Michael Riley takes the reader inside Anne Rice's worlds of reality and fiction through a series of extensive interviews. He's broken the text down into titled sections to emphasize the topic covered in each phase of the dialogue. Rice delves into where her characters and story ideas come from and just how much her life in New Orleans has influenced her work. It's interesting how the influences changed over time. First Lestat was her husband Stan and she was Louis but now she's more like Lestat than Stan. She discusses how her husband's poetry has had a great affect on her own work where certain lines will run through her head as she writes.

This is a good book for writers to read. Rice gives a lot of background on the movie biz and a view into the studio politics that occur when they purchase the rights to make a novel into a movie. The story behind the making of Interview With a Vampire is told in great detail. An interesting fact I learned was that when Hollywood buys the rights to a book any sequels that are written involving the same characters are contractually connected. Therefore the studio has the right to see them before any other studio can look at the books for potential development into movies. Rice also talks about rejection letters and how she dealt with them and provides in site into how the larger New York publishing houses operate. Highly recommended for fans and writers alike!

I just finished reading this book in one sitting. It seems as if you're in the same room as Anne & Michael Riley. He knows exactly what questions her fans want answered. It's refreshing to read Anne's own responses in their entirety without having a reporter interpreting her "meaning". I give this a "9" because the only thing that would have made it better would be if Anne had offered pictures of herself & environment.

This just isn't a biography of Ann Rice, it's as if she's telling you herself all the answers to questions we've all wanted to ask. This is her thoughts on her family, fans, characters, and herself. She shares her opinions freely and openly. I truly developed another view of this remarkable woman after reading this. Michael Riley had a good idea when he decided just to write this in interview form. That's exactly what everyone's been waiting for: 'Interview with Ann Rice'

Changing Politics of Canadian Social Policy is an amazing book. It incudes current, informative facts that surround the reader with a true feeling for Canada's social policies. After reading this phenomonal book, one will feel a better understanding of Canadian government and the people behind it.

I love this book, I wont let my friends touch it. It's totallyworth the dollars, it tells you about the greatest NFL players ever. For example: Steve Young, the best left-handed Quarterback ever,and Jerry Rice, the greatest all-time wide receiver ever.

"NO MATTER HOW SHORT, NOW MATTER HOW LONG, NO MATTER HOW BIG, HOW SMART OR HOW STRONG, ALL LIFE HAS A PLACE, A PURPOSE AND WORTH. ALL LIFE IS IMPORTANT ON OUR PLANET EARTH."

So begins-and ends-this beautiful story which beautifully speaks the lessons of many of Earth's creatures.

This is not a book you can-or will want to-read in one sitting. Each beautifully illustrated page invites the reader to explore further the plant, animal or object featured. Children will beg their parents to take them to the library to learn more about the creature pictured on each page. (I should know. My 4 ½ year old has developed a tremendous fascination with Venus Flytraps after reading this book.)

Each page begins with the life expectancy of a new creature (plant or animal) or the age of an object (sun, planet, universe.) The author then shares just enough information about each creature to pique the interest of the reader, follows it with a small reminder of what this creature's life may teach us (Examples: "Army ants show us that if everyone works together, we can do almost anything." "Saguaros teach us how important it is to save -- and to share.") Each page then concludes with a few questions for further exploration (Examples: "Tell about a time when you helped protect an animal or someone who needed help." "Where is the one small area where Venus flytraps grow in the wild?" "If everyone in your class held hands and made a circle, would the circle be big enough to go around the General Sherman tree?")

This is not just another book about the environment, (though it certainly encourages us to develop an appreciation) but a rare treasure to be referred to again and again as our children discover their world and realize their very special purpose within it.

Minidoka? What kind of a word is that, you say? Then you stop and think, "Oh, Edgar Rice Burroughs, creator of Tarzan and John Carter. It's a made up word!" WRONG. Minidoka is a small town (or was, I don't know if it is still there) in Idaho where Mr. Burroughs worked in one of his many failed careers as a gold miner (1901 to 1904) with his brother at the Yale Dredging Company. It didn't pan out, pardon the pun, and the world is much more richer for the failed attempt.

Burroughs has never been accused of being a literary genius, although his stories have reached every corner of the world, his books are published in over sixty different languages (not counting dialects), his tales have been the basis for dozens of films, TV series, animations and comics. What Mr. Burroughs was gifted with was the art of storytelling and that trait has made him a legend.

Mindoka, 937th Earl of One Mile Series M is a story that sprung from that ability. No one knows for certain when this wonderful tale was created, perhaps it was one of the series of bedtime stories Burroughs told his children each night. All of them created on the spot as he paced the hall of their small home and spoke in a loud voice so that all in the house could hear. What ever occurred, Burroughs liked this particular story so much that he committed it to paper. Of a sorts, at least. He used the backs of old letterheads from the mining company, photo bills from Pocatello and letterheads of the American Genealogical Society to compose this story. None of the hand written manuscript is dated, nor was it discovered until 1955, five years after his death, in his personal belongings. The paper the story was written on gives proof that this is Burroughs first ever written work, never before seen by another beside himself until after he had died and never published until today. This makes that story almost a century old!

The tale is very strange, not at all like his works that were published in his lifetime. This is a children's story, it is written with the intention of being read aloud to children and has all the classic elements of fairy tales. Horrible monsters, magic spells, beautiful damsels to rescue and battles to be fought, all of these are in there along with a never before seen look at the man's sense of humor.

The story itself is quite captivating, even if it is a bit difficult to read for an adult. I dare say that I will be hard pressed to pronounce some of the words that Burroughs has created for this story, but many of the characters and creatures are quite endearing. I really liked the hoobody and hookidooki. The hoobody reminded me of one of the mythical creatures of my people, the Apache, (perhaps that's where he got the idea) and the hookidooki was just plain fun to read about even if it was a villain.

The setting for the story is Idaho of a million or more years in the past, but with European type kingdoms all based as the origin of Irish names. Very interesting concept and for the life of me I can't determine why he took that tact in the story. But it matters not, as the tale is fantastic.

Many aspects of his published works can be seen in this story. The way his heroes act and react is based on this tale. Many animals and places for completely unrelated stories are mentioned here as something else. It is almost as if he created an entire universe from the seeds that he planted for himself in this story to his children.

There is something else that is very special about this book. The cover art is a painting by J. Allen St. John that has never been published before. Who is St. John, you ask? This is the man that made every single cover painting for Burroughs books starting in 1915 with The Son of Tarzan and ending in 1942 with The Tiger Girl (I have copies of all of these). The painting was made over 50 years ago when an art director told St. John that it was impossible for an artist to do an illustration using all known mediums that were known at the time. St. John went to his loft and created a drawing he titled Minidoka by those exact means just to prove the man wrong. This cover is the first printing of that painting.

The book is a mere 63 pages long with about 15 of those pages being lavishly drawn full page illustrations. Each page also has drawings around the edges that have to do with what the story is talking about at the time.

The book is published by Dark Horse Comics and is available now at all book stores. You will more than likely have to special order it, because it is a limited edition print. The price is ... well worth it. I can hardly wait until it is mass produced so that I can get a reading copy to give my children when they are old enough. Get one of these first prints while they are still out there. You will never regret it.

I'm anxious to see this new animated '90s Tarzan on the big screen. You gotta have this book if you own the soundtrack. I'm immediately buying it when it comes out.

This is a great Auto-Biography of Jerry Rice. The pictures are excellent, and the writing is also great.

I read the book and now i know more about how he plays the game of football.

This is a great book about one of the greatest athletes to ever play in the NFL. You really get to know Jerry and how he approaches the game that he loves. A must read for any die-hard Jerry Rice fans. I recently met Jerry in person and had him autograph his book for me. He's a great person and a tremendous athlete.

Previously, all Anne Rice books were tedious and extremely difficult to read. Yet, suddenly, I discover a copy of this book and read the back cover--lo and behold, here's the perfect novel for me!! As an ancient Egyptian history buff, I could appreciate the way Rice writes in characters like Rameses the Second and Cleopatra herself, and as a romance/Stephen King fan I could appreciate the twisted love story of Julie and Rameses--and the rebirth of the remains of Cleopatra. I have read this book about 20 times, and the story NEVER gets old to me--the characters are perfectly developed, and all of the events are well plotted and thought out by the author. It is a rare case indeed when one person can find their favorite book of all time and posess it--and I must admit that The Mummy has fully fulfilled my wishes when it comes to the perfect book. Anne Rice--you deserve a big shout out and an adamant THANK YOU!! PS--Why doesn't Ms. Rice write more novels like this??? Books like Pandora and Servant of the Bones bore me to tears, but this jewel of a book is absolutely spellbinding!!!

Which might clue you in that this is not Anne Rice's normal fare. If you're into that, you might find 'The Mummy' a bit too typical-romancey, too lovey dovey and happy-endingish. Those wanting a bit more adoring love in their dark afterlife will like this tale.

This is the story of Ramses the Great, who has drank the elixir of life and is now doomed to live forever without the woman he loved, Cleopatra. For those of you historically inclined out there, don't fret over the timeline. I assure you it's all made quite correct in the story, and you won't mind Ramses meeting Cleopatra meeting the modern heroine Julie. It's sort of a mix of time travel, supernatural, and just plain old romance as well as horror. I didn't think it was possible to mix the four of those together and come up with a book that would please all genres, but here it is.

I was completely surprised by this book (bought it on a whim) and I hope you will be too. I'm not normally a follower of Rice's writings, but this turned me around. It's a bit more romancey and fictionesque than her other books, but don't let that stop you. I still thoroughly enjoyed it, and it actually made me go out and buy several of her other books!

First, let me say that I absolutely love the Vampire Chronicles, although Interview with a Vampire is still my favorite. I didn't like the Mayfair witches that much, but I never read Taltos and am curious about Merrick. That said, I was leary of a non-vampire Anne Rice novel. Despite my doubts, I loved this book. I have always found Egyptian history fascinating and enjoyed having this book with me on a long plane trip. The only bad side is that when I reached the end of the book, I wanted more. Hopefully, Anne Rice will someday write a sequel to this book so that we can find out more about what happens with Ramses, Cleopatra, Julie Stratford, etc.

The follow up to Interview With The Vampire is an excellent piece of work told with Ms. Rice's signature writing style, which is sometimes too pansexual and extravagant to allow a reader to take any of her work as serious pieces of literature art. Sorry, Anne, but you've got a problem there . . . Tone it down!

The Vampire Lestat answers some of the questions the first novel posed. I think the underlying theme of the vampire series (which Ms. Rice unfortunately ruins after the third book) is the burning question we all ponder: How did we get here? These vampires question their lineage, and this book brings to light Lestat's knowledge.

I especially enjoyed the part of the novel where Lestat makes his mother a vampire. The characters, in general, are much more interesting in this novel than the first, especially Lestat's mother. The first novel, while interesting, is low brow in comparison to this dynamic follow up. Not to take anything away from Interview but this novel is hands down the best in the series. Apparently, Anne Rice must have enjoyed writing the novel as well, since Lestat, not Louis, became her primary vampire creature.

I was faithful to the Vampire Chronicles until they became ridiculous. Lestat didn't need to descend into Hell. Lestat didn't need to become human again. What's that got to do with the vampires' heritage? In my opinion, Anne Rice should have stopped the series with three novels. And, of those three, The Vampire Lestat is the one I most recommend!

I have some mixed feelings about Anne Rice's "The Vampire Lestat", but all things considered, I truly believe it is a worthwhile read. In this follow-up to "Interview with the Vampire", we are told the life story of Lestat de Lioncourt, and I was bothered by the inconsistencies between the two books. Lestat tells us that Louis has lied about all kinds of things, and the cruel and cold-hearted villain we came to know and love in "Interview with the Vampire" becomes a moral, soft-hearted, and tortured soul, always trying to do the right thing and find the answers to life's mysteries. Hmmm. I think if I had not read "Interview with the Vampire", I would have found "The Vampire Lestat" far more enjoyable, because then I would have been blissfully unaware of the transformation of Lestat's character. With that said though, "The Vampire Lestat" is a compelling, if lengthy and somewhat verbose, tale, and in the end I was glad I read it, because it has many redeeming qualities.

The book purports to be Lestat's autobiography, and we are taken on a lush and erotic journey through Lestat's long and eventful life. From his youth as the son of a marquis in pre-Revolutionary France when Lestat befriends a troubled violinist named Nicolas, to the crowded streets of Paris where his life is changed forever by a solitary vampire named Magnus, who gives Lestat the dark gift before deserting him forever. Shocked and amazed by what has befallen him, Lestat, begins to learn what it is to be a vampire. Questions about the why and how of what he has become torment Lestat, but there is nobody for him to turn to. Lestat's story has many twists and turns; as he saves his mother from her deathbed with his immortal kiss, meets a hostile coven of Satan-worshipping vampires living under a cemetery, and ultimately goes off on a quest for a legendary ancient vampire named Marius in hopes of finding some answers to the questions that haunt him. And through it all we are treated to Rice's memorable and moving prose. However, the author's tendency to become overly descriptive is in evidence here, and there were some portions of the book that were a bit hard to get through.

As I've already stated, my feelings about "The Vampire Lestat" are a bit ambiguous. But despite my criticisms of this book, I actually did like it a lot. Lestat's story is affecting, intriguing, and entertaining, and in the end I could honestly say that I enjoyed it. Many people adore this book, and it's easy to see why, and on the other hand quite a few people hate it, and I can understand their point of view too. I can't guarantee anything to anyone picking up this book, because Anne Rice's writing is hypnotic and beautiful to some, and deadly boring to others. Personally, I would have been sorry if I'd missed "The Vampire Lestat", since I really did become quite engrossed in Lestat's tale. So give this book a try and see what you think, you may just be pleasantly surprised!

One night, in 1996, I was looking through a carton of used books that my Grandmother sent me. She didn't want them any more, so whichever ones I wanted, I would keep and I would trade the rest for new books. Well, sandwiched between a cheesy romance novel and a book about detective cats, a very worn gold book caught my attention. It was an original copy if Interview with the Vampire. After devouring it in 2 nights I immediatly went out and bought The Vampire Lestat. I read that one even quicker. After having read all of Anne Rice's books, I have concluded that Lestat is the best one. I was completely transported into his world. When he was in the old castle in France, watching his creator destroying himself, I could feel the smoke from the fire burning my eyes. When he describes his thirst, my throat aches for relief. This book takes you away to another realm where Lestat is king and Gabrielle is his Queen, and Anne Rice is God.

I loved the way I felt as I opened up this book and began to read. The promise of a thumping good read in historical fiction-- my favorite. But as I read on, the story is continuously, unexpectedly , interrupted by odd segments of gratuitous sex that read as if they were inserted to satisfy the romance genre. While I loved the premise of the heroine and hero, their characters did not captivate me. The character development somehow did not have me giving a darn about these people. I'd turn the page and end up somewhere lost in a sudden change of scene. My personal review of three stars was given due to the wonderful historical detail and plot, not to the writing itself. But I would read something of hers again...there's something that smells of promise here. This book just wasn't as fulfilling as I had hoped. Perhaps my expectations were too high. But a good read overall, and as I mentioned earlier, excellent historical detail!

The liner notes claimed this book was "an intricate, superbly researched tapestry of the Middle Ages", which gave me hope. And it IS readable, but I was disappointed to discover it was basically just another bodice-ripper. I had hoped to find a book that told a story of this historical era, warts and all. However, in the Borchardt world of the Middle Ages there is excessive rhapsodizing over the ebony hair and ivory skin of the heroine. I was looking for a fine, hearty meal of a book, but this one is more like movie theater popcorn. You enjoy it, but it's not filling, and there's a nagging thought in the back of your mind that it's just empty calories.

Ms. Borchardt does a wonderful job in this book of drawing together Pagan and Christian sources. She reaches into Celtic lore, 9th century chistian belief, shamanic ritual and Germanic myth to create a world where religion and forces of nature are in flux. Part of this is the sacred marriage between the male and female principles (hieros gamos). The various sexual acts in this story illustrate the uses of sex from the sacred to the profane. That's not to say they aren't fun-- because they are. But they are an integral and interesting part of the story.

It's not necessary that the reader know a lot about 9th century France, shamanism or pagan myth, but it doesn't hurt.