I mean when you read this book you will find out that the old weird lady is nice to kids and she is great. i want everyone to read this book because you will learn something and then you will really enjoy it. okay, that is what I would say about this book anyway.

I have been using this book in my classroom for the past three years. I have to keep buying new copies because the kids wear this book out. If you want to use a book that teaches tolerance, love and ultimately the way all people would like to be viewed, read Ol' Lady Grizelda, you will be glad you did. It has also proven to be a wonderful tool for my slower readers because of the glossary included. The language is challenging enough for my picture book/chapter book straddlers and they love, LOVE, the illustrations!

When you see on the cover of a book testimonials by James Patterson, Clive Cussler, Tim Green, and other big hitters, you pay attention.
Reid Clark is named by the press as 'The Bad Boy of Golf'. Think John McEnroe only more volatile! He is a brilliant player on the PGA, but shoots himself in the foot with his temper. He has made some enemies, but never would he have thought that someone wanted to kill him.
He plays The Masters under death threats, and he continues on toward The Classic where the threats escalate: if Reid wins the tournament, he will die.
Reid is surrounded by security and family, and starts transforming from 'Bad Boy' into a well rounded man who happens to be one of the top golf players in the world. He learns it isn't 'all about him' and starts to understand what the truly important things in life are.
It is all about golf - the play, the endorsements, the risks, but also is about Reid's progression to see what is truly most important in his life.
Balkind writes with amazing clarity that puts you there in the middle of the action of play on the greens - We come to like Reid, and Balkind's character portrayals are eloquent in their execution.
You will learn a lot about golf reading this book. You will also be in for a great treat as it is a top notch mystery too.
It will make one heck of a movie -
Think you'll have fun with this one too.
Those of us who are terrible golfers, but think we are much better, and those who truly know the game and do well at it, will love this book equally - I usually get relegated to driving the cart!! But know it takes lots of skill to play the game, and to play under more pressure than just winning the tournament takes more than determination - focus focus focus.
Excellent read!

Reid Clark, the "Bad Boy of Golf" has just received a death threat- DO NOT WIN or YOU WILL DIE. They are referring to the biggest golf tournament in his life. The suspects are numerous because, after all, he IS the "bad boy", having assaulted reporters and their photographers on numerous occasions who all seem obsessed with the golf star.
Reid and his agent Buck make a great winning team and after landing a million dollar endorsement they should be very happy sportsmen, but how can they be with these threats hanging over their lives? Reid's mother Joan, his two sisters and girlfriend Shane are his cheering section as the excitement builds.
Surrounded by bodyguards, Reid plays the final round of golf in the Masters, but will that be enough to save his life? This reader does not play golf, but as the tension builds, became highly involved with the game and the characters in Mr. Balkind's book. Very much recommended for sports fans and everyone else who loves a good mystery!

Imagine this; you are an athlete, born with a gift. You work hard to improve and better yourself in what you love and crave to do, and when you finally get to live your dream, someone spoils it with a threat of `simply' taking your life if you - win.
Reid Clark, a professional golfer, has a rude awakening as he receives such a threat during the tournament of tournaments; the Masters.
Not a stranger to challenging situations he finds himself just a bid over his head and has no choice but to surround himself with a colorful team of bodyguards and investigating cops, because he surely is not going to easily give in.
What follows is a well written tale of a cat and mouse game on a different level. Intrigue and suspense can be painted in many vivid colors, but spinning them into the `game of kings' is certainly a new twist author Michael Balkind has discovered.

Though I play a little golf myself, I'm not a huge fan and certainly don't watch it on TV. However; ever since I read this story I find myself taking a glimpse at the tellie whenever I catch a game and I wonder - what would it be like to perform at such level if indeed one would encounter a death threat.

To me, Balkind made the story believable and I enjoyed the read through out. There were just a few instances where I would have liked to see a lesser degree of explanation of the physiological pressure of the game. I also wondered about a scenario where Reid, while still under extreme stress due to his threats, takes his family on a shopping spree.
All in all however, I recommend Sudden Death to anyone who seeks a satisfying thrill ride down the fairway and I will be looking for more sport related mystery from this new, exciting author.

Rebecca Lerwill, author of Relocating Mia.
Relocating Mia

Reid Clark, an angry, rude PGA touring pro enters the Masters with a death threat hanging over his performance there. The 'Bad Boy of Golf' mellows somewhat when the fear of his death lingers over the fairways and greens of that cherished magnolia lined golf course. He even lets loose some of his millions won on tour and through sponsorships to buy his mom a house and the sport car she desires. The would-be killers suspected are many because of Reid's past 'bad boy' reputation in golf and business. But it's the one on the bottom of that long list who plans and executes the threat.
Reid ties for the lead and The Masters goes into sudden death and fearing it could be his own quick demise, he putts for the win...a gun-shot is heard. Did the putt drop in or did Reid drop before the ball missed the cup? Reid doesn't know and the reader will find out later when the book concludes.

Don't read Sudden Death on an empty stomach you'll crave for such as Tarragon Lobster, Salad Nicoise and then wish for the libation offered by a cognac infused with vinilla accompanied by a good cigar. Michael Balkind knows the good life and writes with an excellent knowledge of the game of golf. If you love a mystery and/or exciting golf-play read Sudden Death. It's all there.

Sudden Death is a fast paced page burner. The characters are personable, and realistic as our hero struggles to win the elusive "Green Jacket" at the Masters, while trying to avoid an assasin. The writing is smooth while the plot is pockmarked with exciting twists. This is a great read whether you like golf or not. Everyone likes a good whodunit, and this is a good one.

Though I have often thought of the similarities between the noses of bears and my own labrador retriever, and been tempted to ascribe those labrador characteristics to bears, I knew better. My reading about bears has included many tales of bear maulings and their extreme medical consequences. This book, though, showed me that bears can equal our canine buddies in establishing full and rich relationships. This unique story of love among the Minnesota woods made me wish that I could pull up stakes and establish a home in the woods and wait for the bears to visit. It really makes one wonder what relationships with other animals we might have if given the opportunity.

I never understood black bears until reading Jack Becklund's book. I laughed and cried, feeling as if I was right there with Jack and his wife Patti. Afterward, I wanted to visit that area, see the house, see the yard where Little Bit and the other bears played. I now want to find out more about helping these wonderful creatures survive. I have never been more moved by a book. I would love to communicate with Jack and Patti some time and get a picture of "Conversation with a Bear". They are incredible people and so fortunate to have had such a gift in their lives as becoming intimately involved with God's beautiful wildlife.
I would HIGHLY recommend this book. I am reading it again now for the second time. It is hard to put down. Thank you Jack and Patti for sharing this beautiful experience with us.
Joanne Setlock
Wallace Ave.
Buffalo, New York 14216

If you love animals, nature, the great outdoors, and reading about people who love all those things too, please get this book, sit down with a box of tissues, and enjoy! You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll shake your head in wonderment. The author Jack Becklund and his wife Patti, move deep into the Minnesota forests. Their property is home to deer gamboling on the lawn, chipmunks and hand-fed squirrels munching seeds on the porch,wild mallard ducks swimming and splashing in the creek below, and a colorful array of native birds. But the real heart of the story is Little Bit, the black bear cub who toddles onto the back deck one day, and stays for the next six summers as a welcome, loving, and deeply loved guest of the couple. She is a magical spirit, a living, breathing gift from God, sent to bring great joy to their lives. We are honored to meet Little Bit's cubs, her mates, and numerous other black bears who live in the area, and come to trust the Becklunds. The story itself is incredible, but between the lines, we watch the couple come to love and appreciate the power of this sacred trust they've been given...the joy of the relationship they share with these magnificent animals.This is a book for all time...a classic in every sense of the word. The photos are magnificent, and bring the personalities of the animals into beautiful focus.

Summer with the bears is by far the best book I've ever read. If you don't have it or haven't read it do so now. It will change your life in some way I'm sure. I first read about it in the Reader's Digest and put my copy on order for the moment it came out. Little bit and all of the other bears touched my heart so much it's hard ot describe. I felt like I was there with them as events were happening. Jack and Patti you are so lucky to have had this special time in your lives and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your sharing it with us. Just goes to show that all animals are not as we always imagine them to be, yet we know at the same time they are not all created equal. There are those that possess a special trait and willingness to be different, that was little bit. Your book was written from your heart, and the pictures helped us to be there too. I laughed and I cried along with you. so few of us will experience what you did interacting with the bears on the level that you did. I attribute your book to helping me find a hidden talent I did not know existed in me. I started sketching, and yes mostly bears. I did one of you and Patti with little bit, if you'd ever like them all you need to do is ask and they are yours. You touched my life in such a special way that in turn I'd like to touch your lives too. Hope there will be more books and I wish you all the best in your lives. Thank You for sharing your special lives with the world.

Summer With The Bears is about a couple who decide to leave the city for an adventure in Minnesota to observe the bears. At first Jack & Patti started out just observing the bears for hours to learn their habits and earn their confidence. And they do earn their trust. There were many more animals that they befriended. They kept a journal on everything that happened concerning the bears and other animals. They even named the bears.

As a true animal lover, I really liked this book. The pictures added to the book. If you are looking for a short and sweet read this is the book for you.