Partner

This time the setting was in the city of Seattle. Charlotte "Char" McCairn was new to being an Enforcer. While at Starbucks Char heard the dhamphir inform her of her first mission. The Council had decided to kill a vampire hunter named Jebel Haven. Char was chosen to do the deed. Shortly afterward, a nest leader (Helene Bourbon) asked Char to help locate one of her younger vampires named Daniel. Char decided to search for Daniel first.

Jebel Haven was searching for a missing teenager who may have been abducted by vampires. Since Char and Jebel both searched for the same teen, they reluctantly joined forces. Neither were totally honest with the other and both had deadly plans for the other once Daniel was located.

A dark cult had formed in the streets of Seattle. Getting to Daniel was much harder than they believed it would be. The cult had Daniel. The main cult leaders were a sorcerer and a demon. The sorcerer would be no trouble; however, a demon was a child of a lower god. One Law of the Blood read "It is death to any vampire who interferes in the affairs of the children of the lower gods."

** Unlike the first of this series, I found the second difficult to get into. The first half was so slow and the scenes were scattered and choppy. Yet the second half was non-stop action.

By the time I found this series, books 1 - 5 were already published. By reading the back covers I learned that each book was a different city and a different Enforcer. Char and her companion will return in book five. Therefore, I must guess that these main characters will interact with each other some time in the future. You CAN skip book two, but if you intend to read the whole series DO NOT skip it. This book will explain Char and Jebel. Since they WILL be returning in future book(s), this one is worth your time to pick up. But search a used book store first. **

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Jebel Haven used to be the lowest scum of the earth until the former con found his true calling of killing vampires and other creatures of the night. He and his compatriots make their kills in a cloak of darkness that keeps other mortals ignorant of their deadly tasks. However, the Vampire Council is well aware of his success rate and fears he could turn into a bigger problem for them. The Chief orders the relatively new enforcer Char now a Nighthawk, to terminate Jebel.

Before she can hunt her prey, a vampire mother visits Char to tell her that one of her nestlings Danny has vanished. At about the same time, FBI agent Brenda Novak coerces Jebel into helping her find her missing son Danny. Eventually Char and Jebel meet in Seattle and each wants to kill the other at first. However despite their mutual distrust of each other, they join forces to find Danny and battle a cult and its demon to the death.

Once again, Susan Sizemore has created a fantastic vampire story that brings fresh life to the Nosferatu legends. The action is intense, but easy to follow, which is a tribute to Ms. Sizemore's storytelling abilities. However, the heart of this work lies in the protagonists, two partners who find themselves in a very shaky business relationship and alliance. These two natural enemies not only are attracted to one another, but are also struggling against a common opponent. The "Laws of the Blood" series is deservedly becoming a cult favorite.

Harriet Klausner

I liked this story more than "The Hunt," for the most part, but some things made me twitch.

I was glad that some other supernatural beings were discussed, because it leaves the series open for other creatures to be brought in later. This, in my opinion, is one of the strongest elements in the Southern Vampire series. It's also one of the drawbacks to Anne Rice's books. The way her books portray other supernatural creatures is very much like a 1970s primetime series: And featuring Lestat de Lioncourt as "The Vampire."

I was annoyed with how Jebel could find clues and not find clues in the same scene of the book. It irritated me that the "vampire glamour" could convince someone of something patently false yet allow them to see fairly obscure clues that force them to deny that falsehood.

I'd still recommend this book if you're into mysteries, vampires, or supernatural characters of any kind.

I did find Cole's analysis of seducing a woman's mind first by helping her clear it useful. Other than that, it's like reading a cheap novel, but without much vulgarity. There are more credible resources. And frankly, I think there's just nothing new here.

"Seduce Me" is primarily a book about sexuality between couples. Many couples recall when they were first dating and it seemed that they were constantly touching each other. At time wears on that touching becomes less and less and sexual activity also declines. Author Darcy Cole discusses physiological and psychological factors in this change and how to get back the sexual fire. She notes that it takes very little to get men in the mood for sexual relations but men don't generally understand what is required to get a woman in the mood. This book details the various factors involved and how they work together to get a woman interested in sex. "Seduce Me" is very detailed in its descriptions and provides a wealth of information for those who want to understand the process of female seduction. While many parents would have a big problem with this book being included in a high school library, it is a very appropriate book for those wanting to increase their partner's sexual desire.

I learned so much from this book, particularly the scientific explanations as to why women and men react they way they do. For instance, I had no idea how birth control pills or other medications can affect desire for sex, or how types of stress cause hormonal changes that ruin sex drives. I also learned alot about the female psyche and how what is going on in her mind interferes with getting her in the mood. Once you understand the problems, the solutions make alot of sense. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it for any couple wanting to keep the fires burning, whether they need a little spark, or a major overhaul. You can read it quickly, get a comprehensive treatment of the topic, and put the solutions to work in one weekend.

This book helps couples turn their eyes inward and focus on the self...redirect the focus on basic relationship techniques rather than "just getting back with the person". I found this book helpful to identify needs and understand that needs will change, and that each person in the relationship will need to be informed of the change of needs....

This book will give you guidance, give you a general plan when you feel directionless. There is no set playbook in getting one's spouse back, but this book will point you towards some things you need to consider. In the end, your particular answers are within yourself, not any book. I highly recommend reading it and visiting relationship resource dot com.

I have read this four times over the last three years. Excellent book. Its written simple enough so that anyone can get different meanings from it. I have let more than eight people read this (who were having different difficulties with boyfriends, lovers, husbands, wives etc) and they all get great meaning and results from it. It doesn't matter at what stage of a relationship one is in...this book will open your eyes. I highly recommend. A keeper!

Ross Dawson's book, "Living Networks," provides an exceptionally lucid and visionary framework in which to chart a succesful company or individual course in the Knowledge Economy. Through concise bullet lists at key points throughout the book, the author provides a series of critical considerations and steps to develop a solid plan of action for the reader to embark on a voyage into the future of high-value commerce that, in a globalized world of business, will be characterized in significant measure by networks and relationships. The writing is quick and lively and the advice and insight imparted are invaluable.

Networks, networking and relationship building through networks have become a very popular theme for business writing, the thesis being that strategic networking is one of the critical keys to business success.

Ross Dawson's first book Developing Knowledge-Based Client Relationships, focused on relationships between knowledge working professionals and their clients. His new book has a much broader reach, being concerned with the development of network technologies and the implications for business strategy across the whole range of stakeholder and competitor relationships.

The author has demonstrated that the success of his first book was no mere flash in the pan. He writes excellent colloquial English, develops his argument clearly and logically and uses examples and illustrations well to clarify the main points in his argument (unlike the many authors who seem to use examples to overwhelm rather than enlighten). The subject itself is an important one and, although Dawson is not alone in tackling it, his book is the one I would choose as a guide to understanding and action for the practical business person. (For example, I find it more approachable than Verna Allee's The Future of Knowledge, which is written at a more conceptual level and is rather more difficult to read.) It is one of the few books I have read which is clearly informed by an implicitly (as well as explicitly) systemic view of the world.

Living Networks elucidates these systemic relationships and then proposes strategies to achieve successful competitive placement within the systems that the entity chooses to try to influence. Its prescriptions are also based on values that are made explicit in various parts of the book - for example the value on retaining and fostering diversity despite globalization and the importance of operating in ways that build trust.

The book is arranged in four parts: Evolving Networks; Evolving Organizations; Evolving Strategy; and Future Networks (the evolution of business). Each of the ten chapters in Parts 1 to 3 ends with a summary section connecting it to the argument in the rest of the book.

Part 1, Evolving Networks, is a short introductory section that starts by identifying five key issues that the author seeks to explore. These are the impact of networking technologies on:
* the nature of relationships between companies and those they deal with;
* ways of working and relating within organizations;
* innovation and intellectual property, with a particular emphasis given to the importance of open source models of innovation;
* strategy in an economy in which strategic positioning in relation to the flow of information and ideas is becoming critically important; and
* the need for styles of leadership that move beyond the box of traditional command and control and position their organizations effectively within networks, while developing their capacity to recognize, bring together and exploit intellectual property.

Part 1 provides the base for the main focus of the book in Parts 2 and 3. Part 2 describes the evolution of organizations in a systemic world governed by the rules of complexity, but from the particular perspective of networking, relationship building and innovation. The description is complementary to that in books like Moore: The Death of Competition, Hock: Birth of the Chaordic Age, or Youngblood: Life at the Edge of Chaos, all of which provide different insights on the same general phenomenon.
13 action steps are offered for building network presence. In order to keep the scope of the book within reasonable bounds, the important issues of privacy and of intellectual property are mentioned, but not discussed in any detail.

Part 3 turns to strategy. The thesis is that:
Devices, communications, and industries are all converging into one vast space for doing business. This is the flow economy, in which almost all value is based on the flow of information and ideas. Companies must continually reposition themselves in this flow economy, both to meet new competitive challenges ... and to take advantage of ... emerging opportunities.

The single chapter in Part 4 develops 10 propositions or forecasts:

* We will soon be immersed in connectivity [access will spread and bandwidth will become greater]
* Transparency will drive business and society [suggesting that privacy will vanish]
* Collaborative filtering will be the heart of the networks
* Information filtering will be an evolutionary battlefield [marketers trying to insert messages and technology and other means becoming available to exclude them]
* Open, accepted standards will predominate
* almost all value creation will stem from collaborative relationships
* Collaborative intellectual property models will flourish
* Highly virtualised organizations will be a dominant force
* The rapidly increasing pool of free agents will be polarized [the rich will get richer and the poor poorer]
* People and networks will merge [technologies for integrating the human and the machine are developing].

These are of course forecasts or bets on the future. The development of their implications makes interesting reading and provides a possible direction. Whether we want to, or do go that way is another question. As with the debate on globalization, what we can do, what we should do and what we will do are not necessarily the same and depend in large part on the underlying 'rules of the game', including the measures by which we judge success. What those are and should be is a debate that is taking place at the level of societal governance - a debate of immense importance to us all.

There's a lot of confusion out there about what technology means to business in the wake of the dotcom bust. Living Networks finally brings clarity to this field. It explains clearly where we are, and covers what managers have to do in organizations, strategy, innovation, and more. It really is exceptional to find a business book that is both very practical, and also such an entertaining read.

No point doing a synopsis. The book has a Website ... which has an overview and chapters to download. And a "blog", so you get the author's realtime commentary too. Bring on the day when all book's have this value-add!

Two (small) reservations. First, Dawson implies that everything he covers is happening now. Much of it is, but some stuff in the book (especially web services) will pan out over the next few years. Second (if you can call it a problem), the book is so broad in scope that it doesn't have the theory and richness of more specialist books. Want to know the latest on network theory and the social implications? Read Nexus by Buchanan or Barabasi's Linked. Want in-depth network strategy? Information Rules by Shapiro and Varian. Mathematical business analysis of networks? Buy Shy's Economics of Network Industries. The key issues in intellectual property? Lessig's The Future of Ideas. What the new dynamics are for individuals? Pink's Free Agent Nation is still a winner. Want the whole kit and kaboodle: what's happening in the economy today, and what to do about it? No question, Living Networks is the standout book. Hopefully it will get some good competition soon.

This book was written in a confusing and poorly written manner. The last chapters were especially dull and filled with a lot of psychological mumbo jumbo.

I have read this book with tears and satisfaction. I, too, am married to a woman who suffers from this terrible tragedy and have lived a similar life the author describes in this book. He has captured the utter sadness which can and does surround us all, hidden in the secret threats and tortured minds of many.

As I read this book the last numerouse years of mine, and my wifes life, came rushing back. The author has truely captured what it means to love another, to give whatever you have to give to see to it anothers life is changed for the better, to see to it the fear instilled by those who would hurt a child, and forever remain anonymous, are brought out into the open.

The courage of Diane, and her inner friends, is of the highest regard in my mind. Diane's determination, steadfastness and all around get-it-done attitude is, and will, help many lost children hidden inside so many grown women, to become free of their fear.

This book can help those locked inside to reach out with hope, to know they can trust, be free of the pain and live life with smiles.

You have the courage to read this book, your life will be changed, you will see others in a clearer light, you will believe.

For those who suffer now or have suffered in their life from the tragedy described here, this books lets you know there is help, caring, understanding, love and compassion. All you have to do is believe, let go the fears which keep the secrets hidden, which give the secrets power to silence, to see your abusers for what they really are, and become free at last.

My life has been and is changed by the text of the life this book reveals.

Great work.

I loved this book, from the beginning to the end, I never wanted to put it down. So many emotions, so many feelings, all at once, and I could feel too, the pain, the mental anguish of all those involved. I recommend this book for anyone going through sexual abuse feelings or past emotions hard to deal wtih. This is a wonderful recount of one person's love for another.

I agree with almost all mentioned aspects of reviews contained on this page. Additionally, that the book appears to be outdated to today's evolution. Nor can any one experience of such nature be put into mere words alone or molded to one set way of occurrence. I do respectfully commend the courage behind the words in this book and respect the writer's own thoughts and experience. Most of the facts and perspectives were one of the best I have found in written materials regarding this topic. I think it's a better book to at least "paint a picture" to most people not familiar with the topic or thought or experience. However, I would greatly embrace future reading materials on this topic that are both updated and expanded portraying profound perspectives and the allowance to one's own experience and open mind... way. To date, most materials don't do the experience adequate justice - they do not caputure it's truth. Yet, I still take from them something. So, all are part of the whole and all contribute something to my own truth. But perhaps, I will read it for a third time.

As a modern independent woman in today's world, I can say I was raised with more trad'l values... However, also with the freedom to embrace the individuality of me to evolve in becoming my own -a balance of both and the ultimate power of simply who I am... Labeled by nothing, yet simply me!!! I can also say, I found the book pointed more towards femininity and also a balance of masculinity and femininity to both parts. The scope of those issues from a spiritual standpoint is exponential with an unspoken or unwritten definition. It surpasses our normal conscious understanding. So, the book would also mean that the defined woman without balance of both couldn't experience such an occurence. - Same with a man not comfortable with or having balanced out his feminine traits. I, however, didn't walk away from reading this one (twice now) to conclude only a "barefoot, in the kitchen" woman could only ever be so lucky to deserve such things! But maybe that is because I am sure in the woman (or "spirit") of who I am and my path in life, world, faith... Truth. More over, anyone truly encountering this experience is a highly evolved being possessing distinct awareness on a Universal level - of also being both... One. So, it could not be trapped in a black and white, one-dimensional realm. - It's both... It's all.

If one must deduce a demoralized, smaller version of women, then what about the man to attain such an experience as well? - Ah... the real answer here is that you have to evolve to be who you are and remain true to that. And also that, respectively, no one story could be the same in this particular attainment. God speaks to all, allows for all truths - that ultimate truth of us! Lest I mind you, people come about their truths in different ways. Consequently, it pretty much comes down to your own path and enlightenment and balance of both and your ultimate desire of capacity for love and life... Your truth. No man or woman should have to give up their identity or choice of self, light, life or personal power to fit a stereotype! That only falsifies the very ideal or existence of such possibility of experience.

Therefore, I conclude, I did not take away that you couldn't attain the fruition of said experience by succumbing to silencing your voice or the spirit of you - man or woman. This experience is about ultimate balance and maturity of unconditional love. A tempered, yet divinely beautiful gift of fruits beyond fruits. That is, after all, mutual existing positive power in and of itself... it's existence. And true love is found from the knowing within - period. Yes, as with every experience, I walked away from reading this one, having absorbed the parts useful to me... to evolve with my own experience and thoughts. All the while, still holding true to the way I choose to live, my experience, and truth of me. Further, what compliments that truth is... balance.

Not only is it no accident that you are seeking out information on twin souls or twin flames at this time, it is no accident that you find each other. This is a time when many twin souls are reuniting. Authors Joudry and Pressman describe the Divine Plan of the Soul's masculine and feminine aspects, seemingly separate, yet eternally linked, as each journeys through individual growth to at last reunite into conscious soul unfoldment together. This book clearly explains the process, provides you with the steps of preparation, the keys to recognizing your twin, recounts stories of several twin soul encounters, and inspires your own growth. It is written in a poetic prose that is filled with the awe and the rapture appropiate to the momentousness of two twins coming together in consciousness and unconditional love.

I loved this book and have used it as my "bible," having found it after I had met my twin, but didn't know how to articulate the experience. TWIN SOULS gave me the words and much more understanding of the events occurring in my life. I found it so reassuring that dozens of things that had happened to me were similarly described right there in the book as examples of what may occur between twins as they come together. I am immensely grateful for the guidance this book has given to me.

Only one who is truly looking for their twin soul or who has found their twin soul will truly understand the authors indepth book. Mere words just cannot describe how I felt while reading this book. Finally I understood what my twin soul and I were experiencing! While reading this book it all became clear and our relationship makes sense along with so many other things that concern our lives. The sameness that we both experience in thought finally made sense while reading the book. It is taking me a long time to read it because I savor every word and sentence... Only someone who has experienced meeting their twin soul will truly understand like these authors have. I thank them from the bottom of my heart for making it clear to me. I can highly recommend this book to anyone who has either met or is looking to meet their soul mate. This book's descriptions about how twin souls feel or always right on the botton. It is eerie how well this book was written. It is truly worth every penny. My thank you again to the authors for putting my thoughts into words.

I'm pretty suspicious of the review from the the reader in Harrisburg, PA. It just sounds too much like promotional speak from the Walker Smith and Clurman Public Relations company.

As for the book, I'm only just thinking of reading it. I'll use my local library to find a copy, however.

I find myself recommending this book to friends with no interest in marketing. Good, fun info that puts into perspective why you and your parents see things so differently. Highly recommended.

Rocking the Ages is a beautifully writen book. It takes historical events and explaines how they formed the personality of each generation. This book helped me to curve our marketing and advertising techniques to reach our customers with a positive response. It clarifies how the generations view their lives and what they buy, how and why. It has helped me to understand my customers in a more personal manner. It is easy to get trapped into the needs of one own gereration, but this book clarifies the needs and desires of all generations, and how to approach them on a marketing level.

I sat down with this book imagining that I'd gain some insight to use in my own marriage. But I could not find much that was pertinent to my own life.

For one thing, the author traces most or all marital problems to
personality and role conflicts in one's family of origin. Life experiences which may have occured before marriage but outside the family of origin are simply passed over, as if they were invisible and did not count.

In the same way, there is silence about the multiple outside forces which may negatively impact the life of a family. Poverty, illness, layoffs, social injustice, none of these are discussed, probably because the couples in this book are financially cushioned against harsh troubles like these.

The more worldly reader may wonder why these couples imagine they have "problems" if their biggest conflicts consists only of who will carry the toilet brush into the first of their THREE bathrooms! Why don't they just hire someone underprivileged so they can get on with their privileged lives?

Anyway, there are a lot of words in this book, but in my opinion, they describe a fairly narrow set of experiences. I was particularly disappointed that more time was not spent on the massive changes that can take place in a marital relationship once children arrives. Especially when the weight of childcare and housework falls more heavily on the woman's shoulders.

There are a lot of omissions which may make this book meaningless for readers outside a certain social class.

I first read this book back in the late 80's - and I have never forgot the lessons I learned from it. I was also reading Harriet Lerner and Melody Beattie at the time and felt that Scarf's writings supported my self-development to understand: 1. Why I continued to attracted relationships that were toxic and unfulfilling, 2. How to recognize the patterns, and then 3. How to not make the same relationship mistakes masked in different people. It definitely made a huge impact on how I viewed my family of origin and it made me look at my own actions and behaviors with new insight. I have referred this book to my clients, as it is an engaging read with the case studies setting up Scarf's insights into the behaviors that transcend our own personal experiences. I highly recommend this book.

Good stories of partners and their conflicts.... As I've seen when doing couples therapy, we do indeed tend to carry each other's unacknowledged "stuff"...which of course is part (not all!) of the initial attraction, the unconscious logic asking: who can give this back to me? Krishnamurti had a nice image: relationships as mirrors.

DISSAPOINTING TO SAY THE LEAST....BOOK CONSIDERS
MONTHS 'LONG TERM'
POOR WRITING, TRITE,BORING

I found this book to be boring and predictable. The stories all seem to have the same flow: I meet her and we are together. I understand the importance of short stories, however, they should at least have some substance.

Why read fiction when real life is so wonderful? I enjoyed this book and Early Embraces. These true stories of women falling in love with "the one" are more romantic, erotic and entertaining than any fiction I've read so far.

I looked forward to reading about the early life of Bill Clinton and his early marriage and the Arkansas days, etc, and this book has a lot on that--quite substantial. So I was a little shocked to arrive at page 440, where Morris refers to "Clinton's extra-marital relations with literally hundreds of women" Hundreds? That would be a minimum of 200. That's really quite a lot. I had always assumed a dozen or two.

I began to wonder how that would work. Is a governorship such an easy job (just a lot of paper signing and speechifying) that an accomplished shmoozer can fit it in between hundreds of trysts? Whatever you think of his politics, it must be admitted that it's quite an accomplishment, especially considering he wasn't really all that interested in the governorship or the trysts, but rather the presidency.

And what of the "Partner in Power"? Could she see early on that her husband was a politician of such consumate skill that he was a shoe-in for the presidency, and so chose to overlook his turning Arkansas into his personal harem? And what of Hilary's other partner in power, Vince Foster, now dead? If Morris touches on their "semi-private kisses and furtive squeezes", an "intimate professional bond between two attorneys", then surely he ought to dig a bit deeper on the cause of Foster's death. No sign of depression prior to the suicide. No death threats. What on earth happened to Vince Foster.

All these deeply intriguing topics--Bill's monumental multi-tasking, Hillary's apparent acquiescence, Foster's mysterious death--are touched on but lightly. What really interests Morris is financial scandal, into which category he places, seemingly, any transaction over $10,000. The book is larded with endless, and I mean Endless, details of money for campaigns, money made in teal estate, many made in banking, in retail, in government, in law, in public and in private--all with the implication or explicit assertion that a crime was committed. And Morris doesn't stop with the Clintons. The Republicans and Reagan in particular come under his moral lash for using too much money to get elected or to celebrate having been elected. Literally hundreds of pages are devoted to venting his indignation at the expenditure of money in politics, almost as though he believes that the only ones fit to govern are indigent altar boys or investigative reporters.

This reader would have liked less of the sort or quasi-incrimminatory fodder that fills the pages of the Village Voice and more probing into the feudatory state of Arkansas, perhaps interviewing some of the hundreds of women. There's a gripping story there, a noir classic, but I doubt it will be revealed by poring over old account ledgers.

This book detailes the corruption of not only the Clintons but Arkansas and Washington D.C. as well. The book paints a picture of the idealistic and somewhat tortured personal lives of two people who get caught up in the corruption of not only Arkansas, but Washington D.C. The book does get kind of bogged down in discussing tangents to the main theme of the book, the Clintons, but its meant to show what kind of Arkansas and Washington D.C. they came into politically. The book, although defintely not pro-Clintons, avoids purely polemical and emotional language and writing. It is a sad commentary on politics in general and our country when corrupt people can get into high places.

This is an excellent read! If you are unconvinced of the corruption we have had for the last eight years, then this book will cause you to reconsider. It also goes into detail as to how Bill Clinton got into this terrible state.

Anyone who dismisses this book as unsubstanstiated is obviously partisana and also hasn't been paying attention to the news for the last eight years. An objective and reasonable person will see the truth and the truth is what is written is true and well documented. Mind you this is a close friend of Bill Clinton who wrote the book! No agenda - just truth for those who can accept it.

This book highlights the pattern of deceit, drug use and corruption. Frankly, I'd rather not be in denial but admit the obvious about this man. Hopefull the American people will never allow someone of this low calibur ever become President again.