I hated for Once Upon A Secret to end because I had bonded with the characters, except Leona Farnsworth, of course. Although I never thought I would have much concern for a rock star, Catherine Andorka created a very endearing character in Brad Daniels. Chiropractor, Dr. Tori Glenn, was instantly captivating. I found it refreshing to read a 'Romance' novel
that had deep family values and a well written love scene allwrapped up together. Ms. Andorka has managed to write an exciting and caring book which she magically centered with a very serious and painfully difficult issue. I recommend this book to all who love romance but also desire to expand their understanding/empathy of the sometimes painful parts of life many keep hidden from others. Very well done, Catherine!!

For a long time now, publishing houses of category romance have stated vehemently they would not publish books whose heroes were musicians or rock stars.

Catherine Andorka has not only made a clean break of the unwritten rule, but has done so with excellence in her novel entitled, "Once Upon A Secret."

The hero, Brad Daniels, is "Rock Music's Sexiest Bad Boy." He seems to have everything going for him, talent, success, money, good-looks and charm. But Brad has a secret.

The book does not dwell on a rock star's life, though it does give a glimpse into the hectic, fast-paced, lack-of-privacy lifestyle of the music industry.

The painful secret Brad Daniels has carried with him and how he has managed to keep it from others for years is an examination into the hero's character and intelligence. Insight is given into the way people compensate and mask-over flaws, defects, and imperfections, and the lengths they will go to camouflage or conceal them even if not necessary.

Brad discovers the effect he has on the heroine, Tori Glenn a strong-willed chiropractor, and the powerful influence he wields over her teenage brother Kevin. Drastic measures must be taken to free him of the restrictions his secret has imposed on his life, and that of the woman he loves. How he deals with the hidden information and the manner in which he frees himself of its restrictions is a credit to the creative talent of author Catherine Andorka.

The book is compelling, informative, touching, and eye opening. The depth of each character sets the stage as the true focus, Brad's secret, impressively unfolds through the pages of this novel.

For a superior read that will tug at your heartstrings---become spellbound by the tale of "Once Upon A Secret" by Catherine Andorka.

Published by Five Star, 2002 ISBN 0-7862-4601-4

After the death of her parents, Dr. Tori Glenn assumed the responsibility of caring for her younger brother Kevin. She instilled in him the high educational standards her parents would have expected if they had lived. She is very proud of his latest accomplishment of winning the statewide contest for young journalists. His prize included an interview with famous rock star Brad Daniels. Although a rock star with the reputation "Rock Music's Sexiest Bad Boy" is not the type of ideal role model she would have picked to influence her brother, she still shows her support by accompanying him to the concert and interview. Upon meeting Brad, she is surprised that he is nothing like she had envisioned him, his kindness to her and her brother is very heart-warming.

Brad Daniels was on top of his career as one of rocks leading male vocalists. He felt that he had the world at his fingertips-but something was missing that would make his life complete. When eager fan injuries his hand, and endangers him canceling the concert in steps in Dr. Tori Glenn to the rescue. Tori is a Chiropractor who has come to his concert with her younger brother, who is schedule to do a backstage interview with him. Her kind and compassionate nature appeals to his baser senses. Could she be what his life is lacking? Will he be able to convince her that his lifestyle and image is nothing like the tabloids have fabricated

Catherine Andorka is the type of author you know you are going to enjoy within minutes of reading the first few pages of her latest novel. It is rare to find an author with talent and ambition to write "outside the box" themes that bring to light characters that are facing very real and emotional issues. From the moment I first read the blurb of ONCE UPON A SECRET, I knew this was a novel and author I must track down. I am pleased that I listened to my six sense, for it has led me to not only a book to treasure, but an author who I feel is one of the most talented in the industry. Her flawless writing style is to be admired and commended.

I wanted you to know that I find your book the most encouraging and helpful of all the books I have seen. Your philosophy on just going for it and not worrying about any rules is the best.

Catherine Anderson sets out in this book to inspire you from page one! She herself is an incerdible artist, but the book brings to light that she is an incredible person and teacher too.

Big Kudos to Catherine Anderson! I have painted for over 20 years and specialize in watercolors. And I have never seen an art instruction book like this one - it's pure inspiration and encouragement from start to finish (and it's the kind of book one never really stops reading...each time I pick it up, I come away with new insight and lessons learned.) I simply devoured this book cover to cover! I originally bought it to fill in gaps in basic knowledge I was missing but wound up gaining so much more! I learned things like you don't have to "get it right" the first time...like it's ok to put on glaze after glaze and scrub out what you've done...and that there are no rules but one - to do what works for you! Catherine Anderson's work is truly a gift to the spirit - she fills your head to overflowing with positive, inspiring messages from the heart such as to never ever quit, here's how to get jump-started painting (great for days you just don't have the energy!), how not to listen to the negative voices within, to just believe in yourself, and above all, to have fun and just paint! Her greatest legacy will be her ability and enthusiasm. Our world needs more positive teaching books like this one. The format is question and answer and very friendly to the eye. Her inspirational words remind me that we were put on this earth to help others and to make a difference! And her book is for all levels of watercolorists - beginning, intermediate and advanced! The best painters are truly those who keep practicing the fundamentals - so true of anything in life! I was surprised in reading it how much I'd somehow forgotten or never got quite right over the years! And she does a wonderful job of taking the fundamentals and carrying them to more advanced levels. Her book nudges you along to find your own style, your own you, rather than to copy her style. But the best part of this book, is that you will find you use it - over and over and over again! I actually carry mine in my briefcase and never tire of re-reading it! and this is because her message is one for the mind, the head, and the spirit in all of us! Working with her book is a celebration of life - Catherine Anderson brings out the best part of each of us in her book! I have a mountain of art books, and there is no other like her's out there! And everyone I know that has bought her book says the same - your painting skills get better and better the more you work with her book, and the fun just doesn't stop! Makes me want to go and paint right now! in fact, I think I will! haha Anderson's book is a triple-crown winner!

I love this book!

Although it's focus is specifically on facilitating participatory decision making, it is an excellent resource for all who facilitate or teach. I particularly like the concrete suggestions on how to navigate a whole-room discussion (stacking, mirroring, paraphrasing, etc.).

However, my favorite part of this book is a beautifully done 3-page section describing common difficult situations - someone is making jokes in the back, your audience is falling asleep, one person won't shut up. The book goes on to detail the ways that facilitators usually deal with these problems, every one of them a power play of some sort, and offers suggestion for BETTER ways to handle the situation. As a trainer myself, I rely heavily on this book when I conduct "train the trainers" sessions.

Especially for those who train around sensitive or controversial issues, this information is invalauable. Thanks for writing this book!

Although I had never facilitated a meeting before, this book provided me with plenty of good practical ideas and just the right amount of theory to help me successfully facilitate a major brainstorming meeting. I highly recommend this book to anyone who needs to get up to speed quickly on the subject of facilitation.

I've been facilitating for several years; I often have people ask for a book recommendation , and this is always the one I name. You will find this book useful if you are facilitating for the first time, or if you are an old pro.

Since you can read the table of contents for this book, I won't repeat it here. My favorites are the model (mentioned in several other reviews) and the different ways to build consensus.

There are other books that have more in depth coverage of each of the topics. What Kaner and his colleagues have done is get to the "gems" of those books for you. It is as if a friend read a bunch of literature on this topic and boiled it all down into one easy-to-use manual. (No, I don't know any of the authors :-))

My only complaint about this book is the format. I find the graphics and the multiple fonts a little difficult to read. I usually hand out the book with the disclaimer "it looks a little hokey, but the content is really solid." If you can move past the graphic design, you'll love this book.

This is the personal journey of the author into discovering her path to empowerment through childbirth. She becomes a doula and a homebirth mother along the way. The book offers real insight into the world of midwives and mothers.

If you are part of the 99% of American women who choose to give birth in a hospital, attended by a physician, because you think that is the safest way to go, this book may well change your mind, or at least get you thinking about the possible benefits of a more natural, midwife-attended delivery. The author is decidedly pro-midwife; she weaves numerous statistics and stories into the text that underscore the decline of healthy delivery commensurate with the "medicalization" of delivery. For example, the US has the highest rate of hospital/medical deliveries but ranks 22nd in the world in maternal health / infant mortality -- well behind other countries, primarily western European, where home delivery and birth center deliveries are much more common. Other surprises -- according to the author, the World Health Organization recommends home deliveries and birthing center deliveries over hospital deliveries. The rates of C-sections and episiotomies are much, much lower for midwife-attended deliveries. Midwifes generally treat childbirth as something the female body is fully capable of doing on its own, rather than as a medical condition or disability to be treated. And the midwifes interviewed for the book seem to be very respectful of their clients -- assisting the client in her own birth experience rather than making the birth something the midwife choreographs & directs. The author writes about the history of childbirth & delivery and the practice of midwifery, interviews numerous midwifes, and even participates in home births attended by midwifes. At the same time, she discusses her own pregnancy (that is progressing while she is conducting the research for the book) and she trains to become a doula, or birth assistant. The book is gripping and easy to read; it reads fast like a novel -- and the discussions of home births she has attended are page-turners -- but it is also full of factual information and would serve to help prepare a woman for childbirth. In her interviews with midwifes, she discusses the risks to the profession -- insurance company's reluctance to cover home births and midwife fees, even though they're statisfically safer and less expensive than OB-attended hospital births, midwife's difficulty in getting insurance coverage for their practices, pressure on midwifes working in hospital settings to spend less & less time with their clients and to introduce more medications (Pitocin) -- to conform more to the medical model.

I just finished this amazing book; it took me less than two days. I could not put it down.

Catherine Taylor's intimate, first-person account of midwifery care that includes her own homebirth experience with a midwife and a doula is completely engrossing. You feel like you are in her world; you pull for her and for the women she describes; you wait with anticipation for a healthy birth, an impending cesarean, a hospital transfer.. you enter her world. And you love it.

Not only does the book provide an entertaining, emotional narrative, it gives important insight into the political climate of midwifery care, the difficulties faced by midwives thrust into a hospital-based practice, and the practices and techniques used by modern midwives. The book illustrates a wide range of midwives, from the earthy, groovy, herbal mama to the suited-up, no-nonsense, "medicalized" nurse-midwife. She shows that there is not one typical midwife, but they all generally share the same goal: a healthy, fulfilled mother and a happy, healthy baby.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in midwifery care, every pregnant woman, and maybe some day, every obstetrician.

Very humorous book. I think this book makes a great gift book for any mother, expectant mother, grandmother, aunt, anyone that has kids. This book had funny tid-bits I'd not seen before, and I thought it was original and funny. A great gift item.

The humor in Motherhood is not for Wimps is timeless.

"The difficulty in finding a baby-sitter will be in direct proportion to how desperatley you need one."
--From Motherhood is not for Wimps.

What mother has not experienced the last minute rush to find a baby-sitter when she has to dash out, and the usual sitter has just called to say she can't make it (probably cause she has a new boyfriend!) This book is funny and truthful about being a mom, and in the end reminds the reader that motherhood is the greatest job in the world!

Organizational consultants Catherine Fitzgerald and Jennifer Garvey Berger offer a collection of articles by 16 executive coaches, including themselves. The essays cover executive coaching perspectives, practices and management. This book examines the range of managerial and psychological approaches shaping this emerging field. These expert articles provide a diverse overview, varying in complexity, practicality and therapeutic philosophies. The hazard of anthologies is the mix of voices, so there is some blurring between what is coaching and what is therapy, and some drift about exactly who is being spoken to, the coach, the manager or the executive. The book seems to focus primarily on the analytical, psychological and tactical tasks of coaches. However, we from getAbstract suggest that if you are hiring a coach for yourself or your organization, you may find this very practical in understanding what coaches do and in being sure you select a good one.

Executive Coaching: Practices & Perspectives, is an excellent and timely text consisting of 16 chapters written by 20 contributors, the editors also being contributors, providing a wide breadth of information and references. It provides a rare opportunity to shadow many experienced coaches from diverse backgrounds and learnings. I applaud the editors for what is a very successful attempt to weave many different "essays" into a coherent book. The writing styles and approaches are different for each of the chapters resulting in many practices and theories, and many modes of learning for the reader. Executive coaching is still a fairly new profession and this book provides a wide variety of perspectives not typically shared among peers.

Although titled Executive Coaching, it indirectly explores the diversity of individual and organizational learning and change with a keen appreciation for the complexities of the human mind. For executive coaching, as in organizational development consulting, one size does not fit all. The diversity of approaches from the respective authors reflects the strength of belief in their own methods when dealing with the complexity and diversity of the human mind; and reveals the many barriers to individual learning and ultimately organizational learning. In many ways the book is about organizational development and organizational learning brought to an individual level.

Most of the contributors have psychology backgrounds; however, the editors have made a good attempt to look at executive coaching from a variety of lenses, with a noticeable influence of Carl Jung and Robert Kegan. As an organizational development consultant and executive coach, I find some bias toward the need for a psychology or psychotherapy background in some of the chapters. Does one need a degree in psychology to have an understanding of a variety of perceptual views through intentional, behavioral, cultural, and social dimensions, for example? I don't believe so.

There are many issues that emerge when we have conversations at personal and sometimes intimate levels. Do we dare go where no non-psychotherapist has gone before? I believe the human psyche is much less fragile than most psychotherapists, and even psychologists, might have us believe. And as organizational change consultants, how much damage have we inflicted because we dared not to tread, or even look, in those heretofore-protected domains?

Where is the line drawn between learning and repair, or between personal growth and cure? The authors have drawn their lines and they are in different places. I do believe, when coaching Executives, it is essential to have a greater depth of knowledge and abilities as an observer and guide.

I believe executive coaching can increase the potential for profound change. Peter Senge, in his book The Dance of Change, describes profound change as "organizational change that combines inner shifts in people's values, aspirations, and behaviors with 'outer' shifts in processes, strategies, practices, and systems ... In profound change there is learning." (p 15) W. Edwards Deming said, "Nothing changes without personal transformation."

Executive coaching allows us to further shift the learning paradigms of our clients. We are beginning to apply to individuals what we have applied to organizations. Coaching appears to be the natural progression to double-loop learning at a personal level, in addition to the organizational level, and further progression to triple-loop learning. Double-loop learning is a concept developed by Chris Argyris and Donald Schon based upon the work of Gregory Bateson. The term "triple loop learning" was used by William N. Isaacs, in Taking Flight: Dialogue, Collective Thinking, and Organizational Learning. "Double-loop learning encourages learning for increasing effectiveness. Triple-loop learning is the learning that opens inquiry into underlying 'why's.' It is the learning that permits insight into the nature of paradigm itself, not merely an assessment of which paradigm is superior." Effective coaching includes the practice of Dialogue at a one-to-one level. This "third" level of learning can be called transformational learning. As such, this book could be about transformational learning.

A noticeably missing piece was a chapter on distinguishing coaching from therapy, and addressing some of the boundaries to be considered and what resources the executive coach should have available in assessing and dealing with those boundaries.

Another missing piece was the role our body plays. Recent studies suggest a more holistic approach is needed in our learning - the integration of language, emotions and the body. I am referring to more than the traditional concept of "body language." Albert Einstein said, "My primary process of perceiving is muscular and visual." Richard Heckler, a psychologist and director of the Rancho-Strozzi Institute, says in his book The Anatomy of Change, "An education that connects us with our body would teach us the difference between what we are experiencing and what we are thinking and fantasizing about." (p 12)

Full awareness goes beyond what we are thinking. The body can reflect what we are thinking and feeling and the body can support what we desire to think and feel. Stuart Heller, mathematician, operations researcher, and psychologist, says in his book Retooling on the Run, "To make a change in any part of you, you have to change all of you." (p 10) "Your results are a function of the way you organize and use yourself. By studying your patterns of reaction, belief, tension, feelings, and posture, you learn how you both hinder and help yourself." (p 17)

I highly recommend this book to anyone involved with coaching and executive development. In addition, it offers many insights to any organizational change consultant wishing to search deeper in the psyche of an organization. Many organizations, and individuals, are struggling to find ways of breaking free of traditional thinking and modes of operation to enhance continuous learning. At a minimum, these insights may help forge better partnerships with clients and help facilitate greater awareness, reflection, and ultimately learning.

This book is a wonderful blend of how-to's and organized thinking on the field of Executive Coaching. It is the most practical and well organized book that I've read on the subject. It is well suited for both the experienced practitioner and the novice. The authors clearly know what they're talking about and they've been able to convey it in a clear concise way that will help many coaches.

I really love this book, and found it so helpful, it is rare that you will find a book with so much information on the usage of herbs as done in the Hoodoo Magical system. This is the first book of its kind, dealing directly with the botanical usage within African-American Folk Magic. This book is packed with about 750 useful potions, spells, baths, and powders that the reader can start to learn Wright away. The 500 herbs, roots and minerals used in this book are so helpful, even for those who practice Santeria, and Voodoo, and even the Witch or Herbalist with European background will find this very useful. No where will you find a collection of magical herbs such as this. Herbs mentioned are, Adam and Eves roots, Devil's Shoestring, Bloodroot, Devil Pod, and this book goes on and on. I was really excited about this book, and it has not let me down. My favorite sections and what really caught my eye on these books are the 6 very helpful charts that cover everything from love drawing, to protection, and conjurations. Also the 50 black and white illustrations are also really good.

This book also covers the preparation of famous Voodoo and Santeria oil dressings, bath crystals, incenses, floor washes, cleansing and spiritual baths and the preparation of mojo bags.

I have to highly commend Catherine Yronwode, for such an important book, which in my opinion is a modern classic in the usage of herbal magic. This book belongs in every rootworker, witch, santero, and shamans private collection. I highly recommend this book, and wish I could give it more stars.

Hoodoo is a native African American system of natural magical practice. Although it combines elements of many African Traditional Religions,Hoodoo itself has no religious base. Most of those who 'work' the practice are devout Protestant Christians. Because it is often confused with Voodoo, which it is not connected to at all, it is usually thought to be some kind of odd religious practice by those who come across it in their reading.
Fritz Leiber, the american author wrote about this practice in his book Conjur Wife. Hoodoo is still an underground magical practice that permeates African American culture.
This is the first book to ever reveal the spells and materials used in this interesting practice of natural magic. A complete theses on the art, it shold be in the library of anyone interested in African American culture, as the practice of hoodoo is so important to understanding the culture and society of African Americans today.
I highly reccomend it to anyone interested in African American studies, as well as those interested in the practice of natural magic. It is an excellent and well written book.

This fascinating and informative book shows the traditional way that Hoodoo practitioners work and the ingredients that are used. These practitioners use whatever works for them, so a few of these methods and ingredients may not appeal to some readers, but they are nevertheless an interesting example of the old folkways of African-American magic which are still used today. This is a book of magic for the serious practitioner who wants actual results instead of the usual collection of kiddie spells that are found in too many books of magic and spells. The author, Catherine Yronwode, is not afraid to say it like it is, so you are not going to find any reference to the three-fold law, karmic repercussions or the Wiccan rede here, for this is not Wicca or New Age fluff; it is Hoodoo, which is a totally practical method of magic based on what actually works, and can be used by anyone who is seeking some authentic material for magical practice.

The format of this book is wonderful -- the pages unfold to become full 20x22" images. This is a perfect size for a poster or teaching aid -- IF the image quality weren't so poor! I wanted to like this book, really... but I've seen Klimt's work in person as well as in many other books, and the reproductions here are just so dull and grainy. Rich violets appear brown; the firey red hair in several pieces looks very subdued. "The Kiss", shown on the front cover, shows the couple with skin that is positively green. And the golds that Klimt is famous for, while I appreciate that they must be difficult to photograph, just do not come across.

I would have gladly paid more for this book if the publishers could have reproduced it better. It is obvious they intended this to be a picture book -- there are literally only two pages of writing -- so it would make sense to give the best reproductions possible! Even using a glossy paper instead of the dull matte finish would have given a better presentation.

If you are interested in truly appreciating Klimt and his work, I would recommend Taschen's posterbook for large, good quality reproductions. I also would recommend "Silver, Gold, and Precious Stones" from the Adventures in Art Series. This is geared toward a younger audience, but it beautifully laid out and presented, and actually uses a gold finish on the areas with gold leaf (nice touch!).

I had no knowledge of this artist before receiving this book as a Christmas gift. What a wonderful, enlightening book!

The book has large plates of about 40 works, and smaller black and white prints of some others (including a number that were destroyed in a 1945 fire). The contrast between the exquisitely expressive faces, drawn with the precision of a renaissance master, and the wild, unrestrained clothing and background is captivating.

The author provides a good biography and helpful insights into the allegorical interpretation of the various works. A real bargain here.

klimt's work is endlessly fascinating... its eroticism, its mythological references, its composition. klimt captures the power and symbolism of color and shape in a way that is unique amongst artists in the canon. his images are not merely pictures of women (and a few men), but stories with complicated layers of meaning. all this delicate beauty could be easily lost in printing, but this book has somehow managed to preserve it, and it is amazing! the text gives biographical and historical context, which is always helpful, and even ventures into analysis -- i enjoy knowing other people's perspectives, because it helps me to read deeper into what i'm seeing. all the master works are here, as well as many treasures that are often overlooked. if you are interested in art nouveau, art history, symbolism in art, and/or art history you really should own this book. believe me, it is well worth the price -- i wasn't expecting much for (the price), and would have willingly paid much more. i wish i had it in hardback though...

This book is a wonderful collection of pictures, nicely organized to bring out different dimensions of the story of Nicholas and Alexandra. However, I found two mistakes early into the book. The first was the the statement that Victoria Melita married Grand Duchess Boris, when in fact she married his brother, Cyril. The second was the statement that the marriage between Victoria Melita and her first Husband, Ernst of Hesse, foundered after the death of their daughter. In fact, the child's death occurred well after the separation of her parents. Given the author's family relationship with his subjects, these lapses are surprising and indicative of extremely careless editing. It causes me to discount the accuracy of the volume, overall.

It's really too bad that this wonderful book is out of print. It's a gold mine! The photographs are organized by year, making identification sooo much easier. To boot, the pictures are of marvellous quality - clear, even, nicely composed, and evocative. You'll put this one down feeling like you've had a visit with the Imperial family. Highly recommended - This book plus Massie's _Nicholas & Alexandra_ make an excellent Romanov 'starter set'. ;o)

I think this book is really really fun. It has lots of colours and the pictures are great. I like looking underthe flaps best.

This book is good for the author's first. I expected to be bored as this was my first futuristic romance but i was wrong. you can't miss this!
Leonessa dan Ranul has seizures n a limp. Her people despises her but she volunteers to be a live host for the orana virus. Wishing that she will be accepted again by them, she travels to sonama. unfortunately, her spaceship breaks down and a shadower reluctantly rescues her. They find a passion between them, but as Chase (the shadower) delays the trip, she must find a way to escape and get to sonama befors the orana destroys her body.

I really liked this book. Nessa, the heroine, is a cripple and for that she is banned by her own people, including her parents! She is a shielder, a race on the brink of extinction. The shielders are hunted down and killed by an evil dominion that rules the galaxy. When her help is needed for a dangerous mission, Nessa takes off in an old spaceship and encounters Chase. The story is really heartbreaking sometimes and also very original (I loved her pet). The love story between Nessa and Chase is convincing and there is enough action in the novel too. I liked this first book even better than the second book, Shadower (which actually takes place before this one)and the third, Shamara. But they are all 3 very good!

Absolutely memorable! Very highly recommended

With the future of her entire race at stake, outcast Nessa dan Ranul volunteers to become a live host to a deadly virus. Her mission is to make her way to the Shielder colony in the Sonoma galaxy because they would most likely to be able to create an anecdote. Shielders have long been the targets of Controllers because they have the ability to shield their minds from the Controllers telekinetic control. When the Controllers failed in other methods of eradicating her people, they developed the deadly Orana virus to their dirty work. Now Nessa has only four weeks before the virus will manifest itself. She takes nothing with her except a meager store of supplies and Turi, her affectionate and protective Lanrax pet.

Only two days in space, and her decrepit spacecraft breaks down, leaving Nessa at the mercy of whoever passes by. A Shadower, or bounty hunter, grudgingly comes to Nessa's rescue. Nessa fears that if Chase McKnight, the ship's captain, learns her true identity, he will turn her over to the Controllers. She claims to be on a religious pilgrimage to Zirak, a planet system close to the Sonoma galaxy. Despite their mutual attraction, Nessa does not dare tell Chase the true reason for their journey. Intent upon his own agenda of revenge, he continually deviates from their flight path in pursuit of those who destroyed his own colony. Desperate to reach Sonoma before the illness becomes active, Nessa continually attempts to escape, building Chase's distrust of her.

With a remarkably complex, yet seamless woven plot, SHIELDER will delight futuristic romance fans. Author Christine Spangler creates a horrifying and believable background with strong motivations for these memorable characters. In addition, Nessa's love for her Lanrax its endearing protectiveness add an endearing sparkle - be sure to keep the hankies close. While Spangler's novel is futuristic, with the sci-fi toys that make such reading fun, it is also marvelously original and markedly different from the traditional fair. Both the hero and heroine's growth as characters, Chase as he learns to accept his gifts and Nessa as she gains self-acceptance and self-love, brings the novel both sensual heat and the reader's empathy. Destined to become a classic, SHIELDER comes very highly recommended.