New author Kathleen Eschenburg has penned a novel that is proof positive that her work is a superb addition to the romance genre. Ripe with emotion, complex characters, and a poignant love story, Ms. Eschenburg 's debut is a read to be savored.

In 1874 Baltimore, Maggie Quinn is a twenty-six-year-old teacher at St Columba's Orphanage. Orphaned at the age of twelve, when her mother died on board a ship from Ireland to America, Maggie found shelter with Father Fitzhugh at the Orphanage. Gordon Kincaid, a Virginia southern gentleman, visits St. Columba's to claim the child he never knew that he had. Five-year-old Clara is a special favorite with Maggie, who has nurtured the young girl since she was an infant. And Maggie is an enigma to Gordon, a man hardened by the brutalities of war, who sees a unique combination of naiveté and Irish backbone in Maggie.

When Gordon asks Maggie to marry him and accompany him and his daughter to his Virginia estate, Maggie is completely unprepared for what she must face. There is Gordon's difficult twelve-year-old son from his first marriage, bigoted neighboring landowners, and their prejudiced society wives.

While adjusting to her new life, Maggie is forced to face her past . Remembering that her real father never married her mother, ostensibly because of class differences, Maggie wonders if she can ever fit into Gordon's world without hurting him in the process.

The complex pasts of the hero and heroine add depth to their many-layered personalities. And the vitality of supporting characters such as Sister Bernadette and Father Fitz add the finishing touches to this incredible read. For an emotional read that is certain to keep the reader glued to the pages into the wee hours of the morning, this novel is a sure-fire winner.

If you want to read a lovestory with breathtaking description, dead-on characterization and heart-tugging emotion, then look no further. THE NIGHTINGALE'S SONG is the book for you.

Gordon Kincaid and Maggie Quinn practically leap off the pages. And Ms. Eschenburg skillfully weaves several timeless themes throughout this wonderful story: redemption and hope in spite of adversity as well as love conquering all.

You WILL fall in love with this story and these characters. I highly recommend this book.

This book is great. The author makes you feel as if you are the heroine of this book. You live and breathe what she goes through. I love when an author sticks to the actually history of the era and does not make things up. Anyway this book was a great read if you like history and love real romance.

This book is the ultimate guide to creating unique and beautiful Polaroid transfer images. The instructions easy to follow whether you are a first time photographer or a pro. The examples are amazing and inspiring.

This is definitely a must-have book for anyone who wants to create incredible Polaroid transfer art. The instructions are excellent and the artwork wonderful. You will be amazed at the cool effects you can create with the remarkable property of certain Polacolor films that enable you to transfer the image or the emulsion layer carrying the image to a variety of other surfaces, such as paper, fabric, wood, etc.

The book starts by discussing the basic supplies needed including choosing the right printer and film. It then shows you both wet and dry methods for making image transfers. There is a great hints section that explains how varying things like heat, time before peeling or adding pressure can create different unique effects. There are instructions for both color and black & white emulsion transfers with a helpful troubleshooting section.

My favorite section, creative techniques, follows. It includes awesome effects like making multiple exposures, making a mosaic of multi transfers and getting a scrambled image from heating in the microwave. Next, the author creates dramatic artwork by hand coloring with a variety of media.

In the advanced techniques section you learn about the three different transfer methods: in-camera, projection printing and slide-printer. Filtration and color theory are also discussed here. The fine art section focuses on finishing off the artwork by framing, matting and protecting it. All instructions are step-by-step and accompanied by demonstrating photos.

In the back, there is a large inspirational gallery featuring the work of 20 different artists with background information on the artist and his/her techniques, giving the book a personal touch. A complete resource directory, book and publication list and contact information for all the artists are also included. Get this boo; it is fantastic.

I wish all 'how to' books were as good as "Polaroid Transfers".

Kathleen Thormod Carr knows her stuff. I would venture to say that anyone who reads the book cover to cover, assembles the necessary equipment (not a lot), and spends a rainy day indoors on this project will get good results before the day is through.

Just know that although her techniques are obvious and easy to follow, your own polaroid images will have a life of their own.

I suspect that 'Carr's First Law' should be that "the worst pictures will transfer easiest". Good luck with your best images.

Buy the book. Read it twice. Make some excellent transfers. Impress your friends. :-)

Looking for ways to spice up a Customer Service Training Workshop and still get the message across? This book can help. I was able to have my CSR's rolling in the aisles with some of these Training Games. Yet in debriefing, the message was passed across. Whether you are seeking to train the CSR's voice or Telephone Manners you'll find a Training Game to do it.

This book contains many easy-to-deliver games that really help a trainer to keep customer service (and sales) reps focussed on those things that really matter in the various phases of customer contact. Me as a fact-oriented consultant have no problem using the exercises and they help me to initiate discussion without having to "feed" the theory to the participants first. My personal favourite is the Tennis Shoe Alien game which is real fun and gives a different view of things we consider so "easy" and "basic" that we do not pay much attention to them anymore.

This book is absolutely wonderful. It has so many fresh, fun ideas to add impact and value to a training session. I am going to get a lot of use out of it.

I truly enjoy a book that is so captivating, that I'm willing to pass up a good night's sleep in order to finish it. Daughter of Dragons was the first K.N. work I had the pleasure of reading, and it was a real treat. Extremely good character development, intriguing (but not typical) plotline, and name creativity that I've never seen the likes of before. Keep up the great writing K.N., your readership is eager for more!

Okay, I haven't read this book yet but it sounds so good. Everybody on thsi page has written how good it is but explain some of it. I've been in the dark about what this book it about. I wouldn't mind knowing. my emily is sw_dl_fan@hotmail.com e-mail me and tell me a few things about the book!

ok here we go . i'm not that good in writing reviews and stuff so i'll keep it short. this is a great book .it really is , so go get it . i'm waiting for the sequel now , keep it goin kat !

A very practical, hands-on approach to working with the autistic child.

Working on a volunttary basis with Autistic teenagers has brought me into contact with a world of research literature, instructional manuals and 'snake oil', that I never before contemplated. Quill's book stands out as remarkably well researched, with solid scientifically grounded practices referenced frequently. Quill is very careful to document the steps in the pedagogical process and the outcomes that are possible as a result. The purposes and methodology behind each lesson are very precisely explained. Parents and therapists reading this book are left with no illusions of the difficulties facing them in effecting even small progress. I have read at least half a dozen texts (including several of the most recently published) dealing with the same themes, and in mu opinion Quill's text is head and shoulders above the others in terms of the science, the pedagogy and the psychology. If you fancy starting an Autism library - then look at Quill's text. It will save you time, money and disappointment. A tremendous contribution, in my opinion.

The book tell us all we need to know to teach autistic children.
I am a practising Occupational Therapist. I find it very useful.

...to describe how this book made me feel. It is poignant, it is bittersweet, it is joyful, and it is more. The descriptions in this book were exquisite, the characters were well-drawn, the lessons were apropos to any society at any time but even more so to today's American society -- and the book was filled with cats, which is always a plus in my eyes. If you've ever felt like an outsider, I think you will appreciate this book, and I hope you will love it as much as I did. And if you've never felt like an outsider, then, in my opinion, you definitely need to read this book. It will open your eyes. I recommend this book to absolutely everyone. And their cats. :-)

This is an incredible book on love, life and the unfairness and stupidity of history. And cats fascination with tuna. I don't often get emotional when reading a book, although a good movie can bring me to tears if well done. This book made me cry with happiness, with anger and it made me laugh out loud and smile one heckuva lot. I cannot recommend this book enough. Although this is the only book I have ever read by Ms. Dexter, I truly enjoyed it and look forward to other books by her. If this is the best she has ever done, well, that's fine, because this book is masterful.

Half cat, Kat the Catwoman lives her fifth life amidst fifty felines. She avoids human contact as she has long memories of prejudice, poverty, and death at the hands of her so called superior side. Instead, Kat lives in a self-made haven secure from the feral mentality of humanity.

However, her Eden ends when a half cat male Angelo accidentally blunders into her mirage. Headmaster of a nearby communal high school, Angelo persuades Kat to return to reality by teaching the true history as she knows it, not that heroic rah-rah bunk found in textbooks. As she adapts to being welcomed and even popular, an incident shatters her mirage bringing back the true perspective of mankind when a child is stoned to death by his peers.

THE FIFTH LIFE OF THE CATWOMAN is a powerful allegory that looks at the dark side of humanity as prejudice and hatred defeats Utopia and love in everybody's life. The message cleverly implies that nine lives may not be enough to overcome the ferocious animosity that serves as man's basic reaction to anyone outside the "norm". Kathleen Dexter provides a potent indictment of intolerance and the need to emphasize the positive virtues of difference so that consensus leads to harmony.

Harriet Klausner

My 4 1/2 year old girl had questions about God that I could not find simple words to answer. This book had all the biblical answers in a simplified way. There are a couple of pages that I wasn't quiet comfortable with so I skip them. What I liked most is that at the end of the book it gave the biblical reference for all the given answers. I sure recommend this book for all kids.

What I enjoy about all of Kathleen Bostrom's little books for children is that they are wonderful on several levels. They're attractive for little children, filled with gentle answers to the tough questions kids ask, plus they have helpful sections in the back of each book to let parents know that the information they contain is Biblically sound.

This book focuses on the questions little minds ask about God, and gives scriptures for the basis of each aspect of God that is given, so that when your toddler becomes a preschooler, you can have the references you need to answer tougher questions. It's a sweet and simple way to explain who and what God is to your toddler. Our children love it!

"Wilma Unlimited" is a stunning blend of art and history. Author Kathleen Krull and illustrator David Diaz have done an outstanding job in bringing to life the story of Olympic heroine Wilma Rudolph, the African-American runner who overcame a disabling childhood illness and ultimately triumphed at the 1960 Rome Olympics.

Krull tells Wilma's story in a simple, straightforward way that should appeal to young readers. Her prose is accompanied by Diaz's truly memorable artwork. His full-color illustrations, which strike a perfect balance between realism and stylization, really convey the emotion of each stage in Wilma's incredible journey.

"Wilma Unlimited" is a story of working hard and overcoming adversity. Although much of the story is set in the world of sports, the message of this book is universal. If your child is struggling with some problem or setback and needs a book to renew his/her sense of hope, this might be the ideal choice. Krull and Diaz have created a wonderful tribute to a remarkable woman.

This is a wonderful true story of one woman's accomplishments. Wilma Rudolph was a bouncy child who ran everywhere as soon as she could walk. When she contracted polio and scarlet fever at the same time, the doctor said she would never walk again. But Wilma had a mother who rode the bus with her 50 miles each way twice a week, to the nearest hospital that would treat black patients. She had 21 brothers and sisters to help her exercise and practice until she could walk, first with a brace, then (finally) all on her own. Wilma had watched the other children play for years, and she wanted to play basketball as soon as she could. Wilma's long legs, strength, and determination helped her to lead her high school basketball team to the state championships, where she caught the attention of a track and field coach who offered her a college scholarship. In 1960, Wilma made the US Olympic track and field team. She wasn't expected to win any events, but it was an honor for her just to compete. And then Wilma amazed everyone. She won her first gold medal when she flew past everyone in the 100 meter race -- and then won another in the 200 -- and then she won another gold when she anchored the 4 by 100 meter relay. Wilma Rudolph did what no one else had done before, and she earned the richly deserved title of fastest woman in the world. Her story is proof that strength can overcome almost any disadvantages

i am a reading specialist in Washington, DC and chose this book b/c i love David Diaz and because, like wilma, my children have many obstacles in their lives. i simply can not finish this book without nearly crying in front of my class. i've read it so many times, but the suspenseful writing and triumphant ending never get tiring. it is a truly wonderful story and wonderfully told and illustrated by this duo.

...I read it! Kudos to Kathleen for caring so much about this very special breed. I was especially touched by the book's inscription, dedicated to certain canine friends: "It hurts so much when you leave".

outstanding pictures. Clear explaination of how to raise and train. Recommended reading for everyone interested in Siberians

I found this book most interesting and useful.I have read it over and over again and i love the pictures.I do not yet own a husky but will in the future so i bought your wonderful book in advance.I have done alot of research on siberian huskies and found your book to be the most helpful!Thank you!

This book epitomizes others by the Gears. Like them, it is an intriguing way to learn more about our Native American forebears. There is plot, action, history and a wealth of knowledge about a very important part of our American history. It made me want to visit this part of the country and see where these people lived. I have a warning, though: read one of the Gear's fine books about the aboriginal ancestors of this country and you may get hooked on them as I did. This is the fourth one I have read, and I am now on the fifth!

The third novel in their series, the Gears introduce us to a different set of people who live in lodges dug into the Earth. Two groups of very different people must learn to work together to fight against a common threat. What's worse, someone is killing their Dreamers -- the people who walk between worlds and can see into the future. An unlikely couple must Dream the new way and lead their peoples into the next age. Once touched by the Power of a Dreamer they will never be the same and neither will you. Once again archaeology and imagination make for a fabulous pre-historic adventure.

This was another masterful book by the Gears. It had some long, unnecissary bits to it but on the whole it was very good. Again, it does a wonderful job of turning an ordinary person into a powerful and influential figure. We should all take this to heart and do our best in everything we do.