Disclaimer

Clinical psychologist Liz Cooper doesn't believe in the supernatural. But when her best friend finds a tarot card tacked to her front door-and is then accused of murder-Liz will have to find a way to embrace the occult if she wants to outwit the real killer...

From Publishers Weekly

When French artist Aristide Pompasse, famous almost as much for his affairs as for his paintings, is found dead possibly murdered his estranged wife, the much younger Charlie Thomas, reluctantly returns to Pompasse's Tuscan villa in preparation for the funeral. Five years before, Charlie escaped from Pompasse's domineering hold to start a new life for herself in New York City, and now she is determined to seal the painful memories of her past by selling Pompasse's estate. But first Charlie will have to face Pompasse's former lovers and deal with Conner Maguire, an abrasive tabloid reporter posing as an insurance consultant. While Charlie and Connor fling insults at each other and search for Pompasse's missing paintings, they uncover some startling secrets indicating that someone may be out to harm Charlie. Through colorful prose and snappy, realistic dialogue, Stuart (Wild Thing, etc.) skillfully portrays the palpable friction between Charlie and Connor, but she fails to ignite much excitement with the mystery element of this story. Although the narrative does pick up during the last third of the book, readers looking for a fast-paced thriller are likely to be disappointed. Those drawn to sexual heat, however, will find plenty here to satisfy.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Jarred out of her life as a successful Manhattan restaurant owner by the murder of her ex-husband, renowned artist Aristide Pompasse, Charlie Thomas returns to his Tuscan villa, planning to settle the estate, lay the past to rest, and then get on with her life. But she finds instead a host of unanswered questions, a pervasive sense of evil, and a compelling stranger who is definitely not what he seems. A master at creating chilling atmosphere with a modern touch, Stuart takes a determined yet vulnerable heroine, a brash, sexy hero, and a diverse assortment of memorable secondary characters, gives them an idyllic setting, and then puts them in the middle of a complex plot with some sordid, almost Gothic twists. Great dialog and a touch of unexpected humor lighten the mood but don't detract from the overall feel of this nicely done tale of romantic suspense. Noted for dark, highly sensual romances, Stuart (Shadows at Sunset, Mira, 2000) is a member of the RWA Hall of Fame; she lives in Greensboro, VT.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly

Steel's novel of a daring woman pilot circa WWII was a PW bestseller for eight weeks.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Steel has cranked out another predictable melodrama. Cassie O'Malley's dad is a pilot and owner of the airfield where Cassie develops her love of flying and flying machines. Dad doesn't believe women are meant to be pilots and at first refuses to let Cassie fly. When she proves what a truly gifted pilot she is, she is allowed to work for her father. She enters an air show and is spotted by the wealthy millionaire and airplane manufacturer Desmond Williams. Cassie is lured to Los Angeles to promote and test Desmond's planes. Soon, Desmond marries her in order to ensure her loyalty and control her life. Cassie's true love, Nick, feels he is too old and poor for her and runs away to England to join the Royal Air Force. The rest is fairly predictable, but libraries should expect huge demand for this. [Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club main selections; previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 9/1/94.]-Dawn L. Anderson, North Richland Hills P.L., Tex.
--Dawn L. Anderson, North Richland Hills P.L., Tex.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Countess Anice vows to flee the amorous advances of King Henry I, and return to her home in the Highlands, where she hopes to find a laird to wed. Highlander Laird Malcolm MacNeill, seeking an English bride, becomes entangled with the Scottish lass while trying to find out why her staff has vanished.

From Publishers Weekly

The five middle-aged Chicago women of Strickland's debut turn their book club turns into a monthly spellcasting session that seems harmless at first. But as the "wishes" get more involved-Claudia desperately wants a baby; Lindsay believes that losing weight will help her become influential with her socialite friends; Jill hesitantly asks for the perfect man; Gail would like some free time away from her three kids; Mara wants financial freedom-things go awry. Strickland, who pilots a Boeing 767 for a living, gives her five passengers a naivety of witchcraft and strength of character that charms.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

“Wish Club is a magical delight–a fun, witty read. I hope to see more from Kim Strickland!”
–Candace Havens, author of Charmed and Dangerous

Ever wanted something … more from your life? Then you'll want to get to know the women in Wish Club. Whether you're wishing for a man (or a better one), a baby, a more meaningful career, or simply more time to yourself, you'll find the women in this book relatable, realistic, and refreshing. With a surprising twist that makes you wonder, Wish Club is an engrossing, entertaining read about women and the importance–and power–of female relationships.
–Kelly James-Enger, author of Did you Get The Vibe? and *White Bikini Panties

"A truly enchanting read! I was bespelled by Wish Club from the first page to the last. Kim Strickland is simply magic!"
–Tate Hallaway author of Dead Sexy

“Strickland weaves a heartwarming tale of friendship, love and magic–she hits all the right notes with Wish Club.”
–Cara Lockwood, author of I Do (But I Don't)
*

From the Trade Paperback edition.

About the Author

James H. Schmitz was born in Hamburg, Germany, in 1911 of American parents. He spent the years of the First World War in the United States, then went back to Germany to complete his schooling. Aside from several trips to the United States, he lived in Germany until 1938, returning to America with the outbreak of World War II. He sold his first story, "Greenface," to the now-legendary fantasy magazine Unknown Worlds, shortly before Pearl Harbor, but by the time it was published, he was flying with an Army Air Corps group as an aerial photographer in the Southern Pacific Theater. In 1949, he began publishing his "Agent of Vega" series in the leading SF magazine, Astounding (later renamed Analog), and was one of that magazine's most popular contributors over the next three decades, introducing the memorable heroines Telzey Amberdon and Trigger Argee, leading protagonists in his massive "Federation of the Hub" series. He died in 1981.

Review

"Eugene Sledge became more than a legend with his memoir, With The Old Breed. He became a chronicler, a historian, a storyteller who turns the extremes of the war in the Pacific —the terror, the camaraderie, the banal and the extraordinary—into terms we mortals can grasp."—Tom Hanks

“In all the literature on the Second World War, there is not a more honest, realistic or moving memoir than Eugene Sledge's. This is the real deal, the real war: unvarnished, brutal, without a shred of sentimentality or false patriotism, a profound primer on what it actually was like to be in that war. It is a classic that will outlive all the armchair generals' safe accounts of—not the "good war"—but the worst war ever.”—Ken Burns

About the Author

E. B. "Sledgehammer" SLEDGE was born and grew up in Mobile. In late 1943 he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. After basic training, he was sent to the Pacific Theater where he fought at Peleliu and Okinawa, two of the fiercest battles of WW II. Following the Japanese surrender, Sledge served in China as part of the occupation force. Upon his return home, he obtained a Ph.D. in biology and joined the faculty of Alabama College (later the University of Montevallo), where he taught until retirement. Sledge initially wrote about his war experiences to explain them to his family, but he was persuaded by his wife to seek publication. Sledge died on March 3, 2001.