“No Choice But Seduction” by Johanna Lindsey

“No Choice But Seduction” by Johanna Lindsey
2008, Pocket Books
ISBN: 978-1-4165-3732-8

If you’re a fan of Johanna Lindsey you really don’t need to read any further because I have only glowing remarks to make about, “No Choice But Seduction”. But, you already knew that. If you haven’t ever read an historical romance by Joanna Lindsey be my guest and plow into this one. You likely won’t be putting it down much until you’ve finished reading it.

What’s cool is Johanna writes about the Mallory family in a whole lot of other books, but this, like the others is a stand alone book and you can get right into it without feeling like you’re behind because you haven’t read the other books. So, I liked that right away. Actually, all her books are like that; you just can’t go wrong.

What happens here is the owner of a ship, Boyd Anderson, has finally made the decision to leave his life on the sea behind him and settle down. He’s not going to settle in America though, but where his sister has gone to live in England. She’s married into the Mallory clan as has one of his brothers. So, it just doesn’t seem that there’s all that much family in the United States anymore. He’s also come to another decision and that is he would like to get married. But, to who?

As an American he’s already considered by his British in-laws to be rash and head strong, though he pretty much thinks the same of them. He’s never lived anywhere long enough as an adult to develop a relationship with a woman, so settling down would be a first step.

The cargo his ship is carrying this last trip he makes from New England to London involves paying passengers and one of them, Katey Tyler catches his eye immediately. She is not prissy, she is kind and she is beautiful. When he makes his introduction to her she says she is married and is taking her two children back to their home in England. However, she lied. She prefers to think of it as creative thinking and the only reason she lied to Boyd was to ensure that her independence would not be threatened in any way. She’s recently inherited some money, her mother has passed on and she is alone in the world except for her long time friend and maid, Grace. The two of them are actually escorting two children to their home in England, but the fabrication serves her well.

Time passes and everybody goes about their business until Boyd’s niece is kidnapped. Her father (one of the Mallory’s) is not around and Boyd figures to step into the breech. He goes tearing off to save his niece at the same time Katey and Grace are sleeping in the next room over from the kidnappers and little Judith. It is Judith’s whimpering that wakes Katey and she moves to investigate.

Anyway, this goes on and on and things get really complicated and I don’t want to ruin the story for anybody. You really won’t be able to put it down. Figure it’s your weekend’s reading; you’ll be done by Sunday night.

“The Accidental Demon Slayer” by Angie Fox

“The Accidental Demon Slayer” by Angie Fox
2008, Dorchester Publishing
ISBN: 978-0-505-52769-1

“The Accidental Demon Slayer” by Angie Fox is a delightful read. This is a first book for Angie and I will certainly be looking forward to anything else she has to write.

Lizzie is a pre-school teacher. Her life is orderly and really very boring. Out of the blue she finds an odd, grizzled biker lady who says she is her grandmother. And, incidentally, she’s also a witch. She hasn’t come a minute too soon and Lizzie best get a move on to join her before all Hell breaks loose.

Oops. Too late. Demon in the bathroom. It just keeps rolling. I loved it. Turns out Lizzie is a very powerful demon slayer and without proper training is able to help and to save magical people who come to mean a lot to her and to destroy the bad guys.

Her dog, by the way, is a Jack Russell Terrier who is named Pirate. As Lizzie comes into her own demon slayer powers she is able to hear Pirate talking. Very neat stuff.

And, of course, there is a love interest. Dimitri…how’s that for a very Greek, very handsome Griffin who protects and falls in love with Lizzie. I really enjoyed this book.

“Wicked” by Gregory Maguire

“Wicked” by Gregory Maguire
1995, Regan Books
ISBN: 0-06-098710-3

One of the first books I ever read once I got past my school readers of Dick and Jane was, “Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz”. It was my mother’s when she was a little girl and the copyright is 1908. Frank Baum wrote it in Coronado and many was the time we’d pass by the house he wrote, “The Wizard of Oz” in as we wandered around Coronado when we lived there 25 years ago.

“The Wizard of Oz” with Judy Garland was the first movie I ever watched when I was 6 years old and it aired on our television during the holiday season. It’s been a favorite my entire life and I’m 53 years old now. I couldn’t have been more pleased to happen upon “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West” by Gregory Maguire. “The Wizard of Oz” is the fairy tale with a child’s focus. “Wicked" is the story behind the story and has an adult’s focus.

If you are a fan of, "The Wizard of Oz" then you must, you just have to read, "Wicked".

Where in Frank Baum’s Oz the Wicked Witch of the West is truly an ugly and horribly frightening creature, in the story Gregory Maguire tells she is a Munchkin born green. Elphaba, as the witch is known most of her life, doesn’t even think of herself as a witch until well into her adult years. It’s fascinating to see what she thinks of life and in this story what a champion of the down trodden she really is. Why, she’s a revolutionary at heart!

In this story you see who Elphaba’s parents were and what her life was like as she grew up. You see her sister Nessarose who eventually became known as the Witch of the East and you meet Glinda, the Witch of the North. The Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow, and, of course, the Wizard are all in this story. But, you’ll come to feel this is the “real” story. This is the story that was never told. This makes them all human, makes them all believable and will endear them all to you.

In the picture I took of both books, you see “Wicked” the book I review here and you see a 1908 edition of “Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz” that belonged to my mother.

I loved Gregory Maguire’s book, “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West”. And, you know what’s even better? Gregory Maguire has written 2 more. I bought all 3 at the same time and can hardly wait to start in on, “Son Of A Witch” and after that, “A Lion Among Men (The Wicked Years, Book 3)”. Can’t wait.

"Creating a Charmed Life" by Victoria Moran

"Creating a Charmed Life" by Victoria Moran
1999, Harper San Francisco
ISBN: 0-06-251580-2

I appreciate short. I also appreciate advice from someone who can actually help me to create noticeable and good changes in my life all without a whole lot of effort or expense on my part.

In “Creating a Charmed Life” by Victoria Moran in the second chapter I got help. This chapter is titled, “Follow Your Heart”. Victoria talks about how we can get wrapped up in the stuff we do and be held in thrall by our activities and schedules so that we don’t have room to take care of others in a graceful and loving way.

A few days after I had read that chapter a co-worker called me on a Saturday to ask for help with something I felt he should be able to handle himself. I was crabby but I did say I would go help him out. This really messed up my Saturday. I had so many things planned. I was in the middle of doing them and because of him I had to drop everything and leave. I had about a minute of being furious but then this curtain seemed to drop over all that drama and I was suddenly calm and full of love. It’s the only thing I can describe it as, just this very real expansiveness of heart. It was a calmness that settled over me as I went out to help him. A couple of hours later I was home and I picked up where I’d left off with all the important things I was doing.

But, what was also very interesting to me was that if I had reacted to this scene as I have in the past with similar things I would have been angry about it days later. That same burst of anger I felt in the beginning would have been kindled over and over again and it would have been a really long time before I let it all go.

And all of that happened from reading the second chapter, all of 2½ pages, in “Creating a Charmed Life”. All the chapters are that short. Victoria has written the book with women in mind, but I would think men would get a few good jolts from it too. The subtitle of the book is, “Sensible, Spiritual Secrets Every Busy Woman Should Know”. I agree. I like sensible and in my line of work (secretary during the day, psychic at night) these insights are especially welcome.

I’d recommend buying this book. These chapters are like movies. Read one. Let a few days go by and see how you can easily accomplish something of wonder in your own life.

“Dangerous” by Amanda Quick

“Dangerous” by Amanda Quick
1993, A Bantam Book
ISBN: 0-553-29317-6

I have read “Dangerous” by Amanda Quick many times. I can’t tell you exactly how many, but it’s been a lot over the years. Amanda Quick is Jayne Ann Krentz’ pen name for when she’s writing historical novels. All the copies I have are thumb worn from so much reading.

Amanda Quick always, always has quirky, courageous heroines and Prudence Merryweather is no exception. She’s very interested in investigating spectral phenomena and is available to investigate all sorts of problems people have with ghosts that come her way.

The ton, the upper crust of British society, is taken with this novel young lady and she becomes known as an Original. Lots of folk want to talk to her and one whose attentions are not welcomed by Prudence’s brother is from Sebastian, the Earl of Angelstone. He is known as a foreboding and forbidding man and when Prudence is asked to dance by Sebastian and is engaged in lively conversation with him her brother Trevor takes offense and challenges Sebastian to a duel.

Prudence knows that Trevor who is five years younger than herself is only trying to protect her. Their parents died 3 years before and it is the two of them against the world. Unfortunately, Trevor is sort of hot headed and Prudence figures that Sebastian, an experienced and mature man would injure or kill her brother if a duel should take place. So, she figures that the only way out is to get Sebastian to apologize and she takes it upon herself to convince him of this foolproof plan.

It’s falling in love at first sight.

Anyway, Sebastian has a secret hobby of solving mysteries and with Prudence’s interest in spectral phenomena they team up.

This is a really, really great love story. It’s historical for those who love them and it’s a mystery too.

And, the best part? Amanda Quick wrote it. I guarantee you’re going to love this book. I know I’ll be reading it again sometime.

“L is for Lawless” by Sue Grafton

“L Is for Lawless” by Sue Grafton
1995, Fawcett Books
ISBN: 0-449-22149-0

I pretty much ripped through “L Is for Lawless” by Sue Grafton with amazing speed. It’s a good page turner with the intrepid heroine Kinsey Millhone who gets snookered into helping some neighbors. This is a case she takes on with no hope of getting paid and the chances of being reimbursed for her expenses looks dismal.

But, she’s dogged when it comes to mysteries. Henry, her landlord and long time friend asks her to help out with settling the affairs of a friend of his who has just passed on. The son, the grandson and his wife are all there in the house trying to sort through things. But, the mystery is that they all think the dearly departed grandfather was a spy and all anybody has to work with is an old key.

Not so as the story unfolds with gripping urgency. If you’re a fan of private detectives and of mysteries this one is for you.

I enjoyed it and I’m sure I’ll enjoy more of them. Sue Grafton has certainly written a lot of books.

“The Lucky One” by Nicholas Sparks

"The Lucky One" by Nicholas Sparks
2008, Grand Central Publishing
ISBN: 978-0-446-57993-3

"The Lucky One" by Nicholas Sparks is a really, really good book. I really couldn’t put it down once I’d started. Nicholas Sparks is a terrific writer and you can figure whatever you read by him is going to be a good read.

In The Lucky One" Logan is a Marine in Iraq. He finds a picture in the sand one day. It is a picture of a young woman. For some reason he is beguiled, but he figures that whoever has lost this photo will want it back. He pins it up on the bulletin board and it sits there day after day with nobody claiming it. One day he walks by and takes it off the board to put it into his pocket. And, that’s when his luck changed.

After that he couldn’t lose at poker games, games he’d managed to lose a significant amount of money in when he’d first started playing them. That was the first thing that happened. Then, there were all the near misses where he survived attacks and bomb blasts. He didn’t think anything of it, but his friend Victor was convinced that it was because of the picture he’d kept in his pocket.

When he got out of the Marines he and Victor decided to visit and catch up on a fishing trip. As they talked Victor told Logan that he’d been seeing ghosts of all their fellow Marines who had died in Iraq. Then, tragedy struck and Victor died in a senseless accident that, by rights, should have killed Logan too.

That’s when Logan decided to find the young woman in the photograph.

I’m not telling you any more. It would spoil the story. This is a riveting book, a mystery, a romance and an all around terrific novel.