PEN

The male character in this book is too real! The love he is searching for is at his fingertips. I could not put this book down. As a male reader I could certainly identify with the main character Moses. Thanks for giving him such strong morals. I thoroughly enjoy reading your books in particular because the male characters are men we can look up to from Cousins, to Thems Eves Daughters and now Letters. You have a loyal fan!

This book was absolutely wonderful! I met the author in Greensboro, North Carolina at her book signing and she is absolutely beautiful inside and out! Once I spoke with her I could identify with the passion I felt jumping off the pages of her books. Letters is full of excitement. It's a wonderful read. There are no dull spots in this book. Anyone would love it. I appreciated meeting Ms. Dick in person so much I bought Cousins and Thems Eves Daughters. I don't know which one I love the best. Anybody can get into these books.

This book took me by surprise. I was capitivated from the very beginning. I like the way you write about social issues very tasteful. The ghost scene threw me for a curve, but I quickly recovered. I could not put this book down. The dialogue flows so well. Glad I ordered it you have a loyal fan. Will order the next book. I'm sure they are just as rich.

This book, published in 1930, was once out of print for a span, but has become a mainstay of illustration books since reprinted in the 1970's. While the average modern illustrator/comic artist would pick it up and think, 'Ew. Old Stuff', it provides all the necessities on how to arrange, light, crop, render and delineate objects.

When I picked it up in art school I used it a bit, read it a bit and then forgot it because I went into an art form that didn't use illustrative technique as specifically shown in this book. Now, getting back into ink drawing, I have rediscovered this book and realize it is probably the best illustration book on the market. Purely brilliant in an age where most books on art are very sloppy, watered dowqn or mis-informed.

If you have a desire to learn to draw with pen and ink this is the first book you should buy. It is thorough and informative. It goes into great detail about different techniques used to obtain certain effects (or textures). I refer to this book time and time again, and although my main media is not pen and ink, I cannot help but to be inspired by his lessons.

This is a fun medium and an inexpensive one. If you are truly interested in learning the ins and outs of pen and ink drawing and can only afford one book, this is the book.

This book is required reading for all pen and ink artists and wannabees. This book led me on the path to making a successful go at drawing house portraits. Pretty good money also. Buy it today along with plenty of ink.

C.

A charming, funny, and thoroughly entertaining book on the craft of writing which is appropriate for students at the middle school level and above. Even grown-ups will find the book most enjoyable. Mr. Frank has many illustrative stories and annecdotes which make the book so worthwhile. A great tool in or out of the classroom.

Hey everyone! Mr. Frank was my teacher last year and was a...GOOD teacher. And I haven't read the book yet but Mr. Frank is a great writer and all my friends read it and tell me it's great and very entertaining and educational!!! Mr. Frank is a great guy who's very nice and very talented and his book is great so I just sugest you buy it...IT'S MY RECOMENDATION! :D

A delightful book on writing which substantially raises the bar for all works in this field. It teaches, motivates, elevates, and entertains students. When I look at the sorry state of "approved" books in this subject and compare it to Mr. Frank's masterpiece, I feel we teachers need to cast our votes strongly in Mr. Frank's camp. Students cannot help but be inspired to write--and write well--with a text like this.

Having just finished reading Jenna Glatzer's OUTWITTING WRITER'S BLOCK, I'm pleased to report that this book is chock full of innovative, creative, and just-plain-fun tips for all writers, blocked or not. Glatzer's friendly and oftentimes humorous writing style is a definite asset, since it makes the read a very pleasureable, yet very informative one. As I read, I found myself highlighting and dog-earing page after page, so that I would not forget any of the many wonderful pointers and suggestions interspersed throughout the book. I can't wait to put some of those suggestions to use! Thanks, Ms. Glatzer, for such a fresh look at an age-old problem. You've definitely dispersed some of the cobwebs in this writer's brain! Bravo!

This author makes you feel like she's known you forever. She seems to pick up on amazing universal truths about writers that I didn't realize were universal truths until I read the book. For example, she writes about professional jealousy and how she would work herself into a tizzy when another writer-friend "trumped" her, or when a writer who wasn't very talented got a big break. I had been feeling so guilty for having these feelings about my own writing-friends, but now I realize that even more experienced writers still feel that way and it's normal.

But better than that, she offers such a wide array of "tricks" and tips for beating writer's block that something HAS to work! If the first method doesn't work, try a different method. She doesn't advocate just one thing, which is the problem I had with a different book about writer's block (the writer just offered one systematic solution. It didn't work for me, so the book was useless). With this one, I had to keep putting it down every few pages to scribble down new ideas it gave me.

That was amazing. I had been feeling uninspired and like I was running out of new ideas, but this book made me realize how to open my "writer's eyes" and find ideas in everyday circumstances. It energized me, like jumpstarting a battery, so I felt compelled to actually write down my ideas and start drafting them instead of letting them sit in my brain until I forgot them.

It's such a personal book and manages to weave effortlessly between humor and serious issues, even making me laugh when the author is discussing a very painful experience.

I think the biggest strength of this book is that it teaches writers to let go of all the guilt and burdens they have placed on themselves, or let others place on them. I can't write every day, and I haven't been published much yet, so I was afraid to call myself a "writer," but the author made me feel like that was okay, and in doing so, I got less anxious and self-conscious about the act of writing itself. I have written more in the past two weeks than I have all year, just because I feel better about it and less worried about making everything "perfect."

I knew from the author's website that I was going to like her style, but this just went so far beyond my expectations. I now feel like I have a brilliant teacher sitting on my bookshelf whenever I need her. At this rate, that won't be too often, because I can't imagine ever running out of ideas again! It's brilliant. Buy it.

Glatzer's entertaining writing style not only pokes fun at the dreaded "writer's block," but offers advice on other writing topics such as: how to find ideas, how to handle self-doubt and deadlines. Through her clever use of humor and seasoned with personal and other writing anecdotes, she demystifies and offers excellent advice on how to outwit this bane of writers everywhere.

For example, under a section entitled "Where to Get Ideas," Glatzer writes: "Another myth is that great ideas are supposed to just come to writers. Like we're all just walking around, minding our own business when wham! A great idea falls out of the heavens and lands in our brains. I, on the other hand, am idea-challenged. The idea fairy rarely visits my home without my asking. I have to invite her, cajole her, and then sometimes bang her over the head with a stick and drag her unconscious body into my abode without my neighbors calling the police. My muse is my mortgage."

Her book, her advice and her writing style will inspire writers everywhere not to give up -- no matter what. Her book is also one that writers will return to again and again if not for advice and support then for a great pick-me-up when the writing gets tough.

This is by far the best Walt Disney World travel book I've ever read/seen!! I love it!!

I spend a lot (and I mean, A LOT) of time planning my vacations. My planning includes scouring the web, reading tons of books and watching travel shows months ahead of my travel date. I've browsed through many Disney World related books in my local bookstore but the Passporter is the one that impressed me the most.

If you are planning a vacation to Disney World, and particularly if you intend to spend most of your trip in the WDW property, I HIGHLY recommend this book. It is packed with information on the hotels, restaurants, theme parks, special activities as well as travel tips and planning info for your trip. At least 3 pages are dedicated to each Disney resort and even more pages on each theme park (along with some great maps). There is also a great rating system for each resort, theme park attraction and restaurant/eatery. My favorite feature (which I have not seen in other travel books) are the maps of each hotel resort which even shows where the pools, eateries, play areas and transportation location.

I initially bought 2 other Disney-related travel books but returned those and kept just this one. Unless you're planning to spend a lot of time outside the Disney property, this really is the only book you will need. And for those who will be dividing their time between Disney and other Orlando theme parks, be sure to get this book and check out one of the following: "The Unofficial Guide to Florida with Kids" by Pam Brandon (if traveling with children) or "The Everything Travel Guide to Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and Greater Orlando" by Jason Rich. Happy travels!

I love this book! If you want a book that will really help you plan your Walt Disney World trip from start to finish then this is it. It's full of fresh, useful information in a well-organized, easy-to-read format. And unlike other guides, Passporter provides you with worksheets (which are indespenible to planning your trip) and "organizer pockets" to help you keep all your trip information together in one place.

I bought Birnbaum's WDW guide and Walt Disney World with Kids for a trip 3 years ago and they pale in comparison. Passporter gave me new ideas and insights and the authors don't miss a trick. Passporter has a ton of money-saving and sanity-saving tips that the other books don't have. There is also a Passporter website with updates and other useful information.

If you buy only one WDW guide, let this be the one!

I confess. I am a control freak. I feel the need to have a written plan for everything I do. This said, I would recommend the Passporter for anyone traveling to Disneyworld, whether or not you are as obsessive a planner as me! The deluxe Passporter has the same text, planning sheets, maps, and storage envelopes as the spiral bound version, and it has the added benefit of being looseleaf. You can reorganize the book to fit your particular plans, remove sections that don't apply to your trip, and even take out your envelope for the day rather than carry the binder into the park.

I found the planning pages and ride descriptions very helpful in choosing where to go and when. Since we can't possibly do everything in one week's time, we used the information given in the Passporter to line up our priorities and choose things we could live without. While my family thinks I'm insane to plan so carefully, I know that we will enjoy our trip more and get to do more of the "important" things with the help of the Passporter.

I highly recommend the Passporter, and particularly the deluxe edition, to anyone planning a visit to Disneyworld.

This is the 20th book in the cozy mystery series about Hamish Macbeth, a constable who lives in the small, scenic village of Lochdubh in the Scottish Highlands with his dog, Lugs. He also tends sheep and chickens in addition to his police duties. In this adventure, someone is writing poison pen letters which results in two murders which Macbeth has to solve. In addition, he has to handle complications in his love life and the village gossips. Beaton does a good job of describing the Highland villages and in developing her characters. All of the books in the series are a quick read and are perfect for a rainy day or lazy Sunday afternoon. Anyone who likes cozies will enjoy this series.

DEATH OF A POISON PEN is set in a small village in the Scottish Highlands. It is populated with quirky characters and a lovable, bumbling, tall, red-haired constable named Hamish McBeth. Hamish is somewhat lazy and likes his little village to run smoothly, but it never does. This time around some villagers are receiving poison pen letters. A postmistress is found hanged in her room and a vacationer comes to Lochdubh with the sole purpose of seducing him. He does have his hands full these days.

I consider the Hamish McBeth series the better of the two series that M.C. Beaton writes. The characters really make the stories endearing and fun. That Hamish ever solves any case always seems like sheer fluke, but you are always rooting for him. The plots are always rather straightforward and not too complicated and it makes for a quick read. This is a perfect book for a rainy afternoon.

This installment of the Hamish McBeth series was one of the best. I enjoyed my visit to Lochdubh immensely and catching up with old friends. I loved how the town showed how much they respected and cared for their unorthodox policeman. The mystery itself wasn't a strong one but the characters and setting more than made up for it. Hamish and company is a delightful way to spend an afternoon. I cannot wait for the next one!

I've read SV books since 4th grade, and this one has always been my favorite. When Elizabeth writes the story, it's so exciting, because even SHE doesn't know what's going to happen next. It's so spooky and thrilling. It made me want to go out and write a spooky mystery of my own. I'd definitly recommend it, even to non Sweet Valley fans.

This is such a good and thrilling mystery that I know a boy who loved it.It is an intriguing story in which writer Elizabeth finds a pen that writes by itself..kind of..it still has to be in her hand.And as it writes secrets are revealed to Elizabeth by the soul of a ghost who wants an injustice in her life fixed up.

I thought this book was very scary.It was creepy the way thepen tells the story of a girl who is a novelist and her boyfriend letsher do all the writing and then sells those novels by his own name and the thigs in the story start happening to Elizabeth's twin sister ,Jessica.This book is totally awesome.I rate it 10

I very much enjoyed With A Stroke Of The Pen by Kimbra Leigh.
I began reading it and stayed with it until 2:30 A.M. to finish it in one sitting!
Would make a wonderful book, I sincerely enjoyed it as much as The Bridges of Madison County.
Her style is refreshing and very easy reading...you get trapped in the characters' lives and want to know more, until alas, the book is finished!
Hope she is hard at work on her next book!

"I recently read this delightful book titled, With The Stroke of a Pen, by Kimbra Leigh, a first time author. It is a tender book about lifelong friendships, love and happiness.

I re-read the book a couple of weeks later, and was even more fascinated the second time around. The author writes with understanding and a joyful heart. This book is a "must read". Mabel

Fond childhood memories came to mind when reading "With the Stroke of the Pen." The story line was so beautiful I stayed up till the wee hours of the morning so I could finish it. Her descriptions of the period truly took me home to my parent's small town restaurant which included a soda fountain and where the school kids came for lunch and after school. I although I was under 6 years old at the time, I vividly remember "Senior Day" when all the graduates got a free treat. Can you imagine ice cream sodas being $.20, sundaes were $.25 and bananna splits were a real luxury costing $.35!!

This is the only book I've ever wanted to keep. It will be placed with special keepsakes for my grandchildren with the notation, "This book gives a great description what life was like when Oma was a child."

Edward Gorey's dark subversion of children's alphabet books is a tiny book guaranteed to bring a sinister smile to the face of every one with a twisted sense of humor. Opening with "A is for Amy who fell down the stairs" and running all the way to "Z is for Zilla who drank too much gin," the simple but inspired rhymes combine with Gorey's pseudo-Victorian Gothic crosshatch illustrations to wickedly funny effect.

Although his disaster-specific illustrations (such as "R is Rhoda consumed by a fire") are macabrely witty, Gorey is really at his best when he leaves the most to your imagination. Consequently, it is really his illustrations of impending doom ("P is for Prue trampled flat in a brawl") or the shocking aftermath of an unknown circumstance ("K is for Kate who was struck with an ax") that are most likely to inspire a mischievous grin.

Although you might not want to give this to your anxiety-prone niece or your traumatized stepson as a Christmas stocking stuffer unless you wish to make them worry about your intent, older children will likely find it every bit as comical as adults--but adults are the real audience here, much more likely to catch the drop-dead humor involved. Wickedly amusing and sinisterly charming in every way.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

I own most all of Gorey's titles, and though "The Doubtful Guest" is my sentimental favorite merely because it was my first, "Tinies" never fails to amuse me. For someone who otherwise would never be caught dead using the phrase 'deliciously macabre', you should allow yourself to appreciate Gorey's unabashed deliciousness, for what else can you can this volume? Inspired? Yes! Hysterical? Yes! Yet it's more than an alphabet book for adults--it's good to know in this politically correct era, that it's OK to laugh out loud when Kate is struck by an axe. If your tastes aren't quite that edgy, then you won't be saddened when Gorey's reached the end, with Zelda drinking too much gin. This material strikes a very timeless cord, and though I wouldn't read it to a toddler--unless his was a particularly developed sense of humor, this savvy tot--I would be alarmed by anyone offened by it. Gorey's great with the 'pleasant squirm', and here he's mastered it perfectly.

This is for anyone with that sense of humor that most people just don't seem to get. A genuis dark twist on teaching the ABC's... very delightful.
~CS112_tih2

I enjoyed this light read and look forward to more books in the series.

However, there were a few things that kept me from giving it 5 stars. First, I thought it was too predictable -- the murderer's identity was easy to figure out early in the story. I also found the "I/he/she said...well, not really, but I/he/she thought it" very annoying after the first few times. Otherwise, it was a lot of fun and definitely a welcome addition to my library.

Jaine Austen runs a writing service out of her apartment, in Los Angeles, called This Pen for Hire. She writes resumes, letters, brochures and personal ads - lots of personal ads. She shares her apartment with her cat Prozac.

Jaine's neighbor Lance Ventable is constantly telling Jaine to be quiet. He must live with his ear on their adjoining wall. He even complains that Prozac is too loud!

Howard Murdoch hires her to write a love letter to Stacy Lawrence, the aerobics instructor at his gym. Much to Jaine's surprise, Stacy agrees to go out with Howard.

Then Stacy is found dead, bludgeoned to death with a Thigh-Master. Howard is arrested, but he says he didn't do it. Detective Rea feels they have the right person in jail. Jaine decides to look into it. She feels responsible because, if she hadn't written the letter, Stacy wouldn't have agreed to go out with him and Howard would be arrested.

In the course of her investigation, Jaine meets Cameron Bannick, a major hunk, who knew Stacy but had an iron clad alibi. She is very happy about this when they start dating. She can't believe her luck.

Jaine uncovers quite a few people who weren't too sad that Stacy was dead. Some even had possible motives to kill her. In the course of her investigation, the killer begins to catch on and in the end, Jaine finds herself in a lot of danger.

I truly enjoyed this book. Jaine is such a likeable character. She is very much a three-dimensional character.

The additional characters in the book are all well written and the plot is well crafted. I highly recommend this book and the series. The 2nd book Last Writes has been published and is another terrific book!

"This Pen For Hire" could just as easily be called "This Pun For Hire" because it's a rollicking, laugh-filled mystery by Laura Levine, an L.A. based comedy writer with many hit television programs to her credit. In this, her first novel, she introduces witty and wary Jaine Austin who views life, love, lust and Los Angeles with a practiced albeit jaundiced eye.

Jaine is a writer for hire who has authored everything from libido laced personal ads to ardent vows of true love. This is her daytime job. At night she's out and about searching for her one-and-only in Hollywood's bistros.

Enter a gawking geek, Howard Murdoch, who retains Jaine to write a love letter to Stacy Lawrence, a heart-stopping aerobics instructor whom Howard has never met. Crime comes quickly when Howard discovers Stacy beaten to death with a Thigh Master. The hapless Howard is, of course, fingered for the killing. Jaime is determined to prove his innocence.

Wielding her Bloomies card like a press pass and totally disregarding all obstacles Jaine is hot on the trail of the killer who wants to make a real ghost writer out of her.

"This Pen For Hire" is a fun beach read, and Jaine a likeable heroine. Hope Laura Levine is back at the computer coming up with a second adventure for this dauntless dame.

- Gail Cooke