To Desire a Wicked Duke by Nicole Jordan

To Desire a Wicked Duke. Nicole Jordan. Random House Publishing. February 2011. 384 pages. ISBN No. 9780345510099.

In this final Book 6 of The Courtship Wars series, Tess Blanchard is initially caught giving a passionate kiss to the man, Patrick Hennessy, who is, unknown to Tess, supposed to guarding her. It's not a serious kiss at all but it appears as such to a suddenly appearing and angry Duke of Rotham, Ian Sutherland. As usual the Duke is arrogant, pompous and insulting as he questions and threatens Tess over this seemingly innocent act, and she responds accordingly. Having been engaged to a man who died in war, she is ripe for scandal to which the Duke for some reason is determined she will not know.

Later, her godmother, Lady Wingate orders Tess to marry the Duke and says she will withdraw all her monetary support if Tess refuses. So Tess proceeds to obey but intends this to be a marriage in name only, for she is truly a match to the man who does little to indicate other than scorn.

However, things begin to very slowly change as Ian shows he is capable of protecting her and even instructing her in the amatory arts. Finally, after Tess discovers some horrific things about the Duke's past, she escapes to Cornwall where there is a hint of a ghostly presence, one that enters her room on her very first night there.

After Ian follows her to Cornwall, the passion between them grows and some very dark, startling secrets are revealed involving someone very close to both of them.

Nicole Jordan's most recent romantic novel is a delight for all of her fans as well as new readers. There are plenty of surprises that keep the reader turning the pages with riveting attention and the romance is hot, hot, hot!!!

Great story, Nicole Jordan!

Rich and Lost in Prosperia: A Tropical Tale of Market Economics by Doramas Jorge-Calderon

Rich and Lost in Prosperia: A Tropical Tale of Market Economics. Mill City Press, Inc. April 2010. 296 pp. ISBN No. 9781936107728.

This most unusual novel begins with two men, Richy and Losto, who decide to begin a small business in handcrafts and music respectively. They know absolutely nothing about business and are initially only interested in making enough money to have an easy life. But as their inquiry and start-up businesses begin growing, they are about to discover that many elements contribute to economic success and that that flows over to affect numerous individuals who either produce or purchase products.

So begins this economic novel, which explains the complex world of business in a readable, clear manner. As the chapters progress, Richy learn that value comes from scarcity rather than having a surplus of products, that value comes from the worth of a product which transfers to all who contribute to its production, that producers will make what brings the highest profit rather than what sells the most in quantity, that trust is absolutely necessary and cannot be guaranteed without some type of controls, and so much more.

Yes, one must even plan on those who would cheat, those who would monopolize as well as who is legally able to do that and who is not and how that is achieved, those who seek and make subsidies for certain products that actually drive up the price for said products, and on and on and on.

For those entrepreneurs who are interested in starting up a new business or even those who are in business and finding they need to learn more in order to be successful, this is the book for you. It actually would be a great idea for all consumers to buy this book so as to understand the forces of economy that push the cycle of production, sales, profit, value, scarcity, and so many other economic factors usually taken for granted by the average non-business oriented consumer. All in all, this is market economics for everyman!

Very nicely done, Doramas Jorge-Calderon!

Blood of My Brother by James LePore

Blood of My Brother by James LePore. Published by The Story Plant, 2010, 352 pages; ISBN No. 9780981956886.

Jay Cassio and Dan Del Colliano have been best friends since childhood, years consisting of having to be tougher than the brutal neighbors surrounding them in their Newark, New Jersey home. After Jay's parents die in a plane crash, it is Danny who inspires him to rise above despair and enjoy life as it is. Jay immerses himself in law and Danny becomes a private investigator. Danny, however, is always living on the edge, constantly just staying afloat of huge debt and wheeling and dealing with unsavory characters that put him in the path of threats to his life and well-being.

Then Jay represents a woman in a divorce case who is found beheaded and her husband is killed as well. It's a pretty high profile case and all of a sudden Jay is supposed to stay out of it because the FBI is handling the investigation. Jay, however, is at first curious why this is important to the government and then determined to get to the root of it all when Danny is found murdered in Florida.

Isabel Perez is an orphan who is suddenly adopted by an "Uncle" who immediately turns her world into one where every order, including those involving satisfying other men's sexual needs, must be obeyed. After years of assisting in money laundering for drug dealers and others involved in financial schemes, Isabel is beginning to realize her own value and asking herself questions about such a dire future. Only with a sudden liaison and its consequent deaths does she realize that she is next for the elimination list, not so much for betrayal as simply for knowing too much.

Meanwhile, anyone connected to the murders is winding up either dead or proclaiming absolute silence, but that doesn't stop Danny from going to Florida and getting closer and closer to not only the top man behind the crimes but also an even larger criminal and political element.

Isabel's discovery of her real father's identity comes after her electric collision with Danny. The ending is more than a surprise about revenge and how even the worst of possible circumstances can have a somewhat satisfactory ending.

Blood of My Brothers is a fast-paced thriller with twists and turns that defy reason. James LePore has again written a novel of suspense showing his maturing style is in even better form. A best seller for sure for those who love thrillers and a good mystery!

Adventures of Rusty and Ginger Fox by Tim Ostermeyer

Adventures of Rusty and Ginger Fox by Tim Ostermeyer. Synergy Books. November 2010. ISBN No. 9780984504008. 45 pp. YA Fiction.

Timothy Ostermeyer calls himself a Master Photographer, and every photo in this book proves he deserves every letter of that title. Beginning with pictures of two red foxes at two weeks old and continuing with all the animals they meet, the pictures add to the fascinating adventures these animals experience. One must add these pictures are so children-friendly that parents won't have to worry about nightmares or fearful thoughts following a child's reading of this terrific story.

Rusty and Ginger get bigger and with their parents not far behind them begin to explore the world of the forest and woods, meeting wildlife that are both dangerous, friendly, and in between. As they meet seven different animals, the author presents fascinating facts first about the foxes such as their length, height, how far they can run, what they weigh, where they live, their various colors and habits, what they eat and how much they can eat in one day.

The young reader then learns about similar qualities of other wildlife animals, such as deer, wolves, bears, bobcats, and more, until they finally meet two little girls seeking a treasure.

Adventures of Rusty and Ginger Fox is a delightful book that parents will want to buy and read to their children as well as give to older young adult readers. This reviewer guarantees that even the parents will be looking through this story more than once and be glad to share about it with more readers. A great gift for all ages! This is a superb, artistic, educational and beautiful book!

Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce. Walden Pond Press: A Division of Harper Collins. January 2010. YA Fiction. 313 pp. hardcover, ISBN #: 9780061836831.

Liam Digby is not your average 12 year old; he looks like an adult and is taller than any of his peers. His Dad tries really hard to understand him but Liam remains an enigma, a young guy who eats, sleeps, and drinks online video gaming programs, one in particular which even he is unaware is training him for something profoundly BIG!

Liam pretends to be his Dad and applies for an unbelievable opportunity, a contest for greatest Dads which will be an amazing adventure. As Liam's a daredevil of a sort, he figures he can handle this adult posing. Having dared to ride multiple times in a G-gravity roller coaster and experimented somewhat with his father's Porsche, what's next?

Much to his surprise, Liam wins the prize and takes, as his daughter, a friend, Florida. Here begins a bigger contest in which one adult from the other three winners will get to go to outer space with all the children. But these are not ordinary children by any means and Liam's "Dad" skills are hilariously not exactly up to par at first!

Cosmic is a tale about the wisdom of fathers and a higher purpose behind all those addictive video games that just might really save a bunch of very exclusive lives. It's not soppy, and it's downright funny in so many places. This is a very cool story that will please not only young adult but also adult readers. Behind the fun and adventure are some solid, scientific, intelligent facts presented in a fascinating way.

Very nicely done, Frank Cottrell Boyce!!!

The Journey Home by Michael Baron

The Journey Home. Michael Baron. The Story Plant. 2010. ISBN: 9780981956862.

The Journey Home relates the strangeness and wonder of connection. It all begins with Joseph waking up in a strange home, surrounded by a family who accept his fragile condition and soothe him with warm meals and a place to stay overnight. For Joseph is unable to remember where he came from or where he was going before he was found passed out on the sidewalk outside of the family who found him. When he leaves that place of shelter, he meets Will, a young man who knows he has a goal to reach but seems quite unsure of precisely what it is or how to tackle the journey there. He begins to find purpose in attempting Joseph in his quest for home and identity. The closest they come is through the sense Joseph has of a woman whom he loves and whose presence enlivens the very essence of his life’s meaning.

Antoinette is living in an assisted living facility which she finds strange, and so she retreats into her room, living in the memories of the beautiful love she shared with her late husband, Don. Her son, Warren, going through a divorce and presently unemployed, is lost and frustrated by his mother’s slipping more deeply into another world. He slowly begins to recreate a new relationship with her by cooking her favorite meals and watching her joy as she comes alive with each meal he so tenderly prepares. The descriptions of these meals will make the reader want to run out to buy ingredients to try the same culinary delights, but we also sense that it is the love that goes into the preparation turns them into exquisitely appreciated delights. His conversation with Jan, a nurse at the facility where Antoinette lives, puts some delicate humor and meaning into the present moment and offers the possibility of hope for the future to both of them.

What fuels our passions and what is the heart of true relationships? The Journey Home is a story about three very different characters. In truly listening to each other and learning what feeds the heart, mind, and soul, all these characters learn true love and relish the journey to the center and peripheries of that precious world that is ever new and ever alive in a unique, memorable cycle! Lovely novel!!!

New Self, New World: Recovering Our Senses in the Twenty-First Century by Philip Shepherd

New Self, New World: Recovering Our Senses in the Twenty-First Century. Philip Shepherd. North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, California. August 2010. 512 pp. ISBN #: 9781556439117

Imagine for a moment living in a completely “balanced” world where mind, heart, and body are synchronized and no dominance is present to distort life as we know it. The premise of New Self, New World moves even beyond that idea, laying out the possibility that life as we know it will take on an even greater experience, a fifth dimension as it is explained.

Philip Shepherd takes the reader through mythology, various ideas about consciousness, what occurs when we place too much focus on the mind without consciousness, of just what encompasses an idea, of a lack of connection to the core of our heart and “pelvic” intelligence, several suggestions to reacquire our innate sensitivity that is meant to operate in balance with thinking and other parts of our existence, such as through the process of restoring consciousness of the body to awaken that pelvic intelligence.

It also challenges previous understandings of male and female activity and passivity, a misunderstanding of true logic, the importance of perspective (also redefined) on experience, and the power behind “being present” in the moment within this new type of balanced living.

Exercises are provided for the body, mind and being to begin this process. This is not a light-weight book and scientific, literary, mythological explanations galore fill these pages. This reader would have liked to see more examples of how this new self and new world operate; in spite of its premise, the book is quite heavy on a logical, “head” presentation. Still, for those seeking wholeness of living, this is a new presentation of old and new ideas that offer a map leading to an altogether different way of living, one that seems to this reviewer to be healthier, happier, and more productive than what most find in day-to-day living. Fascinating!