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 Fiction

 Sailing

 Aikido

 Misc.

I wrote the title story to this anthology of short stories set in Mercedes (Misty) Lackey's world, Valdemar. That story, "Sword of Ice," explains how Savil came to know the Hawk Brothers, to become a Wing Sister to them. While it's definitely in the Fantasy genre, it's damned fine fantasy. Misty's stories are rich with descriptives, and her characters breath. You'll quickly find yourself identifying with them, feeling for them as they take on the terrors that threaten Valdemar. You'll find yourself cheering them on, and even shedding tears at their losses. Being a fine storyteller may be a strong suite of Misty's, but the real-world lessons, taught discretely by example, could do us all alot of good. Seldom does a writer come along who can teach such heavy lessons as Tolerance while giving ya a rip-roaring good time in the bargain!

MAGIC'S PAWN

This is the first in the series, The Last Herald-Mage, that launched Valdemar into fame. Here we meet Vanyel, a young man who'll be a powerful mage one day - if he can survive his own daemons. This character is without a doubt the most beloved of all the many books written in Misty's world of Valdemar - a place where magical horses exist, where magic is a real thing, and where credible characters form the foundations to page-turning tales. Misty's incredible talent has us believing all of these wonders really do exist. I heartily recommend this trilogy!

 

MAGIC'S PROMISE

In this second book of the original trilogy, Vanyel has come into his own. But this doesn't mean his problems are over - far from it! He and his Companion, Yfandes, a magical equine, must battle with courtly intrigues, Dark Magic, and their own doubts and sensitivities, all while maintaining the rigorous standard of knights, protectors of the realm of Valdemar, and servants to the Queen. The plot is thick with turns and surprises, convincing in its style, and captivating with its charm. Misty has never been better!

 

MAGIC'S PRICE

"The once-peaceful kingdom protected by the magic of its Herald-Mages is now besieged on all fronts. The king likes near death, the neighboring land of Karse wages a relentless war against Valdemar, and forbidden magic is massing to strike the final devastating blow against the kingdom...And if either Vanyel or Yfandes falters, ... both Valdemar and its last Herald-Mage must pay the ultimate price..." You'll lose sleep turning the pages of this final book in the trilogy, then lose lunch hours looking for other books in the series!

 

Memory, Sorrow & Thorn

Tad Williams - Fantasy at its very best!

The Dragonbone Chair (Book 1 of MST)

by Tad Williams
List Price: $7.99
Our Price: $6.39
Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours.
ISBN: 0886773849

The first of a trilogy in four paperbacks (or 2 paperbacks and one hardcover,) Tad Williams' tome establishes him as one of the best fantasy writers of our time. His world is rich in descriptives, his characters are credibly fallible, human enough a bunch of heroes that we care deeply about them. I found Dragonbone Chair while on the prowl for something long enough that I wouldn't be through it in a night. Indeed, it took me nearly 4 days to read this first book in the epic series. I missed meals entirely and was late to meetings over reading this book, and didn't regret one minute spent doing so. It's rare that a writer captivates me so thoroughly. Rarer yet that the author ends up being one HELL of a nice guy! Give yourself a treat - buy the entire set today!

Stone of Farewell (Paperback 2 of 4)

by Tad Williams

List Price: $7.99

Our Price: $6.39

Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours.

The saga continues in this second tome. Did I mention that there are 3000 pages all-told in this series? More importantly, each of them is impossible to put down!

 

To Green Angel Tower, Part 1

by William Tad, Tad Williams

List Price: $7.99

Our Price: $6.39

Availability: This title usually ships within 2-3 days.

 
This cover actually belongs to Part Two of the paperback release of this third book in the trilogy. The third book was literally too long to print in one volume - the binding couldn't have been done and it would never have fit on the shelves... So if you want paperbacks, you have to buy both parts.
 
 
 

To Green Angel Tower (Part 2)

 
by Tad Williams

List Price: $7.99

Our Price: $6.39

Availability: This title usually ships within 2-3 days.

 
 
This is the fourth paperback in the trilogy. Needless to say, I'm a rabid Tad fan. Interestingly enough, all of his fans are similarly entranced by his works. What's far more rare is that he makes himself accessible to them, and I've yet to see him condescending in even the slightest way. Further down there's a link to Tad's web page. Check it out!
 
 
 
 

To Green Angel Tower (Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, Book 3)

by Tad Williams

List Price: $25.00

Our Price: $17.50

Availability: This title usually ships within 2-3 days.

Hardcover - 1083 pages (March 1993)

I've included this option, the hardcover version of the third book in the trilogy, because by the time one buys both paperbacks and pays S&H on two books, he's at just about the same price as the

 

Visit the Tad Williams site: http://www.tadwilliams.com

 

 

MELANIE RAWN TRILOGIES

I simply cannot say enough about this wonderful author's abilities. More along the lines of Mercedes Lackey in her subject matter, but more sophisticated in her style and plot, these two trilogies (sequels to each other) kept me spellbound throughout. Once again, believable characters that we care about abound, proving that such are essential to a good book. But Rawn goes beyond this to create a world where magic is a part of physics, where intrigue and politics are a part of our regular existence... with invaders, berserkers, telepathy, dragons and literal fireballs, one gets caught within a paragraph or two, hopelessly wrapped up in a saga that spans generations. Once begun, you're hooked for the duration!

 

The Dragon Prince Trilogy

 

 

 

The Dragon Star Trilogy

 

 

 

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SAILING & CRUISING ESSENTIALS

 

The Annapolis Book of Seamanship

by John Rousmaniere, Mark Smith (Illustrator)
List Price: $32.50
Our Price: $22.75
Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours.
 

Hardcover - 402 pages Revised edition (May 1989)

Both as a comprehensive beginner's guide, and as a ready reference manual, this has become a venerable sailor's Bible.

 
 
 

Cruising 101: Avoiding the Pitfalls of Paradise

by Amy L. Sullivan, Kevin J. Donnelly
Our Price: $17.95
 
Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours.
 
Paperback - 192 pages (June 1997)
One of a number of manuals by those who've been there before, it's on my recommended reading list.
 
 
 

The Voyager's Handbook : The Essential Guide to Bluewater Cruising

 
by Beth A. Leonard
List Price: $34.95
Our Price: $24.47
Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours.
 
Hardcover - 400 pages (January 1998)
 
The new Bible of long-distance cruising! Covers 1. The Essential Ingredients 2. Equipping the Yacht for Bluewater 3. Liveaboard Skills 4. Shorthanded Passagemaking Skills 5. Foreign Savvy. BUY IT NOW!
 
 
 

World Cruising Routes (3rd Ed)


by Jimmy Cornell
List Price: $49.95
Our Price: $34.97
Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours.
 
Hardcover - 502 pages 3rd edition (May 1995)
Comprehensive guide to nearly 500 sailing routes, brings together all the necessary information for planning an extended cruise in any of the world's oceans and covers all the important subjects: the best time of year for each passage, prevailing winds and currents, weather, best routes through tricky waters, and approaches and ports of entry for various landfalls. The third edition has been thoroughly revised and expanded and includes nearly 100 new routes. Also new are the many latitude-longitude coordinates of waypoints to be used for navigation. Don't leave home without it!
 
 

A Sailor's Guide to Wind, Waves and Tides

by Alex Simpson
 
Value Priced at:$24.95
 
Availability: This title usually ships within 2-3 days.
 
Hardcover - 144 pages (May 1997)
I confess I've not read this one myself, and it does seem a bit expensive for the size, but the information suggested by the title might well be worth the price.
 
 

 

Essential Seamanship (Cornell Boaters Library)

by Richard Henderson
List Price: $8.95
Our Price: $7.16
 
Availability: This title usually ships within 2-3 days.
 
Paperback - 288 pages 1 Ed edition (September 1994)
"Presents in abbreviated form the most important and practical elements of seamanship and nautical knowledge needed by today's small boat skipper." From the Cornell library. Comprehensive, worth having at thrice the price!
 
 
 

Handbook of Offshore Cruising : The Dream and Reality of Modern Ocean Sailing

by Jim Howard, Tadami Takahashi (Illustrator)
List Price: $39.95
Our Price: $27.97
Availability: This title usually ships within 2-3 days.
 
Hardcover - 468 pages (July 1994)
Very thorough. At 6 cents a page, this is a no-brainer. Worth the purchase price for the illustrations alone!
 

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 Fiction

 Sailing

 Aikido

 Misc.

AIKIDO (The Art of Peace)

 

A Beginner's Guide to Aikido

Written by Sensei Larry Reynosa and Dr. Joe Billingiere, this book should be considered essential to any Aikidoka, and was required reading for all of my students. Beginners in Aikido often feel out of place, unsure of how to act, where to sit, etc. This book was written specifically for those beginners. Reynosa Sensei is a disciple of Steven Seagal (Taka) Sensei, his "mouthpiece" to the Aikido community. I have practiced with this excellent teacher, and found both his book and his personal tutelage invaluable. While no book can substitute for personal instruction or experience, the information in this book, including translations of Japanese terms, proper dojo etiquette, and perhaps most importantly, the interviews with masters, including Steven Seagal, will be of incalculable assistance to any Aikidoka. There are many books available these days on Aikido, but I've not found one that explains the dojo etiquette so comprehensively. Buy it today!
 
 

The Art of Peace : Teachings of the Founder of Aikido

 
by Morihei Ueshiba, John Stevens (Translator)
List Price: $6.00
Our Price: $4.80
Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours.
Paperback - 126 pages (December1992)
 
This pocket-sized book is made up entirely of quotes from O-Sensei, glimpses into the Founder's mind. Every time I read it, I find a new meaning, greater understandings. I can recall feeling somewhat uncomfortable with paying so much for so small a book. Having had it with me for a number of years now, I'd gladly pay several times that for the lessons received.
 

Abundant Peace : The Biography of Morihei Ueshiba, Founder of Aikido

by John Stevens with writings and drawings by O-Sensei
 

List Price:$25.00

Our Price: $20.00

Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours.

Paperback - 129 pages 1st edition (May 1987)

 

A friend gave me this book years ago, when I was first starting out in Aikido. Learning the history of the art did much to help me understand what I was doing, how and why the art developed as it did. Worth having in your library!
 
 

Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere : An Illustrated Introduction

 
 
by Adele Westbrook and Oscar Ratti (Contributor)
List Price: $29.95
Our Price: $20.97
 
Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours.

Hardcover - 375 pages (September 1994)

This book and its illustrations can be helpful in understanding the circular motions of the entire body which are essential to good Aikido. I confess I've not read it cover-to-cover yet... but would not consider taking it out of my library. At half the price (or less) of a month's lessons, it's a good value!

 

The Spirit of Aikido

by Kisshomaru Ueshiba (recently deceased Doshu of Aikido,) Taitetsu Unno (Translator)

List Price: $8.00

Our Price: $6.40

Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours.

Paperback Reprint edition (March 1988)

 
With the advent of the recent death of the Doshu (head) of Aikido, we lose O-Sensei's son. While the Founder's grandson is well-prepared to take his place as head of the Aikikai, I've come to know that each generation loses something in the translation. This book, then, becomes Kisshomaru's legacy.

 

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MISCELLANEOUS

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