This is one in a series of books of love stories involving friends(Grace, Rafe, Vivian, Tarquin,Jason, Aurelie,etc.) I enjoyed it, but not as much as some others in the series--such as Choice Deceptions). Rafe is heir to a duke in an earlier book, and he is presented as fun-loving and kind-hearted. Before this book begins, he has lost his family to a fire, and has unwillingly become the duke after his father's death. He has known Grace since childhood, being friends with her brother. The loss of his family has embittered him, and he is trying to "drink himself to death." Grace comes back into his life, offering love and laughter. The idea for the plot was good. The only criticism I have is that it seemed too easy for Grace to help Rafe give up the alcohol and return to his life, and there wasn't enough explanation of how she was able to bring him back from his despair. I felt that the book lacked in emotion in that aspect. Rafe really acted like a jerk during most of the book. He rejected his friends, and pushed Grace away. I wish there has been a little more development of the gradual change in his attitude that took place, and it would have been good if he had had a catharsis to let out his pain over the deaths of his family members so that he could let go. The book was pretty good, but I just think it could have been a bit better. I do recommend it--I just don't think it is as good as some of the author's other books.

When Grace runs away from her banishment, she runs into Rafe-the man of her dreams. Unfortunately Rafe is still bitter about his parents' death, and is drinking himself into a stupor daily. So, Grace decides to 'save' him. And she succeeds in getting him to her brother's Christmas celebration.
Everything is fine until two thing happen: Rafe kisses her, and his Aunt spills the beans about them having been *alone* together for several days.
Will Rafe decide to marry her? Will Grace's father and brothers kill Rafe?
These questions are answered splendidly.
Grace is one of the best heroines I have read about and truly deserves what she gets.

This is one hell of a confusing story. When I read Grant Morrison's JLA or Warren Ellis' Stormwatch, it's sometimes a bit confusing, but I know at the back of my mind that there is a good story there to make it worthwhile. When I read XMen books it's often confusing, and I know in the back of my mind that the story is a pile of drivel anyway, so I might as well not bother.

This book seems to fall into the former category, but it is hard work. It always helps to have a West Indian demon though.

The art on the book is gorgeous though and perfectly matched with the colouring. If you ever buy books on the strength of the art alone, this is definitely one to go for.

The main problem with this book for me is that it turns the ending to Elektra Assassin into a dream (which kind of fits but is a shame)

This series can be a little confusing at times but it is overall a great read with great art. Highly recommended!!!!

This was a very enjoyable book. I liked the characters, Grace, Carson and Izzie, Carson's daughter from a previous disastrous marriage. The love Carson and Grace shared was very beautiful. Also the fact that both had ghosts to lay to rest was interesting.

FALLING FOR GRACE by Stella Bagwell belongs to the "An Older Man" series.

Grace Holliday barges into her neighbor's shore front bungalow in Biloxi, Mississippi and finds, not the young blond man, Trent - but an older, dark haired cynical lawyer from Houston, Texas.

Jack Barrett was floored, although he didn't show it or even know it, when he beheld the black haired loveliness of Grace, a very obviously pregnant Grace. Who was she looking for - his nephew, Trent? and what did she want from Trent? - money?

In all of Jack's life, all women wanted was what he could give them monitarily - and then they left. First - his mother then his wife and his lovers. So he took solace in runnig the firm of lawyers that his father had started and he had no time for women.
Until his doctor made him take time off - Grace invaded his mind and thoughts and was definitely ruining his concentration. He wasn't getting much work done on an upcoming case.

Soon he was afraid to let Grace know that he was Trent's uncle - the evasions he practiced was going to turn Grace against him and he was in a lot of trouble after that first kiss.

Grace was not about to trust any man after she had been foolish enough to believe the lies Trent had told her about loving her.
Yet she knew in her heart that Trent was not coming back for her or the baby.

When Grace was ordered to bed some weeks befor the baby was born, Jack decided to move in with her and take care of her for her child's sake. Oh, by this time he knew he needed her.

A great story for such an age difference --- but entirely enchanting -- definitely recommended - it is great the way Jack handles his self-seeking nephew.

The follow-up to The Raven's Knot and The Woven Path, this is a fast-paced, action-packed thriller whose pace doesn't let up for a minute! The villains are detestable, the young heroes are flawed but likeable and the other characters are mostly insane. The decaying Wyrd museum provides a perfect backdrop for this sad tale of the inevitability of change. That doesn't mean that there isn't a light at the end of every tunnel, and this book does contain a message of hope for the future amid a grim present.
It isn't quite as moving and beautiful as the Raven's Knot, but makes up for it by being even scarier and more demanding.
The characters are well drawn, especially the cruel asylum guard 'Tick-tock Jack', the Webster Sisters, hero Neil's very flawed father and best of all 'Quoth', Neil's adorable conflicted talking raven. Highly recommended.

This trilogy is good enough to rival Harry Potter anytime! With a plot that's thick with twists, details and non-stop excitement, it's a fantastic read even for adults!

This book gives hope to those of us who may have thought in the past that there was no hope for us to enter the kingdom of heaven. It gives us the tools to chip away at overwhelming guilt, introduces comprehensively the meaning of God's grace, and helps us to forgive, not only others, but ourselves.

Personal experience has left me in the bind the author talks about-forgiven but still bearing the burden of guilt God never intended for us to carry. The book is not only a deeply moving, helpful and hopeful read, but it's the kind that can be read and reread, because we too often forget our Christian inheritance. If Satan keeps whispering to you what a big dissapointment you are to the Father, read this book and send him packing.

After you put this book down from reading it you want to go hug all of your loved ones. Excellant writing and I can't wait to see more of her work.

The book flowed like e-mails between two friends and before I knew what was happening I was part of the story. You spend more time thinking about the book after you have completed the work rather than when you are reading the book. The ending will either upset you or delight you but either way it will make you think. I look forward to hearing great things from Mrs. Beliveau.

I liked this book a lot. For a first novel, Glovsky jumps into the detective genre feet first and makes a big splash. But if you're expecting typical detective fiction, you'll be surprised (though I don't think disappointed).

The book's really more about Dane Deforest (the main character) and his return to his small town after more than a decade than it is about an actual case. Glovsky does well painting a seedy (but realistic) portrait of small town life. The dialogue is great, but some readers might be turned off by Deforest's character. He's extremely violent and views himself as judge, juror and executioner. However, it is believable violence if nothing else, and there IS a soft side to Deforest which softens the tone of the book. Plus, it's very funny (in a dark way) at times and that puts readers at ease. Probably the best part of the book and the character of Dane Deforest, is that unlike many other fiction detectives he's not perfect, nor is he unusually good at what he does for a living. He doesn't view himself that way, nor do other characters in the book, nor does the reader. He's very real and it's refreshing.

It could have used slightly better editing in spots, but overall it's a great first novel and I would recommend it to anyone looking for new detective fiction. I think Dane Deforest is up and coming.

I can't believe what I just read! Dane Deforest is a wild and dark addition to the pantheon of fiction detectives. This book made me angry and made me laugh. Anybody who likes crime fiction and fiction "gumshoes" should read this. But beware! You won't know whether to love Dane Deforest or hate him with a passion.

...this book is filled with thought provoking stories that will take you through the church year...it's a soul touching book....

"Grace's Window" tells the story of an active, vibrant faith. Guthrie's relationship with God is intimate, personal, and intense. Her 40 meditations on prayer are strikingly honest and compelling. Prayer isn't always easy for her, nor is life; God is a Divine Mystery with whom she interacts passionately. As the stories (meditations) progress, we see her faith tested and growing. A superb book for anyone interested in deepening their relationship with God.

I first ran into Picirilli when I was doing a research paper on foreknowledge and the Greek word proginwskw. He had a couple of articles in JETS that I utilized, and from there I learned that he was riding a book. I recieved it for my birthday and immediately began to read.
To begin with, I am forced to admit that for the most part all the best books on Soteriology have come from more of a Calvinist direction. However, in Grace, Faith, Free Will, Picirilli has done an excellent job and provides an excellent counter to a lot of these authors. Picirilli does not rely on "whosoever will" proof-texting, so to speak. He gives a fair hearing to the Calvninistic arguments and applies solid exegesis to controversial passages. Though not perfect by far, his book provides perhaps the best defense of Arminian soteriology.
The overall layout of the chapters is well done. His book is divided into sections of three chapters: the first chapter provides the Calvinistic viewpoint of a particular topic (e.g. limited atonement), the second chapter provides the common Arminian viewpoint, and the third chapter examines the key scriptural passages connected with that topic. The topics include total depravity, the atonement of Christ, perseverance, etc., basically all the major topics of soteriology.
Picirilli excels at understanding his opponent's arguments. As he notes early on, it is essential that one be able to lay out one's opponents' arguments in such a way that they themselves will agree that you are being fair. Unfortunately, in my opinion, while Picirilli is fair in examining the Calvinist viewpoint, he does not quote from enough modern theologions (I was, for example, hoping to see him interact some with White's The Potter's Freedom). He relies too much on the 'classic' Calvinist's such as Shedd.
Picirilli provides something that has been missing (to my knowledge) in the discussion of soteriology. He provides an in-deapth look at common Calvinistic rebuttals to common Arminian arguments (his treatment of the Calvinistic interpretation of "all" in such passages as 2 Peter 3:9 is masterful). In that sense Grace, Faith, and Free Will is essential for any serious collection of soteriology--besides arminians or "sub-calvinists" (including myself, by his definition), Calvinists will want it so they can examine and counter Picirilli's arguments. This book provides a good balance to well-written Calvinist books such as The Potter's Freedom, etc. While I certainly do not agree with Picirilli all the time, he makes a lot of good points that one might be hard-pressed to find elsewhere, and I do not hesitate to recommend this book

Dr. Robert Picirilli is a Free Will Baptist scholar and theologian. He is a former professor of Greek and New Testament studies at Free Will Baptist College. For over 45 years he has been teaching, preaching, and writing Arminian theology. Picirilli stands for a very specific kind of Arminianism that he calls "Reformation Arminianism." This type of Arminianism holds to the following beliefs: total depravity; the sovereignty of God to control all things for the certain accomplishment of His will; God's perfect foreknowledge of, and the certainty of, all future events-including the free moral choices of human beings; the penal satisfaction view of the atonement, salvation by grace through faith and not by works, from beginning to end; and an apostasy that cannot be remedied. He demonstrates that these beliefs (apostasy being more implicitly implied than explicitly stated) are the teachings that Jacob Arminius defended from Scripture. He quotes from The Works of Arminius throughout the book and has provided a helpful index for each of these citations.

This book is not filled with emotional rhetoric but is rather a simple and straightforward stating of the facts. Therefore, for some people, this will not be an "exciting" book to read. Nevertheless, it does serve in accomplishing his goal "to present both sides, so that the reader will know exactly what those issues are: to clarify understanding of both positions and help readers intelligently decide for themselves" (Forward, p. i).

Picirilli begins by giving a brief biography of Arminius that helps to place the issues in their historical context. He then tackles the issues surrounding God's sovereignty, predestination, human depravity, grace, atonement, and perseverance. Picirilli takes great care in accurately representing the Five Point Calvinist position. He quotes mostly from three highly respected Calvinists: Louis Berkof, William Sheed, and Roger Nicole. I would have liked to have seen Picirilli quote from John Calvin himself, yet the people he chose are fine representatives of his theological system.

Picirilli cogently defends conditional election and unlimited atonement. He wisely reminds his readers that "the extent of the atonement should be determined by Biblical exegesis rather than by the logic of one's system" (p. 90). It is Picirilli's detailed exegesis on 1 John 2:2 and 1 Timothy 2:1-6 in chapter seven that I found to be extremely valuable. He concludes this chapter with an important observation:

All of us who handle God's word do well to remember that we do not honor Him with our interpretive ingenuity but with submission to what He says. To say, even to show, that a given statement can be interpreted in a certain way does us no credit at all. The question is always not what the words can mean but what they do mean, here. In 1 John 2:2 and in 1 Timothy 2:1-6, the most obvious meaning of "world" and "all men" is universalistic. In these cases, careful exegesis supports the obvious meaning. (p. 137)

As to be expected, Picirilli defends the biblical doctrine of prevenient grace that Arminius so vigorously held to. He prefers to call the drawing and convicting work of God on all sinners as "Pre-regenerating Grace." I take it as simply an oversight on Picirilli's part, but he does fail to mention John 12:32 in his defense of pre-regenerating grace. This is unfortunate since this verse complements the drawing of the Father mentioned in John 6:44.

In the last two chapters of the book Picirilli gives a solid defense for conditional security. There is a perceptive response that he makes "to Scriptures prized by Calvinists as teaching the necessary perseverance of the regenerate" (p. 200). He writes,

Those passages, especially in the Gospel of John, which contain strong promises of (final) salvation to believers and are therefore thought to imply necessary perseverance can not be used for that purpose lest they "prove too much." . . . For example:

John 5:24
He that believes...
shall not
come into condemnation

John 3:36
he that believes not...
shall not
see life

Grammatically, if the first means that the condition of the believer can not be changed, then the second means that the condition of the unbeliever likewise can not be changed. In fact, neither passage is even speaking to that issue. The unbeliever can leave his unbelief, become a believer, and see life-thus escaping from the promise made to the unbeliever who continues in his unbelief. Likewise, the believer can leave his belief, become an unbeliever, and come into condemnation-thus escaping from the promise made to believers who continue in faith. Each promise applies with equal force to those who continue in the respective state described. (p. 200-201)

Picirilli goes on to convincingly argue from Hebrews 6:4-6 and 2 Peter 2:18-22, that these two passages describe an apostasy that can not be remedied. His careful exegetical analysis has convinced me that he is correct in his conclusion.

A compelling case for holding to Classical Arminianism has been made by Dr. Picirilli. Anyone who is interested in a balanced discussion and a strongly argued case for believing in conditional election, unlimited atonement, and conditional security would do well to read this book. We need more books written from this perspective that provide a detailed exegetical defense for the possibility of apostasy.

I just recently purchase this book, at a time when I was getting a bit discourage as a stylist. It helped me to realize that there are good days and bad days and to keep my head up! I believe that the book chosed me at that very moment. It is very helpful in terms of preparation for production shoots. Also informative in knowing the different ways each photographer preps and how Mrs. Coddington binds with each photographer's concepts. I have had the pleasure of working with Mrs. Coddington as a model, and I can confirm that she is a down to earth person which makes one feel comfortable when working for her. Thank you for sharing your 30 yrs!

Grace: Thirty years of fashion in Vogue is a delightful collection of some of the most memorable and influential fashion photographs since the nineteen seventies.....all of them touched by the imaginative and chic eye of super stylist and editor Grace Coddington. The range of fashion fantasies is impressive. From the tough erotic chic of helmut newton, whimsical femininity of sarah moon on thru the joyful, innocent sexiness of bruce weber, Miss coddington helps each image become something entertaining and memorable. The printing is terrific , layouts are elegant , plus, perfectly boxed in a delicious and very chic pumpkin. Well worth it's luxe weight....