Product Description
Released from Walter Reed Hospital, Sergeant Alexandra Hargreaves settles in her hometown of Denver, Colorado. With her family and friend close, and her enemies even closer, she strives to collect the pieces of her shattered life.Then everything falls apart.Haunted by the past and terrorized in the present, Alex must reach past pain, through memory and beyond the grave to find her self, and her future."The Fey is a romance for people who hate romances; a thriller for people who don't like thrillers; If I'd read this on the bus, I swear I would have missed my stop." James Creasey, Denver, CO The Fey is the first book in the Fey series.For more information, go to: http://AlexTheFey.com"One of the best books I have every read." VA - Escondido, CA ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Great book! Couldn't put it down!
Normally when I read these "mystery thriller" type of books I figure out the bad guy and whats going to happen before I even hit the halfway mark...not so with this book. I read the entire thing in four hours, I couldn't put it down because I HAD TO KNOW what happens to Alex!
The characters are all believable and real, the dialogue is witty and intense. You feel what they feel and experience the whole thing right along with them. During one touching scene of friends mourning the loss of their own I found myself wiping away tears. I was drawn in and connected to them just as surely as they are connected to each other.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is bored with reading all of those cookie cutter thrillers out there. This is book is like eating chocolate after being on a strict bread and water diet.

The Fay...well worth taking the time to read
This book, while I'm not completely finished reading, I feel compelled to write a review I've been smitten with reading this book since I started. I love the fact that while the book has a strong military component it's balanced with the routine of daily life and personal relationships. Ms. Christian-Hall does a fabulous job at providing details to each character, to a point that you feel that you know them too. Thank you for providing a book that is truly enjoyable to read! I must get back to my reading ;)

Even Jiminy Cricket loves The Fey!
Claudia Hall Christian has created a winner with Alexandra Hargreaves and her fiercely loyal team, including a close-knit military unit, family, friends - and Jiminy Cricket. We first meet Alex as she fights her way back from devastating injuries and from that moment, the action does not stop. The death of a close friend haunts Alex, but before she can move forward she must face that awful day - and the man responsible. In order to face him, she must find him - before he kills her. With the help of her friends, her twin brother, a Senator and yes, Jiminy Cricket, Alex sets out on a path that will force her to confront the demons within her as she fights to save herself and those she loves.

Claudia's characters are vivid and real and her story is a first rate thrill-ride. It's engaging, fast-paced, fun, and suspenseful. Lucky for us, Alex's story doesn't end here. This is just the first book in the series.

The Fey
The Fey The Fey leads readers on a breathless chase from one adventure to the next with eerily canny villains terrorizing a strong, smart heroine who won't quit. Alexandra Hargreaves is a wonderful role model for women because she is independent, highly principled and gutsy as well as beautiful. She is also a Green Beret who plays Broadway show tunes in her head while being tortured, and receives information from her dead team mate when she most needs it.

Claudia Hall Christian seems to have a particularly personal relationship with her characters, all of whom are believable, intelligent and determined to tell their stories.

The book is hard to put down and this reader, for one, is most ecstatic that a new one in the series, Learning To Stand, is about to be released. I highly recommend this book and this author.

Page Turning Thriller with an awesome heroine
I read a lot and I read fast, but faster when I really get into it. This book grabbed me from the very beginning and never let me go! Well-written with wonderful characters that I really identified with, this book is fantastic. It was so good in fact, that it inspired me to write this review: my first review ever!

If you love a good book that is well-written, a thriller that grabs you and keeps you, with awesome characters this book is for you! ... Read more

Product Description
Between 300 and 600, Christianity experienced a momentous change from persecuted cult to state religion. One of the consequences of this shift was the evolution of the role of the bishop--as the highest Church official in his city--from model Christian to model citizen. Claudia Rapp's exceptionally learned, innovative, and groundbreaking work traces this transition with a twofold aim: to deemphasize the reign of the emperor Constantine, which has traditionally been regarded as a watershed in the development of the Church as an institution, and to bring to the fore the continued importance of the religious underpinnings of the bishop's role as civic leader.
Rapp rejects Max Weber's categories of "charismatic" versus "institutional" authority that have traditionally been used to distinguish the nature of episcopal authority from that of the ascetic and holy man. Instead she proposes a model of spiritual authority, ascetic authority and pragmatic authority, in which a bishop's visible asceticism is taken as evidence of his spiritual powers and at the same time provides the justification for his public role. In clear and graceful prose, Rapp provides a wholly fresh analysis of the changing dynamics of social mobility as played out in episcopal appointments. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Who wears the mitre?
According to author Claudia Rapp, there are three powerful and evocative figures of late antiquity - the emperor, the holy man, and the bishop.Each in his own way provided leadership, sometimes on moral grounds, sometimes on political grounds.However, these three were not as separate as our post-Enlightenment, separation of church-and-state sensibilities might have us believe.However, for the period of late antiquity (roughly 300 - 600, the decline of the Roman Empire as a single, unified force and the rise of ecclesiastical hierarchies in place of the old imperial ones, both East and West), it is the figure of the bishop that takes centre stage in scholarship and thinking about the period.Some historians (Rapp cites Peter Brown, well-known Augustinian scholar) work out the change in society on a political/economic/military frame; some look to the general social roles; others look to the prominence of particular figures (again Augustine looms large).

Rapp suggests a different role, a three-part sense of authority that comes from spiritual, ascetic and pragmatic bases.The spiritual authority indicates a source of authority that is based in God, not in the worldly institutions or the man himself.Ascetic authority comes from the personal character and habits of the bishop - character is at issue, and what the bishop does is of primary concern.Finally, pragmatic authority derives in what the bishop does for and on behalf of others - it is also an action-based authority, but one that looks outside, not within.

Rapp organises the book into two major sections.The first compares bishops and holy men (desert fathers and others); the second compares bishops and other secular and/or civic leaders.The first section relies primarily from writings of and within the church; the second section looks to more independent sources.The chapters of the second section will be of special interest to those who have an interest in general late Roman history, as it describes in good detail and interesting writing the more general contexts of families, wealth and power, city/citizen life, and general imperial organisation in a post-Constantine world.

Rapp concludes the study with a survey of hagiographic material, looking at the way the more saintly of bishops were portrayed in the narratives of their lives.She contends that there is a discernable trend over the course of the late antiquity period in which the lives of the bishop-saints are shown to be more and more like the civic counterparts they have replaced in the overall civic/imperial structure.

Rapp does not take on the task of dealing with prominent figures, as many such histories might do.Figures such as Augustine and the Cappadocians and other key bishops of the time are not addressed specifically, so that a more general sense of the trends of the office and a more general survey of the office holders can be seen without the distortion that often occurs when historians deal with those who in statistical terms might be classified as outlying points away from the more typical stream.

It has a great index and a good bibliography (35 pages) of primary and secondary sources, very useful and up-to-date.Interesing, insightful, and accessible, the book is admittedly for a select audience of religious and historical scholars, but for this group, the book is a treat. ... Read more

Product Description
A murder of crows flew by, startling Liana out of miserable turmoil. Their raucous chatter warned of what her raw core already knew. Liana’s moans ceased abruptly and the tears ran dry. She eyed the lone window. Terrible longing stained her vivid green irises. Night was coming.

So was Laurent.

WARNING: This is a dark, unconventional love story meant for readers who prefer morally ambiguous tales. There is explicit content within. Please read with an open mind.

Approximately 17,078 words
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If you like my work, you'll enjoy Kitty Thomas. Her fiction is dark, unconventional, and definitely worth a look! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Dark, Bittersweet & Sexy as Hell
"You keep me here, locked away, not knowing I do the same to you. So which of us is the monster?"

Ordinarily, I don't read romances and Love Unfortunate is most definitely a romance, but a truly twisted one. There is a brilliant lushness to Claudia D. Christian`s language and a constant subtextual tension that pulls you through this desperate tale with an almost calculated cruelty. You just know it isn't going to end well, but getting there is going to be delicious from start to finish.

There is also a dreamlike quality to the way Christian presents time to her readers, coaxing them into the same rhythm as her characters who, being outside the natural world, seem to experience reality one sexually charged, hunger driven, misery laced moment at a time.

It would be correct to call this vampire erotica. It is, but it's more than that. There is a very dark streak of sadomasochism that pervades the mood of the tale without every becoming cliched or theatrical. In the end it is a passionate story of reaching for the unreachable until the muscles tear, and then reaching just that little bit further. You'll never read anything like this.

If vampires could love, it would look like this
Love Unfortunate is a sorrowful, haunting tale about the unconventional love between a maniacal vampire and his tortured wife. I loved every word. To say anymore would give away the unexpected ending. I'd recommend reading this short story if you enjoy a more "realistic" vampire love story, one with despair and cruelty. No sparkly vampires here!

Decadent
Claudia D. Christian has such a lush writing style. Her writing is very dark, but decadent. It's mystery and poetry. You have to pay attention to unravel the layers of meaning, and you'll still likely leave threads lying about.

Dark and Different
Claudia D. Christian has such a lush writing style. Her writing is very dark, but decadent. It's mystery and poetry. You have to pay attention to unravel the layers of meaning, and you'll still likely leave threads lying about. I loved this novella. It had a very unique and unexpected ending. Very twisted and lovely.

Sweetly Dark and Darkly Sweet
"You keep me here, locked away, not knowing I do the same to you. So which of us is the monster?"

Ordinarily, I don't read romances and Love Unfortunate is most definitely a romance, but a truly twisted one. There is a brilliant lushness to Christian's language and a subtextual tension that pulls you through this desperate tale with an almost calculated cruelty. You just KNOW it isn't going to end well, but you just know that getting there is going to be delicious from start to finish.

There is also a dreamlike quality to the way Christian presents time to her readers, coaxing them into the same rhythm as her characters who, being outside the natural world, seem to experience reality one sexually charged, hunger driven, misery laced moment at a time.

It would not be correct to call this vampire erotica. It is, but it's more than that. There is a very dark streak of sadomasochism that threads through the mood of the tale without every becoming cliched or theatrical. In the end it is a passionate story of reaching for the unreachable until the muscles tear, and then reaching just that little bit further. You'll never read anything like this. ... Read more

Product Description
Julian Douglas exists solely for the night he finds his human pet Lily.

Lily Walker exists solely for the night she finds peace from the nightmare that is Julian Douglas.

Julian finds Lily.

Lily suffers Julian.

In the end, who finds freedom? The master who is a slave to his pet? Or the pet who never wanted to run away from her master?

WARNING: If you like your romance sweet, your vampires gentle, and your heroines flawless---this isn't for you. This is a dark, unconventional love story meant for readers who prefer morally ambiguous tales. There is explicit content within and is not suitable for minors.

Approximately 46,133 words
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EXCERPT:

Lily was almost to the bathroom when the potent smell of smoke and obsession slid in like a serpent.

She froze as every instinct screamed a dire warning. Numbness spread through her body, rooting her to the floor. Afraid to be right, terrified to be wrong, Lily turned around slowly.

He was here. Standing inside her home, looking so darkly beautiful, he was here.

Julian studied her shock and smelled her fear. He smiled and sauntered over to his found pet. Stopping when only mere inches separated them, he whispered, “Hello, darling. Thank you for your rushed welcome. Manners aside, it truly saved us both a lot of time. Time, I’m sure you’ll agree would much be better served in other ways.”

He trailed his hand over her jaw. Julian looked into her eyes and smiled wider.

“Know this—I adore you, my darling, darling girl.”

Before she could utter a reply, Julian closed his hand and gripped her chin. He ignored Lily’s hiss of pain with a cruel smirk.

“I adore you to death.”

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If you like my work, you'll enjoy Remittance Girl and Kitty Thomas. Their fiction is dark, unconventional, and definitely worth a look! ... Read more

Product Description
The world's only annual of the trade fair industry. ... Read more

Product Description
Last year, Major Alexandra "The Fey" Hargreaves lost everything and nearly lost her life. Now, everyone expects her to move on. Everyone, except Alex. Fragile, lost, and battered, she stumbles and falls. When a small child's life is in danger, only Alex can save him. Setting aside her grief, the horror of the past, and betrayal in the present, she finds the strength and courage to rally her team to rescue him.And Alex learns to stand again.Learning to Stand is another fast-paced, heartwarming novel in the Alex the Fey thriller series.Praise for The Fey:"A gripping thriller chock full of espionage, fast paced twists and turns, and a whole lot of page blazing passion." D.K., New Brunswick, Canada"This is ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I have ever read. It sucked me right in and I was unable to put it down. Get it now and enjoy. It really is a great book." V. A., Escondido, CA ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

even better than the first...
Read the first book in this series in one sitting, couldn't put it down...this book was no different, read it all in one afternoon...COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN!

It may be cliche to say, but I really feel everything with these characters. I laughed and cried with them. At one point I was actually wiping away tears at the weight of the emotional situation that Alex (The Fey) was burdened with, and amazed that she still managed to get back up and keep fighting.

I would recommend this series to anyone who wants an action packed story that still has the ability to carry an emotional storyline at the same time. There is no stale-soldier talk, but plenty of edge of your seat action!

I will MOST DEFINITELY be impatiently awaiting the release of the third book... I have to know what happens next!

Learning to Stand Great summer read!
I did not have a chance to read the first book The Fey and I didn't feel as if I was missing out on a lot of information. This book has enough of a storyline and back story information to make it a good book in it's own right. There were a few spots where the dialogue got confusing and a few other details I found hard to imagine. All in all I really enjoyed this book and honestly couldn't put it down. My poor kids had to spend a Sunday with Papa while I sat totally engrossed in Learning to Stand. I can't wait to download The Fey to my new Sony reader, and I am anxiously anticipating the next book in the series. If you are looking for a summer read this is the book to read!

Learning to Stand
I just finished reading and enjoying another one of Ms Christian's books calledLearning to Stand, the sequel to The Fey (Alex the Fey thriller series).
This book had a lot of characters to keep track of and I found myself having to think to remember who they were or what they had done, especially since a lot of them had nicknames which were used interchangeably with their real names. Aside from that, Learning to Stand was non-stop action, you never knew what was going to happen next but it was always something entertaining and at times a little unbelievable. As I was reading I kept picturing it as a movie and thinking that it would make an excellent action film with Bruce Willis or Hugh Jackman (who doesn't love Hugh Jackman?) I loved that it had a female lead as the unbeatable hero instead of the stereotypical male rescuer (I haven't been able to come up with an actress that seems tough enough to portray her in the movie version, maybe Angelina Jolie?)
If you're looking for a non-stop action adventure with a little bit of romance, and the supernatural thrown in, then this is the book you want to read. I'm just hoping that there is a sequel in the works to help tie up a few loose ends but in the meantime I'm going to read the first book in the series so I can get to know some more about the background of all the characters and the situation they found themselves in and then I might just go back and read Learning to Stand again..... ... Read more

Product Description
Waking up alone in a white room, Katherine Merror fears nothing. Guilt and betrayal have already led her to stalk through life bearing the ashes of empty laughter, frenetic gaiety, and vicious bliss. However, when she sees Azer, familiar desire awakens.

Yet, her gentle savior is not quite what he appears to be.

Love and vengeance brew within his ancient soul, the desire for freedom an obsession in his mind...and only Katherine holds the key to his release.

Will she be able to conquer the specters of the past or will Azer seduce Katherine into the pleasures of Hell? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Awesome book
I was instantly pulled into the story from beginning to end!The intriguing world had twists and turns leaving the reader to root for different relationships with the main character, Katherine.I can't wait for more of this story to unravel in the sequel!

Loved it!
This book quickly became one of my favorites, I was hooked by the end of the first page and couldn't put it down. It's a great mix of romance and the supernatural. I hope to see a sequel soon.

Amazing Read
If you like supernatural novels with a bit of angst and lust. Then you should definitely check out this book.

Fallen is very gripping and emotional. Your able to feel what the characters are feeling. Fallen keeps you guessing, Your not sure who you should trust and who you should fear. But at the same time your able to empathize with each character. Which is an amazing thing to be able to do.

My favourite character is Azer.....who will be yours?

Memorable characters
I absolutely loved the story of Katherine, Mikhail and Azer, the characters are very sexy, and filled with both love and pain. I couldn't decide who to trust, fear or love the most.It makes for a very interesting AND emotional read. I would recommend this book if you enjoy tortured love and supernatural stories. The story is very gripping and it will keep you hooked even after you have finished the book - I liked it enough to read it again while waiting impatiently for the next one.
sandra ... Read more

Product Description
An in-depth investigation of traditional European folk medicine and the healing arts of witches

• Explores the outlawed "alternative" medicine of witches suppressed by the state and the Church and how these plants can be used today• Reveals that female shamanic medicine can be found in cultures all over the world• Illustrated with color and black-and-white art reproductions dating back to the 16th century• Includes three 8-page color inserts and 158 b&w illustrations

Witch medicine is wild medicine. It does more than make one healthy, it creates lust and knowledge, ecstasy and mythological insight. In Witchcraft Medicine the authors take the reader on a journey that examines the women who mix the potions and become the healers; the legacy of Hecate; the demonization of nature's healing powers and sensuousness; the sorceress as shaman; and the plants associated with witches and devils. They explore important seasonal festivals and the plants associated with them, such as wolf's claw and calendula as herbs of the solstice and alder as an herb of the time of the dead-Samhain or Halloween. They also look at the history of forbidden medicine from the Inquisition to current drug laws, with an eye toward how the sacred plants of our forebears can be used once again. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Stroking the New Age female ego to sell books
I want to preface this by saying I haven't read all of the book, but I was so disappointed by the first part that I will have a very difficult time reading the rest.
Here's why, and I notice that no one else mentions this, so I must assume that I am the only one who has a background in archaeology.
It was a load of bullhockey, and I will give examples. "Neolithic matrilineal societies" Woboy, reign in those horses. First of all, there is no evidence of ANY matrilineal farming societies outside of maybe Native American, and that's CURRENT, not neolithic, so how can they say that? Regarding the linear pottery culture that the author put as 'the fifth century" which he should have put fifth MILLENIA BCE. and again, their matrilineal culture??? WHAT??? How does he know this? from pottery shards?
Storl, you are fibbing! How about this... once again he states, on page 29 "All evidence indicates that the fields belonged to matrilineal clans"
What evidence is this? Or "every settlement, every clan, had a white haired old woman to whom the ancestors and forest spirits or the Goddess(which one? do we know the names of their neolithic goddesses?) whispered many a secret" Okay... so that means 30 year old women who were white haired, held all the power, because in the Neolithic times, lives for women were short and brutal and 40 was a pretty spectacular age to reach.
I hate this blatant stroking of new age women's egos in order to sell books. What is wrong with the truth? the herbal information looks okay, I've only skimmed, but with all the bulloney, the throwing around of authors like Duerr, who they must have barely read as they barely get near actually QUOTING the man, I am severely disappointed after reading the rave reviews. I will have a hard time reading the rest.

EXECELLENT Book
This purchase was a replacement for one that was "Loaned" out but never made it back home.My GF uses this book a lot both for references and for healing.

This Books Makes Me Want to Become an Herbalist!
I Loved this book! It is actually my favorite book at the moment. I knew next to nothing about Germanic witches; Hexe, before I read this & I feel I'm better for the knowledge. The cross pollination of various magickal systems of belief throughout Ancient Europe & Asia is handled from a mostly Germanic perspective but reveals striking similarities to the stories of other "Heathens". This book clearly explains how early settlements carved out a place to live from the thriving "hedge" that densely covered Europe and how certain members of these communities (the old women) spent their time at the hedge picking the healing & love-inducing herbs whilst conversing with the intelligences inherent in them. As the ultra-destructive, monotheistic, anti-nature, "Desert" religions came bludgeoning through, (in the name of Peace of course) people were forced to see the natural world as evil & these women & their knowledge were vilified.

My only problems with this book were; I wanted it to go on for at least double the length & the 1st half of the book treats Christianity as though it were an ancient religion in it's own right rather than built directly on Paganism- which it SO obviously was. Writing about the ever-baleful, "pure", Mary as a Goddess is EXTREMELY generous in a book that has it's largest chapter entitled " The Legacy of Hekate"- a Goddess of truly immeasurable antiquity & power who even enjoys a growing number of followers to this day despite the best efforts of the opposition. Circe, Medea, & Diana/Artemis are paid due respect as well and we get to visit the fiasco of mercury being used as a treatment by the French for their syphillis epidemic- which killed the patients after a tortuous bout of mercury poisoning but the good news is that they may have killed the syphillis in the patient/victim. Meanwhile, (according to the author's research) the Native Americans were successfully treating syhpillis with herbs (sasparilla I think) and ritual but the Europeans who had the herb sent back over to them could NOT duplicate the success- since their doctors didn't believe in the power of ritual.
This book is merely 1 small part of the excellent argument for Western society acknowledging the importance of things that cannot be measured with rulers & microscopes or successfully controlled by dogma or fear of the Deep & Inescapable, Mighty & Awesome, Power of Mother Nature.

Well researched material
In doing research for my medicinal garden, I found this book in my local library. I wasn't sure what to expect with a picture of the painting "The Sorceress" by John William Waterhouse on the cover and a provocative title.I was pleasantly surprised. Witchcraft Medicine provides a well researched breakdown of both herbal and entheogenic plants used throughout Western Europe in medieval and ancient times.Originally published in German as Hexenmedizin: Die Widederentdeckung einer verbotenen Heilkunst--schamanische Traditionen in Europa,the text covers the history and folk uses of both hallucinogenic herbs and healing herbs. The book has three distinct sections, each authored by different individuals. Wolf-Dieter Strorl is a cultural anthropologist and ethnobotanist. Christian Rätsch and Claudia Muller-Ebeling are German ethnopharmacologists.
The first part of the book written by Wolf-Dieter Storl is interesting reading; however it lacks the references and solid research that Rätsch and Müller-Ebeling provide in their sections.This left me wanting more supporting arguments for some of his statements.His research tended to consist primarily of anecdotal stories of his field research. Rätsch and Ebeling provide extensive source references in their chapters.
The span of historical information ranges from the history of the Inquisition and its impact on witchcraft and shamanism in Europe to 20th century use of Absinthe and Coca leaves.There are numerous tables with correspondences of herbs and plants to specific god forms in Greek and Norse pantheons as well as plant lists associated with the gardens of Hecate, Medea, Artemis and Circe.The text includes recipes but I would strongly warn the reader that using entheogenic substances without proper knowledge of their handling can be dangerous and even deadly. Extreme care should be taken when introducing these plants to gardens since children and animals may accidently ingest the plant matter.
The entire book is nicely illustrated with historical botanical drawings, medieval woodcuts and full color photographs of plant materials.The bibliography is extensive, citing both classical works and contemporary sources in both German and English.

From an herbalist's point of view, an excellent read!
When I picked up this book, I thought it looked very good. I don't think however, I was quite prepared to be as impressed as I was with the work. It is not just a work about herbs and Witchcraft and their history, but a treasure trove of world cultural traditions and the folk healing modalities.

As a professional herbalist, I was really very happy to see the amount of research and documentation that went into this book. It really delves into the European shamanic traditions and healing arts and folk religions attached to them. This is something, which is sadly quite lacking in alot of literature that is about "shamanism". So much of of it is a hodge podged mess of European and Native American practices and lots of urban legend. Not so with this book. You get a clear idea where the lines of the histories of Witchcraft and folk medicine practices got blurred and blown far out of proportion by way of legend and outright lies.And you also get an in depth look at how many of these plants were used. The authors pull no punches, poisons, halucinagens and abortifacients can be found listed in this book. I think this is the first time in many years that I have seen an herbal book which dared to list them, let alone discuss them.I also learned about some plants that I had no knowledge of before and I am always up for that!This, I believe is how Witches in the past truly practiced, and how many still practice to this day throughout the world. The focus however is on European Witches and Western herbalism.

Witchcraft Medicine is clearly a scholarly work, but it it is not so much that the subject is at all dry and uninteresting to read. It was for me quite the contrary. I couldn't put it down!There is no relgious-centric slant to it at all. There are no sensationalist claims about 8 million Witches being murdered during the so-called Burning Times, for example.It's just lots of very straight facts, which is important. There is too much that is junk out there, and this bookI would count it among my top ten historical herbals on my personal bookshelf.This book is a very impressive body of work. Note that there are not really recipies or proportions as to using these now. ... Read more

Product Description
A tragic take on a classic myth of obsession and longing…

Narcissus, a demigod born from a secret union between Echo and Narcissus, was once given a young girl named Lisette. Growing up together in a magnificent London house, Narcissus and Lisette shared one heart, one mind, and one life. However, adolescence polluted innocent love and turned it into self-destructive debauchery.

Blind to everything but vapid pleasure, Narcissus closed his eyes to Lisette’s suffering, only seeing her as a carnal reflection equally committed to the pursuit of sexual bliss.

However, Narcissus’ careless cruelty pushed Lisette too far and he found her dangling from the end of a rope.

Broken from guilt and misery, he searched for Lisette throughout the centuries---even though her soul is marked with hatred for him. Obsessed with righting his wrongs, Narcissus finally finds his beloved Lisette in the body of an underage stripper named Chessie.

Amidst a tawdry world of fractured illusion and manufactured delight, will Narcissus finally learn to see beyond himself and earn forgiveness? Or will Lisette keep breaking for his punishment?

WARNING: If you are not an angst-junkie who enjoys visiting a world where depravity is mistaken for love, and obsession is the only hope a man can have against hatred, then this may an uncomfortable tale for you. This is a dark, unconventional love story meant for readers who prefer morally ambiguous tales. There is explicit content within and is not suitable for minors.

Approximately 20K words
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EXCERPT:

Limpid blue eyes scanned the crowd. They searched for one face among the male supplicants. Chessie stood still, head tilted at a rakish angle. A low, seductive beat filled the air, promising dangerous, dark things. Finally, the scarlet mouth painted the same shade as her costume lifted in enigmatic triumph.

'There you are' it seemed to whisper.

Her rounded hips began their hypnotic sway in time to the musician’s breathy growls. Chessie lifted her gloved hand to reveal a crimson riding crop. Several men yelled their pleasure. She smiled coyly in acknowledgment and elegantly danced her way to the center stage.

A lilac gaze devoured her every movement, worshiping her with the fervor of an insane acolyte. Narcissus stared with concealed hunger as Chessie stirred the crowd to a violent pitch. He watched her tease her way out of her clothes until she was clad in only a hat and thong.

'You’re so lovely, Lisette. I love you more than ever before.'

Narcissus had lost none of his obsession for this decadent darling during the passing centuries. His hunger for her had stretched into famine, pulling at his insides until Narcissus’ every function was dictated solely by memories of Lisette.

'Now you’re new but so very wicked. And you’re still such a pretty, pretty thing.'

He shifted in his seat. The low whine of scuffed vinyl was lost in the cacophony of yells surrounding him. Narcissus struggled to rein in his compulsion for the elegant nymph twirling onstage.
The room bled at the seams, melding the present sights of artificial light and smoke with the gilded walls of a century long dead.
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If you like my work, you'll enjoy Remittance Girl and Kitty Thomas. Their fiction is dark, unconventional, and definitely worth a look! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Love, obsession and redemption
Rating: 4.5/5

Narcissus is a demigod, the son of a beautiful, vain man who shares his name and the nymph Echo.As a child, the gods give Narcissus a human girl named Lisette as a toy, a living doll to amuse himself with.They grow up together, and eventually become more than playmates.Being the selfish and depraved monster he is, Narcissus abuses Lisette, degrades her, makes her a whore, but in his own perverted way, he loves her.And despite it all, Lisette loves him until the night the abuse goes too far.She begs him to end the debauchery, but he only hears the tirade of an irrational girl.He threatens to send her away, insinuating he cares not whether she lives or dies.With hate marked on her soul, she hangs herself in the attic, the ultimate revenge against him.Losing Lisette makes Narcissus even more obsessed with her.He spends the next few centuries chasing after her soul as she is reincarnated over and over, only to kill herself each time to torture him.She tells him that his punishment will continue "until the things that can't be forgotten are forgiven".But before that happens, Lissette will make him suffer...just like she did.Finally in early 2003, Narcissus has found the soul he has been searching for in an underage stripper named Chessie. What must he do to posses her again?

Suicide Doll is a complicated and grim love story, with a very fine line between love and obsession.It's about searching for redemption when it seems like a hopeless pursuit.It's about discovering that the life you thought you had was a lie.The characters are dreadful and seductive at the same time.I've had a difficult time categorizing this short story.It is a dark love story, yes, but certainly not a romance in the traditional sense.I might call it erotic horror.The author has written this dark tale so beautifully.Her language is sophisticated, almost poetic.I will warn you that it is not for everyone.It contains disturbing subject matter like suicide (obviously) and even necrophilia.In any other book I would say "absolutely not" to something so horrific, but for these twisted characters, it fits perfectly.There were a few times I wanted to cover my eyes and scream "don't do it!" but I couldn't look away.Suicide Doll is perfect for "angst-junkies" as the warning mentions, and also for anyone looking to read something outside of their comfort zone. ... Read more

Product Description
This book helps parents and adolescents make a positive transition into the teenage years and then keep talking and relating to each other as teens moves toward adulthood. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent Resource for Parents of Teens
This book has a Christian theme, but can be very helpful to any parent of teens.The Arps are well known for their marriage seminars, and this book is another great work of theirs.They discuss rites of passage, giving appropriate gifts and new levels of trust and responsibility as the child goes from preteen to teenager.A great idea from the book is a box for each birthday that has multiple items in it, like a house key or car keys--items that have obvious meanings of maturity attached to them.

The book helps you relate to your child and help them, including backing off and staying away when necessary, as they begin preparing to leave the nest.Excellent reference resource to keep on hand to help you as a parent love and nurture your teen through thick and thin, zits and all.Two thumbs up!

Eye-opening resource
I've used this book many times in helping parents of adolescents and teenagers to understand the changes they see in their children and stepchildren. The Arps know their subject well and have done a fine job explaining it to frazzled parents who are desperately seeking help.

In fact, we've used this as a text book for some parenting classes and have received enthusiastic responses from the parents who have attended. The material is easy to read and grasp. The suggested solutions and ways to dealing with children in "the change" are helpful and easy to implement. ... Read more

Product Description
Claudia Christian gives an honest, at times poignant and often riotously funny account of her life to date. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Not worth it!
I didn't look at the reviews before I bought this.It's like 70 something pages for $14.00!And it really just touches on her life.I love biographies and I'm sure she's had a great & interesting life.But it's not in these pages.

Disappointed
I think this book is only for die-hard fans. If, as I am, you are only a casual fan, I believe you will find little of interest here. It's mostly pictures and what little text there is (28 pages, with an additional 5 page Q&A section) sheds no light on her career. It's just random, disjointed, not particularly interesting anecdotes.

A must have
This is a "must" for any Claudia Christian fan or anyone who enjoys reading funny tales about life in general.I was smiling the whole time, and some parts just made me laugh out loud!Claudia's unabashed recollections run the gamut from her childhood to being a celebrity, and you feel like you know her like a good friend by the end of it all.If you weren't a fan before reading the book, you will be afterwards!

One of the best writers I know .....
Claudia Christian is an amazing person, a talented actress, a great singer and she can write too!
"Claudia Christian: My Life with Geeks & Freaks" is a wonderfully written piece of literature. It will have you laughing out loud and then in the next piece make you just want to cry.
Within the book CC covers several pieces of her life as in parts of her childhood, her acting career and her life with 'Freaks & Geeks'. If you would like to know the lady a bit better, then the book is a must and even if you want to have a good read then I highly recommand this book.
Claudia is one of those people who puts everything into what they are doing and it shows in this book.
Other pieces that you may be interested in that Claudia has been apart of are any of the following films "The Hidden", "Hexed", "A Wing & a Prayer", "Running Home", "Atlantis" or "Think Big" for audio books any of the "Anne Manx" series, for music "Taboo" or "Claudia Christian ..... Once upon a time" and for Television series "Starhyke" or "Babylon 5". But this is just a select few of the pieces of work that Claudia has done.

Fun & More
If you want to know about CC this book is for you, it's fun to read and gives you a good insight into the life of the Geeks and Freaks of the Sci world. Please write another.

... Read more

Product Description
Invited to her ex-husband's engagement party, Jillian Roper shows up in thigh high leather boots. And Denver Cereal begins. Denver Cereal is a serial fiction set in Uptown Denver, Colorado. An internet sensation, Denver Cereal is crunchy, sweet and always addicting. You deserve a little Denver Cereal in your life.DenverCereal.com ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Loved it!
I have been following this series for nearly a year now reading each installment as it is written.I look forward to it every morning with my coffee.Reading the book is even better!The characters are fun, each with his/her own gift and I love the way they interact in such an affirming way; well, that's the good guys--the bad guys are way bad and another story.Being in Denver I KNOW the places these characters frequent; what great fun that is!This is a fast, fun read! ... Read more

Product Description
This book highlights the work of faculty in many disciplines who have connected service-learning with their teaching and scholarship. The challenge of Christian scholarship in service-learning is to use the scholarly tool of our disciplines, with perspective and goals originating from the faith tradition, to describe how community connections enable us to be agents of renewal in society. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Addresses academically based service-learning
Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Gail Gunst Heffner (Associate Director for Applied and Community-based Research at the Calvin Center for Social Research) and Claudia DeVries Beverluis (Dean of Instruction and Professor of Psychology at the Calvin Center for Social Research), Commitment And Connection: Service-Learning And Christian Higher Education addresses academically based service-learning as it has been implemented on Christian college and university campuses. Sixteen contributors focus upon the service-learning movement in Christian education as a builder of community and in developing students. Of special note is the final and illustratively insightful chapter "The Development of Academically Based Service-Learning at Calvin College: An Historical Perspective". Commitment And Connection is strongly recommended reading for all college and university level administrators and educators whether their campus is secular or parochial. ... Read more

Product Description
This short story is one of four offered in Fracture--A Miserable Love Collection.

Isa lives in a perfect world. So why does another life haunt her? Desperate to keep her secret, she denies the ugly truth--only to find Hell a kiss away.

EXCERPT:

“Isa.”

She froze as her mind crashed into predictable chaos. Isa knew what was going to happen next. Poisoned exhilaration uncoiled within her limbs while joyous fright sank its needle-sharp teeth into her traitorous veins. “Yes, Jaleen?” Her voice barely rose above a reedy whisper but her hunger arched its back and screamed.

'I belong to you. No matter what happens, I belong to you.'

WARNING: This is a dark, unconventional love story meant for readers who prefer morally ambiguous tales. There is explicit content within. Please read with an open mind.

Approximately 7,774 words.
_____

If you like my work, you'll enjoy Kitty Thomas. Her fiction is dark, unconventional, and definitely worth a look! ... Read more

Product Description

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of UNISCON 2008 held in Klagenfurt, Austria, during April 22-25, 2008.

UNISCON combines the ECOMO workshop series and the ISTA conference series. The 19 papers dealing with conceptual modeling, model-driven software development and information systems applications represent a 30% selection from the original set of submissions.

They are completed by two keynote lectures and 35 papers from internationally renowned researchers, invited in honor of Heinrich C. Mayr, whose 60th birthday is also celebrated at this event, that he originally created.

Product Description

Die Mitarbeit von nunmehr 52 namhaften Vergaberechtsexperten aus Wissenschaft und Praxis garantiert, dass auch die zweite, vollständig überarbeitete Auflage des Kommentars zum Bundesvergabegesetz 2006 ein wesentliches Hilfs- und Arbeitsmittel für den Rechtsanwender darstellt. Die Regelungen des seit 1.2.2006 geltenden neuen BVergG und sämtliche Entscheidungen der innerstaatlichen und gemeinschaftsrechtlichen Judikatur werden auf rund 5000 Seiten umfassend und tiefgehend erläutert. Die Behandlung zahlreicher relevanter Fallgestaltungen soll sowohl für öffentliche Auftraggeber als auch Auftragnehmer die Arbeit in der vergaberechtlichen Praxis erleichtern. Die durch die Novelle zum BVergG 2006 vorgezeigten Änderungen sind bereits berücksichtigt. Der vorliegende Kommentar ist derzeit das einzige Werk dieser Art im Bereich der vergaberechtlichen Literatur in Österreich und wird damit zum unentbehrlichen Begleiter für alle, die sich mit dem Vergaberecht beschäftigen.