You will love what is on the inside.This book has everything it promises on the back cover.My mother and daughter both enjoyed it and although it is Christian Fiction and very romantic it was not a silly book.I rarely read a book for the second time but I an now reading the whole series over.I just wish we could see a movie of it now.

I bought this novel used, not knowing what to expect and not realizing it was the first of a trilogy. I loved this book! It dealt with the relations of the Lakota and whites back in the 1800s. Walks the Fire is a white woman who is captured by Rides the Wind. They are distant at first but a love grows between them that is every woman's dream. Their life together is not easy, but they find joy in their lives. I can't wait to get the rest of this trilogy! I'm hooked! This was my first by this author but it will not be the last. Some of her other series sound interesting and I plan to read several of them. To the author: Thanks for a beautiful....though sometimes sad...story!!!

I had read a other Christian Novels, and was satisfied, but never thrilled with them. After reading Walks The Fire, I can truely say I am trilled with it! It is an amazing novel that truely gives you insight into the characters, they come alive. I couldn't put this book down, and when it was finished I was hungry for more! I rushed right out and got the second book in the series, Soaring Eagle. I highly reccomend this author, she has a gift for Historical Christian Fiction!

Dr. McVey explains the difference between legalism and grace. Ephesians 2:8-10 "For by grace are ye saved through faith;...it is the gift of God...for we are His workmanship....we should walk in them." If I am saved by grace, can I live also by grace? Dr. McVeys own life demonstrates that the "Grace Walk" is possible. In this book, Dr. McVey explains how this walk, this abiding in Christ, is obtainable here and now. Dr. McVey is an encouragement to me and to all who have lived or are living under rules, "law" or legalism. Thank you Dr. McVey for freedom. Freedom to love God and people. Freedom to allow God and people to love me.

What can I do for God today? How can I make God proud of me? I am going to spend my life doing God's work. I do hereby resolve to ___________! (Fill in the blanks with anything religious.)

Steve McVey shows us from scripture the futility of trying to 'work' for God. Spinning our wheels for the Lord leads to burn-out and depression. Instead, Steve would have us simply enjoy a deep relationship with God. This relationship is sustained and maintained by God Himself! The Christ-life is not our responsibility. It is all the result of God's grace.

Easy to read and understand. The truths in this book will revitalize the life of any Christian who reads it.

At the time that my church offered this book, I was in fervent prayer that God reveal to me the answers of another failed relationship I had been partnered in. I had begun taking assessments of every aspect of my actions! I read many different titles dealing with relationships. Brother Steve McVey's "Grace Walk" was NOT the answer I had anticipated. But I chose to pick up this book and quickly looked it over. Since the book's back cover states that, "Nothing you have ever done, nothing you could ever do, will match the incomparable joy of letting Jesus live His life through you." and feeling that I had sincerely done MY best to see the relationship succeed, I went home and began to eagerly devour the pages to find a sense of "self-righteousness" along with "self-preservation" with regards to my abilities while involved with my "ex". What I found was an easy to read and easy to comprehend source of information that EXPOSED the exact problems that "I" have struggled with for so many "Christ-served" years. OUCH!! I was confident that I had learned the proper "love-languages" necessary for success in the relationship, and spoke them with great ease! (Maybe too much ease, as you will see!) For this behavior gave way to what is described in the book as "An Attitude of Independence." A self-serving style of thinking that gave birth to specific sins in my life! I became overwhelmed with a "service approach" to the relationship and became delusional in believing that "I" was the one who controlled the continuation of the partnership, solely by my service to her. I asked myself afterwards, "How could this have turned "south" if I was serving her needs to the letter?" Simply put, I had forgotten the One who had brought us together in the first place! Although I was taking an active role in deeds to Him, and I was being the Christian I "thought" I was supposed to be, I STILL felt like a failure! After reading this book, my eyes have been opened to the realization that the success or failure in everything I choose to be a part of is ALWAYS in His hands and NEVER in mine! And now as I allow Christ to live "through" me, He is giving me victories that make all previous accomplishments seem mediocre in comparison! Thank you Brother McVey, for being in a place that allowed God to use you to minister to the cries for exposure and resolution within my heart! And YES, I highly recommend it to anyone who is struggling with the emptiness associated with "serving" the needs of other's! Peace!

I've been a fanatical lover of mysteries, detective novels, and spy novels since I was a child. The Spy Wore Red is one of the best and most exciting books that I have ever read. What makes it even more exciting is that it's a true story. I couldn't get a hold of the Countess' second book: The Spy Went Dancing fast enough!

I read this book while on a boat. I could not sleep until I read the last page. The Countess wrote a vivid account of her activities which drew me into the pages and in every place she was during this period of her life. It was exciting and sometimes breath taking because of how she would place herself in danger to do the best job she could, and she WAS GOOD!! I also had the privlege of seeing her on a "Talk Show" in Seattle, Wa. USA. What a charming lady she is. Would like to read it again but my book sank with the boat. Long after I was off the boat. P.S. No one got hurt. Would like loaner. cptnRmateD@valleyint.com

I have never read a book twice, but I read this one twice. The first time I read this book was in 1987. I later read "The Spy Wore Silk" and "The Spy Went Dancing". I loved them all, but The Spy Wore Red is my favorite. I just recently read this book again (May 2002), and really enjoyed it more the second time around. The book is fast paced, never boring, and a real page turner. It is hard to believe this is a true story. I would love to meet the Countess of Romanones Aline. She has to be one of the most fascinating women in history. I highly suggest reading it - you will not be disappointed.

Francine Rivers continues her excellent Lineage of Grace series with the story of Ruth. She follows the familiar narrative in the Bible as Ruth's husband and father-in-law die and she accompanies her mother-in-law Naomi back to her native Bethlehem. Throughout the book we see Ruth's courage and the faith she had adopted during her marriage to Naomi's son. She never stops believing that God will guide her to a better life and does not give in to the temptation of the false gods which surround her. Rivers has a way of remaining true to the Bible and yet fleshing out the stories so that they remain vivid in the reader's mind.

Francine Rivers has become my favorite author. The story of Ruth has made me long to be an example of a Godly woman ,of this century. I can only struggle to put my feelings into words..when Francine Rivers paints beautiful word pictures in our minds as we read her work. Ruth and her devotion,I want to be like her!! As i look into my young daughters eyes..i am in wonder on how to raise a child to have such passion for God like Ruth. May the story of Ruth make everyone who reads of her, be inspired to continue on in their lifes journey with a new perspective.. Thank you Francine Rivers, for giving us deep soul searching books that challenge us women to go on...

When I first picked up this book, I began to read it with my safety net of doubt firmly in place. Most of the biblical fiction I've encountered over the years have been full of stiff dialog or narrowly researched story lines that lose the readers interest in it's quest to drive home a moral or spiritual point. This one is different.

Rivers tossed that bad habit of stiff dialog out the window when she wove together this partly fictional account of Ruth, Naomi and Boaz. As one of my favorite stories since I was a little girl, it was so warming to read more about Ruth, and I was delighted that Rivers kept her character true to her original, biblical presentation. She didn't try to remind us that Ruth was a girl like any of the rest of us, by pointing out her flaws or catching her in her weak moments. Instead she portrays her as a strong, faithful, trusting woman whose faith in God matures as she makes her new life with her mother-in-law after her husband dies. Rivers understanding and research of biblical culture and customs more fully explains the impact of Ruth leaving her family to move back to Naomi's home town, this enlightenment brings even more meaning to a story I assumed I already completely grasped.

Rivers also adds a great deal of humor in her character's dialog and actions. She gives the reader a great visua,l which is especially important when we already know the basic outline and outcome of the story.

I fully recommend this book to anyone who has read the story of Ruth and Boaz a hundred times and still finds themselves thinking about the details we might never know the full truth of.

Grace is Everywhere is a delightful companion for hours of relaxed meditation and communion with nature and our Creator. In short, captivating chapters, each a gem of wisdom, Fr. James Stephens Behrens presents ordinary events of daily life and finds in them larger and deeper meanings that unite the readers with God, making them an integral part of the great plan of creation. In the end of each essay, the plain happening of the day becomes the reason to turn inwardly, thus moving the reader to praise God, thank God, and appreciate God in His many blessings. Behrens writes in a casual, easy, down to earth style, which makes the reading effortless as well as rewarding. After each incident, the reader is prompted to think:" Why didn't I think of that?," for indeed everyone can relate to the conclusions aptly drawn from the text.

Behrens shows keen understanding of human nature as well as profound compassion for others and deep awareness of that which surrounds us. He makes people want to read more of his beautifully constructed metaphors.

Father Behrens has a wonderful way of looking at the world and finding God in all things. The book will make one stop and look at the world more closely and feel connected to God and to all His creation. It is a book of resting, pondering, and experiencing God's grace in one's own life.

On my many retreats to Monastery of the Holy Spirit, I've received God's gift of grace through the community of brothers. Fr. Behren's "Grace is Everywhere" allows us to look into the cloister life, and bring monastic grace all the way home.

For another title on monastic spirituality, a book written specifically for parents and families, look at "The Family Cloister: Benedictine Wisdom for the Home", by David Robinson (New York: Crossroad, May 2000).

I found Kathleen Singh's The Grace in Dying difficult to read. Not because it's a profound book, nor because the writing is difficult, but because it consists of a well-intentioned attempt to merge some genuine and compassionate insights regarding death and dying with an almost incoherent type of pop-psychology. Consider the following: "We will find that the anger of our mental egos, as we confront our own death, is well laced with fear....Anger is a highly emotional phase in the dying process. The mental ego, typically, is still operating at the level of persona: the levels of Belief, Social Contract, and Ego Saint in the Sufi cartography. In these levels of consciousness, the mental ego is still unable to own its shadow parts. It sees the momentum of the process of dying as emanating from other than the self." (p.186). Her typical juggling of constructed categories (interspersed with comforting platitudes) does very little, in my humble opinion, to help us understand the psychological and spiritual dimensions of death. This does not mean that Singh's book isn't valuable; it simply means that she has an agenda and an ideology, and I, for one, would prefer to be free of both, when I die.

Yes, people are transformed as they die, and no, Singh has not addressed the open-ended and indeterminate nature of that process. She has instead placed the process of dying into a construction of her own, and that ideology, rather than genuine insight, is what characterizes this book. Those interested in the subject of death might benefit more from Kubler-Ross's Death: The Final Stage of Growth and others, and Stephen Levine's poorly-written but thematically consistent (and brilliant) Who Dies, and other similar books. Any reader familiar with the books Singh considers primary will see how unfortunate it is that Singh did not concentrate on what she has learned from her hands-on work with the dying, rather than on what she clearly doesn't know about psychology and religion.

Unless you believe that when we die, we cease to exist(period, end of life), and whether or not you work with the terminally ill, this book is a must read. This book does not tell us other people's stories, nor is it for those who are dying, or dealing with the immediate death of a loved one. It is for the rest of us. Be advised - this is not an easy read - my copy of the book, which took 5 times longer to read than my usual reading choice - is riddled with scribbled comments, question-marks, exclamation points, and words circled and underlined. Let me also add, this is not my style. I'm a lazy reader.

This is a well-written course in the evolution and retrogression of our individual lives, for (deny it though we might), you and I are going to die. The questions that worry us most are most probably "when" and "how." Singh cannot answer the former, but this book will help with parts of the latter.

Much of what Singh tells us is based on experiences of those who have worked with those who are terminally ill, in addition to her own observations. Whether we believe in Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, a Higher Power, Nature, Singh maintains that the point of dying is to return us to the place from which we came.

She reminds us that we come into the world thinking we are the center of the Universe. Perhaps we were right, for it may be that at birth we are as close to the Creator as we will get, until death takes us back. She describes how we spend our youth and young adult life developing, then defending our sense of self. We live, often most pleasantly, in constant denial of our own mortality, a truth that seems too bleak to accept.

In the latter part of life, we may hold tightly to our ego, but our body begins to betray us. If we are slowly dying of cancer, AIDS, or the illnesses of old age, we can grow into acceptance of the insulting truth that our ego is not the true "us." One dying woman described it as having an "ego-ectomy.

Singh presents us with additional stages of dying, expanding on Elizabeth Kubler-Ross' denial; anger; bargaining; depression; acceptance. Kubler-Ross' stages dealt with the affects on the ego, or mind; medical science gives us physical stages. Singh offers the theory that we go through necessary spiritual stages before dying, whether or not we have been looking for spiritual transformation. Dying offers us a crash course, the equivalent of a spiritual shotgun wedding.

When we are stripped of everything we thought made us unique, a universal specialness is revealed. Regardless of when it happens - years, months or seconds from our death - we will come to realize the unimportance of what was once important. And despite ourselves we will stumble upon our own unity with that Force we call many things - God, Universe, Light.

I feel more convinced than ever that death is not a negative, dark force I must flail against, but the other side of living, a door I must go through. That I'll figure it out at the end doesn't encourage me to stop seeking now - perhaps my exit/entrance will go better if I stop running from my fear of death, and truly live my life. This book is an excellent start in learning now how to make our own living fuller, so we will be closer to home when we die.

This is by far the most exciting, beautifully and sensitively written work on the subject of spiritual transformations that can occur during the dying process and around death (and at other times in our lives if we are ready) that I have come across to date. The information contained herein needs to be disseminated throughout our "spiritually impoverished" culture in an attempt to decimate the illusions under which the majority of mankind continues to needlessly suffer when thinking about death and dying. Singh draws upon, and very nicely (and relevantly) assimilates, the knowledge and wisdom culled from both depth psychology and the "wisdom traditions" of the world, referencing Ken Wilbur, Joseph Campbell, Phillip Kapleau, Abraham Maslow, Steven Levine, Sogyal Rinpoche and multiple other Buddhist masters, creating a splendid literary compilation, brimming with insights and explanations, and delivered with humility and compassion, in an extraordinary choice of words. For those working intimately with the dying, this book is a beacon.

It's a shame that this excellent book is not better known. I stumbled upon it after I had learned, the hard way, many of the "secrets" of good writing that Williams lays out for you here. What he does, unlike all the other advice-givers, is explain and show how to make your writing easy to understand and a pleasure to read. His own writing is crystal clear, and he provides examples that he fully analyzes to show, without fuzziness, why he claims that one approach is better than another. If you *really* want to improve your writing, buy this book and work your way through it. By the end, your writing will be better than that of 99% of your classmates or co-workers.

Go to any bookstore (cyber or otherwise) - see writing books arrayed row upon row. Now, take down a copy of "Style" by Joseph Williams, and leave Zinsser and Strunk & White collecting dust on the shelf, because William's is the only one you'll ever need. Williams describes the actual writing process better than anyone, and presents a method which an aspiring writer may employ to accomplish his or her writing goals - whatever they are! And he does it without recourse to the usual grammatical rules and "mechanics of writing" approach. That approach [resumptive modifier!] never helped anyone become a better writer - and it sure discouraged a lot of us!

Make no mistake! This is not beach reading, as Williams himself would tell you. Williams develops an entire system of writing over the course of the book, adding to it chapter by chapter. If you're not used to sustained intellectual effort, or if you have a short attention span, this book will definitely be a stretch. It requires prolonged concentration. But if you put forth the effort, it will be rewarded! I've read this book through at least eight times cover to cover, and while I'm not a great writer, I've improved immeasurably.

My compliments to Professor Williams - a great book!

For people who are serious about improving their writing skills, this is an excellent how-to book. Prof. Williams does not dispense facile advice ("use the active voice") or mindless rules of usage and grammar ("don't split infinitives"). Instead, he teaches you, step by step, how to construct sentences and paragraphs that are clear, concise, coherent, even elegant. He explains in great detail the principles and techniques involved in achieving clarity, grace, and other attributes of good writing. And he illustrates these principles and techniques with many specific, telling examples. "Style" is not a quick read, but it is definitely worth the effort.

Kudos to Susan Walker for a sizzling exploration into the true power of Spiritual awareness. With the myriad of books that purport to delve into the complex world of Spirituality and inner peace, NONE approach the depths of love, enlightenment and panache that this proverbial work of art does. To classify this book as a "Page Turner" would not do it any justice; it is a PAGE BURNER! This experience was for me, an adventure in Grace that ignited my spiritual flames! Thank you Ms. Walker from the top of my heart!

If you need any reassurance that miracles exist, this is the book for you! It is the account of a young woman's passionate search for truth in which she gives away everything that she owns to follow the voice of the Divine down a path laden with faith and trials, fear and love. I read the entire book in one sitting and was graced with profound realizations, a captivating story, and a renewed belief in the world of spirit.

FLAMES OF GRACE is the most captivating and enlightening spiritual adventure story I have ever read. I could not put this book down. It flows as gracefully as water over the falls. This true story recounts a thrilling odyssey that is filled with incredible insights about life and spirit. I recommend it very highly to every person who has even the slightest inkling to explore the world of spirit and the meaning of life.

Simply, this small treasure is a Greatest Hits collection of Max Lucado's previous writings. Pulling the best snippets of wisdom from books such as The Great House of God and In the Grip of Grace, Lucado creates a melting pot that consists of a Reader's Digest version of all his books.

If you are swamped with his list of available titles, this is a great place to start. You will be able to decide what book to read next after spending time with The Gift for All People.

It's best to read a few stories either in the morning as part of a devotional or at night before going to sleep. The stories will help you examine you're own life and grow closer to Christ.

I received this book as a gift and have much enjoyed it. Max Lucado has a wonderful way with words and it's apparent on every page just how much he loves God. I would recommend this book to anyone, I'm planning on purchasing it as a gift to a friend. The last chapter is especially important as he talks about what it is to be a Christian. Definitely a lovely book, a gift to us from Max Lucado and God!

One of the most moving books I've ever read (next to the Bible). Mr. Lucado was no doubt God-inspired in collaborating these stories from other works into this book. What human mind could relay these thoughts in such touching fashion without the intervention of God Himself? How could anyone reject the gift of salvation after reading this book? Certainly a blessing in my life, I pray many others are touched by this work.