Trust is a luxury Anita can't afford when her allies aren't human. The city's most powerful vampire, Nikolaos, is 1,000 years old and looks like a 10-year-old girl. The second most powerful vampire, Jean-Claude, is interested in more than just Anita's professional talents, but the feisty necromancer isn't playing along--yet. This popular series has a wild energy and humor, and some very appealing characters--both dead and alive.
I have read almost all books on the subject (I have my masters in communication), and this is still the best one out there! It can make your life happier! These skills have been making my life better for years! Hope you buy it, and it does the same for you!
Not only a life-saver but funny too.......2007-06-25
This is a book I will keep forever and review over and over. For details as to the content, you can search inside this book and look at the table of contents on Amazon's web site. This author's writing is clear, the chapters are well-organized, and the examples he gives are realistic. Best of all, he made me laugh frequently about a subject that usually causes anxiety for me. His style of humor reminds me of Dave Barry. It's not a book about controlling other people; it simply helps clarify how to avoid the numerous ways that people, even well-meaning people, talk us into doing what they want rather than what we want. Another very good book on this subject is "The Assertiveness Workbook" by Randy J. Paterson, Ph.D., and I would recommend purchasing both. Each offers exercises you can practice either alone or with a partner to develop your assertiveness skills. I've only had these two books about a week and have already experienced a positive change in the way I relate to others.
When I say no, I feel guilty.......2007-01-10
Extremely helpful and the book title was referred by a psycologist. I would recommend to anyone having personal problems.
Get a little backbone.......2007-01-03
The books was interesting but difficult to practice on my own. I worked with a therapist to do that. The basic concepts helped me figure out how to handle those times that I want to say no but feel uncomfortable doing so. It's helped me quite a bit.
Product Description
New York Times bestselling author Laurell K. Hamilton brings Anita Blake to the world of graphic novels. Anita Blake lives in a world where vampires, zombies and werewolves have been declared legal citizens of the United States. Anita Blake is an "animator" - a profession that involves raising the dead for mourning relatives. But Anita is also known as a fearsome hunter of criminal vampires, and she's often employed to investigate cases that are far too much for conventional police. But as Anita gains the attention of the vampire masters of her hometown of St. Louis, she also risks revealing an intriguing secret about herself - the source of her unusual strength and power. This hardcover edition contains an all-new, original, never-before-published short story by Laurell K Hamilton.
Customer Reviews:
Fails to rise.......2007-09-16
I love the current boom of modern vampire novels, but I am not a fan of Laurell K. Hamilton's perky, Nike-clad heroine, Anita Blake. I read the first several novels in Hamilton's long-running series years ago and just couldn't get past her repetitive style of writing, her tiresome placement of Nike endorsements or growing passion for soft-core pornography. At the heart of the Blake series, I believe, is a good collection of stories, but while Hamilton may be a good storyteller, she's not a very good novelist; somewhere between her original ideas and the printed page, the story gets buried in bad writing.
But, while I could no longer force myself to slog through Hamilton's increasingly long and sexually-driven books, I had high hopes for the new graphic adaptation by Marvel Comics. With the text whittled down to its essentials, filtered through the pen of an adaptor and enhanced by colorful visuals, the story might find a better voice.
Unfortunately not. While adaptors Stacie Ritchie and Jess Ruffner have retained the essence of the original text, the resulting tale is cluttered, rushed and often confusing. Brett Booth's art falls just short of being beautiful, too -- but with Anita's lips pumped full of collagen, hair threatening to rival Medusa's for invasive animation and thighs that put a running back's to shame, it's just too damn distracting to help move the story along. All of Booth's women have football-player thighs, actually, and many of his men can be separated from one another only because of their differing hairstyles.
I'm afraid Anita Blake still pales in comparison to many of the vampire-themed heroines storming the literary stage these days. This adaptation is unable to lift her above her creator's limitations.
by Tom Knapp, Rambles.NET editor
Excellent Artwork!.......2007-09-09
I haven't read any of Hamilton's novels, but this graphic novel was exceptionally good. It had a wonderful storyline that keeps you turning pages and the artwork was better than most current comics. As overplayed as the entire vampire genre is, this story had enough unique traits to keep it interesting. The only disappointment is finishing the book and not knowing how the story ends... maybe I should start reading the novels to find out.
I love it!!.......2007-09-05
The comic book is fantastic. I absolutely love all the novels and have all of them and I couldn't wait to get the Vol. 1 comic book. The pages are vey colorful and the artist did a great job. Also in between the "chapters" - divisions between released comics - the posters (page size) that were released are there. The book has comics 1-6 and a mini new comic at the end. If you love Anita Blake books atleast before they got very amorous you have got to buy this book.
Absofanbloodytastic!.......2007-09-01
Anita Blake graphic novel vol 1 is awesome! I am seriously glad that i bought this book, it's quality in graphics is amazing and to have the first six volumes of the comics bound into one volume is great, theres the continuity of reading that you can't get with comics. The bonus story is great for back story on Anita, but i think it needed some more depth to it personally. But it is well worth the money for those die hard Laurell.K fans such as myself.
Guilty Pleasures.......2007-08-27
This is the first Laurell Hamilton book I ever read, it hooked me and I have read everything she has written except for the last one. I must say however that if erotic fiction is not your thing leave this one alone, as the character evolved the books became quite graphic and significant to the character. She also has a fairie line which I have also read, like them all and can't wait for more to arrive.
Customer Reviews:
Fun!.......2007-09-09
I bought this series for my boyfriend and have found myself paging through it. Hamilton's novels are quite fun and full of action, which keeps the reader energized. However, those expecting these works to mirror Anne Rice will not be satisfied, as these novels lack the level of detail present in Anne Rice novels. They do of course concern themselves with vampires, so those fond of Anne Rice will have fun with these. Definitely worth the read!
Bubble Gum.......2007-08-18
Bubble gum is not good for your teeth, but I chew it anyhow. I know it will satisfy a craving consistently. Like bubble gum, I cannot stop chewing up these books. It is primarily the sexual tension on the pages and the fact that I am a Buffy fan and need my vampire fix. The plots are formulaic, and Ms. Hamilton does need a better editor. "Alright," though used, is not really acceptable in formal text. In the third volume, Anita's car gets totaled, and then suddenly, she has a car again to follow someone to the million-year-old vampire's digs. I also cannot stand some of the author's phrases, such as "heap big vampire slayer." Quite possibly I cringe because no young woman would talk like this. As well, I have a hard time buying some of Anita's outfits. I was in my twenties in the late 90's, and I never would have worn the ensembles Anita wears. Thank God that Blake is taking some hints from the Master of the City. Granted the protagonist has bigger things on her mind; however, she dresses like the would-be love child of Richard Simmons and Minnie Pearl. There are some other typos and logical inconsistencies scattered throughout other books. All the things I just mentioned are "nitpicky," but some of them do stop me in my tracks as I am flying through the pages. I do not want to encounter sand when I am chewing my gum.
Amazing books.......2007-06-27
Perfect! I finished this box set in less than a week. The books have excellent plots, detailed characters, and witty humor that have me laughing out loud. I made the mistake of getting one of the later books first and was so glad I started at the beginning. These books are fun and frisky. Definitely a recommended read for those who like action, romance, and refreshing characters.
Got me Started.......2007-03-17
This 4-book set was the first I had read of the Anita Blake series. I have since ordered another 5 books from that series and will order the rest after I read those. These are really well written and move right along with interesting characters and plots.
Anita Blake foursome...........2007-03-15
Anyone who loves Laurell K Hamilton will love this foursome. These are the first books in the Anita Blake series and well worth your time for a great price.
Book Description
One of Daphne Wade's guilty pleasures is to watch the Duke of Tremore as he works, shirtless, on the excavation site of his ducal estate. Anthony Courtland is by far the most exciting and handsome man she has ever known, and she dreams of one day being able to speak with him without getting tongue tied.
Anthony, meanwhile, only sees Daphne as a hard worker on his excavation team. He considers her a plain young lady and says so in a careless remark to a friend, unaware that Daphne is outside the library door, her heart shattering to pieces. So Daphne decides she will not be so silly any longer. She begins to be tutored in the social graces, forcing Anthony to see the beauty who has been right in front of his eyes.
Customer Reviews:
My Favorite Historical Novel EVER!.......2007-08-01
I read this a few years ago for the first time and wasn't a fan. However, I gave it another chance a year ago, and I fell in love.
This romance is the most poignant and exciting I've ever read. My favorite books are always the ones where the guy doesn't notice the plain girl at first. I love how Anthony falls in love with her for who she is, and soon she's not plain to him anymore- not because she has had a makeover like in so many novels, but because he is drawn to her personality, her wit, her intellect (and her body, of course! hehe). While some couples in romance novels are attracted to each other right away, or share a kiss immediately in the book, I love watching Anthony slowly fall for her. And the fact that the romance- the kisses, and finally the "consummation"- is drawn out and not rushed makes it all the more powerful for me. I love sexual tension, and this book has it!
I've read the book over and over now, and I continue to be enthralled by the chemistry the two characters share. Now I want to read it again!
A great romance!.......2007-05-20
This was the first book I had read by Ms. Guhrke, and I loved it! She has a wonderful way of writing; in fact, she's the one who got me hooked on Regency romances! I recommend it for anyone who likes a good, sexy romance novel.
Guilty Pleasures.......2007-04-17
Delicous. Has wonderful plot. Would love to have more passion earlier in the book.
Not an "ugly duckling" story........2007-04-12
I read all the reviews posted here on Amazon before beginning to write this review and I was struck by how many referred to Daphne as an "ugly duckling" who turned into a "swan". I did not see her in this way. I thought the author did a wonderful job of describing her as a woman who was normal, like most women in the world. She was not a raving beauty but she was normal. Obviously a heroine must fall into two general catagories. She must be breathtakingly beautiful or she is plain. We as readers don't seem to give authors much leeway in describing their characters. Most people are neither beautiful nor plain, they are just average. That is were that term comes from. Daphne was normal, average. She wore glasses, but only if she wanted to see well (that is a bit of sarcasm for those of you who don't need glasses!). I absolutely loved the fact that Ms Guhrke did not make Daphne undergo dramatic changes in her appearance in order to become the object of the Duke's affection. Instead, he learned to love HER, not her outward appearance.
The Duke of Tremore was not a hard character for me to understand. It was important for me to remember the historical setting of this novel. This man held a title which gave him incredible standing. He ranked above all his peers and beneath only royalty. How could he not have an exalted idea of his place in society? This particular man had assumed the duties of Duke of Tremore while his father was still living because his father was rendered totally incapable of discharging his duties because of his grief for his wife. It is very important to remember that this young man assumed the active role of being in charge of his family at the age of 12. That had to impact his character development in a tremendous way and this author showed that to us over and over in order to make us understand his handling of Daphne resigning her position.
It was fascinating to watch Anthony court Daphne using the language of flowers. That is a subject which has interested me for a long time but this is the first work of fiction where I have been privileged to watch it work. It was very unusual, a very gentle method for allowing him to show his regard and ultimately his love for the woman he wanted to be his duchess. I just loved it. Anyone who doubts his profession of his love for Daphne missed the significance of the single, thornless red rose. This book contains sensual moments but it also contains quiet, gentle moments and I really like and appreciate that combination. I find it to be much more realistic. A relationship between two people can not always consist of physical passion. They need to connect on many levels and I feel this book did that. We were allowed to see the strengths and weaknesses of both the hero and heroine.
An eminently satisfactory read from my standpoint. It will be given a place of honor among the small number of romantic fiction books I choose to keep.
What a romance novel should be.......2007-03-27
I flat out loved this book. The interaction between Daphne and Anthony was great. It was nice to have a heroine show some backbone for a change and Daphne didn't let Anthony get away with anything. Which, of course, just intrigued Anthony all the more.
This was a beautiful love story and it was a pleasure to read.
Average customer rating:
- No Surprises For Me
- Loved it
- Guilty as Sin
- A Great Sleep Aid
- Just plain good
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Guilty As Sin
Tami Hoag
Manufacturer: Bantam
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Binding: Hardcover
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Night Sins
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ASIN: 0553099590
Release Date: 1996-02-01 |
Amazon.com
If her knuckle-whitening thriller Night Sins made you lock your doors, bolt your windows and turn on all the lights - keep them that way. Tami Hoag's latest bestseller will make you glad you did.
Book Description
A cold-blooded kidnapper has been playing a twisted game with a terrified Minnesota town. Now a respected member of the community sits in jail, accused of a chilling act of evil. But then another boy disappears, triggering panic in tiny Deer Lake. Have the police caught the wrong man? Or is there an even more sinister mind calculating each perverse move?
Prosecutor Ellen North believes she's building a case against the right man—and that he has an accomplice in the shadows. Suddenly she's swept into their dark game, her role changed from hunter to prey. And soon she wonders if she's a match for her opponent...an evil mind as guilty as sin.
Download Description
A cold-blooded kidnapper has been playing a twisted game with a terrified Minnesota town. Now a respected member of the community sits in jail, accused of a chilling act of evil. But then another boy disappears, triggering panic in tiny Deer Lake. Have the police caught the wrong man? Or is there an even more sinister mind calculating each perverse move?
Prosecutor Ellen North believes she's building a case against the right man -- and that he has an accomplice in the shadows. Suddenly she's swept into their dark game, her role changed from hunter to prey. And soon she wonders if she's a match for her opponent... an evil mind as guilty as sin.
"A chilling study of evil that holds the reader until the shocking surprise ending."
PHILLIP MARGOLIN, AUTHOR OF AFTER DARK
"Accomplished and scary."
COSMOPOLITAN
"Guilty as Sin is a page-turner."
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Customer Reviews:
No Surprises For Me.......2007-09-15
I also should have read Night Sins first, but I still enjoyed Guilty As Sin a great deal. Tami is an excellent writer and the "electricity" between characters was undeniable. I thought the book started out kind of slow and pretty much figured there wasn't going to be too many twists. But it stayed interesting and turned into a real page turner at the end. I recommend this read.
Loved it.......2007-07-11
Started at 10am, didn't put it down til 3am. This was my first Hoag book, but definitely not my last.
Guilty as Sin.......2007-07-10
I love reading Tami Hoag, she is almost as good as James Patterson-who is my favorite author. No doubt you can see I enjoy mystery,suspense and
thrillers.
A Great Sleep Aid.......2007-06-10
I have never read anything by Tami Hoag before and I doubt that I will again.
This story starts off slow and gets worse quickly. It is very rare that I don't finish a book once I have started it. I only made it 60 pages into this and it took me four days. It is really very boring. It might be good if one is having some problems with insomnia.
Just plain good.......2007-03-12
If you're hooked on Hoag and have read Night Sins, you've got to read Guilty as Sin. I actually liked this one better than Night Sins. The familiar style of Tami Hoag is ever present and her characters are just plain good.
Average customer rating:
- Whoa, It's Dangerous to Hang Out in this Town
- CSI fans will love this book
- A bit disappointed
- Forensics are the most believable part
- Squandered potential
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Dead Guilty
Beverly Connor
Manufacturer: Onyx
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Similar Items:
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One Grave Too Many
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Dead Past: A Diane Fallon Forensic Investigation
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Dressed to Die: A Lindsay Chamberlain Novel
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Airtight Case: A Lindsay Chamberlain Novel (Lindsay Chamberlain Mysteries)
ASIN: 0451411501
Release Date: 2004-09-07 |
Book Description
In Beverly Connor's absorbing series, the bones of the dead reveal the secrets of the living. In this latest investigation, forensic anthropologist Diane Fallon must lead a chilling excavation of a crime with harrowing implications: the murder of three people, hanged execution-style in an isolated patch of Georgia woods.
Customer Reviews:
Whoa, It's Dangerous to Hang Out in this Town.......2006-10-23
Following the discovery of the first three bodies in this case, the deaths come thick and fast. It's not as tight as the first mystery in this series and the author does a real no-no in the introduction of one of her villaims but it is fair to say that she definitely gave hints that there was another one skulking around.
The introduction of Diane Fallon as also a knot expert allowed some different forensic techniques to be discussed, add to that the mummy inherited by the museum and the contents of the Victorian pickle jar that came with it, and there's lots here to keep the biggest forensic mystery junkie interested.
While you don't have to have read the first book in the series I would definitely suggest it. Connor has a habit of continuing small threads from book to book. Besides the first book is also a good read.
CSI fans will love this book.......2006-09-21
Someone should buy the rights to this book and plan to turn it into a movie. Diane Fallon, forensic anthropologist, gets out of her car at a crime scene and presents her credentials to a patrolman, who says (nodding toward the two men who reported the crime) "They say it's not normal." Diane muses "Not normal. The kind of death they called her out for usually wasn't." If you like CSI, complete with the forensic analysis, study of bugs, and yes, evidence in the form of knots, you'll be fascinated. There's even a subplot with a mummy. If you're looking for a nice, cozy, "everyone-snowed-in-at-the-manor-house" story, this is probably not for you. I've become a big fan of this series and will eagerly look forward to more works from this writer.
A bit disappointed.......2006-02-03
For such great reviews I was pretty let down. Like another reviewer, I found too much info about stuff that has nothing to do with the crime or story. And ALOT and WAY too much info about knots. If you buy it you'll know what I mean. Started out very Promising....got half way thru and it fell apart. I can assure Patricia Cornwell she has NOTHING to worry about!!
Forensics are the most believable part.......2005-10-23
The explanations which bring to light the forensic process are excellent in this book, but the mystery surrounding them relies on hyperbole of several forms. First, the lead character is a superwoman who seems determined to beat us over the head with feminist and liberal attitudes of the author in such a ham-handed way that even if you agree with her you wish she'd stop being so obviously manipulative. It's like a terrible kindergarten teacher. I don't like propaganda of any form in my literature, and while it's present in most of the genre in varying degrees, this book was truly horrible in this regard. While I like Ms. Fallon, the lead character, she is a collection of traits with no unifying concept to her; I end up feeling like I've interviewed an actor and seen only what they were trained to show me. Finally, the mystery is slightly weak. The responsible parties are not introduced through a chain of clues, but are mentioned incidentally, and hidden, then brought out suddenly. This requires that their personalities be as outrageously, one-dimensionally "bad" as Fallon's is "good." Clearly the author has talent in the forensics area, as I was fascinated by these details, but the rest of the book is frothily vapid attempts at mind control. I would not recommend this book to anyone I like.
Squandered potential.......2005-09-24
I (finally) finished this book. I struggled through to the end, each page an investment of time I didn't want to go totally to waste.
I'm disappointed. Plain and simple, it could have been better.
So what did I like and what did I not like? Let's start with the positive:
First, the murders which kick off the story are interesting, and the investigation that follows was well-described.
Second, like Dick Francis, Connor includes lots of information about subjects not directly related to the crimes being committed.
Sadly, that second item leads into the list of things I did not like:
Where Francis wove other subjects into his mysteries, Connor grafts her digressions onto the story in a ham-handed fashion. In addition, she goes on at great length, almost like a textbook, as if she wants to impress the reader with her research. Not very artful.
Second, the writing is clumsy and needs editing. Chapters end in the middle of conversations; people do NOT talk the way she writes dialog; and she repeats conversations between the main character and others at the expense of pages of worthless rambling.
Third, the murders start to pile up beyond all reason. Just not realistic, sorry.
Fourth, there is a holdover subplot from the first novel in the series, about why-people-hate-Diane, which just gets stale. Enough!
Finally, the villain is introduced right at the end, out of the blue. Not fair! Nuff said.
I gave it three stars because it kept me wanting to know what happened, but this writer needs an editor who can chop a 380+ page book into the 220 pages it deserved.
Product Description
Guilty Pleasures explores the passionate willingness of women throughout the ages to offer themselves up to the forces of love. Historical facts are seamlessly woven into intensely graphic sexual encounters beginning with ancient Egypt and journeying down through the centuries to the present and beyond. Beneath the covers of Guilty Pleasures youll find over twenty erotic love stories with a profound feel for the times and places where they occur. An ancient Egyptian priestess
a courtesan rising to fame in Athens Golden Age
the lovely sacrifice of a Druid rite
a Romanian Counts wicked mistress
and many more are all one eternal woman in Guilty Pleasures.
Customer Reviews:
Bravo!.......2007-01-09
Though some of the works here are better than others, such as "Milagro", and "The Integral", Ms. Pita offers enough of a variety with a master's stroke that most tastes will be satisfied.
all consuming, passionate exploration of love and sexual desire.......2006-02-06
Pita's characters take us on an all consuming, passionate exploration of love and sexual desire from around the world, utilising cultures and centuries we can only imagine.
Maria Isabel Pita takes us through a collection of 18 erotic stories which capture the enthusiasm and passion of different women throughout the ages, with astounding precision. The author displays an unusual, albeit ingenious, imagination that opens the book with Out of Control, a short story set in futuristic Canada 2015. It's difficult to suggest favourite as I enjoyed them all, however, the stories which stand out the most include my literary trip to 1636 Transylvania, in Song of Blood, reading of the Secret Societies in Italy, 1500's, through to the year 3000 B.C, Crete in The Double Axe. Oh yes, then another solar system, Star Crossed and then a final pit stop in a parallel universe, Light After Breath. Should you wish to read from the last tale to first you can, as they are standalone stories, and can be read in any order.
What I liked about Guilty Pleasures is that with each tale comes a new premise, amalgamated with historical facts and wonderful, descriptive exposition. Every character is written with a fresh, unique outlook on love and life appropriate to the chosen historical era. This fact alone, hooked me from the first sentence, or at least the opening paragraph of each story. Ms Pita varies the pace of her writing, in a well-planned effort to intrigue and arouse the reader. All in all, Maria's ability to mix the erotic pursuits of her characters with entertaining, sometimes shocking twists and turns, ensures a believable, dynamic ending to each self-contained story. Out of the whole collection, there was only one story where the denouement wasn't quite as surprising (or perhaps interesting) as the rest, but that's not a problem, just a different style.
It is clear from Maria's writing, she a talented erotic writer who holds a passionate interest in history and their correlating cultures. Some of her stories are slightly peppered with an S&M flavour, but more often than not, the true sadistic behaviour of her characters are indeed the main source of nourishment and sexual satisfaction. These stories capture a mixture of cruel, sensual overriding power, and exotic scenes; intensifying the creative suspense of an exhilarating read and all consuming passions, not to be missed.
Marilyn Jaye Lewis, Erotic Authors Association Review.......2005-09-14
Maria Isabel Pita is already one of the brightest stars in the erotic romance genre. If you're unfamiliar with her work, she specializes in transporting her readers effortlessly between the past and present, while indestructible true love weaves its eternal spell on her characters' minds and souls.
Guilty Pleasures is a misleading title for her newest book, a collection of erotic romance short stories that transcend time. I'm not sure what a better title would be, but I doubt that any title could prepare you for the ingenious creativity you will discover between these otherwise ordinary covers.
As the back cover copy warns us: "Guilty Pleasures explores the passionate willingness of women throughout the ages to offer themselves up to the forces of love. Historical facts are seamlessly woven into graphic sexual encounters." Pita does indeed take us through the ages, from the near-future time of 2015 A.D., back through the 20th century, then the 19th, 18th, 17th, 16th, 15th, 12th centuries, back to 1000 B.C., 3000 B.C., through to another solar system, and on to a parallel universe. What will amaze you, if not even alarm you, is Pita's eye for detail and her uncanny feel for the everyday lives of her distant characters. When you read her stories of ancient lovers, for example, you will believe that Pita herself has visited those times and is merely recounting to you first-hand what she observed, endured, and felt while she was there.
The storytelling is seamless and flowing. The erotic encounters between her characters are sexually explicit and arousing, sometimes emotionally raw, and often thought-provoking for the reader. With each story I read, I kept thinking, "Oh, this one's my favorite," but then another story would unfold and take its place at the top of my list. In these pages, Pita's unique imagination is unleashed and she spares no punches. Some of her characters are living in harsh times (even in the future), but love is the ingredient that makes all of living - and, in turn, the loss of love makes dying - worthwhile.
I guarantee that you will marvel at the complexity of the places she takes you to and what her characters learn there. Guilty Pleasures is an absolute must for any fan of literary erotica.
Cupid's Library Review.......2005-08-23
GUILTY PLEASURES is a compilation of 18 short stories that run the gamut of genres, topics, characters and time periods. I could never give a synopsis for this book that would give it the depth and breadth of what is told by Ms. Pita in her short stories. Nevertheless, to give highlights of some of the more memorable stories I will say that in this book you will find yourself reading about a slave sold into a harem and finding love with a fellow slave, a woman and her rock star idol finding each other over time, space, and even death, and in a time unknown, in a parallel universe a human will find love with an entity that is not only alien but nearly untouchable. The variety of stories in this book hint at BSDM, vampirism, homoeroticism, ménage-a-trois (+), and much more within many time periods (past, present, future) and with such diverse characters where none are even remotely similar.
GUILTY PLEASURES is a book wholly unto itself. There is no category I could easily put it into because it has most of everything in it. I read this book from the first page to the last, roughly from the near future (2015) to the distant past and ending in a time unknown... I was increasingly more interested in each and every story. I noticed that Ms. Pita used a lot of religious imagery in her stories and also many of the relationships she depicts had a submissive/dominance quality to them. Her writing is quite complex and she used a lot of metaphors and imagery to set the feel and emotion of her stories... as the book progressed, the more pleasurable it became. In every story I found myself enjoying how she provided many twists and turns while weaving historical aspects (true or imagined) into each story giving them more depth and realism. None of her stories were predictable or took the more likely route found in erotic novels. Throughout this book I was never bored, I may have questioned a few things, but overall I was thoroughly impressed with Ms. Pita's level of writing and imagination. This book provides a nice respite from many of the 'cookie cuter' erotic romances out there. Yes, there are tender and sweet moments (e.g. Shiva and Parvati, Theron and Rhodopis), but there are also many moments which were surprising (Covenant Transport) and alarming (Song of the Blood).
Overall, this is a wonderful compilation of short stories that will take you everywhere and beyond during many significant time periods and leave you impressed and applauding Ms. Pita's literary talents and incredible imagination.
Review from ROMANCE DIVAS.......2005-08-22
`Guilty Pleasures' is a collection of eighteen erotic short stories. These stories take you on an erotic journey through time, each one taking you further back in time than the story before it,until there is no time at all.
Maria Isabel Pita is an imaginative writer with a skill for writing beautiful prose. She has taken her love for history to create a collection of stories that makes you want to keep reading. Her heroines are strong and the tales told from their point of view pull you in and make you want to know more about their individual stories. The author's attention to detail and historical accuracy makes it easier for the reader to fall into the stories as they read.
These stories are sizzling in nature with their sexual content, but it doesn't appear to be sex for sex's sake. The sex becomes an integral part of the story. There were times, such as in the story "Theron and Rhodopis," which was set in 5th Century B.C, Greece, where the relationship begins as purely sexual but ends up in a love match. The stories contain both male/female and female/female interactions.
Maria Isabel Pita as an author doesn't hold back, just as she didn't hold back in her non-fiction. She shows it all. Thoughts and actions are put on display, and she uses graphic descriptions that might turn the reader off, but in this work, they fit.
Having read her nonfiction biography, I was excited to read this collection of stories. There were few of the stories I didn't enjoy. This collection has something for everyone. We go back to the beginning of the past, and we even venture into outer space. I would highly recommend this collection of short stories. There is nothing guilty about the pleasure received from reading it.
Regina Avalos for Romance Divas
Book Description
It reads like an intriguing mystery novel but it is REAL! With each step William Dear takes, you will develop the persona that you are the investigator. Then, at the end, make yourself a juror and with the facts you've uncovered through the investigation, mark your juror's ballot as to the innocence or guilt of O.J. Simpson.
A new `major suspect' has been revealed for the first time in Dear's detailed six-year investigative report with shocking facts, photographs and documents that have never before been made public! Mr. Dear who is considered to be one of the `Top Five Investigators in the World' invites you to walk step-by-step through his first hand investigation into the murders of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman.
Customer Reviews:
O.J. can't stand the sight of blood! We never heard that!.......2007-10-02
I read this book last night right after I received it in the mail. It's absolutely eye-opening. First, you have to have an open-mind to read this book. If you have concluded that O.J. Simpson is guilty of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman, then you should not read this book unless you are to ready to learn something or use your mind to determine your own conclusions. The author here does a briliant job in developing a case against Jason Simpson, O.J.'s son. Of course, maybe Jason would have emerged as the prime suspect if the police or district attorney's offices talked to him. That's right, the LAPD and the district attorneys like Marcia Clark and Christopher Darden already concluded that O.J. Simpson committed the crimes. This book states he was protecting his son, Jason, who you would learn is emotionally disturbed and suffers from mental illness and has a history of blindess. Oh let's not forget that Jason is an excellent chef who carries around his own knives in his chef's kit. Remember, O.J. hates the site of blood which is documented. This book has also painted a portrait of Nicole Brown Simpson not as a victim but a strong woman who survived a violent domestic relationship to O.J. Simpson but their relationship was far more complicated than the media allowed to believe. She was a woman who was enjoying the good life and the freedom to pursue men but she always talked about O.J. to others. When they were together, they were inseparable. Apart, they talked little about anybody else to their friends and relatives. O.J. wasn't or isn't stupid. He may have covered up for his son's deeds and it cost him more than anything he could have imagined such as the loss of his true love, the public's demonization, and financially. He lives in Florida and plays golf but is still dismissed as the killer. I think he would rather bear that than lay it on Jason who would have probably been sentenced to death row at San Quentin in California. Of course, let's remember that nobody else was ever charged or even investigated. The whole crime was displayed as murder but Dear doesn't mention that O.J.'s physically damaged by his years of football and drugs to commit such a heinous crime and manage to get away with it by running for his life. At least, this author does investigate the possibility of Ron Goldman as the ultimate target. He investigates the entire Simpson family including the death of the infant daughter, Aaren. He also digs into Jason's medical history rather illegally but at least he is doing the work that the L.A.P.D. has not done at all. They never questioned Jason, never verified his alibi which wasn't airtight, never bothered to verify his story, never bothered to investigate Jason as a potential suspect. At least, Dear appears to be on the side of the truth. It is not that O.J.'s inner circle isn't aware of his existence. Maybe O.J. wrote his recent book to disuade the notion that Jason is a suspect because this book does reveal a lot of interesting facts. Regardless of how you feel about O.J. Simpson, the former celebrity, sports hero, and now social pariah, this book sheds light never shown before on a man who might be guilty but not of murder but of protecting his son, Jason. Dear writes sympathetically about Jason as a complicated and troubled man who needs help. At least, he has been quiet but who knows what really happened that night on Bundy Drive. Who is to say that the criminal jury got it wrong and maybe the civil jury got it right because O.J. felt responsible. When I read that Jason couldn't view Nicole's body at the wake, it should have been a wake-up call. O.J. and the mourners sat there for hours while Jason was too distraught. At the trial, he was kept away until the verdict.
Stupidest book ever.......2007-09-14
Anybody who doesn't KNOW OJ did it is either an idiot or insane. Period.
Wow!.......2007-03-23
We all watched that weird "low-speed chase." We all watched at least a little bit of the trial... and we all argued about whether O.J. had done the murders. A lot of us thought he'd gotten away with murder. When I was a graduate student a couple of years later, a group of us did a study on public attitudes toward O.J.'s guilt/innocence (results: black males thought he was innocent, white females thought he was guilty, black females and white males fell into the middle of the statistics).
Now, WOW! William C. Dear's extensive, complete, detailed analysis of the evidence shows that O.J. didn't do it! His son Jason did it! Mr. Dear has convinced not only me of this, but also a number of crime experts, friends of O.J., psychologists, etc.
Not every part of Mr. Dear's case is equally strong. The motive, for example, is a bit weak - supposedly Nicole stood up Jason after planning to have a large party at the restaurant where he was a chef. But the psychological information on Jason; his history of violence; his strange behavior throughout his life....they point toward guilt. And O.J.'s behaviors too. He said, remember: "I didn't do it, but it's all my fault!" (He meant, because Jason turned out so messed up and did it.) Also, the morning after the murders, O.J. hired a top murder lawyer TO REPRESENT JASON. Nothing came of this, because the LAPD never really took a look at Jason; but come on! It's pretty clear why O.J. did that. And there is much, much more evidence.
The book is written in a slightly grainy first-person style that I found quite enjoyable. It's a bit rough and spotty, but that makes it all the more believable. I never would've thought I'd rate a book like this one so highly, but I must admit, I read it until I fell asleep and then got up and started reading again in the morning.
This book deserves more attention than it has received. Kudos to William C. Dear.
Neither OJ nor Jason did it.......2007-01-21
OJ was still in love with Nicole and wanted her back and Jason had no reason to kill Nicole.
Look at the "facts". Supposedly, the victims were killed from behind by having their heads pulled back and their throats slashed. No black man in history has ever killed anyone like that.
What most likely happened?:
It's a known fact that Nicole had an illegal drug problem and limited income. Nicole owed the drug dealer and couldn't pay. The drug dealer's hit man went to kill Nicole and Ron Goldman happened to be an innocent bystander and had to be taken down so he couldn't be a witness.
Fred Goldman has become a man obsessed with ruining OJ. Get a life, Fred and quit blaming the wrong person. Nothing you do will bring your son back and no monetary gain will replace him. You will hurt every day of your life just as I have from the murder of my own adult son 13 years ago. Your relentless stalking of OJ is frightening and has completely consumed you. Please seek psychological help.
Outstanding.......2006-11-26
Watching the trial from the UK I always felt that it didn't add up. Expert testimony says there was not enough blood on OJ. Ron Goldman fought his murderer, but OJ had not a single bruise on him. There simply wasn't enough time to fight and murder 2 people and get rid of knives and blood soaked clothes. Even OJ's drains were removed to test for blood being washed away from a shower - not a trace. This book is outstanding, and is the only explanation that fits what happened. Highly recommended. What a pity the US legal system isn't interested in finding out the truth.
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- Sketches of an Elephant: A Topos Theory Compendium 2 Volume Set (Oxford Logic Guides, 43 & 44)
- Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel
- Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel
- Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln: 21 Powerful Secrets of History's Greatest Speakers
- Standard Catalog of World Coins: 17th Century - 1601-1700 (Standard Catalog of World Coins 17th Century Edition 1601-1700)
- The Amazing Faith of Texas: Common Ground on Higher Ground
- The Dinner Party: From Creation to Preservation
Books Index
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