An easy to read, inclusive study of a little-known period of Iberian history, highly recommended for those interested in Roman or early Iberian history. This work merges history and archaeology and bridges a gap between Roman Iberia and the Gothic era. Graphs and maps help illustrate key points. Hopefully this author (or another) will follow-up with similar studies of subjects from Roman Iberia and the much-neglected Gothic era.

To those readers who have been asking when this title will be available again, the good news is that Writeriffic Publishing Group, www.....com, will be releasing the updated and second edition of What To Do When A Loved One Dies late this summer.

I've very excited about it and invite those who have been searching for the book or to buy a replacement after giving their copy away, to contact the publisher. Pre-press orders may be discounted. Thank you so much for the support of this much-needed guide to dealing with death on life's terms. It truly can help you survive the lost of a loved one.

Simply put, this book gives practical advice for dealing with the journey of grief.

Respectfully, Eva Shaw, Ph.D.

Book Review by Maryanne Raphael, Writers World THE SUCCESSFUL WRITER'S GUIDE TO PUBLISHING MAGAZINE ARTICLES By Eva Shaw Ph.D., Published by Rodgers & Nelsen, Publishing Co., Loveland, Colorado The author of over 35 published books and over 1000 magazine articles, Eva Shaw knows the business of writing, loves it and enthusiastically shares it. In THE SUCCESSFUL WRITER'S GUIDE TO PUBLISHING MAGAZINE ARTICLES, she helps writers create exciting openings and develop a marketable, interesting style. She guides them from initial idea to printed article. This book contains the latest on current and future trends with advice on how to profit from them.. She devotes chapters to setting goals, querying, reading a magazine you want to write for, outlining with her delightful bubble method , doing meaningful research, and marketing yourself and your work. The combination of the personal and the technical makes compelling reading. The reader comes away from this book feeling empowered to write. Eva Shaw reminds us that this is the age of information and writers are needed to lead the way with inspirational, informative material. THE SUCCESSFUL WRITER'S GUIDE TO PUBLISHING MAGAZINE ARTICLES is a reference book to be used over and over. by Maryanne Raphael, Writers World email: maryanneraphael@juno.com

Wondering where to start to write and get published? "THE SUCCESSFUL WRITER'S GUIDE TO PUBLISHING MAGAZINE ARTICLES" provides answers in a concise easy-to-read format. Into this small book Eva Shaw, Ph.D., writer, teacher and lecturer, has packed twenty years of expertise and enthusiasm. She presents fresh and invigorating ideas. Are you an experienced writer struggling with drafts, submissions, rejects and contracts? This book offers a systematic business approach to every aspect of the writing craft from topic to publishing. It's quickly evident that Dr. Shaw understands people, loves writing and keeps up with trends. Her book evokes the same excitement for writing that one experiences in her lectures.

Book Review by Maryanne Raphael, Writers World THE SUCCESSFUL WRITER'S GUIDE TO PUBLISHING MAGAZINE ARTICLES By Eva Shaw Ph.D., Published by Rodgers & Nelsen, Publishing Co., Loveland, Colorado The author of over 35 published books and over 1000 magazine articles, Eva Shaw knows the business of writing, loves it and enthusiastically shares it. In THE SUCCESSFUL WRITER'S GUIDE TO PUBLISHING MAGAZINE ARTICLES, she helps writers create exciting openings and develop a marketable, interesting style. She guides them from initial idea to printed article. This book contains the latest on current and future trends with advice on how to profit from them.. She devotes chapters to setting goals, querying, reading a magazine you want to write for, outlining with her delightful bubble method , doing meaningful research, and marketing yourself and your work. The combination of the personal and the technical makes compelling reading. The reader comes away from this book feeling empowered to write. Eva Shaw reminds us that this is the age of information and writers are needed to lead the way with inspirational, informative material. THE SUCCESSFUL WRITER'S GUIDE TO PUBLISHING MAGAZINE ARTICLES is a reference book to be used over and over. by Maryanne Raphael, Writers World email: maryanneraphael@juno.com

Which Witch by Eva Ibbontson is about a wizard named Arriman looking for a black witch to marry. A black witch is a witch that does black magic. He needs a wife because it will help him stop growing old so quickly (wizards grow old very fast). The way he is going to find a witch to marry is to hold a contest. You would win the contest by doing the blackest magic trick. Each witch would have one turn to do a trick. The witch who did the blackest trick (the witch that won) would get to marry Arriman. All the witches that live in Darkington Hall, where Arriman lived, were invited. The main characters in the story are Arriman and Belladonna. Belladonna is a white witch that wanted to become a black witch. To see if she can change to a black witch, you will have to read the book for your self.
There are a few conflicts in this story. The main conflict is that Arriman does not want to grow old, so he needs to find a wife that can do black magic. The problem is he is not comfortable going on a date. Arriman has a hard time deciding what witch did the blackest trick. The theme of this book is fantasy and magic.
Overall I like this book because it was very detailed, had a great fantasy plot and it was interesting. At times I could not put the book down because there are a lot of cliffhangers. The thing that confused me the most is that there are a lot of characters to keep track of. I cannot compare this book to another book because Eva Ibboson writes one of a kind books. The fantasy in this book is all the different kinds of magic. All the detail in this book is appealing to me. The author's style of writing is descriptive and suspenseful. Anyone who enjoys books that are full of fantasy would enjoy this book.

For my book report I chose to read a book called Which Witch? This book is about a wizard named Arriman the Awful. Ever since Arriman was a little boy he showed strange signs of being somewhat abnormal. As he grows older, his parents realize that there is definitely soothing wrong with a baby who sets houses on fire and totures the neighbors with his cruel tricks with out so much as lifting a finger! His parents come to realize that Arriman is a wizard, and an evil one at that. As he grows into a young adult, he moves away to a castle where he is still known today as Arriman the Awful, the blackest wizard of all. After 400 years of sitting in his castle torturing guests, making rabbits turn into fire breathing lizards and generally being bad, the idea hits him that some day soon he will want to retire and he decides that that day is now. There is one problem, however, with retiring at this time. Arriman will undoubtedly be lonely for the rest of his life without anyone to talk to. What Arriman needs is a faithful partner who would love him no matter what. Arriman needs a wife. Arriman makes a contest between the local witches that whoever can do the blackest thing will be Arrimans wife.
The two main characters in this book are Arriman the Awful and a girl named Belladona, a white witch who entered the contest. Throughout the coarse of the story, the two main charters run into many problems and adventures involving their magic. For example, Belladona steels back her "familiar" (an animal that witches can't do their magic without) from the evil Madam Olympia, who is Belladona's closest competitor in the contest. My favorite character is Belladona, whom I admire for her for her courage, optimism and her ability to solve problems in creative ways.
I can relate to Arriman the Awful the most because of the difficult time he has choosing between the two witches he likes best. The reason I can relate to this problem is that I have two friends who strongly dislike each other and sometimes I have to choose between them who I want to be with at that time, without hurting the other friends feelings. Fortunately for me I don't have to make a permanent decision about which friend I want to be with, unlike Arriman, who has to choose a wife for life.
I really enjoyed reading this book because its plot and great detail painted a whole new world for me to imagine while reading. I liked the characters' personalities, and I found the story very exciting and amusing. My favorite part of this book is when Arriman gives Belladonna her score in the contest for her black magic. I love how the book describes the look of amusement on Belladonna's face when she hears of her mark. There is no part of this book that I did not thoroughly enjoy, and I only regret that it ended so soon.
I would strongly recommend this book to everyone I know, including adults. This book has humor, romance, mystery, and sadness all packed into one novel. I found this book to be extremely well written and entertaining.

Which Witch

How can Belladonna win the contest when she's white? In this book by Eva Ibbotson, Arriman The Awful has decided to take a wife.Of course it will be a witch.But which witch?Arriman decides to hold a contest:Whichever witch performs the darkest piece of magic will become his bride.There are only six witches in Todcaster, and of course they all want to win, but the youngest, Belladonna, is white. (AKA good.)Belladonna decides to enter anyway,thinking she might have a chance. But then Madame Olympia shows up.Even the other witches can tell she's black just by looking at her.How can Belladonna win now? In this suspenseful book the question is this: Can true love really conquer all?

This is a novel that lives in your mind like a poem. It's a ghost story, a coming of age novel, a book about love and death. It is difficult to put the book down, once you have begun reading. Right away you like Eva, the narrator, and empathize with her loneliness, and her struggle to live her own life, to make a living.

The spirits who have visited her since she was a baby--"the woman" and "the girl"-- are ghostly projections of family. They help and hurt, they're jealous, selfish, selfless all at once just like real mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers. Eva's Scotland is a nether world of spirits. They seem to like the granite cities and the hills.

At one level the book poses the question: how can human beings live their own lives while doing justice to those who give us life and help us?

But EVA MOVES THE FURNITURE is also an absorbing story. You want to know what is going to happen when Eva, working as a nurse in Edinburgh during WW II, falls in love with a surgeon.

The author has a keen sense of history. Most of the action of the novel takes place before and during the war, but there is not a false note in the entire book. It is utterly convincing in its historical setting.

At the end of the novel, Eva discovers who the ghosts were during their time as living persons. Eva knows herself at this point, too.

You finish the book with an "ah Bartleby, ah humanity" kind of feeling.

I had heard so much about this book for a long time, and finally decided to see what all the enthusiasm was about. I was not disappointed (which often happens with raved-about books!).

Set in Scotland, this is an intelligent book which asks that we suspend belief to accommodate Eva's "companions", a young girl and a woman who accompany her through her life, appearing randomly, and able to be seen only by Eva. Although we sense that they are there to protect her, they also change the course of her life (but not its eventual outcome). Livesey deftly blurs the real and that which is fantasy, making all of these appearances by the companions, and their actions, seem natural.

Where do people go when they die? Are there spirits out there, watching over us? Is the bond between mother and daughter unbreakable and eternal? These are some of the things to be pondered while reading this book.

Livesey's telling of Eva's story, her coming-of-age, is unique and lovely. She makes the reader feel that it is perfectly logical that these companions should appear to Eva yet be kept a secret by her, even as a young child.

Realistic yet magical, this is a poignant and moving story with much food for thought.

Eva Moves the Furniture is a lovely, enchanting and moving story of a girl born as her mother dies. As Eva grows, she begins to be visited by a girl and a woman whom she refers to as her 'companions.' Eva soon realizes that no one else can see her 'companions.' These specters guide Eva, helping her with her chores and several times saving her life. Most stories that involve ghosts also involve horror, but Margot Livesey gives us ghosts who are like us...good, bad, and flawed. As a daughter, as a mother and as a reader, this book touched me, cheered me and moved me as few novels have.

I have read this work many times and many others like it. My first reading shocked my fundamentalist views, but as I researched its ideas against the rest of mystical literature, I was gradually won over to a great new revelation.

May I recommend the 1990 book "Love without End" as a continuation of this watershed work. Also the Eckankar and Taoist books shed light on the real nature of this greatest of Masters.

Peace.

The "Church" (whether any of the Catholic sects or Protestant denominations) has always taught their adherents "traditional truths" about the man that they worship as God, Jesus Christ. Throughout the history of "Christianity," these churches have emphasized rituals and outward demonstrations of devotion to this "god," no less so than the ancient Israelites making the Golden Calf. What has been taught for almost two thousand years is a complete distortion of who Jesus really was. He is the most misunderstood (and most taken-advantage-of) man in the history of the world. This book is certainly not for anyone who is happy or satisfied with the church that they belong to. This book is for people who have doubts about what they are being told, and for people who NEED to understand WHY things are the way they are in this world. Its not good enough for a religious "authority" to proclaim, "You should not have sex before marraige," but not tell you exactly why you shouldn't. The Aquarian Gospel will answer many questions, but those answers will not be accepted by a great many people who will read it. If you are skeptic about Edgar Cayce's "readings" then you should not even bother with this book. Ultimately, Levi and Cayce have tapped the same source; a source which most people cannot grasp, because they are hard of heart.

Yesterday I ordered this book to be sent to a pen pal friend in prison. I did so for a few reasons. One is that prisons allow many fundamental Christians virtually free reign in their attempts to "save" the sinners all prisoners are. These well meaning folks in many cases essentially add to the guilt and alientation virtually all prisoners share. Another reason I'm sending it to my friend is that he is well respected for his insights regarding spirituality so when he recommends this book those that know him will be prone to consider what it invites.

Reading a few reviews I can see where what is contained in the book is quite threatening. One person looked at it primarily in the historical perspective using the Bible as the benchmark to disagree with its accuracy.

For me having first read this work over 20 years ago the invitations within it are not just about Jesus by any means. It is a metaphysical treatise. If one has an open heart and mind there will be found within its pages invitations to move past some of our self created limitations.

People quibble if its Divinely inspired. Those that do do not accept and understand that everything is at its core Divine. In time they will.

If you are seeking a further understanding of your place and relationship with what Is this book could help.

Namaste,
Michael

This book was written years before Harry ever wound up on a publisher's desk, and it should not be viewed in comparison to J.K. Rowling's books. The value of Platform 13 comes in the delightful opportunities for imagination and discussion when an adult and a child read it together. We used this book for a mother/daughter group and had wonderfully creative time addressing points in Ms. Ibbotson's book. What atmosphere is the best place for a gump, and where would be the best place to find a gump in this country? If YOUR child was stolen, who would you send to rescue him or her - Odge and her friends or the harpies? (Moms had a surprising answer for this one.) Is it true that "when children behave badly it is nearly always the fault of those who bring them up"? Other quotes that sparked spirited debate included, "when you have worked and worked for something, it is almost impossible to believe that you can fail", and "it doesn't matter what your home is like - it's that it's yours that matters". This is an ingeniously creative fantasy for pre-teens, and for those adults who can still see magic in the art of storytelling. If you open your mind and your imagination you'll love this book for what it offers, and not find it necessary to make comparisons. Oh yes, if you're all grown up, don't forget to check out the harpie with a handbag, who bears a curious resemblance to a former prime minister...

An enjoyable English fantasy romp, "Platform" is far more mature than the goofy, fun "Which Witch?" It employs things that are eerily similar to Harry Potter plot devices, such as the sensitive giant, enchanted train platform, and spoiled boy vs. abused hero. However, don't compare the two books-they are totally dissimilar and Platform came first. Okay?

Nine years ago, the "gump" (sort of a dimensional portal) was open into London from the Island, a magical, beautiful place. Three nurses took the little baby Prince to London-but a desperate rich woman stole him. Nine years have passed. Now, an oddball expedition is setting out to find him composed of a dizzy fey, a fairly pretty hag, a sensitive giant, and a crotchety wizard.

Unfortunately, nine years of luxurious living with the Trottles have turned young Raymond into... well, someone not fit to be prince. The oddball four teams up with a compassionate servant boy named Ben to bring Raymond to the gump and return him. Time is running out for them to return, before the gump seals itself for another nine years.

And was I the only one getting chills about the lady with the stiletto knitting needles?

The main characters are not all there is-there's a hefty addition of many magical creatures living in and around London, including merrows, water nymphs, banshees, mistmakers, ogres, harpies, flower fairies, and so on. Ibbotson has a charming, very English style of writing without being condescending, and this tale has a great deal of magic hovering around it like a mistmaker's mist. If you're a fantasy buff, this book is a must-have!

There is life afer Harry Potter. I didn't think I would find anything to delight me in the same way, but thankfully I was wrong. This is clever and funny and quite magical. As an adult who unashamedly loves fantasy and magic for all ages, Platform 13 turned out to be one of the best of all times. Give yourself, your children and your fantasy loving friends a real treat. Buy them this book! The characters are delightfully funny, the story has great charm,and I had the pleasure of laughing out loud and being enchanted all at the same time. Bless the English for being so very good at children's story telling.

At first, I chose this book because I have read and enjoyed all of Eva Ibboton's books so far. Once again, I was not dissapointed. Island of the Aunts is about three aunts who take care of all kinds of mystical sea creatures. However, they are growing older and need some people to take care of their "residents" when they are gone. With this in mind, they kidnap two children that are named Minette and Fabio. Minette and Fabio, are two extremely wonderful children that come from horrible families. At first, Minette and Fabio are frightened, but they soon grow to love and adore the aunts. Later, all the animals as well as the aunts are in danger for horrible people who are trying to find them, and it is up to them to save the aunts and creatures they love.

Island of the Aunts is an imaginative story of an Island that not only is the habitat for normal gulls, seals and dolphins, but also selkies, mermaids and wingless dragons, not to mention a couple of ghosts. There are five aunts who originally cared for these creatures, but one of them went to foreign countries to stop people from eating rare animals, and the other was a snotty stuck-up sister who went and got filthy rich by marrying a man with three types of toilet refreshener in his bathroom. Now there are only three aunts still remaining on the island and if you want to know what happens to these aunts on the endless journey to keep the island a secret and find worthy children to watch over the island when the aunts die, read this beautifully written story Island of the Aunts by Eva Ibbotson.

If you have read this book already and enjoyed it then two other books similar to this one also by Eva Ibbotson are Which Witch and The Secret of Platform Thirteen.

If you enjoyed The Secret of Platform 13 and Dial-A-Ghost, then you'll really like Island of the Aunts.

It's about three women, Etta, Coral, and Myrtle, who live on a tiny island in the middle of the sea. On this island they take care of the most strange and exotic animals ever! These women, who really are aunts themsleves, decide that they must find some children to help them with their work and to take care of the island when they are gone. So, they travel to London to "choose" some children to go back with them. They pose as aunts, but not the kind that are one of your parents' sisters, the kind that take you places because your parents are too busy. After the children are "chosen" and taken back to the island, one aunt tells the others that she brought back a child who never should have come to the island. This story goes on, but you'll have to read the book to see what happens!

The book is full of humor, primarily British. I hope that you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Jonathan Swift's 18th century satire, Gulliver's Travels, is an extraordinary tale of the adventures of an English ship surgeon. The ship surgeon, Gulliver, by a series of unfortunate events on each of his four voyages at sea, receives the chance to explore the cultures of the countries of Lilliput, Brobdingnag, Laputa, Balnibarbi, Glubbdubdrib, Luggnagg and the land of the Houyhnhnms. Each land is considerably different from the others, and creates quite an entertaining read.

While the story itself is particularly unusual, the satirical element which Swift applied to it adds another level of comprehension. If understood, one could have a nice chuckle at the way Swift mockingly portrays ideas and people through the various cultures which Gulliver encounters. Some similes, however, are intended to get a more serious meaning across. For example, in his first journey of the book, Gulliver finds himself in the country of Lilliput where the people are only six inches tall, save the king who is seven. In this land there are two groups which were distinguished by which side a person breaks their eggs on. One king published an edict commanding all his subjects to break their eggs on the small side, but many would've picked death over breaking their eggs on the 'wrong' side, so many did. By this, Swift meant to throw contempt on the exaggerated importance that people place on their differences, as on which side one breaks an egg is a very trivial thing. The two groups mentioned represent the Catholic and Protestant religions, between which were many wars and massacres during the 1500's when the Protestants first appeared.

Gulliver's Travels takes the reader to many lands, all different and unique ' each adding another perspective on traditional beliefs and ways of thinking. Gulliver changes as much as the scenery around him, and after each voyage he has changed dramatically. At the end he has transformed so much that I feel really sorry for his family ' although it's only love that could allow them to put up with his strange behaviors.

I would recommend this book to anyone with an appetite for literature, as Gulliver's Travels is an excellent satire of the ways of the thinking in the early 1700's. Also, the author does a good job in describing the lands which Gulliver visits in great detail. Although Swift may not have written this book with intense action scenes and steamy romance, it is definitely a work worthy of the people of today.

Lemuel Gulliver is a surgeon/ship¨ˆs captain who embarks on several intriguing adventures. His first endeavor takes him to Lilliput, where all inhabitants are six inches tall, but resemble normal humans in every other respect. His next voyage lands him on Brobdingnag, where a grown man is sixty feet tall, and even the shortest dwarf stands thirty feet tall. On his third trip, he travels to several locations, including a floating island. During Gulliver¨ˆs final voyage, he is abandoned by his mutinous crew on the island of the Houyhnhnms, which are extremely intelligent horses. No evil or concept of lying exists among these creatures. The island is also inhabited by Yahoos, savage, irrational human-like creatures who are kept as pets by the Houyhnhnms. Gulliver wishes to spend the rest of his life on this peaceful island, but he is banished and forced to return to England.
I really enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to people 14 or older. Since the novel was written in the 1700¡¯s, the words, grammar and usage are a little confusing. The reader also must have prior knowledge of 18th-century politics to get a full image of what Swift is trying to convey. At some points, the author goes into detail about nautical terms and happenings, and that tends to drag. Overall, the book is well-written, slightly humorous, if not a little confusing.

I have trouble reading classic literature. I am an avid reader and I want to enjoy the classics, but just find it difficult to understand the meaning in some of the writing.

This, however, was a pleasant surprise. Although written in the early 1700s, the story itself was fairly easy to follow. Even towards the end, I began to see the underlying theme of the satire that Swift has been praised for in this work.

Being someone who reads primarily science fiction and fantasy novels, I thought this might be an opportunity to culture myself while also enjoying a good story. I was correct in my thinking. Even if you can't pick up on the satire, there is still a good classic fantasy story.

Essentially, the book details the travels of Lemuel Gulliver, who by several misfortunes, visits remote and unheard of lands. In each, Gulliver spends enough time to understand the language and culture of each of these land's inhabitants. He also details the difference in culture of his native England to the highest rulers of the visted nations. In his writing of these differences, he is able to show his dislike with the system of government of England. He does this by simply stating how things are in England and then uses the reaction of the strangers as outsiders looking in, showing their lack of respect for what Gulliver describes.

I found it very interesting to see that even as early as the 1700s there was a general dislike of government as well as lawyers.

I would recommend this book to anyone who reads the fantasy genre. Obviously, it's not an epic saga like so many most fantasy readers enjoy, but it's a nice break. I would also recommend this to high school students who are asked to pick a classic piece for a book report. It reads relatively quick and isn't as difficult to read as some of the others that I've tried to read.