Erotica/Romance. 11148 words long. Views: 19
Time has already stopped for Stephen Griffin when he moves into the little house by the sea. Twenty-eight years old and haunted by death, the tall, awkward, shy schoolteacher is Content to care for his father in Dublin and let life pass him by.Then a miracle appears: a string ensemble from Venice and, with it, a violinist named Gabriella Castoldi. Even though the worldly, beautiful musician seems incapable of giving her heart, love seizes Stephen Griffin ... unbidden and shaking every particle of his spirit.Stephen's ailing father sees it and fears for his naive son. Nelly Grant, the green-grocer, predicted it and welcomes its sheer joy. Moses Mooney, the blind musician, has sensed its coming. None, however, can envision the depth and consequence of this union. For Gabriella will change not only Stephen's life but, in the deepest sense, the lives of everyone around them."As It Is In Heaven" evokes the magical essence of romance and its miraculous ability to grace even the darkest lifewith light. Splendidly crafted and charged with poignancy, it firmly establishes Niall Williams as a master storyteller in the grand tradition of Irish literature.Amazon.com ReviewIt seems right that the lovers in Niall Williams's As It Is in Heaven hail from Italy and Ireland, those sentimental favorites among nations. Williams won kudos and laurels, fans and fame for his first novel, Four Letters of Love, and his second finds him once again illuminating a simple love affair with his own special brand of fine and even brave mawkishness. Dubliner Stephen Griffin, though possessed of a "thin and long" body, is stunted emotionally by the loss of his mother and sister in a tragic car wreck. That is, until one evening he ends up at a tiny concert hall in County Clare, listening to the Venetian beauty Gabriella Castoldi play the violin. Williams writes with fairy-tale breathlessness of the audience: "The room was balmy with delight. And when the people sat again for the slow and romantic melancholy of the Puccini, they were pillowed on a deep and heartfelt gladness.... Stephen looked at the woman whose name he did not yet know and his heart raced." Such mauvish passages abound. Here is an author who never met a bold pronouncement on the subject of Love that he didn't, well, Love. At one point, for instance, Stephen "heard the victory of Love over Death." What makes Williams's writing work--to the degree that it does work--is the way his fuzzy, myopic generalizations are coupled with keen observation: "Stephen danced like a man who had been given wooden legs. They flew out in sharp angles and measured air like a pair of pincers." A stack of suitcases is "an Italian hilltown." At its best, this gentle magical realism reads like Mark Helprin without the irony. And like Helprin, Williams is in thrall to the glamour of geography. Stephen and Gabriella pursue each other through Clare and Kerry to Venice and back. The course of true love never did run smooth, but the bumps here prove none too discouraging. --Claire DedererFrom Publishers WeeklyWilliams, a gifted Irish writer, was known only for nonfiction until his first novel Four Letters of Love reaped a chorus of praise (including a PW Best Books accolade) a couple of years ago. Now he has tried to repeat the trick, but unfortunately the freshness that leaped from the pages has become mere practiced calculation. His hero, Stephen Griffin, is a dim young man declining into premature senility as a history teacher, whose life is transformed by the rather improbable arrival of a beautiful but deeply unhappy young Italian violinist, Gabriella Castoldi, to play a concert at a little West Ireland hotel. Griffin is struck dumb with passion; since symptoms of magic realism abound, smells of white lilies and a general glowing aura convince those around him he is in love. Gabriella, emerging from an unhappy affair, decides to stay on in Ireland; Griffin meets her again and they have a fling; she goes back to Venice and finds she is pregnant; he follows but cannot find her; she comes back; finally, they carry out the wishes of an old blind seafarer (shades of Under Milk Wood's Captain Cat) and build a beautiful little music school by the sea. Williams is a felicitous phrasemaker, and he conjures up some lovely poetic images of weather and seascapes. Passages about the ineffable beauty of music and the emotional impact it can have are touching. But the sense of delighted surprise that was so constant in Letters is notably absent; the story is far more rigidly structured, and the characters, from Stephen's poor dad dying of cancer and trying to give his money away, to a chirpy lady who keeps a greengrocer shop and knows what fruits to sell for all ills of the heart, are tired clich?s. There are pleasures here for those who enjoy the equivalent of a beautifully photographed, sad movie, but Williams had seemed capable of much more. Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club alternates; author tour. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. Views: 19
Fifteen-year-old Katy Bourne and sixteen-year-old Alan Coughlan are missing. Though they are students at the same school, they hardly know each other, so it's strange that they should disappear together. Katy's mother, self-centered and unloving, doesn't mind if her daughter never comes home. Alan's solid working-class parents are pained and puzzled by their son's departure.There's not much the police can do about runaway teenagers, but Detective Constable Charlie Peace goes through the motions. He interviews the families, he visits the school. Alan had friends and had aspired to a good education. Katy had nothing, least of all self-esteem.The two teens could be anywhere, even living dangerously on the streets of Leeds, so it's with relief that Charlie discovers them in a hostel for homeless young people. But are they safe? And who is Ben Marchant, the man who runs the shelter?Whoever he is, he seems to be doing well. Young people beg or work as street musicians during... Views: 19
′Here in the valley, food is part of our lives ... When I eat a peach I remember the smell of the soil as I planted the tree ...′ Jackie French brings vividly to life her wonderful experiences living in the Araluen Valley, an extraordinary part of the NSW Southern Tablelands. Sprinkled in between her stories are natural remedies and tips for the home, and over eighty wonderful recipes Jackie has derived from the valley′s four seasons. During spring you can try asparagus omelette, artichokes Araluen, or orange-blossom jam. In summer, there′s mulberry crush, peach sorbet and the classic Aussie tomato sandwich. From autumn comes harvest tart, verjuice veal and a basil aphrodisiac! And in winter you can choose from hearth cakes, duck stuffed with dried peaches and Jackie′s favourite carrot soup. Though the valley has changed over the years, its remarkable smells and tastes, the unique rhythm of days and... Views: 19
Chief White Bear and his Kiowa tribe would accept no more broken promises from the white man, so they left the Indian Territory reservations and crossed the Red River to the south. But heir last desperate attempt to regain the land of their ancestors meant dead white settlers, embattled soldiers, and shaken supply routes. general Sheridan's seasoned forced were now on the move to stem the Indian tide. And crack Army Sergeant Seamus Donegan would soon find himself at the center of a vast and bloody war... Views: 19
"I am a good guy. Good guys don't do bad things. Good guys understand that no means no, and so I could not have done this because I understand." Keir Sarafian knows many things about himself. He is a talented football player, a loyal friend, a devoted son and brother. Most of all, he is a good guy. And yet the love of his life thinks otherwise. Gigi says Keir has done something awful. Something unforgivable. Keir doesn't understand. He loves Gigi. He would never do anything to hurt her. So Keir carefully recounts the events leading up to that one fateful night, in order to uncover the truth. Clearly, there has been a mistake. But what has happened is, indeed, something inexcusable. Views: 19
Amy comes up with the perfect Christmas present for Ms. Sullivan in the ninth book of the Critter Club series.It's holiday time in Santa Vista, and Amy is especially excited for Christmas. Her dad and soon-to-be stepmom and stepsister are visiting, plus, there are some adorable guinea pigs at the Critter Club. But amidst the hustle and bustle of Christmas preparations, Amy notices that Ms. Sullivan seems a little lonely. Though Ms. Sullivan assures Amy that she will have a lovely holiday with her dog Rufus, Amy begins to wonder if there's something she can do to cheer up Ms. Sullivan. As Christmas Eve nears, the Critter Club girls still have not found families to adopt the guinea pigs. But then, in a Christmas miracle, each guinea pig gets a home. And come Christmas Day, Amy has devised a great plan to give Ms. Sullivan some cheer—and some company—on Christmas! With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, The... Views: 19
Warfare has changed on this strange world to which a ship carrying two Civil War regiments was transported. In their ongoing fight against enslavement inflicted on all human societies by the terrifying 9 ft. tall nomadic Hordes, Lieutenant Andrew Keane has allied his Union troops with descendants of medieval Russians and ancient Romans. But the Hordes’ weapons and technology are now more advanced, following the recent arrival of three members of the Bantag Horde via the mysterious “tunnel of light”. Once again the human armies under Andrew Keane must fight to keep the Hordes from recapturing the liberated human cities. The latest attack comes during a bitterly cold winter, and it will take every ounce of ingenuity and courage for Keane’s army to counter the Hordes’ brutal assault.
Military fiction at its best.
“The Lost Regiment series moves like a bullet … an exciting read.”
- Locus Magazine
"One of the most intriguing writers today in the field of historical and military science fiction."
- Harry Turtledove, author of THE GUNS OF THE SOUTH and HOW FEW REMAIN
[The Lost Regiment series is] “A parallel world of majestic sweep and gripping intensity."
- L. Sprague de Camp, author of LEST DARKNESS FALL and THE ANCIENT ENGINEERS
“Exciting and moves like a bullet with good characters and battle scenes. . . . An excellent read.”
- Analog
"With Bill Forstchen, you'll get some of the best adventure writing in years!"
- Science Fiction Chronicle
"Bill Forstchen is highly respected in the military history community because he is the only one working in the field who understands the operational aspects of war, as well as the tactical and the policy/Strategic levels."
- Dr. Dennis Showalter, Past President of the Society for Military History, author of TANNENBERG: CLASH OF EMPIRES
William R. Forstchen is the author of over forty books, has a Ph.D. in history from Purdue University and is a Faculty Fellow at Montreat College. His broad spectrum of writing includes science fiction and fantasy, historical fiction, alternate history, several scholarly works, numerous short stories and articles and near-future thrillers ONE SECOND AFTER, ONE YEAR AFTER, THE FINAL DAY, and PILLAR TO THE SKY.
**About the Author
William R. Forstchen is the author of more than forty books, including the award-winning We Look Like Men of War. He is a professor of history and Faculty Fellow at Montreat College, in Montreat, North Carolina. Forstchen resides near Asheville, North Carolina. Views: 19
A compelling argument that connects the lost treasure of the Knights Templar to the mysterious money pit on Oak Island, Nova Scotia, that has baffled treasure hunters for two centuries
• Fascinating occult detective work linking the Cathars, the Scottish Masons, and Renne-le-Chateau to the elusive treasure pit on Oak Island
• Draws on new evidence recently unearthed in Italy, France, and Scotland to provide a compelling solution to one of the world's most enduring mysteries
When the Order of Knights Templar was ruthlessly dissolved in 1307 by King Philip the Fair of France it possessed immense wealth and political power, yet none of the treasure the Templars amassed has ever been found. Their treasure is rumored to contain artifacts of spiritual significance retrieved by the order during the Crusades, including the genealogies of David and Jesus and documents that trace these bloodlines into the royal bloodlines of Merovingian France.
Placing a Scottish presence in the New World a century before Columbus, Steven Sora paints a credible scenario that has the Sinclair clan of Scotland transporting the wealth of the Templars--entrusted to them as the Masonic heirs of the order--to a remote island off the shores of present-day Nova Scotia. The mysterious money pit there is commonly believed to have been built before 1497 and has guarded its secret contents tenaciously despite two centuries of determined efforts to unearth it. All of these efforts (one even financed by American president Franklin Delano Roosevelt) have failed, thanks to an elaborate system of booby traps, false beaches, hidden drains, and other hazards of remarkable ingenuity and technological complexity.
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Acer Sansom, a British soldier believed long dead, resurfaces, shot in the guts in the home of a still-warm dead man.With the help of a high-profile British politician, Acer becomes embroiled in a mission for retribution and justice for the loved ones and the life he has lost.Acer's search takes him from the south of England to the teeming metropolis of Istanbul and beyond where the action twists and turns as the story builds to an explosive climax. Views: 19
SALE! LIMITED TIME ONLY!"A deeply emotional, tender love story that should not be missed." Rendezvous Exclusive to this set: Indiscreet and The Secret Life of Elizabeth McCade. Indiscreet: Can an unexpected May/December romance overcome the disapproval of the heroine's teenaged daughter, cultural differences and the sudden shock of bad news? A beautiful, timeless love story that will have you reaching for tissue! The Secret Life of Elizabeth McCade: A battle for the environment leads to a battle for their lives in this edge-of-your seat love story between a feisty heroine and a sexy Chickasaw warrior. Witch Dance: A dedicated female doctor trying to save children, a powerful warrior struggling with the mantle of power, and enemies out to destroy them as well as Chickasaw Tribal lands, all come together for a thrilling, emotional, can't-put-down story. Views: 19
