Binder

William MacAlpin prefers working as an emergency rescuer jumping into dangerous scenarios to rescue trapped firefighters than serving as a Protector. However, the Council, through his Uncle Gavin, orders William to make a critical leap in time to stop escapee Bartholomew from changing history. He says no until he learns that the Renegade time traveler plans to go back to the sixteenth century to kill William's parents.

William journeys back to 1558 where Isabel de Pinze sees him miraculously step out of the water. However, thugs immediately accost him. With Isabel's help he wins the battle, but is badly wounded. She manages to take him to her home where her guardian calls Dr. John Campbell to look at William. John is actually Bartholomew who recognizes the tattoo of a Protector who is most likely coming for him. As William and Isabel fall in love, he must stop Bartholomew from changing history by protecting his mother, a little girl living with Isabel's guardians.

MY SECRET PROTECTOR is a fine historical romantic fantasy that readers of the two sub-genres will enjoy. Though the audience will need to accept the Protectors and their species living among mortals, the author binds her audience through the plight of the hero willing to die to protect his loved ones. This solid tale will lead to the audience wanting to learn more about this nearly immortal race watching the time stream.

Harriet Klausner

William could be a superhero easily with his good looks and bravery. His work as a smoke jumper takes him into danger almost daily. He is a rule breaker and risk taker, but even more than that, he is Immortal. He is one of an ancient race descended from the Atlanteans and charged with watching over humanity. For the most part, he lives life with little contact with his people.

That all changes when his irratating uncle shows up on his doorstep. Gavin has an assignment that William would refuse, but when his uncle explains the odds at stake, he can not refuse. It is his mission to go back in time and keep a renegade Immortal from seeking revenge on those who killed his brother by making sure that Bloody Mary remains alive and Elizabeth never becomes queen. While the historical implications are frightening enough, no Shakespeare, none of the advances of the Elizabethan era, the end of the Reformation, for William, it is even more so. The first targets of the revenge will be his own parents.

In the past, William immediately continues his heroics by rescuing a young woman, though at first it appears to have cost his life. The maiden takes him home, hoping to cure him, and is blown away when he appears to rise from death. Her parents are not stunned, however. She is the adopted half breed child of an Immortal and his human lover. Bringing William home draws her into the line of danger involved in the war between good and bad Immortals and also risks bringing her own secret past to light.

All of that is secondary though, for Isobel and William immediately fall in love, even though that is breaking every rule that William has not already broken.

***** Spanning centuries, this is a well balanced time travel romance that makes sense. So often, such books, while fun, still stretch credibility, but not this one. The characters are dynamic and likeable, unless you are supposed to hate them. Then, they are thoroughly despicable. The best part? The threads for several sequels are apparent, promising readers the hope of even more Immortal stories in the future. *****

Wow, and excellent. That Aaron really is one bad as$ dude...

I think this author should write more. I completely enjoyed this gripping story of a family, and I felt like I "know" the family!

David Dodd has assembled a wide variety of stories to inspire and encourage addicted people to get clean. I was impressed that Twelve Step groups were NOT the focus of every tale, and that the one constant was that each individual made a PERSONAL CHOICE to forego their addiction and live sober. For all the help some people get from 12-Step groups, there are many who don't "relate" to the religiousity. But this book shows that recovery is still possible and worthwhile. The fact that most of these tales are told by celebrities and artists we KNOW only increases their value. Plus, it's nice to know that my gut feeling about Steven Tyler is "on the money" - he truly IS a mensch!!

I was attracted to the many well-known names listed on the cover, but once I began reading the book, I was overwhelmed with its passion and solutions. David Dodd has done a remarkable job which is reflected in this collection of interviews. My favorite part, however, is the introduction to the book, where the author tells his personal story on how he became sober with the help of Steven Tyler. His vivid description of the events were astonishing to me, they were absolutely incredible. This is a wonderful book!

Having used this book to take just over half of the hikes it discusses, I highly recommend it to someone new to Colorado. I'm in the military and I have only 2-3 years in each duty location. So, when I saw this book, I bought it and have used it extensively so far. I have only a couple of minor points to make about it, however. The author never reveals how she "grades" her hikes, and I strenuously disagree with 3 of the grades she doled out to particular hikes. The Pitkin Lake hike (near Vail) is by no means an "easy" hike--at best it's a high-moderate to low-strenuous! Also, the Rock Creek (also near Vail) hike is by no means one of the 40 best hikes Colorado has to offer. In fact, I'm baffled when trying to think why she might've included it in her book. Finally, the Three Island Lakes hike (near Steamboat Springs) is by no means a strenuous hike. At worst, it's a moderate. Still, the book has led me to THE most spectacular scenery I've ever seen, and I credit the author for that. I do wish she revealed the time of year she took these hikes, in addition to other hikes she took before coming to her conclusions. However, I will always be grateful to her for providing me with a valuable tool for finding some of the most beautiful places on Earth. I certainly don't regret buying the book, and in fact, I've given it as a gift many times. I've bought 2 copies for myself, having worn the first copy out in just two years. Another note: buy the binder edition. It has removable pages for taking the portion of the book that deals with the hike you want to take, avoiding your having to pack the entire tome around with you. Just slide the two or three applicable pages into the plastic cover (included with the binder edition), and off you go!

The book covers 40 hikes spread throughout the state. However, 15 of these are in Rocky Mountain National Park, and 12 near Aspen and Vail. This only leaves a sprinkling of hikes in a few other areas. That said, this is a wonderfully done, gorgeous book that you can get in a binder (more $) or paperback.

The binder allows you to remove pages to take on your hike (with an included transparent page cover). I like the binder because it gives the book a "coffee table book" feeling and the pages open flat.

The book is chock full of color pictures and tidbits on everything from critters and flowers to historical information, making it an interesting read. If you want to give someone a feeling for Colorado (I used to live there), this is the book to get them excited. The trails are mostly moderate in difficulty and length - just right for a 1/2 to full day's hiking. The trail descriptions and trailhead locations are excellently detailed.

This book is an excellent guide for hiking in Colorado. First, it has excellent pictures to give the reader an idea of the scenery. Then, it provides directions on how to get to the different parks. Also, it provides maps to the hiking trails and a lot of other useful information on whether dogs are allowed, whether the hike is suitable for family outing, whether there is a fee, phone numbers one can call, etc. The quality of the paper is astonishing. It also provides small paragraphs on bear etiquette, lions etiquette, etc. It provides information on the flaura and fauna expected to be seen on each hike. Very informative, very interesting and very useful book.

This version (Workbook) of Modern Carpentry is a workbook. Its questions that you must fill in the blank (answer). It is NOT a book but more of a 'test' (I'm assuming) of the material in Modern Carpentry.

Full of information on every aspect of the carpentry field. In depth and up to date.

This is the best carpentry and overall construction book I've ever read. This should be at the center of all of your construction books. I do construction in the Navy and we have some great books to learn from but this gives book gives you more info on standard construction practices, load sizes for lumber and such detailed information with pictures that can't be beat. I've owned an older edition and that helped me out alot, but this book is truly modern and up to date with construction practices going on right now. This is a must have and you won't go wrong.

This set is like having access to your own lawyer 24 hours a day at a fraction of the cost!

These are the same contracts and agreements that a lawyer would provide you with, but for a fraction of the cost. I am VERY happy with this order. Thank You

One of the things that I found extraordinarily helpful with this product is that it comes with a CD-Rom, which allows you to actually customize the contracts to your liking.

When using the CD-Rom that comes with this book, you can go into each contract and add your company and/or other parties names, agreed %, dollar amounts and just about anything else that you need to add, and then print the contract out directly from your printer, giving you an agreement that is fully customized and professional looking.

I also found this thing to be extremely easy to use and self explanatory - No law degree needed.

Talk about convenience!!! You can't beat it.

Although many readers seem to agree with the review re this being nothing more then an expensive notebook, I for one find "I-Sell" very useful for MY auction tracking purposes.

I tried other "systems": auction tracking software, a computerized file, database, alphabetical index card files... Each seemed useful in the beginning. But then there's that auction payment check that arrives late that you'll "record in my system later"... the person who contacts you 3 weeks after your auction closes with no winner & emails of his interest to buy the item before you relist elsewhere; the 11PM arrival of 20+ paypals; your conclusion of Friday night's packaging for Saturday's outgoing mail, to discover 60 emails that were delayed by your ISP's downtime, with most winners wanting express- priority shipping tomorrow; ... & all the rush of events which can occur with auctioning online.

In auction tracking, we all intend to record everything properly & immediately, but in haste to tend to more time consuming details, who hasn't jotted down a note on yet another post-it to "record in my system later". FOR ME, "I-Sell" is an easy system, as it's my all- inclusive hardcopy... no need to print out each item detail sheet or final buyer letter; no added paperwork to get filed EVENTUALLY. I easily can pencil in a note on any relative tracked auction page & IT's ALL IN ONE NEAT COMPACT BOOK. I'm highly organized, but I also lean toward the K.I.S.S. theory of recordkeeping [Keep It Simple Stupid].

Perhaps because I auction for charitable purposes &... this is an all- inclusive easy means of tracking for MY purposes... whereas it may not be for everyone.

With "I-Sell", one of my books gets filed, & I start another. A seller can choose to invert the slide-in cover sheets to label these books: - monthly, quarterly, annually [for measuring financials & keying in on "Hot Items" & "dogs" for auctioning]; or - alphabetically by buyer [so as to keep a detail on the types of items certain buyers bid on & thus email them of those intended for list]; or - thematically, by item category; or - HOWEVER YOU WANT tO TAILOR YOUR TRACKING SYSTEM. However you choose to use & maintain it, it's an easy system of tracking & unlike the static- inflexible auction software, a seller DOES have some leverage in his own organizational system.

Having formerly managed 300K++ documents in corporate litigation cases with the most expensive custom database systems, I know that the BEST system is the one that is UTILIZED & meets the needs of the persons needing to gain access to it.

A final word to those preferring to maintain all records on computerized files, unless you do a daily back-up, NO software auction or database system is fail-safe for purposes of tracking... I KNOW, as I've lost 2 hard drives in 3 years from "acts of God"... [ie, an unforseen storm, & a regional "brown out" (in which an electric utilty company- during high-use times, like temps of 100++ degrees- cuts all area power to 50%)...]. We all have had/ heard similar horror stories & most every auction seller maintains SOME form of hard copy file anyway... Why not simplify it with an easy-to-use system like this?

As for large E-bay or marketplace auction site sellers, if on a commercial/ network system, none of the typical online auction seller tracking systems is used anyway. Perhaps for professional sellers, a system such as this may seem too mundane, but FOR ME ... selling on sites... THIS IS AN EASY-TO-FOLLOW, all inclusive simple system & MY SYSTEM OF CHOICE!

I think I-Sell is a terrific book. I have tried many different ways to organize my (internet)buying and selling and this is by far the best system I have ever used. I don't know what I would have done without it. Thanks for writing this book!

I've tried many systems for tracking on-line auctions, and nothing works as great as "i sell"! With this loose-leaf book, you'll have all the information at your fingertips--not only the selling price, and the shipping charges, buyers info, but more importantly, a record of emails back and forth. You can record when you were paid, how you were paid, when the item is shipped, if you have sent feedback for the buyer, and much other helpful information. It's all there, neatly organized on one page, and it's soooo easy!! With the section dividers, you can group which auctions have been paid, shipped, and ones you need to do feedback on, etc. Now I don't have stacks of papers on my desk, wildly hunting for a particular auction, and sometimes missing shipping on time. You can be sure to have a pristine feedback rating, and save yourself alot of grief, by using "i sell". I love it!

I expected a lot more out of this book, especially from Jude. I couldn't even get through half of the stories before I gave up on it and marked it off as a wasted $3. Don't bother with it, you will probably fall asleep before you can finish it.

This is a five story anthology by various authors all taking place in the Scottish Highlands. Some stories are much better than others. I will note a separate rating of each below, but the average of all five ended up being 3 stars, hence my overall score of the book.

In the first story, "Unfinished Business", by Jude Deveraux, Tyler Stevens agrees to fill in at work for her niece Krissy when she takes ill. Temporarily stepping into Krissy's secretarial position leads Tyler to travel to Scotland with Krissy's boss, Joel Kingsley. While in Scotland, Tyler and Joel unwittingly stumble into a ghostly murder mystery that piques their curiosity. Investigating together may lead them to find more than the answer to an old mystery. This story was pretty good, but not what I would consider excellent. It was a worthwhile read and deserves a rating of three stars.

The second story, "Fall From Grace", by Jill Barnett was the hands down winner of this lot. This was my very first Jill Barnett read, and since discovering her here, I've now read nearly all her work. The clans McNish and McNab have been at war for some time. Grace McNish and her band of merry misfits mistakenly ambush and capture the wrong man. Colin Campbell, Earl of Argyll, was on a diplomatic journey investigating the McNab/McNish clan war when Grace "captured" him. After catching a glimpse of the wild Scottish beauty, he decided to remain in her custody to be near her, and gather information for his investigation. This wonderful story is full of humor. From one clan member who is half deaf and misunderstands even simple instructions, to another who can't hit the side of a barn with the bow and arrow. I laughed out loud too many times to count. This story also contains the steamiest love scene of the entire book. After everything I've read by Ms. Barnett, this is still a favorite. Definitely a five star read.

"Cold Feet", penned by Geralyn Dawson, is the next entry. Texas cowboy, Rand Jenkins, gets lost in the snow-covered moors en route to a castle in the Highlands. Stopping off at a cottage for directions, he meets Annie Munro, a healer who is considered a witch by the locals. Rand ends up spending more time with the lovely Annie than he had planned. For some unknown reason, every cat in the surrounding area is attracted to Rand who subsequently develops an allergic reaction. Using her knowledge of herbs and potions, Annie attempts to ease his suffering. While Rand is fending off felines and trying to get rid of his itching, he begins to get an itch for Annie. This was my least favorite story. It just seemed too unrealistic and didn't hold my attention. I would give this one two stars.

"The Matchmaker" by Pam Binder is story number four. Kathleen MacKenzie owns a bakery in the Scottish town of Edinburgh. When American businessman Duncan MacGreggor leaves his wallet at her establishment, Kathleen sets out to return it. Catching up to him in the elevator of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, she hands him the wallet. Magically they are catapulted back in time to the sixteenth century where Mary, Queen of Scots still inhabited the castle. Now, together they must find their way back to their own time. I wasn't greatly impressed with this novella either. It seemed a little too far-fetched to be believable. I would rate it two stars as well.

Last, but not least, is "The Christmas Captive" by Patricia Cabot. Lady Mairi has fled her guardian's home to escape his rule, and his intent to marry her. Physician, Niall Donnegal, whose brother is the new Duke of Camden, finds Mairi who was injured during her flight. Not knowing she is related to his dreaded enemy, he takes her to his home to recuperate. Their relationship quickly grows. But they must deal with the curse she believes is real, and her guardian's wrath, in order to remain together. This story was quite enjoyable and an above average read. It earns a rating of four stars from me.

At the time I read this book, Jude Deveraux was the only author familiar to me. Her story here was better than the full-length novel I had already read. Overall, three of the stories were worth reading - Jude Deveraux, Jill Barnett, and Patricia Cabot. I would say three out of five would make this collection worth picking up. And with each entry being approximately 100 pages, no one story takes long to read.

These five novellas take readers on a journey to the Scottish Highlands - those who are not already in love with the heather-covered hills and strong Highlanders will certainly be when they finish this book. I am not usually a huge fan of anthologies but this book has changed my mind. These are great reads for the busy woman who doesn't have time to sit and read an entire book in an evening.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

by Jude Deveraux

Contemporary Romance

New York attorney Tyler Stevens has always looked after her young cousin Kristin Beaumont. When Kristin becomes ill and is unable to accompany her boss, tycoon businessman Joel Kingsley on a trip to Scotland, Tyler takes her place. There she helps solve a murder mystery hundreds of years old and finds the love that has eluded her all her life. While a few inaccuracies and improbabilities near the beginning of the novella might take the more discerning reader out of the story, this is a pleasant tale which should please devoted Deveraux fans. Those who are looking for her to return to her earlier brilliance will be disappointed. Despite the fact Deveraux's name on the cover will probably make this book a bestseller, her story is the weakest of the five.

FALL FROM GRACE

by Jill Barnett

(rewrite of "Saving Grace" from 1993's HIGHLAND FLING Anthology) Historical Romance (1600s)

When the branch of the tree Grace McNish is sitting in breaks landing her right on top of who she believes to be a dastardly McNab - sworn enemy of the McNish Clan - Grace believes it to be an act of God and hatches a plan to hold the unsuspecting (and unconscious) Highlander for ransom. Jill Barnett delights readers with her trademark humor in this novella set around the historic feud between the McNab and McNish clans. There's truly a laugh a minute in this charming tale complete with a female bagpiper who's partially deaf. I just love Barnett's heroines - strong but a bit awkward, smart and caring. Those of you who remember this story from the Highland Fling anthology should be aware this story is a COMPLETE rewrite. Although the basic plot is the same, many, many things are different. Warning: Don't read this in public unless you want to be victim of strange looks - you'll be laughing out loud for sure! There's rarely a better reading experience than a story by Jill Barnett.

COLD FEET

by Geralyn Dawson

Historical Romance (1886)

Texan Rand Jenkins travels to Scotland to deliver Sarah Ross to her husband, the Marquess of Weston, and becomes the "Pied Piper of Pussycats" after stopping at the cottage of Annie Munro to ask for directions. Is Annie really a witch or just the local herbalist? One really wonders - even Annie who appears to have cast a spell over Rand as well. Annie doesn't know why the cats are attracted to Rand and he is getting mighty irritated. Of course, it doesn't help matters when he finds he's allergic to them. Geralyn Dawson gives readers yet another Texan meets Highlander story to savor as she did with Simmer All Night and Sizzle All Day (the main characters of which make appearances in this novella). This is yet another winner from Ms. Dawson with a nice twist at the end.

THE MATCHMAKER

by Pam Binder

Time Travel Romance (Present Day to 1500s)

The contribution of talented newcomer Pam Binder (The Inscription, The Quest) has Edinburgh baker Kathleen Mackenzie and American computer whiz Duncan MacGreggor thrown back in time right into the middle of one of the more shocking events of Scottish history - the murder of Mary Queen of Scots' friend Riccio carried out at the direction of her husband, Lord Darnley. This is a not-too-often used concept as both hero and heroine and thrown back into time and together use their skills to adapt to the time period while there as well as to figure out how to return to the present. There's some nail-biting moments here as they try. I particularly enjoyed this story as I had spent time in Edinburgh and toured the Palace of Holyroodhouse last year. The historical details are well executed and the plot and characters so well done I was sorry it wasn't a complete book. And the sexual tension - ooh la la! This is such a wonderful story that I am quite certain readers who discover Pam Binder via this novella will be search for her other two books - and will look forward to her next The Enchantment in the summer of 2001. Simply outstanding!

THE CHRISTMAS CAPTIVE

by Patricia Cabot

Historical Romance (1827)

Cabot is the only author in this anthology whose books I hadn't read before. "Mairi" flees the estate where she's lived for the past ten years after the death of her parents as the ward of Alistair MacLean, Lord Sutherland. After caring for her, he has now become her fiancé as well. Apparently she has reasons not to wed him and escapes to the estate of the Duke of Camden only to discover the Duke as died and his eldest son Euan has taken over. Visiting his brother is Niall, recently having graduated from studies to become a physician. When Niall discovers "Mairi" has an injury needing immediate attention, he comes to her aid. The sparks soon fly but Niall does not know who Mairi really is and she isn't giving out any detailed information. While Ms. Cabot seems fond of run-on sentences (one leaving me out of breath as it went on for an entire paragraph) and left the secrets unrevealed for longer than was desirable for a novella, her storytelling and characterization were strong enough for me to look forward to her book Lady of Skye in 2001. The main ingredients are there and she needs just a bit more polish.

Reviewed by Maudeen Wachsmith for Romancing the Celtic Soul

This book does have good pictures and simple steps to follow along with , but..., they provide no images with the book so you have nothing to follow along with. I was very disappointed and I'm sending my book back for a refund.

This book really lives up to its title

When I first loaded Photoshop 5, I was totally bamboozled by the screen layout, and decided I needed help. Easy Adobe Photoshop 5 was the first book I came across that let me gain instant access to Photoshop 5.

The very explicit instructions, with easy to follow diagrams let the reader immediately start doing things with this complex programme. The fact that they are in color is a major bonus, as much of the book deals with the manipulation of color images (other publications about this software with black and white illustrations, can be difficult to follow as the reader needs to see what they should be achieving in any operation. )

As a beginner to this software I really appreciated Kate Binder's instructions which included every single step - not assuming any knowledge by the reader. (some publications assume because they have mentioned something in a previous chapter that the reader will automatically remember to include this - without being told - in later chapters. Not so! Very few readers of such publications will work their way through such a publication from start to finish. The avid beginner will skim to the exciting operations and try them first.) This approach is possible with Kate Binder's instructions.

There are also useful notes at side of main text which allow reader. if they wish, to gain further understanding of Photoshop 5. Although this is not a book that will cover every operation which the software is capable of , and does not provide lengthy details for anoraks on the intricacies of the program's operation, it does an excellent job of getting the novice immediately and painlessly into Adobe Photoshop 5 .

Extra points must also go to the author who provides an e-mail address for further queries and has provided answers to all my queries within 24 hours of sending them !

Thanks Kate for an excellent book.

Al. Sinclair

This book will walk you through 5.0 step by step with pictures of the tools and menu bar. Great easy to use starter book. Good for 5.5 too!

Scottish Highlands. Time travel. Immortality. Sounded like just the thing for a long flight home for the holidays, right?

Nope. Skip this one, folks.

There were several problems with logic and continuity - a character knows something in one scene that they have no way of knowing, then have forgotten they knew it in the next chapter; this gets to be disruptive for the attentive reader.

Major plot points were skipped completely (the room with the potions and the star maps, for example. Why make such a big deal out of this if they were never to be seen again?).

What was the point, also, of Marcail and O'Donnell? Neither character was particularly well-drawn or even all that likable, so it really didn't matter to the reader whether or not they ever decided to join.

Many of the scenes were short - 3 or 4 paragraphs or no more than a page - but they would jump characters and even jump 2 or 3 days from the previous scene. Unfortunately, in jumping over the days, the author missed telling big chunks of story. Considering that the time travel portion only covered 28 days to begin with, she didn't have the luxury of skipping days.

Pass this one up. If you want immortality and the Scottish Highlands, watch "Highlander" (the first movie). If you want time travel and the Scottish Highlands, read Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander."

I definitely will not read more by this author.

Story started out with a bang then the characters fell apart and didn't seem to click to my thinking. I did like the relationship of Lachlan to his family and his country people. I'm not sure if I would read this author again.

Having first met the author at a trade show in the Pacific Northwest, I decided to give her book a try (even though I do not generally read romances). The time-travel aspect of the story is well handled (our heroine is pulled back into Scotland in the mid-1500's), and the characters are very well developed.

I have to confess that the opening of the story is a bit rough for me. Everything that happened seemed contrived in order to get us to a certain point. About a third of the way into the novel, enough is revealed to make it clear why, exactly, events unfolded as they did in the beginning, and it all works (both dramatically and on the believability scale).

The author has a good sense of pacing, and also does a decent job of "planting the evidence" in earlier scenes before employing it in later scenes. The story unfolds logically and neatly, without being overly pat.

I cannot compare this novel to too many other romances, as it's not generally my genre of choice, but I'd have to agree with other reviewers that, if romance is the draw (and sex is a part of romance), then it does seem to take a while to finally get to the action. And, unlike Hedge of Thorns by Sally Ash (also published by Goodfellow Press), the sex seems somehow irrelevant to the romance.

All that being said, though, the story of a woman out of time and a clan of immortals is very well drawn. I recommend this book as a fine first novel.