Send Me
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • A Satisfying Read
  • The story of a family.
  • Compelling stories of members of unique dysfunctional family
  • Elegantly crafted
  • Readers liking a tidy ending won't find it here
Send Me
Patrick Ryan
Manufacturer: Dial Press Trade Paperback
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
United StatesUnited States | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0385338759
Release Date: 2007-01-30

Book Description

Patrick Ryan’s first work of fiction is written with such authority, grace, and wisdom, it might be the capstone of a distinguished literary career.

In the Florida of NASA launches, ranch houses, and sudden hurricanes, Teresa Kerrigan, ungrounded by two divorces, tries to hold her life together. But her ex-husbands linger in the background while her four children spin away to their own separate futures, each carrying the baggage of a complex family history. Matt serves as caretaker to the ailing father who abandoned him as a child, while his wild teenage sister, Karen, hides herself in marriage to a born-again salesman. Joe, a perpetual outsider, struggles with a private sibling rivalry that nearly derails him. And then there’s the youngest, Frankie, an endearing, eccentric sci-fi freak who’s been searching since childhood for intelligent life in the universe–and finds it.

Written with wry affection, and with compassion for every character in its pages, Send Me is a wholly original, haunting evocation of family love, loss, and, ultimately, forgiveness.


From the Hardcover edition.

Download Description

Patrick Ryan was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Florida. His work has appeared in the Yale Review, the Iowa Review, One Story, and other journals. He lives in New York City.


From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars A Satisfying Read.......2007-03-08

Teresa is a flawed parent; two failed marriages, four messed-up children by two fathers, each with issues that run the gamut from closeted homosexuality to alien abduction. Told chapter by chapter from the viewpoint
of main characters, a fully rounded portrait of Teresa's life is rivetingly told. This is a psychological
novel of flowing, engaging prose. Stick with it to the end for one of the most life-affirming denouements
in recent fiction.

5 out of 5 stars The story of a family........2007-01-07

I truly enjoyed this book.

Patrick Ryan uses a family as his cast, which allows him to focus on specific characters for different sections of the work. The result resembles a collection of short stories that often seem unrelated-- though they share common characters. Each chapter chooses different people to focus on, and jumps forward and back in time. In the end, the varying stories all help to illuminate the history of a remarkable family.

In particular, I felt that the chapter entitled "That Daring Young Man," was quite masterful. Not only does Ryan address the complex relationship between two brothers (one who is gay, the other also gay but closeted), but really gets at the desperation and frustration of discovering one's own sexuality. It was unlike any gay "coming-of-age" story I'd ever read-- truly unique.

A unique and thoughtful read. Highly recommended.

5 out of 5 stars Compelling stories of members of unique dysfunctional family.......2006-07-22

To call this a novel is not really accurate, as it is more a collection of short stories about the members of a uniquely dysfunctional family from a suburban island in Florida. The central focus is on Teresa, the matriarch of the family who tries to hold everything together, with varying results. Her first husband, Dermot, was essentially running away from his powerful Italian-American family in upstate NY, and eventually went back to them, after the birth of Teresa's oldest children, Matt and Katherine. She then was courted and wed by Roger, who worked at the nearby NASA space center, and who became the father of Teresa's other children, Joseph and Frankie, before he leaves her for another woman.

Each chapters focus primarily on one character at a time, be it one of Teresa's two husbands or one of the children, as they grew into teenagers and adulthood. Most colorful of the latter is Frankie, a dreamer obsessed with space travel and aliens as a child, who becomes a gay party boy when attending a Florida university. His older brother Joseph is an introspective, serious boy, outwardly disapproving of Frankie's antics, but secretly envying his "I Am What I Am" bravado as he copes with his own confusion about his sexual orientation. Katherine, who ditches her name earlier and insists on being called Karen, is a teenage rebel who marries at 21, looking for the love she feels she didn't get at home. Oldest son Matt was most affected by the departure of his birth father, and moves to NY at age 18 to become his caretaker.

Although brilliantly conceived and written, the book is not that easy to follow, as the chapters don't follow logically from each other,but rather arranged in the order in which the author wanted to tell the story. They aren't in chronological order, aren't labeled as to what character is becoming the narrator of each chapter, which puts a burden on the reader that I found uncomfortable at times. My feeling is the author's disjointed, frustrating tone was intentional, to mimic the state of mind of the characters throughout. The final narrative, by Teresa, ties up loose ends and recaps what happened to each of the characters, and reinforces her role as the individual who did as good a job as possible for her family, despite the obstacles and lack of appreciation. We can also appreciate the author's originality and skill in presenting an admirable first work of fiction. Five stars out of five, including a bonus for originality and gritty realism.

5 out of 5 stars Elegantly crafted.......2006-04-18

Ryan gets right at the heart of a painful truth: families fly apart. And by jumping back and forth in time to tell the story, the starkness of this reality is all the more clear. And what an amazing eye for detail. He's the only person other than my grandmother who would ever describe a mouthy teenage girl as "bold." When I read that, and later when I read his accurate description of a Slip n Slide, I was transported back in time. Great work.

5 out of 5 stars Readers liking a tidy ending won't find it here.......2006-04-13

Sometimes you look at people lives and think to yourself "I wonder what happened to you to make you turn out that way?" By that remark I am not refering to events that would be considered highly dysfunctional, just the random happenings of a somewhat messy upbringing that outwardly seem rather insignificant but inwardly wreak their own brand of havoc. This is such a story. One woman, two husbands, four children and the odd journey that makes up their lives through the 60's to present. The author has captured the feel of the time periods perfectly, any child of the "70's will instantly be transported. This is not a tidy story, in either subject matter or style. The author jumps around alot with both time periods and narratives and occasionally this style can be confusing. Nothing is wrapped up neatly, few problems are solved and the characters are by traditional standards anything but happy. In his own unapologetic way the author has simply shown a segment of the lives of these family members; he then ends the story as abruptly as he began it. 4.5 stars.
Send Me Down a Miracle
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • For all of the people who need miracles.
  • Send Me Down A Miracle
  • Good Lessons...
  • Funny and sad at the same time.
  • Awesome!
Send Me Down a Miracle
Han Nolan
Manufacturer: Harcourt Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ChristianChristian | Fiction | Religions | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0152046801

Amazon.com

There's a startling, almost itchy moment in every adolescent's life when she or he first realizes that adults are fallible. Yet, for 14-year-old Charity, the revelation is even more profound: not only is her dad (the town's preacher) merely wrong about the eccentric Adrienne Dabney, he's dang-blasted and over-the-top wrong. Although she's always been a perfect preacher's daughter, Charity is about to shock the whole town by standing up to her father, proving him wrong in front of God and everyone. This riveting and acclaimed novel will resonate with any teen who has ever wanted to knock a little bit of sense into a parent's head!

Book Description

Things used to be normal in Casper, Alabama. Charity Pittman was a regular fourteen-year-old, the perfect daughter, following in her preacher father's footsteps. But then Adrienne arrived, with her big-city ways and artsy ideas. Reverend Pittman thinks she's the devil incarnate. Charity thinks she's amazing.
But no one knows what to think of Adrienne when she claims she's seen Jesus.
In the heartening and humorous book that made the National Book Award shortlist, Han Nolan visits a small town that's praying for a miracle but heading for disaster.
Reader's guide and an interview with the author included.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars For all of the people who need miracles........2005-08-11

The small town of Casper, Alabama is a happily quiet town where everyone knows everybody's business and no one seems to care what happens. But when Adrienne Dabney from New York moves in things get really shaken up. You see Adrienne is an artist and when she decides to do an `artists' fast where she doesn't eat for a month the local priest objects because he wants none of that East Coast hocus-pocus witch craft and sinning happening in his city. But Adrienne decides to do her fast anyways. A month later when she finally emerges from her home she brings the news that she has seen Jesus. This news brings an uproar and the people will be forever changed. This is a pretty good book!

4 out of 5 stars Send Me Down A Miracle.......2003-10-14

Send Me Down A Miracle is the second book of Han Nolan's that I've read. Both of which have been fabulous. This book shows that relgion is a big part of what kind of person you are. Especially if your father is a Reverand, like Charity's is. When Adrianne comes to Kasper from NYC, Charity's entire point of view changes. She feels that Adrianne and anything she does is right and that G*d and her father are wrong. Everything changes after Adrianne annouces her vision of the Jesus chair. Now Charity doesn't know what to think. Her father is forcing her in one direction while her heart wants to go in the other. Send Me Down A Miracle is an amazing story of a girl who wants to do something for herself for a first. If you are religious or not, this book is still a great read.

5 out of 5 stars Good Lessons..........2002-10-30

I enjoyed this book very much. It started off slow in the beginning, but then after a while it started to pick up. You can learn a lot from books and this is one that really does make you think about you, your family, religion, townspeople, and even your preacher. It taught a lot of lessons. I thought a lot about this book after I got done reading it and there are several things that still throw me off, but that's the joy about books, making your own opinion and own feelings. I highly recommend this to anyone.

5 out of 5 stars Funny and sad at the same time........2001-10-11

The whole point of the book, I guess, is that adults are fallible. That's the story: Charity realizing that. While I don't much like her father (he beats her) I guess I can see that Charity loves him, and he, her. As an atheist, I found it kind of amusing the way people prayed and flocked to the Jesus chair. Though the thing with Mad Joe and Vonnie and Velita was incredibly sad. While some of the characters seemed stereotyped -- Charity's dad the hell-raising Southern preacher, for instance -- I thought it was a really good book. Han Nolan's one of my favorite authors and I hope she keeps churning out works like this for decades to come.

5 out of 5 stars Awesome!.......2000-03-29

I just finished this one. WOW! I couldn't put it down. Han Nolan is one of the best writers I have ever read. All her books are just as great as this one. I can't wait 'till she writes another!
Send Me Someone: A True Story of Love Here and Hereafter
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Timely inspiration
  • I needed this!
  • Made a believer out of me!!
  • THE PROOF OF ENDURING LIFE IS THE BEHOLDER
  • A "You'll Love This!" Read
Send Me Someone: A True Story of Love Here and Hereafter

Manufacturer: Audio Renaissance
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

GeneralGeneral | Literature & Fiction | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
GeneralGeneral | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
AuthorsAuthors | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
New AgeNew Age | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
MemoirsMemoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1559276681

Book Description

A remarkable account of a match made in HeavenIn the movie Ghost, the passionate moment when Patrick Swayze is able to reach out to Demi Moore from the other side touched people's hearts in a way that few movies do. Does life continue after death? Can a departed loved one change the course of our lives? Send Me Someone shows us that the answer is "yes." In this first-person memoir, Diana von Welanetz Wentworth tells the story of a powerful love affair and how it came to encompass dimensions beyond what she considered possible. From the beginning, Diana Webb and Paul von Welanetz were a storybook couple. In the enchantment of their first days together, the two became absorbed by a chemistry that endured through twenty-five years of marriage. Diana and Paul shared everything, personally and professionally. Their passion for cooking, entertaining, and bringing people together led them to successful careers as award-winning cookbook authors, hosts of a television show, and later as founding directors of The Inside Edge, a prominent human potential organization. Regarded by friends as a perfect match, they were even named "One of L.A.'s Most Romantic Couples" by Los Angeles magazine in 1986.But one day, in 1988, everything changed. They discovered that their adventure together was to be cut short when Paul was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Diana was devastated. In rapidly declining health, he told her, "I don't want you to be alone." She replied impulsively, "Then send me someone!" Paul responded, "I will."That promise, and its aftermath, is the extraordinary story at the heart of Send Me Someone. Diana relates how, after Paul's death, she became aware that he was still "present" in her life and actively concerned with her well-being. Within months, fate introduced her to a new man-Ted Wentworth, a prominent attorney who had lost his wife to cancer. Ted seemed so unlike the dreamy, romantic Paul. He was realistic, funny, mischievous, even a little confrontational. But Diana soon began to appreciate Ted's depth and wisdom, along with his edgy sense of the ridiculous. Despite their obvious differences, the two fell in love.Ted, as it turned out, has a well-developed intuitive sense, and as their relationship developed, he revealed something that astonished Diana: he felt a startling inner connection to Paul von Welanetz! In fact, a series of remarkable occurrences soon convinced them both that Ted was indeed the "someone" Paul promised to send. Send Me Someone is both a romantic love story and a credible account of communication with someone from "the other side." As such, it occupies a unique niche while straddling two enormously popular genres. This inspiring book offers hope and reassurance that death is not the end. It is an engaging, real-life tale that love, once known, never really dies. Send Me Someone is, without a doubt, the most compelling love story of the year.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Timely inspiration.......2001-12-16

The author tells an inspiring story of the worlds within and beyond the one we inhabit every day. She bears witness to experiences many of us have had but seldom speak of when a loved one has crossed over: the survival of the soul and the transmission of love in every-expanding ways across the thin membrane separating human consciousness from its Source. The fate-full journey which interweaves the lives of three lovers is beautifully narrated and, most especially, in these troubled times, speaks to the "unstoppable designs of destiny" unique to each of us.

5 out of 5 stars I needed this!.......2001-10-11

A week after my 32-year-old husband died, I walked into a bookstore and was immediately drawn to this book on display. I knew exactly what the book was about the second I looked at the cover. Although I think some of it is really "out there," Diana's story helped me to believe that my husband's spirit could exist and that he wants me to be happy, and even find love again. I have since felt my husband's presence (although not as straightfoward as Diana's experiences!) and that has brought me joy; I'm not sure I would have been as open to the experience if I hadn't first read this book. Also, I have begun a romantic relationship, and while I carry some guilt about it, it is reassuring to know about Diana's story, and how she believes her husband led her to Ted and a second chance at love. (Perhaps someday I'll write my story about all the strange and wonderful coincidences that have occurred!) Regardless of one's particular situation or beliefs, I think this is a beautiful story.

5 out of 5 stars Made a believer out of me!!.......2001-08-28

Even after reading this beautiful and gripping story, I can't imagine what I would do if my husband passed away. Diana is truly a strong and loving person, and her story gives me hope that life and love goes on!

5 out of 5 stars THE PROOF OF ENDURING LIFE IS THE BEHOLDER.......2001-06-24

This is one of 5 best books I have ever read in my life and I am 72 yrs. old. There is a wealth of books that prove (to me) that life is everlasting and what you make of life in this world is up to you..period.

This books covers the entire spectrum of life. Yearning for love and a better life, searching for occupations, success, loss ..redemption..a brand new life..friendship and all of the emotions and happenings of a life. The author has picked the right words that fit into an experience of reading perfection. She relates experiences that could be unbelievable to some, but to me are as true and life uplifting that I must sing a song of thanksgiving that I discovered this book.

If you want to read a wonderful love story and get proof of the power of love, read Send Me Someone.

5 out of 5 stars A "You'll Love This!" Read.......2001-05-26

I climbed into bed one night intending to read several chapters and lights out at a reasonable time. I read all night long(!) and finished it about 4:00 a.m. I can remember being this engrossed only twice before -- Gone with the Wind and The Poisonwood Bible -- nosleep/all night sojourns. I laughed, cried (sobbed), and was riveted the entire night. This book may be labeled as a memoir, but it also shares suspense, poignancy, recognition, ah hah's; faith, joy, humor, and, most of all, love with the reader. I know that anyone and everyone who reads this splendid work will be similarly affected.

I see/know so many women who need to hear this story in order to be able to connect reality with what is mistakenly described as the fairy tale. This is an ongoing conversation for me with the women who claim there are no good men out there. I so agree with the author that good men are all over if we choose to see/hear them.

This book has music for me. The romantic strains of All Night Long comes up frequently, as does the shark music from Jaws with the author's father, and Ted's part, of course, evokes a lilting Baby Elephant Walk. Why doesn't this computer have musical notes so that I can illustrate my thoughts!?!?!

I had to sit down and IMMEDIATELY share how much I loved this writing (style, content, energy, warmth/ connection, and use of time (reminds me of Faulkner's Sound and the Fury). I know it will sell millions of copies and touch multiple millions of lives.

Judy Foley, President, The Patricia Moore Group, California's Premier Introduction Service for Single Professionals Since 1984.
Send Me No Roses
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Talented new author!
  • Murder Mystery Romance
  • A great Summer time Read!
  • Great new author
  • Great new author
Send Me No Roses
Irene Estep
Manufacturer: New Concepts Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Fantasy, Futuristic & GhostFantasy, Futuristic & Ghost | Romance | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1586084534

Book Description

Waking up pool-side at her estranged husband's mansion, Joani Brenningan-Estivez finds his body floating face down in the water. With motive, opportunity and a handgun on her lap, there is little doubt she's being framed for the murder. The one man she thinks to turn to broke her heart seven years earlier with a bouquet of roses and a farewell note. Will he risk everything to help her?

DEA Agent David Devereau's been waiting years for another chance with Joani, but he can't confide in her that her husband's death leaves her his one remaining link to getting evidence needed against the deceased's uncle, the target of his current investigation. David's determined to clear her name. But, will she suspect his motives once she learns the whole truth?

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Talented new author!.......2000-08-16

This e-book is a terrific read from a talented new author. It starts out with a great hook and keeps you interested to the end. Not a good book to start at night if you have to get up early in the morning because you'll want to keep going until you finish it! I'm looking forward to Irene Estep's next romantic suspense.

5 out of 5 stars Murder Mystery Romance.......2000-06-14

Joani Brannigan is accused of her husband's murder. Now, only the man she loved as a teenager can save her from not only a murder conviction, but the real killers. Ms. Estep does an awesome job of weaving an intriquing plot interspersed with red hot sexual tension. Read it. You won't regret it.

5 out of 5 stars A great Summer time Read!.......2000-06-13

Ms. Istep delivers! She spins a mesmerizing tale of intrigue from the first page, where the reader wonders if the heroine is guilty of murdering her husband. You'll like the strong chacterization and the sparks that fly between the hero and heroine as the strive to solve the crime. I recommend this engaging tale of suspense and romance.

5 out of 5 stars Great new author.......2000-03-27

Irene Estep has written a fast-paced page turner. The action never drags and the reader never gets bored. I look forward to her next release.

5 out of 5 stars Great new author.......2000-03-27

Irene Estep has written a fast-paced page turner. The action never drags and the reader never gets bored. I look forward to her next release.
The Amazon Adventure (Send Me the Soap)
Average customer rating: Not rated
    The Amazon Adventure (Send Me the Soap)
    Gretchen Schlesinger
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    Action & AdventureAction & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
    ASIN: 0977853624
    The Emerald Isle Adventure (Send Me the Soap)
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      The Emerald Isle Adventure (Send Me the Soap)
      Gretchen Schlesinger
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Hardcover

      Science Fiction, Fantasy, & MagicScience Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Fiction | Explore the World | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
      ASIN: 0977853608
      Lord, Please Send Me a Friend
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Lord, Please Send Me a Friend
        Janet Lee Robinson
        Manufacturer: Pleasant Word-A Division of WinePress Publishing
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

        GeneralGeneral | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Classics | Comic | Contemporary | Literary
        GeneralGeneral | Christian Living | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
        ASIN: 1414100388

        Book Description

        Lord, Please Send Me a Friend: Open your Heart to Relationships Blessed by God. Changes-life is filled with them. There is no place to run or escape life's changes. When you are emotionally alone and uncertain about pres-ent friendships you may experience the need and desire for new friend-ships. During this journey of seeking new friends and friendships you can clasp hands with the Savior to absorb His blessings like a sponge that is saturated with only pure water. Discovering friends and friendships through the eyes of God will give you the freedom to embrace refreshing change. You will feel His presence through the touch of friends. Seeing and hearing the truth concerning friends will become a joy. Hunger and thirst for friends will be quenched as you taste the beauty of friendship. Sweet and glorious aroma will permeate the air as God's gentle breeze of love lavishes the gift of friends to be cherished forever.
        Send Me A Hero (Harlequin Intrigue , No 486)
        Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
        • I loved this story!
        • A smooth blending of mystery and romance.
        • Gripping read from page one.
        • A Nice First Effort, but Not That Great
        Send Me A Hero (Harlequin Intrigue , No 486)
        Rita Herron
        Manufacturer: Harlequin
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

        GeneralGeneral | Romance | Subjects | Books
        Harlequin IntrigueHarlequin Intrigue | Series | Romance | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
        ASIN: 0373224869

        Customer Reviews:

        5 out of 5 stars I loved this story!.......1998-12-25

        I had read Ms. Herron's previous short contemporaries, but since they weren't romantic suspense, I wasn't prepared for the emotional depth of her writing in this one. A hair-raising, exciting ride from beginning to end. I'll be looking forward to more Intrigues from this very talented new author.

        5 out of 5 stars A smooth blending of mystery and romance........1998-10-13

        I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Rita Herron smoothly blended the romance and mystery, keeping me turning the pages from beginning to end. I'm looking forward to her next one.

        5 out of 5 stars Gripping read from page one........1998-09-29

        Gripping read from page one. A cut above your typical amnesia story. Full of wonderful plot twists and turns that leave you guessing right up until the hair-raising end.

        2 out of 5 stars A Nice First Effort, but Not That Great.......1998-09-26

        Rita Herron's first Harlequin Intrigue is a nice effort, but is ultimately a bit too repetitive and dull. Veronica Miller has returned to her hometown twenty years after her parents were murdered. The townspeople seem to wish she'd leave again--for good--and someone seems determined to either kill her or drive her insane. Only Detective Nathan Dawson believes her. A slam-bang beginning quickly falls into a rut. Something suspicious happens to Veronica, Nathan comforts her, sexual tension abounds, rinse, repeat. That's pretty much all that happens for the first 150 pages: one threat, one bit of investigating after another, only interrupted when they finally have sex. Even worse than being repetitive, it's not very exciting to begin with. They don't even begin to piece together anything useful for solving the mystery until the 175-page mark, and thereafter, everything becomes really slapdash. None of the characters other than Nathan and Veronica are very well developed--a problem considering there's at least twelve other relevant characters, and I didn't care for how Veronica spends most of the book guilt-stricken ("I cause people to die," she tells Nathan on page 247), yet the epilogue simply says she gets some therapy, and by the time the book ends on page 249, she's all better. Huh? Still, I was just glad it was over, considering how long it seemed to take to get through it. All in all, I expected more.
        Send Me a Stranger to Love
        Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
        • Interesting storyline, flat storytelling
        • Great Read
        • A Journal: The Ups and Downs of a Relationship
        Send Me a Stranger to Love
        Tiffany K. Shipp
        Manufacturer: Writer's Showcase Press
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

        ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
        LiteraryLiterary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Romance | Subjects | Books
        ASIN: 059526106X

        Book Description

        Valerie Parker was stricken with Lupus at the young age of twenty-four. She has been alone for six years and is longing for a relationship. It was never her plan to go it alone, with no one to share her life with. A good man, a relationship, marriage, and children; these were not things that she had planned to give up just because the dreaded Lupus had come along.

        When a new and handsome man enters Valerie's life, when the possibility of all the things that she has dreamed about, but put on the back burner for so longer come so close and within her reach, will she have the strength to go forward, to enjoy life again. Will she have courage to trust again?

        And this man, when he realized that he has met the woman that he wants and needs in life, will he run away and go back to his old ways of just living for the moment or will he realize that it time to settle down and make a home.

        Customer Reviews:

        3 out of 5 stars Interesting storyline, flat storytelling.......2005-03-01

        Valerie's battle with lupus and lung disease impedes her living her life to its fullest, including the pursuit of a romantic relationship. Until she is rear-ended by Michael. The love story begins and the ups and downs of a relationship, in addition to dealing with her health issues are described in great detail. The relationship is interesting, as is her struggle with friendships and illness. I adored the storyline, however I love stories with dialogue. Dialogue makes a story come alive. This story is told in journal format. Sometimes it reads like an author's notes and reflections that should have been fleshed out with dialogue.

        Because the storyline is good, I'd recommend it with only slight reservations.

        4 out of 5 stars Great Read.......2003-04-16

        I really enjoyed this book! It was great feeling like you were a part of it simply because of where it was set...The Bay Area. I felt like I knew Valerie and may run into her any day. The love story between Valerie and Michael reads as it is real and I'm sure many people would be able to relate to their story. Her girlfriends were also ones (friends) that you may have of your own. I would recommend you all to read it, it keeps you going right from the start!

        3 out of 5 stars A Journal: The Ups and Downs of a Relationship.......2003-03-31

        In Tiffany K. Shipp's Send Me a Stranger to Love, she writes of a relationship between Valerie Parker and Michael Patereau. Valerie has not had a relationship in six years when she by chance meets Michael, the man who sends her 10-year-old car to an early grave after a fender bender. Valerie is also living with the disease Lupus, which requires some extra care and understanding in having a relationship. Close to Valerie are her two friends, Lily and Gwen and her family, both in California and Philadelphia, all who play a major role in Valerie's life. This relationship has moments of romance, complacency and turbulence throughout. Many times one or the other would do something so crazy you would wonder why they stay together and then do something so nice you will wish they were your partner.

        This book read as if it could have come straight from the author's own personal journal; I wondered if it was an autobiography. The only thing missing were the dates. The sequence and time frames were very consistent to the point of the author specifying when "it was an uneventful week". Where there was action the author detailed everything from the clothing worn and conversations that transpired.

        The relationship between Valerie and Michael is interesting enough to keep the readers attention despite it reading like a diary. There is a lot of valuable information on the disease Lupus, that I found quite interesting considering I have family members who have this disease. I think if you live in the Bay Area you may find many familiar places or restaurants you frequent as their descriptions are sprinkled throughout the book. While this book was not a bad read, it did not leave a lasting impression whereas I would make an unsolicited recommendation. If someone were to ask me specifically about this book, I would say yes read it, you may enjoy it.

        Jeanette
        APOOO BookClub
        Send Me an Angel
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Send Me an Angel
          Ariel Fletcher
          Manufacturer: PublishAmerica
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback

          ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
          ASIN: 1413761046

          Book Description

          Becca was from a small town in Kansas, where she and her husband, and their two young sons lived modestly, until her husband's need for a richer lifestyle, threw them into the big city. Becca watched with discontentment as her husband, and her life, quickly changed around her, leaving her feeling lost and alone in an unfamiliar place. Her one night escape, on the unfamiliar Boston streets, led her to her chance meeting with Michael. He was charming and playful, and very appealing to look at, and she was flattered he had even give her a second glance, but... she was married. He asked her for nothing, and she promised him as much, but as time passed and truths were revealed, she found herself entangled in a tight deceptive web that left her robbed of the life that she once knew, and close relationships that she'd grown to trust.

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          2. Sleeper Vol. 1: Out in the Cold
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          4. Son of the Morning Star
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          6. The 10 Best of Everything: An Ultimate Guide for Travelers (Passport to the Best)
          7. The Accidental Mind: How Brain Evolution Has Given Us Love, Memory, Dreams, and God
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