Clubs Books

How could I have missed this series? I enjoy stories set in this period because my own father was born in 1890; in Kentucky. He was a small-town boy, following the work to Ohio where he and several of his brothers settled.

I can picture him being a member of such a club as the Moosepath League and having small adventures such as author Reid depicts in this series of books. My father was not bumbling like most of these characters, but he was witty and funny and would no doubt have led them on even more exciting adventures.

Reid paints a vivid picture of a small town of the late 80s ... filled with characters who would make entertaining neighbors. They'd certainly liven up any neighborhood with their quaint, old-fashioned, yet quirky fun.

It's obvious this is a satire, and I love satire myself. (I discovered these books because on Amazon.com they were placed beside one of the books I wrote: THE TOONIES INVADE SILICON VALLEY. While the TOONIES does not disparage our lovely Valley in anyway, I certainly delighted in poking a bit of fun at our techie culture ... tongue-in-cheek humor, of course ... as Mr. Reid does in these books.)

Fun reads! Enjoy all four.

I had lunch with Van Reid in August of 2001. He was as fun to talk to as his books are to read! I love the humor, the insight, the intrigue and the adventures of the Moosepath League! I agree that this installment is not as "heavy" as Daniel Plainway (at least to all but Ephram, Eagleton,and Thump!) but all the other elements are present. I laughed out loud several times while flying, which caused my fellow passengers to wonder about me, I am sure. Moxie!

For excellent quality, humor, detailed plots, and kind, likeable characters, you can't beat Van Reid's "Moosepath League" novels. The latest, "Mrs. Roberto", seems to me to be a little lighter in tone than "Molly Peer" or "Daniel Plainway", but is still immensely involving and entertaining. This kind of writing just cannot be found anywhere else today. If you are fond of the classics or nineteenth century American literature, you will love Van Reid.

The willing adventurers of the Moosepath League of Victorian Portland, Maine, have lost none of their good-natured innocence in this fourth adventure, despite entanglements with tavern keepers, loose women, pickpockets, hoboes and worse. Indeed, Van Reid's droll storytelling depends upon it.

Misdirection and misunderstanding form the strong foundation of the meandering and digressive missions of the League's six members, who gather at the Shipswood Restaurant in the spring of 1897 for one of their regular dinners. They raise their water glasses (prohibition has been in effect in Maine for 46 years) to their only female member, Miss Phileda McCannon, who's making a journey to settle her deceased aunt's affairs. Mr. Tobias Walton, their chairman and the oldest at 48, is a bit subdued on this occasion as Phileda has not given an answer to his proposal of marriage.

Joseph Thump, Christopher Eagleton and Matthew Ephram are still in a small state of excitement after nearly running down a tavern keeper named Sparks who could have been Thump's double, but for his workingman's clothing and his high-pitched voice. The youngest member, Walton's faithful assistant Sundry Moss, 23, is the only one who dares to hazard that the crowd of ruffians backing away from the near-accident were pursuing Sparks rather than attempting his rescue.

The trio of Thump, Eagleton and Ephram have not seen the last of Sparks. Walking home through an unfamiliar and doubtful part of town, Thump happens to save a policeman from certain death-by-falling-piano, thereby incurring Mrs. Sparks' heartfelt gratitude for preserving her cousin, the perpetrator, from a murder charge.

This might again have been the end of it, but the trio, inspired by an incident in a play, determine that the lovely balloon ascensionist, Mrs. Roberto, must be in need of rescuing. Their mission leads them to a house of ill-repute (not that they ever realize where they are) and a run-in with the gang that's after Sparks, from which they escape thanks to Sparks' youngest son and his urchin friend who lead them over Portland's slippery rooftops. Sparks' network of less-than-respectable relatives continues to aid the trio as they seek Mrs. Roberto from Bangor to Dresden Mills, taking up with a large party of hoboes along the way.

Meanwhile, Moss, attempting to distract his employer, has taken Walton to visit his uncle in Norridgewock, though they never make it quite that far. The train is delayed in Bowdoinham where Walton is pressed to come to the aid of a glum prize pig. Perplexed by the locals' assumption of his expertise in porcine matters (the reader has been let-in on the misunderstanding), but as willing and easy-going as ever, Walton embarks on a visit to the Ferns, unhappy owners of the depressed pig, where Moss, a farmer's son and a bit more worldly than his fellow Moosepathians, soon susses the problem.

With digressions for the furtherance of romance and good acquaintance, Reid piles misunderstandings upon misunderstandings, constructing a hilarious journey through the towns and by-ways of Maine and the social strata of its best inhabitants. It all culminates in a spectacular and chaotic natural disaster, reuniting the League and necessitating numerous rescues and confusion and some wonderfully vivid writing.

Lots of local color and history round out the adventure. Reid's prose is playful, witty and dry, as well as eloquent and visual. The contrast between the transparent innocence of the steadfastly clueless trio and the sharp wits of Sundry Moss (think young George Burns and Gracie Allen) is a pleasure, further enhanced by the ready-for-anything calm of Toby Walton. Reid (whose Maine roots go back more than two centuries) leaves us with a tantalizing hint of the next to come in the League's adventures. These books are for anyone who enjoys wit and good-natured storytelling in the Dickensian tradition.

As someone who also has a severe mental illness, I find this book to be excellent and inspirational. This book should be read by all whose lives are affected by mental illness in some ways.

Robert H. Gerner, M.D, Assoc. Research Psychiatrist- UCLA:

This is a candid struggle of one woman's anguished mental affliction and resolution experienced through the lens of her earlier gift of music. Patients, families and professional alike can readily feel her inner struggle with distorted perceptions of the world around her, and share in the reconstruction of her identity as an individual.

I just finished reading The Music of Madness and I was amazed at Tracy Harris' ability to draw the reader into her descent into madness. Her descriptions of her hallucinations, hospitalizations and depression are incredibly vivid and they reminded me of my brother, who also suffers from a severe mental illness. Her writing is beautiful and I couldn't put it down once I started. I think anyone who has suffered from mental illness could benefit from reading this book. The author's message is one of incredible hope. I have given this book to my brother to read so that he too can see that it truly is possible to lead a rewarding life, even with a severe mental illness. It was fascinating to witness the author's great talent for music and her mind's terrible madness merge into one incredible and unique experience. Bravo to the author for having the courage to share her painful mental illness with the world. Through sharing her story the author affords us all a better understanding of those that are suffering everyday with mental illness!

The Music of Madness is a book about a talented concert flutist and her harrowing journey from sanity into madness and back again. This true story is an odyssey that takes you through the dark cells of mental institutions to the lighted stages of concert halls. One is able to travel with the author as she journeys from her innocent childhood to the dark world of hallucinations, her face-off with death and her emergence into the light of hope and final triumph as she reclaims her career and more importantly her sanity and her right to live life as it was meant to be. The Music of Madness is an inspirational book for all those who have felt the anguish and hopelessness of mental illness either for themselves or for a loved one. This painfully honest story is a source of renewed faith in life and provides everyone who reads it with a stronger belief in the strength of the human spirit. This book brings to everyone's library an exciting adventure full of truth, and the qualities that all of us share in surviving this chancy yet exciting existence we call life.

Also recommended: A Beautiful Mind

To watch my child enjoy reading Christian novels gives me great joy! I have always enjoyed my own and when I discovered the wholesomeness in a children's book for my childs age...Woo Hoo! Simple reading with great lesson.

I think your books are great they are so cool!!!!! I think you should write more of these books I learned alot from these books.

Calie cat

This book is so funny, I read it several times! In this book, Patience, the three cousins, third cousin, is telling tall tales. When she tells a tall tale about dancing angels, Timothy, Titus, and Sarah-Jane, don't believe her. Have they stumbled upon another mystery or is this just another one of Patience's tall tales?

This is the best book that Elspeth has made!

Three cunning ten year olds try to solve the mystery of the dancing angels... read this book to find out more!

Reviewed by India Furney (age 12) for Reader Views (12/07)

Eleven-year-old Bailey hasn't seen her Dad since he left when she was one. Now, all of a sudden, he turns up on Sugar's (Bailey's grandma) doorstep AND he has with him Bailey's half-sister that she didn't even know existed! Her name is Norma Jean and she looks perfect, perfect hair, perfect smile and Bailey hates her!

When Norma Jean comes to stay, Bailey creates the NO SISTERS SISTERS CLUB with her two best friends, Emily and Amber. No sisters allowed and that includes Norma Jean! Eventually, Bailey decides that having a sister isn't so bad after all.

I liked "No Sisters Sisters Club" a lot and really enjoyed reading it. I could relate to the Sisters Club because I have three friends and we call ourselves "sisters." I think this is great for girls ages 8-13.

Make comment on weblog

Because her mother travels, 11-year-old Bailey stays with her grandmother in central Virginia. The surprise arrival of her father and an annoying half-sister Norma Jean sets in motion the creation of a club with Bailey's friends (who are more like sisters to her than Norma Jean) to which her step-sister is not allowed to join. Then there is the problem of Justin (who used to bully Bailey), a cat-snatcher, and a man trying to burn down an old house. But more than any of these issues, is Bailey's father meaning to kidnap her and take her away from her grandmother while her mother is away? No Sisters Sisters Club is the sequel to Linda Salisbury's The Wild Women Of Lake Anna and continues the "Bailey Fish Adventure" series which is especially recommended to young readers ages 8 to 12.

Because her mother travels, 11-year-old Bailey stays with her grandmother in central Virginia. The surprise arrival of her father and an annoying half-sister Norma Jean sets in motion the creation of a club with Bailey's friends (who are more like sisters to her than Norma Jean) to which her step-sister is not allowed to join. Then there is the problem of Justin (who used to bully Bailey), a cat-snatcher, and a man trying to burn down an old house. But more than any of these issues, is Bailey's father meaning to kidnap her and take her away from her grandmother while her mother is away? No Sisters Sisters Club is the sequel to Linda Salisbury's The Wild Women Of Lake Anna and continues the "Bailey Fish Adventure" series which is especially recommended to young readers ages 8 to 12.

New Salisbury mystery a read for all ages
James Abraham
Literary Critic
Charlotte Sun-Herald

The last time we saw Bailey Fish, she was learning how to live with a new family member, her grandmother, after the 12-year-old's divorced mother had shipped her off to live with Grandma Sugar.

That was in "The Wild Women of Lake Anna," the first Bailey Fish book by former Charlotte Harbor resident Linda Salisbury. Now Bailey's back with new problems in "No Sisters Sisters Club," (8:95, Tabby House).

The title should be clue enough to Bailey's problems. But first some background. Her mother, a journalist, decided to send Bailey from her Florida home to live with her grandmother while pursuing an assignment in South America.

Like most young children, Bailey's foremost fear was that of losing her friends and having to make new ones in a new land. But her Virginia grandmother, who's as sweet as her appellation, soon wins her over, As those familial pains are resolved and Bailey blossoms in her new home, she helps solve an environmental mystery by tracking down the miscreant who had been poisoning the lake of the title.

In that book Salisbury did a good job of presenting a writer's palimpsest, a story layered over another tale, which appealed to readers of various bents. Those who were big on feeling empathized with the displaced Bailey, while readers with a love for mystery and adventure found common cause with detective Bailey.

Salisbury repeats that syncopated storytelling style in ""Sisters," as Bailey's adjustment to more members of a family she barely knew is juxtaposed with her struggle against land pirates.

Imagine waking up one day and finding out that you suddenly had a father and three siblings as well. Worse, one of them was a sister, who would be coming to stay at your place and paw over your things.

Well, that's about the size of the challenge facing Bailey, who must overcome the demons in her nature to learn to accept the new elements of her family. How she does so is played out against the backdrop, literally, of an old, abandoned house on land an unscrupulous developer would love to buy.

In crafting a juvenile thriller with a heart, Salisbury shows that she understands the craftiness of writing. Plot is key, but a plot alone is not enough. Readers must be made to feel for the lead characters. The plot must act as resistance training, pushing the main character to exhibit new muscles of the head, heart and soul.

Bailey's initial reaction to meeting her long-lost father and her half-sister is churlish, but also predictable. How would any of us react if suddenly confronted with family we never knew? Sure, as adults we may be cordial and may even welcome some new blood in such circumstances. But for a child, such a revelation carries with it threats and dangers of displacement and disorientation.

Hence the early challenge, which Bailey must surmount to not only be a better person, but to also move the book along.

Bailey pulls a Columbus, taking the long way around. In doing so, she makes the reader respect and admire her not only for her heart, but also because she shows she has a brain.

One inside joke I love about the two books in Salisbury's series is that the author assiduously pushes reading. "Sisters" opens with Bailey reading one of L. Frank Baum's "Oz" books, and is sprinkled with references to reading buddies and books. There, beneath the mystery and the story of the heart, lies a third layer-the proliferation of literacy.

Salisbury understands that these are new times, in which nuclear families have been exploded with all the power and psychic damage of a nuclear bomb. In these new times, we need new books to raise our children well.

"Sisters" fills that bill nicely.

(...)

This book gives you a glimpse into a vast wilderness region that few know, even those that live in the northeast. It is a story that encompasses the land, people, history, culture, and environmental issues.

A fantastic, well written, visually captivating reflection of the beauty of the wild places of new england...a one of a kind book and a must have.

A finalist for the 2003 Independent Publisher Award, Stephen Gorman's Northeastern Wilds: Journeys Of Discovery In The Northern Forest is a stunning tour of adventure and wonder amidst remote woodland beauty. Captivating photographs of natural beauty and unique words of wisdom, memory, and appreciation for nature's bounty distinguish this very highly recommended informative and simply beautiful pictorial "great outdoors" northeastern tour.

The Northern Forest is an area of twenty-six million acres that stretches from Adirondack Park in New York through Vermont, New Hampshire, and most of Maine. "Northern Wilds: Journeys of Discovery in the Northern Forest" consists of historical information about this area as well as the author's personal experiences. The author provides detailed descriptions and commentary of the various facets of the Forest. These descriptions include what one might expect while hiking in the area in different seasons, canoeing the rivers, or camping as well as how the area is changing due to development, logging, and other ecological factors.

Filled with stunningly beautiful photographs, it made me want to visit the Northern Forest at my first opportunity. A recommended read, but worth the price just for the pleasure of enjoying the photography.

This is an invaluable reference book on early oak furniture, which is neccessary for anyone who wishes to have an understanding of the subject. It is both full of expert knowledge explained in a clear concise manner and also contains numerous photographs of the furniture which is depicted in an organised chronogical order that clarifies the text.

This is the most informative book I have seen on all subjects of wooden furniture and does not limit itself to only oak. It describes in great detail the facts on why varying woods were used in each time period due to availability and why only certain trades were allowed to do specific work due to guild laws. The descriptions and photos are amazing, ( WARNING, you will be spellbound for hours looking at these...:) ), and the index at the back of the book uses the best system that I have seen by far, each picture is displayed in thumbnail size pictures and arranged by catagory. Simply look at the index section for chairs, see the thumbnail photo of the one you seek and the page location is written underneath. Family and friends borrow this book so much that I have often contemplated buying a second copy just to be sure of having it around all the time...:) This book will never go out of date. If you only ever buy one book on earlier woodworking, this is the one you must see. Would also make the best coffee table book I've ever seen.... Its BIG, its impressive and its the best, what more could you wan't?

This is a great book, it has so many photos I could not count them, then has them all in the index - a photo of each item, making it easy to locate any specifically. My only complaint is the photos are not colour but it would cost 4x as much (but perhaps would be worth that price).

if you have an interest in the development of early furniture . . . and how to recognize real pieces that are still on the market . . .and still surprisingly available . . .this is perhaps the definitive book out there . . . it is highly recommended despite how costly it is . . .

It's a shame this book is out of print. It captured high school perfectly. I still check it out of the library when I need a good laugh.

This book is a story about a group of misfits in a normal school. These guys formed their own club called The Obnoxious Jerks, and now they're out to do stuff! What kind of stuff, you ask? No one really knows!!! But they start with dishing out cow brains and end up wearing skirts to school as a uniform protest. This book is hilarious. It had me laughing for hours.

This book is one of the better ones that I have read. In fact, it's one of the best. Okay. The story is about these guys who call themselves the Obnoxious Jerks, (if you read the book, you'll see why). They are at this school where there's all these rules and regulations. They just try to change the rules or tell what they think of the rules by doing protests and stuff. They called them jerk-outs, and woah, are they funny. At one point, actually the beginning starts at this point but then backtracks to show how they got to this time, they wear skirts to school to protest the no shorts rule. Remember, these are guys we are talking about here! There are also lots of conflicts within the story, of course without a conflict, what do you have? Nothing. One of the biggest conflicts is between Leslie "The Iceberg" Freeze and Back's best friend Joe. All I can say is that you need to read this great book. It shows the smart people with the imagination and perseverance to get things done. This book should go to all the weirdo's out there. The smart ones that are a little offbeat, not the same as everybody else. As a weirdo myself, I can identify with this book. It's a good book that everybody should read. I give this book three thumbs up.

If there was any book that should never have gone out of print it was this one. Just thinking about it makes me laugh. Definitely one of the best books ever written. It is perfect for teenagers and those of us older who like to pretend we aren't and just need a good laugh. It captures the high school perfectly and lets us have fun with it.

The Old Woman's Cat is a delightful collection of 12 short stories, some wickedly funny, some full of dark revenge and tasty justice. "Spectre", a romance, was one of my favorites but "Demise of a Vampire" had me laughing and wanting more. "Mother Mouse", "Skeleton Key" and "Images" could be about the family next door (oh, you hope it isn't!), and "Identity" comes from our deepest fears of losing our own identity.
These are delicious stories of ordinary folk just like you and me--with a twist from a good author. These stories will keep you shivering and looking at familiar things with new aprehension.
It's also a must-have book for campfire nights!

Sharon King-Booker's, THE OLD WOMAN'S CAT, AND OTHER STORIES is an intriguing collection of short stories on a variety of themes. The stories are of varied length as well as subject matter, but all are fast-paced, with twists and surprises interwoven. Ms. King-Booker has created believeable characters who do seemingly ordinary things--however-- For good light reading, THE OLD WOMAN'S CAT is a delightful choice.

This book was difficult to put down once I began reading. Ms King-Booker has the ability to build suspense and hold your attention without a doubt. I will be waiting for her next book to come out.

THE OLD WOMAN'S CAT AND OTHER STORIES is a sharp and chilling collection of stories that will truly make you afraid to sleep with the lights off. Along with other ones that will have you reaching for the tissue.

In THE OLD WOMAN'S CAT is Charlotte Stanfield's ramblings strickly in her head or was her family stalked and terrorized by a real cat with a score to settle?

Problems from this vampires former life have eventually followed him in his life of the undead. In DEMISE OF A VAMPIRE we share his time as he writes his farewell letter.

Suzanne and her husband Ted move to Arizona in THE HOUSE ON THE CORNER. When Ted's job relocates them to the dying town that his company hopes will grow once again his wife Suzanne experiences some unexpected and supernatural roommates that are trying to tell her something.

Reeverend Cory Cameron feels a sense of loyalty to an old dying town in the story SPECTER. But what he see's late at night at the old mortuary has him hightailing out of town for good!

In SKELETON KEY, Penny has such fond memories of her time on her grandparents farm when she was a child. When she returns as an adult, memories that have been long buried start haunting her. And so does a beloved relative.

Little Danny wants one thing in life more than anything else. A dog. If he had clean clothes to wear, warm food to eat and a mother who didn't drink and let her boyfriends beat on her and him, that would be nice too. In the story FRIENDS, Danny may just get one of his wishes just in time to save his life.

Dr. Wendell Grimes is having a heck of a time keeping his dead patients to stay in one place in PLASMA FACTOR. He is bound and determined to find out how they keep getting up and leaving the hospital.

OBSESSED is the story of Charles Winslow and his persistent plan to get rid of his wife and hook up with Carla Pennington. But life has a very strange way of turning the purfect plan to horror.

Jennifer Castle went to sleep just like she did every night in IDENTITY. When she woke up the next day she had no idea where she was or who the strange man and two little girls were that walked into the bedroom she woke up in. Why was he calling her Tracy and why were they calling her mommy?

When a father and husband feels he has lost everything in DRESS ME IN PINK he'll make an absolutely devastating decison.

Andrew has spent his life romancing and marrying rich woman in SAUCE FOR THE GOOSE. After years of saving all the money left to him in their wills he's ready to settle down and enjoy his life. When he meets and falls head over heals in love with Angela he gets his just deserts.

A young boy grows up with a horrible knowledge in WINTERKILL. With this knowledge he accepts the fact that it's his job to protect everyone in town when winter comes.

MOTHER MOUSE is the story of a bully husband and a mouse of a wife and mother. When the last child has grown and leaves home it's time for the mouse to bite back.

David wakes up one morning with the ability to see what appears to be the future in IMAGES. When he looks into a mirror a scene will play it's self out. Is this a good thing? Or will it destroy David's sanity and his families happiness?

Sharon King-Booker has writen such a clever book! I loved all of these short stories. Ms. Booker has the ability to scare the socks off you, make you wonder what's real or imagined and even make you choke up in deep sorrow for her characters.

One example of Ms. Booker's talent shines through in DRESS ME IN PINK. I would never have thought it possible but this short story is only one page long. She has chosen these few words with such care and purpose that I was hysterically crying when I finished this one page.

I'm very excited to have found such a talented author in Ms. Booker. I plan to read every book she writes in the future.

If you love a good scare, a good cry and stories with such imaginative twist and turns you should really pick up THE OLD WOMAN'S CAT AND OTHER STORIES.

Another great volume from Bisco Hatori! Fans of this series will love reading this volume over and over again.

First, we get another more indepth look at the Black Magic Club! Plenty of fun scenes for Nekozawa fans. We meet another Black Magic Club member, Kanazuki, who is in love with Hunny. You'll enjoy every scene of 'black magic' she does in her quest for Hunny's soul.

In the next episode, we meet Mei Yasumura, Misuzu's daughter. For the next few episodes, we get to see more of Haruhi outside of the Host Club as she interacts with Mei and helps Mei in her crush on Tamaki. In episode 44, we get to travel back to Misuzu's pension and meet Dark Lord #3 (#1 being Kyoya and #2 Bossa Nova). Episode 45 brings us to the Twin's mansion and we get to see a bit more into the world of them and us. Somebody also finally admits out loud that they also like Haruhi.

All in all, it's a very good volume, any and every Host Club fan should jump on the chance to buy it! Contains Episode 41 through 46 and ends with a great cliffhanger. I'm already awaiting volume 11 in november!

Ouran is always guaranteed to make me laugh out loud. I literally find myself counting the days until the next installment is released. And now finally it's getting to the good stuff...how will this love triangle play itself out? Well, maybe it's more like a love square...maybe more polygonal than that... Overall, awesome as always!

I just love all the characters in this series and Hatori is so skilled at adding a tiny quirk to someone's expression to make me laugh out loud. Kanazuki is explaining about her curse on Hunny, and the sketch of Nekozawa has those O O eyes like Tamaki's "upset lord" expression usually has...it's just so funny to see the imperturbable Nekozawa (whose eyes are rarely even seen) reacting like the crazy and emotional Tamaki. There's more, but these tiny details just reinforce for me what's the most amusing manga out there. I'd still like to see more Nekozawa and Bossa Nova and less of the obnoxious twins, but...we can't have everything, can we? I'm eagerly looking forward to volume 11 so I can find out how Kasanoda and Nekozawa do in a sports tournament!!

This volume begins with a Hunny-centric episode, as Black Magic Club member Kanzuki is convinced that Hunny "stole her soul" since she can't stop thinking about him. Since she can only relate to people in terms of curses, she decides to steal his soul back (even though her curses turn out to really just be elementary school love charms).

Most of the rest of the volume involves a new character, Mei, the daughter of Misuzu (the transvestite pension owner from volume 5). Mei wears too much make-up, has a very fake tan and is a bit rough around the edges, but also brings a nice new dynamic to the manga. Misuzu enlists Haruhi to be Mei's friend and the other Host Club members of course decide to get involved as well, especially Tamaki, who decides to secretly help heal the estranged relationship between Mei and her father.

The last episode sets up the Sports Festival arc that is going to play a large part in Volume 11. After a confrontation between Kyoya and Takeshi Kuze (the football club president), Tamaki decides that a sports festival is needed to resolve the issue and the host club members get divided up between the red and white teams (Kyoya, Hunni & Kaoru on white, and Mori, Hikaru, Tamaki and Haruhi on red).

Every time that I think Ouran can't get any better, it does. Not only is this volume hilariously funny, but the romantic entanglements and character development continues, with Haruhi and Tamaki getting closer to figuring out they like each other (although they're still both very dense) and another host club member realizing he also has feelings for Haruhi. In terms of character development, Kaoru in particular has some nice moments, both with Haruhi and with Hikaru. There are also appearances by Nekozawa and Kasanoda (who is now my favorite minor character) and greater insight into the relationship between the twins and their parents.

Also, check out Mori's love of baby chicks. It's never really mentioned, but you can see him looking (and apparently purchasing) a baby chick at the summer festival and the baby chick is sitting on Mori's head when they are eating cake at the twins' house. In the last episode, he's reading a book on how to raise a chicken. Since Mori doesn't really talk much, I think it's cute that he's getting a silent subplot.

This is the first book in Linda Windsor's Moonstruck Series and it's a winner. Caroline Spencer has agreed to chaperone her daughter Annie's class trip to Mexico. She is seated on the plane by Blaine Madison, whose daughter, Karen, is her daughter's best friend. He is also a Harrison Ford lookalike, and Caroline wants to make a good impression. Unfortunately, she is afraid of flying, and gets a major case of the hiccups. You can hear her all over the plane. She's sure Blaine is totally unimpressed.
Blaine and Caroline are thrown together constantly because of their daughters. Mexico and moonlight madness work their spell, but then the girls get caught up in a smuggling ring and suddenly the trip becomes a disaster.
LInda Windsor's characters are engaging, the humor is relaxed and natural, and there's plenty of page turning suspense. Paper Moon will leave the reader hungry for more. Fortunately, books two and three are available. So if you like exotic settings, humor and plenty of romantic suspense, check out Linda Windsor's Moonstruck Series. You'll be glad you did.

I thoroughly enjoyed Paper Moon. Linda Windsor has such a penchant for humor that you find yourself laughing out loud at the antics of Mrs. C, Annie, Karen, and Blaine. Any parent who has chaparoned a teen trip will relive some of the experiences through the situations Linda conceives for her characters. This is a delightful tale with so much good fun and a little bit of suspense thrown in for good measure. Paper Moon is a great read to take your mind off what ails you.

This read which happens to be the first in the "Moonstruck Series" deftly combines, suspense, romance, humor, and a strong spiritual message into a well rounded story that will have readers anticipating the next in the series.

Single parents Caroline Spencer, and Blaine Madison are both tackling to the best of their abilities of raising teenage daughters. When a on school trip to Mexico these two very different but damaged people find love but this new found love will be tested when their daughters are kidnapped. Will their faith in God, and in each other be strong enough to survive a parents worst nightmare?

Ms. Windsor has penned a very good character driven read. Caroline and Blaine are truly wonderful characters and her use of wit and humor helped to make them very real for the reader. These are not "perfect people" and as a result it was easy to see and believe that these two people were able to find love a second time around with each other. This is a read that I highly recommend you not miss.

Official Reviewer for www.romancedesigns.com

Linda Windsor has a winner in "Paper Moon," Book One of the Moonstruck Series from WestBow Press.

Caroline Spencer is the divorced mother of 16 year-old Annie who, along with her best friend, Karen, want to take a school trip to Mexico. Naturally, they need chaperones, and Caroline joins them on the trip designed to promote family togetherness.

Blaine Madison barely makes the plane to join the school sponsored trip. Traveling with a group of Christian teenagers and their parents to Mexico makes Blaine feel uncomfortable. After all, he lost his faith in God after his wife died. But it will give him an opportunity to spend time with his daughter, Karen.

When he's seated next to Caroline on the plane, her natural humor has the stressed out Blaine smiling for the first time in ages. Then, the night of their arrival in Acapulco, the kids visit the disco club, Banditos, where no liquor is served. There his daughter Karen meets John Chandler, a senior at the University of California in Mexico City, and Blaine's parental instincts get into high gear. It's not only the difference in ages between his daughter and the college student that make him suspicious. There's something about John just doesn't sit right with him.

Unbeknownst to the travelers, John is involved in a ring of thieves who steal priceless stamp collections, meant to be sold abroad. John's goal is to find a naïve target: someone to mail the card carrying the stolen property from the States. Despite the rule of not accepting packages, Karen falls prey to John's request.

As the school group tours Mexico, Blaine finds himself turning to Caroline for help in understanding his daughter. The spiritual depth behind Caroline's words eases the guilt Blaine feels over the loss of his wife, and also helps bridge the gap between father and daughter. And Caroline finds herself attracted to the handsome, lonely widower. As the days pass, her attraction for Blaine continues to grow.

But when John discovers that Karen has lost the envelope he gave her, and then Karen and Annie disappear, Blaine blames Caroline. Caroline trusts in God to keep the girls safe. But is Blaine ready to give God - and Caroline - a second chance?

Linda Windsor has won numerous awards for her novels, including historical and contemporary romances, and after reading "Paper Moon," I can see why. "Paper Moon" is filled with adventure, suspense, marvelous humor and great sensitivity. To say I eagerly look forward to her next release is an understatement. This is definitely a not-to-be missed book!