Product Description
An evil stalks the clubs and seedy hotels of San Francisco's shadowy underworld. It preys on the unfortunate, the outcasts, the misfits. It is an evil born of the eternal bloodlust of one of the undead, the infamous nobleman known to the ages as...the Marquis de Sade. He and his unholy offspring feed upon those who wont be missed, giving full vent to their dark desires and a thirst for blood that can never be sated. Yet while the Marquis amuses himself with the lives of his victims, with their pain and their torture, other vampires to their new lives of eternal night. And as the Marquis will soon learn, hatred and vengeance can be eternal as well undead can barely imagine. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

So far so good
Hi. I have just gotten in to reading Mary Ann Mitchell and so far so good. Quenched is pretty good. It is a good read. Thanks PSM:)

a story as aimless as its characters
Mary Ann Mitchell's Quenched reminded me a lot of the work of John Rechy in that it deals with aimless decadent characters, but this is where the comparison ends.Had Mitchell the talent of Rechy, she could have prevented this story of modern-day vampires from coming across as so dull and--well-- lifeless (sorry).This one doesn't even have the occasional S&M scene to defibrillate the meandering plotline like Sips of Blood.

Ugh - don't waste your time.
Mitchell's writing begins to approach appeciable at the oddest times, and then falls flat when the need really calls (such as during the climax).

The characters never develop, in fact the interactions often seem as if they were written, then jumbled up and put back together. Situations don't flow, conversations are contrived, and nothing seems congruous. I kept thinking, "Just a few more pages and you'll fall into it..." but that never happened.

In fact, I turned the last page expecting there to be more, and when there wasn't, I honestly thought some pages were missing. I understand this is a series, but there was no meaningful path of the book.

Awful. I hesitate to speak negatively of someone's writing because putting yourself out there must be difficult, and often tastes are just personal opinions. But... I felt strongly enough to do so!

Read at your own risk
An excellent second book in the Marquis de Sade vampire horror series. But the author wastes no time filling the reader in on much of the history fromthe first book. So its a bit like coming into a nighttime soap in thesecond year of the series. I would strongly suggest that readers buy andread Sips of Blood first before cracking the cover on this one. Ms Mitchelllets her characters drive the story. For that reason I liked the first bookbetter. Some of the most fascinating charaters were left behind. This storycentered on the least enjoyable pair a father and son in a life longstruggle of love and hate seasoned with guilt. Sade was entertaining asever. His attempt to Henry Higgins the new inexperienced vampire was veryinteresting. The book ends with nothing but loose ends nothing resolved andso many possiblities that I can't wait for book three.

Not Your Mama's Horror!
Ms. Mitchell has rescued the vampire from the clutches of romance. Wil and Keith are not the angst-ridden fanged heroes of popular television or the modern romance novel. You truly do not want to meet these two in a darkalley or anywhere else, for that matter.

This is not a plot driven novel;rather, the author explores characters that clearly intrigue us, giving usthe many shadows and shadings of those who've grown up with dark hearts inthe heart of darkness. Wil's and Keith's relationship begins to evolve whenthey are forced to flee from the police; you could even say that the darkheart of this book is the relationship between father and son and how it'sresolved.

Ms. Mitchell uses language dramatically, sets her creepy sceneseerily, and explores characters who are the bottom feeders of modernsociety. If you are looking for Hemingway, you are in the wrong place;however, if you cut your eye teeth on Lovecraft, pull up a coffin andsettle in for the ...night... ... Read more

Product Description
Twelve years after the mysterious disappearance of a teenage girl, a body turns up in the Gresham family plot, and DI Alan Markby and his friend, Meredith Mitchell, uncover links between the dead girl and a member of the local gentry, a respected MP. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

same old same old
The most astonishing thing about this series is that the author follows the same formula in each one: read one you've just about read them all.The worst part of the formula -- for me -- is that Meridith Mitchell, whose only connection to the police is her personal relationship with Inspector/Superintendent Alan Markby, repeatedly does the most stupid and dangerous meddling into the police murder investigation.In all five books that I've read so far, Meridith winds up face-to-face with the criminal, who has twigged to her suspicions and who proceeds to attempt to murder her.Markby warns her in each book to stay out of the investigation, but, sure enough, in the next book/investigation, off she goes again.In this book, Candle for a Corpse, she drops her lighted flashlight through the roof of the shed containing important evidence; of course, the shed's owner finds the flashlight -- with her initials scratched on it! -- and goes after Meridith with a meat cleaver.As in all the books I've read, she's saved in the nick of time.As Anna Russell would say, "Now I ask you!"

I wish Markby would charge her with interfering with a police murder investigation: perhaps that would put a halt to her ridiculous behavior -- but I suspect this is the author's gimmick for advancing clues and adding action.

I have already purchased one more in this series and I intend to read it.It appears a bit later than Candle for a Corpse.Has Meridith learned her lesson?Actually, has Ann Granger learned a few more tricks of the trade?If not, A Word After Dying will be the last Ann Granger book I buy/read.

Good English Village Mystery!
Ann Granger is one of the best modern English village mystery writers out there as far as I'm concerned.I love the Mitchell and Markby series.There are plenty of spills and chills, and many surprises along the way.In this book a skeleton of a young pregnant girl is found buried in a very old grave.Markby feels haunted by this corpse and feels he must do his best for this young girl since she'd been laying forgotten for 12 years.Of course Meredith has to help because she knows how much this case means to Alan.They uncover some old village secrets that have lain undisturbed for many years.And a lot of people that want to keep the past buried at any cost.There are lots of wonderful characters in this book.I particularly like the old grave digger Nat Bullen.I am really enjoying this very entertaining series!

Candle for a Corpse by Ann Granger
I have read eight of the Markby/Mitchell series.I would place this one in the top three.The suspenseful plot builds at a wonderful pace and the full mystery is not solved until the last page.This series is glorious either in book form or in audio when the magnificent Judith Bond reads. Granger's books place you square in the middle of an English village and you don't leave it until the final pages.

A completely winsome and capitaving book;worthy of your time
This was my first (but definitely not my last) experience with Meredith and Markby.I completely enjoyed this story, and my only complaint was that the style was so easy to read I was through the book long before I was ready for it to end.I felt like a child following a trail of jelly beans as the clues and red herrings turned up.Just an awfully lot of fun with a couple of sharp plot turns in the end that sends you into worlds of thought and conjecture when you lay the book down finished.I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
The latest offering from renowned author Ann Mitchell Pitman features the dazzling jewelry designs of DeLizza & Elster, a company known to jewelry lovers the world over as Juliana. This all-new reference book, targeted to collectors both novice and experienced, showcases a vast variety of vintage jewelry from a prolific manufacturer, one whose designs debuted in 1947 with simple, crystal rhinestone pieces and progressed to bolder, high-glitz bijoux in the 1990s. Special facets of the book include photographs and in-depth information about findings, chains, rhinestones, art glass, and beads employed; a crucial timeline chronicling when specific jewelry was designed; and key terms used by the manufacturer. Full-color photographs capture many complete sets, including alternate color versions of single designs, and in some cases, varying motifs in pins, brooches, and earrings designed for each set. Signature attributes and construction methods show collectors how to determine for themselves if a piece of unsigned jewelry is actually the product of this high-profile jewelry house. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

I love Ann Pitman's books; this is no exception
I love all of Ann Pitman's books; she's funny and informative; she obviously loves her subject.This book might just be my favorite; it does a great job of presenting Juliana jewelry in all of its glory.The research is exhaustive; the references excellent; and Ann's expertise is always evident.Her photographs have only gotten better and this book is by far the best yet.If you love rhinestone jewelry, this book is a must have reference.

Wonderful depiction of D & E work!
I highly recommend this book to ANY vintage costume jewelry lover. Has fabulous pictures and descriptions of Juliana. I know I will enjoy it for years to come!

Good . . . But . . .As a reference it could have been so much better!
Anyone who collects rhinestone jewelry should put this book on a "must-have" list.There is much to learn from the book's extensive photographs and catagorization of Delizza-and-Elster produced costume jewelry as well as from information about the company and its catalogs.Overall, the photographs are a visual treat to be savoured. Unfortunately, the book is flawed.The lack of an index is a major editorial omission for a work marketed as a reference. Moreover, the table of contents is surprisingly inadequate. Very much so.Also, the inclusion of extensive quotes from collectors would have been better placed at the end; they add little help to readers. The author's passion for "Juliana" jewelry is obvious and she clearly devoted considerable time and energy to this work.I suspect that in many ways it will set the standard for future works on costume jewelry.It is unfortunate that its editorial flaws keep it from earning "five-stars."

Don't buy from Amazon!!!
I really love this book it is a must have for collectors.However, the Amazon packing leaves a lot to be desired.I did send an email about this an haven't heard from Amazon.com.The corners of both books arrived crushed and damaged.These were for a gift.Needless to say, I told evryone there not to order from Amazon.I also said I reported this to them and never heard a word.I wonder if I will now???????????????

Great guide for learning D&E jewelry
This book is my favorite among recently published costume jewelry guides. Most helpful is the way the different types of jewelry are grouped together, making it easy to remember--stones, types of settings, designs and styles. It opened my eyes to a lot of Delizza & Elster jewels I didn't know about. Yay for the author; all of her books are in my library, but this is the best! ... Read more

Product Description
Ann Mitchell Pitman brings a touch of Southern humor to the vintage costume jewelry collecting field with her Inside the Jewelry Box, Volume 2. Her second volume features nearly 1,000 full-color photographs and websites devoted to selling vintage costume jewelry, and details companies previously given little or no coverage in other reference books. More vintage magazine ads are featured, along with the California ceramic jewelry companies like Ruby Z, Parrot Pearls, and Flying Colors. Specific information is given on selling jewelry on eBay.Designers such as Miriam Haskell, Chanel, Stanley Hagler, Schiaparelli, Joseff, Hattie Carnegie, Hobe, Mazer Bros., Trifari, Ian St. Gielar, Eisenberg, and Coro are represented. Forbidden Fruit, Deco, Fruit Salad, Bakelite, and Lucite jewelry are also presented, making this a wonderful all-around reference for vintage costume jewelry collectors and dealers. 2007 values. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Really disappointed
I was just so very disappointed. I suppose I was expecting much more information and detail, for example the time periods, or the designer.I also was disappointed in the quality of pictures because they were somewhat dark and so I couldnt enjoy any of the dazzle or sparkle that I have seen in other pictures.My biggest complaint is that I did not like the way it was organized.It was overwhelming in the same way a 30 page menu is. I suppose I was expecting specific information on designers by chapter instead of a chapter on bracelets, earrings, etc.Even if the chapters were listed by time period it would have been more informative. I purchased this book solely based on the reviews but it felt like I went to a movie because the critics raved about it and after the movie I was still wondering what the big hooplah was about.I was expecting details and not personal opinion. I'm surprising myself by taking the time to write this because I'm not usually such a critic,but I was really disappointed.Actually if I could have returned the bookI would have.

disappointing book
I was disappointed in this book.It listed few names that I was interested in or commonly see and it didn't provide useful information.It was mostly and list of pictures, some of which weren't that good, and personal opinion.

A Must Have for Anny Serious Collector of Costume Jewelry
An invaluable asset for any collector of vintage costume jewelry. The book is well written and well researched with hundreds of beautiful close-up photographs showing the detail of some really amazing works of art. Many of the pieces in the book have photos showing the reverse side and the designers mark.

The book has chapters with the pieces grouped by designer, which is a real time saver if you want to look up a particular designer. There are also chapters where the jewelry is grouped by quality, showing only the more expensive pieces. Plus, there are several beautiful pictures of vintage ads.

A really useful section is the one that list about thirty-five Internet Websites offering vintage costume jewelry for sale. If you are a dealer, like my wife, this is really helpful when pricing items for sale. She has an online shop where she sells vintage costume jewelry and artisan jewelry that she makes. She's starting to incorporate some vintage parts and pieces from broken costume jewelry in her artisan jewelry and it makes some really interesting designs. Her shop is called Funky Stones. She just opened it a few months ago and she already has over 85 pieces for sale. I do the buying for the costume jewelry that she offers for sale and Inside the Jewelry Box is one of my most used books when I need to identify or find the value of a piece of jewelry.

Buy this book, you'll be glad you did!

A Cheerful Approach
I was trying to come up with a word to describe Mrs. Pitman's approach to collecting, and I guess "cheerful" says it. She is very enthusiastic and this shows through on each page. There are many clear and colorful photos and light-hearted stories about collecting jewelry. There is information too, but I would have liked to have seen more information on many more manufacturers, but what is there is easy to read and fun. This book is also inspiring and you will not hurt for ideas on what to add to your collection after you read it.
As long as you don't try to compare this book to Julia C. Carroll's Collecting Costume Jewelry 101, you will not be disappointed.

THE REFERENCE BOOK THAT HAS IT ALL
This is a fabulous book on vintage costume jewelry! Beautiful colored photos, prices, loads of information and FUN. The author shares her own stories, talking with you as if you are an old friend, and by the time you finished the book you'll wish you were.

Anyone who has a passion for vintage beauties will love this book. It appeals to collectors on every level. Don't hesitate to buy. You will not be disappointed.

The author's first book on vintage costume jewelry is also a must have! ... Read more

Product Description
The Handbook of Dramatherapy brings together five authors who have considerable experience working in clinical, artistic and educational fields to provide a fascinating introduction to the major contrasting approaches to dramatherapy. Individually they look at the developmental approach, the use of role theory, the ideas of ``the theatre of expression'' and ``the theatre of healing'', and an integrated model of dramatherapy. Each author explains the theoretical basis of the approach, shows how it works in practice in a particular situation and suggests how it might be adapted to other settings. Supporting chapters describe and discuss the history and development of the dramatherapy movement; the differences between dramatherapy and psychodrama; the relationship with play therapy; the relationship with the theatre; assessment and evaluation techniques; and how to develop research appropriate to dramatherapy. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Way to go girls!
Well FINALLY a beginning bead book that is user friendly.I can't say enough about this wonderful book.
I bought one for myself and one for my mother in law who actually read it from cover to cover! I love the pictures located right next to the item being talked about.My mother in law also loves that every single thing mentioned is backed up with a picture!There is no wondering what Ann and Karen are talking about...they tell you AND show you.
The binding in fabulous also.What a great idea to use a spiral binding so you can leave the book open to your project....and it stays open while you work.
The featured jewelry is very doable and thanks to this book, my mother in law has moved on to selling her own jewelry at shows across her state.I found all the components for the items we decided tomake right at the local bead shop and my mother in law found all necessary items at Michaels!Pretty easy!
Anyway, way to go Ann and Karen for making a user friendly book and sharing your skills with all of us beginners!

Good, but not great
This is a good book for beginners.Clear instructions, photos, and supply lists.However, I was a little disappointed by the designs. I was hoping the projects they offerred would be more like the jewelry they sell at the fairs and shows at which they sell.The designs are a little pedestrian, quite frankly.And they do not offer a list of suppliers that sell the bits and bobs that are required for the designs.So the intrepid burgeoning jewelry maker is lef to haunt the interwebs and bead shops in hopes of finding even some of the products needed. So if you are a beginning and have never bought so much as a seed bead in your life, you may find yourself shelving the book in fustration.

Best Book ever for Beginnners!
I've looked a lot of these types of books over, as I am a beginning beader, and this is, hands down, the best.

The book is logically organized to teach the newcomer all the basics to get started creating beautiful beaded jewelry. The photos showing beading techniques are great. The projects themselves are well illustrated and the step-by-step instructions are impeccable.

I was able to create a chain necklace out of jump rings using the project in this book and it turned out beautifully. I have created several of the projects in the book, illustrating new techniques I wanted to learn, and was able to master the technique thanks to the clear instructions and illustrations. Today I am wearing the floating necklace I created from the book and was complimented on my necklace by a complete stranger.

The spiral binding makes it easy to keep the book propped up and open so you can refer to it easily as you work, and the size is big enough for good graphics, and small enough to be maneuverable.

Exceedingly well done, I highly recommend this book for beginners, but since I am a beginner, I don't know how a skilled jewlery-maker would feel about it. In fact, I feel this book is a MUST for the new beader's bookshelf. ... Read more

Product Description
Ann Mitchell Pitman returns once again with her special brand of Southern humor and gorgeous vintage costume jewelry. This book features jewelry completely different from her previous two books, with no repeats. Featured chapters include Forbidden Fruit, Juliana, and Schreiner, among others. Once again there are nearly 1,000 full-color photographs of jewelry by companies such as Joseff, Coro, Miriam Haskell, Schiaparelli, Boucher, Hattie Carnegie, Weiss, Eisenberg, Mazer and Jomaz, Hobé, and Coppola e Toppo. Victorian Renaissance and Art Deco make appearances, as does more of the California ceramic jewelry of Ruby Z and Parrot Pearls. The histories behind the companies Calvaire and Ann-Vien are revealed, and of course Bakelite and other artful plastics are once again presented, along with vintage ads and websites devoted to selling vintage costume jewelry. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Inside the Jewelry Box
very informative, gave lots of information plus photos.I bought all 3 of these books and I love them!

DISAPPOINTINGLY DULL PHOTOS
I bought this as a birthday present for my wife, whose hobby this is. The book is printed in colour on glossy paper, and published by Collector Books, so it should be a quality product. Vintage costume jewellery was designed to flash and sparkle in the light, and when my wife photographs her collection she takes great care to capture the beauty of each piece.

Sadly, the same cannot be said for the photographs in this book, far too many of which display stones that look yellow, dull and flat. They fail to capture the essence of the pieces, which do not come to life as they should. As a result the reader may be left wondering how the valuations are justified. If that were not enough, the text contains a number of errors which should have been corrected at proof-reading stage, eg. a matching set is referred to as "marching"!

Delighted
I was lucky enough to obtain an autographed copy of this wonderful book and I am delighted with it!Ann's "jewelry box" is overflowing with examples of necklaces, brooches and bracelets representing the work of many different makers, and showcasing an interesting variety of materials.I was especially interested in the chapters on Canadian makers, Ann Vien jewelry, and Calvaire jewelry.Thank you Ann for this lovely new book - another treasure for my library.

Inside the Jewelry Box, Volume 3
I am new to collecting jewelry and when I saw this gorgeous book at
the bookstore, I decided I had to buy it.I spent the weekend reading
it cover to cover.First of all, I absolutely loved the
acknowledgments pages where the author let the people who had
submitted photos tell why they love this jewelry.What a lovely
tribute!It made me realize what a tremendous undertaking this was,
to gather this amount of jewelry together to show in one volume.And
these people are so passionate about their jewelry; even as a new
collector, I already share their passion.

I understand from reading the book that the design books stretched
over the nearly 50 years of the company's history and I imagine that
must be thousands of pages that had to be searched to find the pieces
shown so they could be dated.I also noticed that on certain sets the
author told which color varieties were available.I can't imagine how
much time it must have taken to search all these years of design books
to find each set.

I have bought five different jewelry books and two of those five have
glossaries in them so even though I am a new collector, I didn't need
one in this book, I just looked at one of my other books when I needed
to look something up.

I learned so much about how to identify this jewelry and spent a
couple of hours going through my small collection to see if I could
find any pieces that might be made by this company.I did find one
small blue pin, but I was thrilled to find a piece in my collection in
this book, that was exciting.None of my jewelry has been shown in
the other five books I have gotten, so far.I love the way this book
is set up and the photos are so incredible, I feel like I can almost
pick each one off the page.The variety she shows is great too, it
gives me a lot to choose from when I shop for more jewelry to add to
my collection.I hope to find some bargains when I go out shopping or
to yard sales.I have been looking online and I think that the prices
listed in the book seem to be accurate for what people are charging on
websites.

You will not go wrong adding this heavenly book to your library, it is
beautiful and informative and should end up being the most read book
you own.

Completely different from the other books in this series
This is another great book in the Inside the Jewelry Box series.Like the first two, it is filled with 1,000 full color images of fabulous vintage costume jewelry.And there are no repeats!All three books have completely different jewelry shown.This book actually shows the jewelry much, much bigger than the other two, allowing for greater study of details.New information about previously unknown companies is also revealed, and actual jewelry marks are clearly shown.This is a great addition to anyone's jewelry reference library. ... Read more

Product Description
Ever wished on a dandelion? Dot is a wild and willowy dandelion who refuses to be wished on and blown away. Until she learns, almost too late, that even a winsome weed needs to play its part to keep our world together.As Eli, the wise old dandelion says, "The wishes of children are seeds of what's to come. Without them it wouldn't be much fun."Every wish a child makes blows seeds of possibility, like dandelion fluff. across the field of our vision, renewing us and all our tomorrows. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Dot's Lot is thoughtful reading for young and old
I received my copy of Dot's Lot yesterday.I loved the sweet, thoughtful nature of the book. Each illustration is a work of art.The story will give you reason to realize how important everything and everyone is to our existance.Without condemning the growth of our cities, Mary Ann has shown us the importance of our green space, weeds and all.Definitely recommend this as a special gift for your special children (and yourself.) ... Read more

Product Description
Not so long ago, a young and very curious girl lived in a snow-covered mountain village. Like everyone else in her village, she loved the Snow Lion. Like everyone else in her village, she prayed to the Snow Lion. But because she was so curious, she wanted to SEE the Snow Lion.

The sacred stories said that if the villagers sang the sacred songs, read the sacred books, and went to the place of prayer and learning, someday they would see the Snow Lion. So that's what the little girl did.

But one day the girl heard the Snow Lion's voice . . . and what the voice told her took her by surprise. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great children's book!!!!
This is an exciting children's book. The plot is thoughtful and calming and the illustrations are beautiful. Share this book with your children and they will enjoy it as much as I did.

Uplifting and Peaceful!!
This is a wonderful book for all ages. It delivers a great message of peace and hope in a creative way with beautiful vibrant pictures. I have never read a book quite like it. I really enjoyed reading this book and I am sure you would too!

Beautiful message. Beautiful pictures.
This is a wonderful book for children and adults. It has a message about being kind and thoughtful.The pictures are GORGEOUS!Well done! ... Read more