Heart Thief is a follow up to the brilliant HeartMate. (Heart Duel is next in the series and i hope to see a long line of Heart books ahead!!) It stands alone, but one has the purest thrill reading them in order. Owens took Ancient Celt-pagan lore & projected it on her imaginary planet of Celta. Centuries ago, Earth-travellers left on 3 ships and stumbled onto a world they called Celta. People of the original families arrived with "Flair", witchcraft or magick, and over the centuries these powers have been refined, amplified. Each person is born with power, which 'specialness' their talents that set them on their course in careers, and if lucky, reveals their HeartMate. Born of 13 royal houses, people of with Flair rule Celta.

In HeartMate, Ruis Elder was the thief who first stole, and then returned, the HeartGift T'Ash had made for his HeartMate. Ruis Elder is arrested for this and other thefts, but he was only using the gems he stole to repair machines the original settlers brought with them from Earth. Ruis finds solace and sanity in repairing these long neglected devices. He tries to pretend he does not care; he is a Null and knows his arrest could end with his death.

Ruis has been hunted by his Uncle Baucus T'Elder. Ruis was the Heir to the House of Elder, but after the death of his father and mother, it is discovered he is a Null. Baucus uses this to rob Ruis of his birthright. Baucus is a villain of the first class. He tortured Ruis as a child, and has murdered to secure his rise to Captain of the FirstFamilies. And he wants Ruis dead, for only then will he rest secure in his hold on the House of Elder.

Ailim D' SilverFir is a Judge of Celta. She assumed the head of her house upon her mother's death. She is a Telempath, who uses her ability to read others thoughts to judge those brought before her. But she has to go before the FirstFamily Council, to beg for a loan because her house is in peril. She is so tired for it's hard to always hear the thoughts of others, to know their inner most feelings. Especially when her family is so selfish, greedy and fights her in everything.

While she waits to be called concerning the status on her loan request to save her House, she is surprised by the man waiting sentencing. Ruis Elder brings her peace. She recognises he is a Null, but instead of being fearful or repulsed, she finds his Nullness gives her tranquillity. With him, she does not have to expend the vast Flair energy just to protect herself from the constant intrusion of everyone's thoughts. Since his Null void stops the powers of everyone around him, she finds a haven of peace when she is with Ruis.

With FamKitty flying around on a mini saucer, a spaceship to make HAL jealous, characters from the first novel, and a potent, sexy forbidden romance between Ruis and Ailim, Owen scores BIG with another Winner! HeartMate was just so original, so special it was hard to envision a writer pulling off a second tour de force and make it as marvellous. Most movies and books with sequels, witness the sequels rarely matching the freshness, the spark of brilliance of the original. That is NOT the case with Heart Thief. If anything, it's even better! Eagerly waiting Heart Duel ( Faster Robin! Cannot wait!!)

Kiss & Tell is a series of three novels for Harlequin Blaze by the sizzling, talented writing team of Lori and Tony a.k.a. Tori Carrington. Jack, Reilly, Mallory and Layla were good friends. Since all three women found Jake attractive, to keep the friendship from getting nasty with sharp objects, the women make a pact that Jack if off-limits to all of them. In Night Fever (Blaze #105) we have Layla's story. And in typical "Tori" fashion, this one burns. What for finger-singeing!

Dr. Layla Hollister is not looking forward to meeting her new boss Dr. Sam Lovejoy. Lovejoy is the bodyworks man for Hollywood celebs, giving, adding what they don't have, and taking away what they have too much of! Since Layla is a dedicated GP, she sees this sort of medicine as an insult to her profession. Only, Dr. Lovejoy has been put in charge of Trident Medical Centre where Layla works. When she meets the sexy, blond man in a trendy dinner club, she does not expect the man with the bedroom eyes is none other than her boss. He gathers from the short conversation they have, that she will immediately stop the flirting if she learnt he was none other than the very boss she is making snide comments about. So, he holds his silence, hoping to get to know her.

The next morning, Layla learns that the sexy stranger is her new boss. She does not want to have an "in-house romance", having been burned by another doctor representing himself as single when he was not. Despite that and her anger over him being a plastic surgeon, she cannot stop the attraction she feels for the unusual man. He has a good sense of humour, and he is oh so sexy!

Sam's sister Heather gets on his case for loving them and leaving them, and says he should try to actually have a real relationship with a woman for a change. Sam tries. As he tries, he becomes aware that Layla is not. She likes the hot times in the sheets, but she is not expecting it to last. Frankly, since the poor lass is working 40 hours a week at her job and another 40 at a clinic for low income, one can forgive her for not having her thinking cap on!

The characters are dead on real. They are funny, loving, people you might meet on the street. Chalk up another winner for the Carrington duo!

Some writers learn the craft and their works improve with time. You go back and revisit some of their earlier works and you see flaws, but you smile at the talent so shiny and new. I don't think Anne Stuart, resident genius of romance, ever went through that period. She seems to have stepped into Romance writing with a clear purpose, and had never deviated from the brilliance. This is very clear when you go back and reread her early work for Harlequin Intrigue or Harlequin American Romance, from 15-years or more. Most works that old, already show dating badly, yet Stuart's works not only hold up remarkably well, they simply shine with her clear purpose. Stuart loves writing romance, that sizzle and pop chemistry created by the special woman and man meeting. Few writers really have the grasp of male characters the way she does. And more importantly, few can really give you the baddest of bad boy - the Gamma rogues that make Alpha males step aside when they see them coming, the hero totally outside of laws, and yet makes them utterly compelling. She takes unrepentant killers, madmen, assassins, gunslingers, a court jester, a cult leader, even a cop unable to be a manhunter anymore and a lawyer willing to break the laws to keep his lady safe, and she makes these men outside the norm so breathtakingly mesmerising all the readers can do it sit back wonder at her magic and enjoy!

Catspaw - Harlequin Intrigue #9 published in 1985 - is one of these dusty gems sitting on my Keeper Shelf. And it's there for a reason. It's also included in Thieves, Spies And Other Lovers (By Request) Anthology. Quite a shame this, along with it's sequel Catspaw 2 Harlequin Intrigue #103 are not reprinted in the same volume. My old HIs are showing yellow pages, so I would appreciate new copies, and fans of Stuart who missed these would scoop them up. Because it's Stuart at her very best.

Ferris Byrd is a self-made woman. Ferris is really Francesca Berdahofski, from a large family outside of Chicago. Her mother was Italian, her father polish, and while there was a lot of love with her nine brothers and sisters, she saw woman having babies too young and having a lifetime of regrets. She did not want to live with the same regrets. So Francesca, now the cool Ferris, is semi-engage to a lawyer running for the Senate. She is the well turned out, perfectly coiffed woman of snobby elegance, even though underneath lurks the jeans wearer, binge-cleaning mild slob that enjoy old movies and ice cream. She should have known when she named her grey tomcat, Blackie that it was an omen. She named him after one John Patrick Blackheart, one of the most eligible bachelors in San Francisco. Blackheart - the name fitting the man in her mind - is a reformed cat burglar. Now, he runs a security firm that takes on special cases to provide complete security. Ferris is charged with the display of priceless emerald and a charity ball, and she has been instructed to hire Blackheart to see the emeralds are returned to their owner at the end of the night in mint condition.

Ferris is immediately ruffled by Blackheart, who immediately decides Ferris is a finely create veneer he is interesting in cracking. He finds Francesca must more attractive and sets out to provoke her at every turn. Just as she admits she is
falling in love with him, the emeralds are stolen and evidence points to Blackheart being unable to resist his old trade.

Ferris/Francesca is a delightful creation. You could easily have disliked her stuffy persona, but not when you get to see Francesca underneath. Blackheart, is pure Stuart Bad Boy, so sexy it will knock your socks off. Their falling in love is just so utterly heart stealing. Seriously, this is Stuart flying high, her talent dazzling, her prose evocative. If you are a Stuart Fan and have missed this diamond, then don't
hesitate to lurk around until you find a copy. If you have never read this talented writer, then you cannot have a better introduction. Stuart proves it takes a thief to steal your heart! Just be sure while you are checking around for that used copy to get Catspaw 2. You won't miss the second tale in the series. 1 Used & New from £39.95 on Amazon.co.uk says it all!!

Anne Stuart is one of my favorite Romance writers, has been for twenty-years, and for no small reason. Few authors have written as many books, and yet, maintain the same quality, while never repeating a storyline. Each book is so original, so special. I have been going through some of my Keepers, doing reviews for them. Stuart delights in giving us a hero we ordinarily would not like to see as a hero - a defrocked monk, a madman, a killer, an assassin, the King's fool, a cult leader, a cat burglar. If you made up a list of the top 10 men you could never like for a hero, she has done every one, and invented a couple dozen others, just to prove she CAN make you fall for this anti-hero hero when your knee-jerk reaction is no way. This time she does the hardest hat trick - a lawyer!

Alexander "Sandy" Caldicott was a brilliant, highly paid lawyer. Only, it was boring him. He was tired of getting less than innocent people off. Tired of seeing the underdog lose. Facing a tropical vacation, the notion equally bored him. So when Jane Dexter came into his life, he was delighted. He was no longer bored. It did not matter Jane believed him to be Jimmy the Weasel, an arsonist. Jimmy was his last client, he just gotten off. As they were coming out of the courthouse, the press snapped their pictures, and credited their names in the wrong order under the picture. So Jane now thinks Sandy is Jimmy. And she wants him to torch her uncle's, Stephens business.

Her brother, Richard, was a brilliant scientist and he discovered a formula for coating metals with titanium. It could already be done, but Richard created a very cheap process for it. Just before he was to announce it, Richard died in a car accident, and suddenly her uncle is trying to sell the process to the highest bidder. And Jane is determined to stop him. Sandy decides the best way to protect Jane is go along with her and be her partner in crime. They break into her uncle's business using Richard's key, but discover someone has gone to great lengths to erase that Richard ever worked there. The next day Sandy and Jane hire on as temps, and discover Stephan is trying to sell the formula, but cannot. Richard hid a key step in the process and now Stephan is desperate to find it, willing to kill Jane to get the formula.

It's all great fun, with some wonderful Stuart throwaway lines. But there is one point in the plot that had my teeth grinding. Stephan as tried to kill Jane and Sandy by cutting the breaks on the car. Jane is still nervous, but sneaks out to go jogging by herself in the predawn hours - even knowing there is a professional hitman lurking about. Sorry, that trite "Oh, I have to get out and have air by myself and put myself in danger" is very shoddy. It's a cop out just to put the heroine in danger, and the first time I have seen Stuart sink to this old ploy. The rest of the book is five star Stuart writing. But this "mind charlie-horse", just makes you groan.

Sandy is funny, Jane endearing. The remainer it well drawn and with such great wit, showing Stuart's lighter side. All in all, a satisfying read.

Melanie Jackson is a lyrical, poetic writer so strong on imagery. I have long seen this in her writing from the first book I read of her, and this skill has lonely grown with each book. A good writer makes me "see" their story, not just read it, and few have such power to paint pictures as Jackson. She has done Historicals and paranormals, but she has really hit her stride with her Goblin series (Traveler, Outsiders, The Courier). They are original, fresh and I cannot wait to see what the Goblins destroy next! There tales are lush with ancient Celtic lore and myths, and Still Life - the fourth in the series - is another winner. I am hoping to see her Goblins one day destroy the Kentucky Derby or play havoc with the Highland Games. Surely, they are going to attack Venice...row, row, row your boats Goblin style!

In the fourth tale, Nyssal Laszlo, suffers from amnesia, yet in her dreams, snippets of the forgotten past are coming to her. In these dreams, she discovers she had the power to project her mind. While researching ancient myths and lore, she discovers an ancient relic. Medieval monks presumed it was the skeleton of an angel, but Nyssal recognizes it for what it really it - the skeleton of one of them pesky smelly goblins. This triggers vivid dreams in Nyssal. She has an important role in the never-ending battle between man and goblin, but is unaware of this. With each projection of her mind, she grows more concerned she carries important information locked within her. She repetitively walks in her dreams into a portrait, a still life, rich in color and detail. And each time she returns to the still life, she discovers dark things, learns who she really is - whether she wants to or not.

The Unseelie Court - bad faeries - had a long ago pack with the Goblins, and they fear Nyssal's dream projections. Abrial, is a dreamwalker and he is sent by Jack Frost to pursue Nyssal in her dream state. As Abrial follows her in this dream realm, he comes to love her, but in his heart, he fears their love is doomed. Inside Nyssal is a dark secret making her a target. Even her father would rather see Nyssal dead than reveal what is hidden deep with in her.

Abrial is a strong hero, the dark tormented Alpha male. The executioner for the Seelie Court, Abrial has so long lived without emotions, blocking them in ordered to live with the guilt of those deaths he caused. Nyssal's mind projection is able to break down his barriers, reach him.

Jackson once again takes myths, legends and lore and skillfully weaves them into the struggle to save mankind from the Goblin menace. The pace is fast, the concept imaginative and fresh, showing Jackson is a paranormal writer who blazes her own paths through the Goblin Wood. Yes, there will be a 5th Goblin tale. A shame we have to wait until next year!

Despite Disney Studios stupidly trying to push Hidalgo as fact, ignore that. This is Viggo Mortensen's first movie, since giving us the warrior-king Aragorn. He brought such compassion, such caring to that character, it's hard to think of any one else playing the role. So now, one ponders if he is "typecast" as Aragorn in everyone's minds. Will they accept him as a redhead, sans the beard of the darkly handsome ranger? The Rings Trilogy will live in our minds for decades. Those movies are the Gone With the Wind, Wizard of Oz, the Star Wars Sagas of our era. That Viggo is a super actor was proven long ago, if anyone was paying attention. He's acted with some of Hollywood's legends - actors and directors - but he is a near Alec Guinness type chameleon, so his works often went unnoticed. Hidalgo is not only the first project for him after Rings, it's the first really big budget film he's done riding solely on his shoulders. As such, he not only battled the Aragorn mantle, Disney's error in publicity, but the question - can he translate that into a leading man career?

The answer so far is not clear. But I believe he will. He is just too talented. Disney really muffed the ball. Six months before the movie came out it was hit with a hue & cry by historians offering evidence Hidalgo was far from factual. But then, stop and think. Since WHEN did Hollywood ever present TRUE history. One only has to look at Braveheart and Rob Roy to see great movies - shoddy history. It's always been the case with Hollywood. So Disney made a BAD decision to push this as "a true story". Even before the movie was released, there was a growing feeling of "Anti-Hidalgo".

For me, leave Disney faux pas at the door. While loving Rings, leave Aragorn at the door. And just enjoy. Movies are not for learning, they are for entertainment, something often ignored or forgotten. This is a very enjoyable movie. Directed by Joe Johnston, a rather new director (Jurassic Park III and some of the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles), he does well in giving an old-fashioned adventure for the whole family. It's filmed with an eye of beautiful imagery.

Viggo plays Frank Hopkins, who tried to make himself a legend in his own time. Many of Hopkins claims have been proven false, but as I said, this IS Hollywood. Hopkins supposedly was a rider/messenger for the Army after Little Big Horn, a time when the US Army extracted vengeance by massacring non-rebellious Indians at Wounded Knee. One of the saddest incidents in US history. He delivered the ordered that set loose the massacre. He had left, but hears the gunfire and returns to see the result. This cripples him emotionally. Hopkins life falls into an endless tour of towns with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, where he's billed as the greatest horseman and his horse, Hidalgo, is the greatest horse in the world because of the countless races he has won. Hopkins inner pain is compounded by seeing the Indian's portrayed in a shabby like by the Wild West Show.

Things shift for Hopkins, as an Arab visiting American challenges that claim Hidalgo is the fastest horse in the world. He demands either stop making the claim or have it proven in a race called the Oceans of Fires. Everyone chips in to help Hopkins and his horse compete. It's a grueling contest that sees riders and horses falling by the wayside, but Hopkins faces more than just finishing, there are Arabs determined that the American not win.

Don't nitpic, don't try to read political undertones into it, just sit back and enjoy. Viggo, a devout horseman, clearly bonds with the amazing Paint. I have never seen a horse with such an expressive face. Very understandable Viggo bought the horse.

I advise getting the widescreen version. The regular edition just seems too cramped. Also, there are times when Viggo is speaking with an Indian in the native tongue, or Omar Shariff is speaking to his daughter in Arabic, that it's not subtitled, so you are left sitting there going...so? Otherwise the transfer is beautiful.

Secrets Vol. 9 gives you a little something for everyone!

Wanted by Kimberly Dean, has FBI Special Agent Jeff Reno chasing Danielle Carver. This was a FUN, sexy tale. Reno has been chasing Danielle for nearly two years, hot on her trail...well, actually, he is just getting hot and hotter - under the collar and for Danielle. She has been framed for industrial espionage. Reno made his case against her and it was unbreakable. But the sassy Danielle has been playing one smart mousie to his cat, keeping just one-step ahead of him. And it's driving him nuts! He finally catches her, but then the games really begin. This is a delightful spunky tale! So strong on romance!

Wild For You is an engaging tale my Kathryn Anne Dubois, sort of Tarzan goes Chit Lit! Dubois really has fun with this story and so will the readers. Georgie a college intern gets lost in the Congo and is captured by a virginal Wildman. He's never seen a woman, and well, Georgie is valley girl all they way. It's a sexy, whimsical tale, that Dubois plays with and really shines in.

Flights of Fantasy by the very talented Bonnie Harme - just continues to demonstrate she has a fine hold of the mechanics that make romance/erotic stories so brilliant. First, she always starts will such strong characters, then she moves to romance - real romance - and then she layers on the steam. She is a talent to watch! In this tale, Chloe teaches others to see the realities of life, but she has never faced her inner own realities, her yearnings. Harme is pure magic!

Secluded by Lisa Marie Rice is a dark tale. Nicholas Lee is wealthy, he is powerful, but with that wealth and power comes very determined enemies. Enemies determined to will kill anyone he loves. When Isabelle Summerby steals his hear, Nicholas spirits her away to his underground palace to live a lifetime in mere days. A very diverting tale that shows strong imagery. Good grasp of what makes a romance work.

So all in all, Secrets Vol. 9 will have something to please every tasted!

Secrets Vol. 10 is sadly a very mixed bag. Dominique Sinclair's story is the best - guess that is why it was in lead position! It's sheer brilliance! It just does not get any better than her story. Harme does a good turn, showing fine strength in creating characters you care about, a story to touch the heart. Both of these writers know what ROMANCE is and how it's the foundation to a story. Cesarini is a talent, but this story fails because of the sad, distasteful premise. Dubois offers debauched as romance and eroticism, and it's neither.

Dominique Sinclair's novella in Secrets Vol. 10 marks her as a talent to watch. I said the same thing when Angela Knight rose through Secrets. I recall reading Knight's novella, Roarke's Prisoner, and thought WOW, this is a writer! Well, I just read Sinclair's Private Eyes and I am again saying WOW, this is a writer. Novella writing is tough. To craft a story, to bring the characters to life, in such a short space, is hard to do. But Sinclair does it and it's simply amazing. Nicolla Black is a private eye who specializes in catching two-timing husbands in the act. While on a case, she crosses the path of a dark and dangerous man, and the connection between them is instant. Has her cases keeps bringing them into contact, she cannot resist this man, this sexy stranger, but the surrender is going to cost her big. This is sizzling; this is talent at its best. I am eagerly awaiting more material from Sinclair. This one is a 5 Star story! This story is worth buying the book for! Shame it cannot be said of some of the others.

The Ruination of Lady Jane by Bonne Harme is a historical. To keep from being forced into an unwanted marriage Lady Jane Maitland flees into the arms of Havyn Attercliffe. She wants him to "ruin" her so her odious fiance will not want her. It's a delightful tale, of an unloved ugly duckling turned swan, the rich ward of Hayvn's older brother. You can see the plot coming a mile down the road, but Harme's gentle prose, brings alive Lady Jane, makes you feel her pain. Simply an enchanting tale, rating a 5 star.

Jeanie Cesarini's offering, Code Name: Kiss, deals with a female Agent named Lily Justiss trying to foil terrorists. To defend her country she must submit herself as a sex slave. Her commanding officer, Seth Blackthorn worries about getting Lily
out safely. I am sorry; I had serious problems with this tale. "I told myself this was practice for my fantasies about Seth," Lily thinks, while another man - a terrorist - is taking her virginity. Sorry, stay at home and work on it in person, Lily! "Lily's virginity is a casualty. Unfortunate, yes...," says a woman overseeing the operation. This is beyond the pale, you are just asking too much of me to view this as entertainment. While Cesarini is a talent, and I have enjoyed many of her other stories, a woman, a virgin, having to be a sex slave to foil the enemies of her country is just a bit much for me to stomach. In this time, when Terrorism is an ever-present danger, using it in this manner for titillation smacks WRONG. I don't think any country would be proud of one of their women becoming a sex slave to their enemy. There is no doubt Cesarini is a good writer, just this story's premise is all wrong. Sometimes the ends does NOT justify the means, as the writers stresses over and over. I look forward to this talented writer doing other works. When young men are dying overseas in support of their country, this ugly premise left me cold, this tale left me so so SAD.

Kathryn Anne Dubois rounds out the four tales with The Sacrifice, a tale in with Anastasia Bedovier plans on taking the vow to be a nun in three days. Before she does this, she wants to experience the pleasures she will deny the rest of her life. Count Maxwell the infamous "Lord Pleasure" is the perfect man to assure her wish is fulfilled. The real sacrifice in this tale is character development and a true plot. The premise is shaky. The setting is in Medieval times? - I presume that because she discusses the setting in a keep with a barbican, but then confuses the reader by describing the fire as "soft crackle of sagebrush". Well, get a long little doggie. I also infer with names like Ian and Duncan Maxwell, this is Scotland, but Maxwell is called "Count" Maxwell (repeatedly on every page). This story lacked all romance, it lacked anything remotely like character development, characters that moved the story by their force. Dubois story fails to involve the reader because I didn't know her characters; I didn't care about them.

Dubois and Cesarini would do well to read Dominique Sinclair and Angela Knight, see the difference.

What an early Eastwood gem! Eastwood as Rowdy Yates rode off into sunset of Spaghetti Westerns in the 60's, but came back to start is long career in Hollywood movies with several quirky, oddball movies Two Mules for Sister Sara and Kelly's Heroes. This is a totally funny movie, with strong acting from an all star cast. HOWEVER - I really wish since we have DVD and can add so much, that they would put out the FULL LENGTH version of this movie. I have seen the longer version and it's so good. So many of the funny stuff was whacked out for length! WHY they did not do the longer version is beyond me!

The heroes are not Kelly's, they actually belong to Big Joe (Telly Savalas) - well actually to Maitland, their absentee Capt. - and they are not heroes. You quickly learn from Oddball (Donald Sutherland in his pre-Hawkeye rebel role), that a hero is nothing but a sandwich to most of these guys. Maitland is the general's nephew who is more interested in looting the countryside, so he leaves the weary misfits under Big Joe's capable care. Only, Kelly (Eastwood) discovered there is a bank behind enemy lines with millions of dollars in gold bars. Kelly quickly decides a bank job that isn't a bank job is much better than just getting shot by Germans.

Along for the ride is Sutherland's tank team - with Gavin Macleod as his second in command. Some of Sutherland's and Macleod's "making with them negative waves" banter is just so perfect! Then there is Cowboy (Jeff Morrsi and Willard (Harry Dean Statton, who actually gets to sing!) "Damn right!", Gene Collins' Pvt. Babra "Stop calling me Barbara!" and Don Rickles as Crapgame.

Toss in scenes that are witty, a parody of Eastwood Spaghetti showdown, this is just brilliantly directed, paced, acted and written from beginning to end. Don't miss Sutherland and his dog imitations, the exploding shells of paint or Crapgame's encounter with the outhouse!

I think I have all of Ewart Oakeshott books, and find them an invaluable source of information on Knights, Weaponry, Armour and how the knight lived, girded himself for battle and their function in the Medieval feudal system. This book is no expect ion, but rather the rule to quality works.

It's full of just about everything you would want to know about the swords, their use, and construction. There are hundreds of sketches to help you understand his discussions, lots of black and white plate photos. The book is broken down to groups - Swords 1050-1350, Group 2 1350-1550, then breaks down into Pommel-Forms, Cross-Guards, Grips and Scabbards.

A wonderful references for the writer, sword collector and some the passing enthusiast.