Out of Time is a great example of the wonderful treasures you can find if you get lucky. Despite the ‘paranormal romance’ subtitle, Out of Time is really more of a time travel romance with a paranormal complication as part of the conflict than an actual paranormal romance, since neither of the leads go bump in the night, but it is a really good time travel romance.

An accidental trip to the past, lands Professor Simon Cross and his graduate Assistant Elizabeth West in New York during the summer of 1929. Being stranded out of time with only each other to rely on, allows the unacknowledged attraction between the pair to come to light. (For those concerned with sensuality level, Simon and Elizabeth’s relationship does become physical and the first love scene is descriptive but not as detailed as most main stream paranormal romance and nowhere near the paint-by-numbers descriptions of the more erotic stuff). Read the rest of this entry »

This umpteenth volume from the highly regarded Vietnamese Zen monk really has nothing new, but that is precisely the author’s point: just do a few simple things, and keep doing them.

True love—the real thing—is actually hard to practice, and so Nhat Hanh begins with a short Buddhist explanation on the components of love—loving kindness, compassion, joy and freedom—and then offers a series of practices, including mantras, deep listening and a variety of meditations. Read the rest of this entry »

Laura Parkerson is a reputable art critic and gallery owner. Jordan Brodie, is a very charming and fun loving artist who courts Laura. She is swept off her feet and they become engaged. About two months later Laura finds Jordan in bed with another woman and she terminates the engagement, a fact that is kept secret from Jordan’s family.

The next day Jordan dies in an automobile accident. Jordan has an identical twin brother, Jed, who is building a bridge deep in the Amazon basin of Brazil. It takes nearly three months for Jed to learn of the tragedy and to discover he is the executor of his brother’s estate. Read the rest of this entry »

In a refreshingly honest investigation of the true nature of love, don Miguel Ruiz brings to light the commonly held fallacies and misplaced expectations about love that permeate most relationships. In the tradition of Carlos Castaneda, he uses inspirational stories to impart the wisdom of three fundamental Toltec masteries (Awareness, Transformation, and Love). The themes explored include the Toltec wisdom of the heart, the track of love, and the war of control.

Don Miguel teaches through parable and direct suggestion the transforming power of self-love. He says that all relationships start with you, and how you feel about yourself. You will allow just as much abuse and what he calls “emotional poison” as you inflict upon yourself. Read the rest of this entry »

Tillman’s self-described mission to let children know that they are loved is well manifested here. Formulaically similar in format and tone to On the Night You Were Born (2006) and Eric Metaxas It’s Time to Sleep, My Love (2008), which Tillman illustrated, this picture book presents a heartfelt, greeting card–worthy rhyme matched with fanciful mixed-media images of a child who cavorts across brilliantly hued landscapes and is joined by wild animals, from peacocks to pandas, along the way.

On every spread, the speaker promises undying adoration and support: “My love is so high, and so wide and so deep, it’s always right there, even when you’re asleep”. The line between sweetness and schmaltz is subjective, and some may slot this offering into the latter camp. But the appeal of a title such as this that encourages an adult and child to snuggle affectionately together with a book is undeniable and may make this just the balm the doctor (or librarian) ordered. Read the rest of this entry »

Emma Jamison never set out to be famous. All she wanted was to maintain her own temporary-butler service and once she meets Mr. Right marry and have kids. That’s not too much to ask, is it? Apparently it is, but her last job lands her as the face of the woman who’s services caused the fatal heart-attack that ended the president-elect’s life. Never mind that she never even met the man.

Emma was simply doing her job as a temporary butler when the president-elect along with his secret service staff arrived at the Mullendorf estate. She stayed cloistered in the kitchen rechecking the inventory while Ferguson and his call girl were hustled up the back stairway. She heard the banging from above stairs and thought that something was wrong with the water heater but with a secret service agent ensuring she stayed out of the way, she quickly realizes just what the squeaking means and is very uncomfortable with the situation because she knows Ferguson’s wife is out of town. Read the rest of this entry »

Orthopedic surgeon Kurt Silverman and Physical therapist Shelly Ware had been best friends since Kurt moved to San Antonio to start a new life. Ever since his bitter divorce his ex-wife has been fighting him for his son’s visitation. This time she wants to stop visits because he didn’t have a stability home life. With his job he worked long hours and needed someone to be there with his son while he was working. He needs a wife that will understand his dedication to his job. The problem, he just didn’t want to fall in love again.

Shelly had always thought of Kurt as the perfect man. She has been secretly in love with him, but realizes that if he knew it would destroy their friendship. When Shelly’s sister is diagnosed with cervical cancer, she starts reviewing her life. She feels her biological clock is running out. She wants a baby before it’s too late. Having no boyfriend, she decides to ask Kurt to be a sperm donator. Read the rest of this entry »

Liz Fielding’s THE BRIDE’S BABY is a short romance that moves the heart with smiles, laughter, tenderness and emotion. Events manager Sylvie Smith’s friend Candy left her friend with one huge mess! First she roped Sylvie into doing the planning for her wedding to the rich, powerful and handsome Tom McFarlane and then she walks out on the groom, the same groom who is now going over each event detail cost, line by line, with eyes glaring. Glares turn into sparks, an electric chemistry that neither Sylvie nor Tom can resist.

Now months later, Celebrity magazine comes to her with a proposition to profile her company, as company that has planned some of the most talked about weddings. Design the wedding of dreams and let readers catch a glimpse of what she herself would choose. With a chance to promote all the local Wedding Fayre exhibitors with the benefits going to charity, Sylvie has others counting on her. Just when Sylvie thought she had put the past behind her, her worst nightmare comes true! Standing in her ancestral home, in walks the new owner — Tom McFarlane to overlook the events…. no way will he not notice that Sylvie is pregnant! Sylvie might be able to design a perfect wedding for Celebrity magazine but what is a wedding without a groom? Can true love and serendipity provide what the best wedding planning cannot? Can broken hearts find love beyond even their wildest dreams? Read the rest of this entry »

Knitting and life. They’re both about beginnings—and endings. That’s why it makes sense for Lydia Goetz, owner of A Good Yarn on Seattle’s Blossom Street, to offer a class called Knit to Quit. It’s for people who want to quit something—or someone!—and start a new phase of their lives.
First to join is Phoebe Rylander. She recently ended her engagement to a man who doesn’t know the meaning of faithful, and she’s trying to get over him. Then there’s Alix Turner. She and her husband, Jordan, want a baby, which means she has to quit smoking. And Bryan Hutchinson joins the class because he needs a way to deal with the stress of running his family’s business—not to mention the lawsuit brought against him by an unscrupulous lawyer.

Life can be as complicated as a knitting pattern. Just ask Anne Marie Roche. She and her adopted daughter, Ellen, finally have the happiness they wished for. And then a stranger comes to her bookstore asking questions.
Or ask Lydia herself. Not only is she coping with her increasingly frail mother, but she and Brad have unexpectedly become foster parents to an angry, defiant twelve-year-old. But as Lydia already knows, when life gets difficult and your stitches are snarled, your friends can always help! Read the rest of this entry »

Sookie Stackhouse is the main character in The Southern Vampire Mysteries, a series of eight books written by bestselling author Charlaine Harris. So many people have become aware of these books as a result of the TV series, a word about the differences between the two is in order. There are both definite similarities and some sharp differences between the two. The books focus much more on Sookie and less on the lives of the supporting characters, not surprising given that Sookie is the narrator in the novels. Sookie’s narrative voice is one of the joys of the books. The books are also far less sexual than the series, though there are several sex scenes (though it never descends to the pure porn found in the Anita Blake books).

The series differs sharply from the books when it deals with characters other than Sookie. For instance, Tara in the books is a minor (and white) character. Jason plays a far smaller role. Just about everything touching Tara and Jason cannot be found in the novels. Sam and Tara are not involved. Without giving spoilers, Lafayette cannot be regarded as an important character in the books. On the other hand, Eric is as important as the other three main characters in the books, Sookie, Bill, and Sam. Still, based on all but the last 2 or 3 episodes of Season One of the TV show, Sookie’s story there is pretty close to that is the first novel in the sequence. Read the rest of this entry »