And finally...

Whew, it only took me until Friday this week to catch up. So, here, as I've been promising is the fantastic review that Kathy Samuels of Romance Reviews Today wrote for The Silver Spoon. I love it! I was especially thrilled the reference to "V" as I have begun to suspect that it may have had more influence over me than I realized, watching it obssessively as I did in childhood. Stacy G. just gave me the complete series on DVD for my birthday, so I'm planning to check it out again, perhaps this weekend!

I have permission to reprint the review in full, so here goes...


THE SILVER SPOON - Stacey Klemstein
RuneStone Publishing - www.runestonepublishing.com
ISBN: 1-59648-000-9
September 2004
Science Fiction Romance

Texas and Wisconsin, Present Day

Zara Mitchell hasn't had a good night's sleep since the arrival of the Observers, an alien race of beings who look like humans except for their extraordinary height, silver eyes and hair. From that first night a few years ago to now, Zara's dreams have been filled with nightmares involving these entities. She's sought the expertise of doctors and psychiatrists, but nothing, no drug or therapy, has been able to stop the dreams. Unfortunately, since she usually ends up outside her house screaming on the street after an episode, in the eyes of the townspeople Zara is crazy. When the sheriff brings one of the Observers into her diner just to see what she will do, Zara is unprepared for her reaction and for the aliens.

Caelan has been searching for the human woman who will satisfy the prophecy -- the one who will save his people from a known enemy. An image of her has been running through his mind ever since he was released from his stasis pod. Picked up by the police for loitering while searching the town, Caelan decides to act meek until he sees an opportunity to escape. But while he is devising his plans, the sheriff takes him directly to the woman he has been looking for.

Within minutes of Zara and Caelan's first encounter, someone detonates a bomb in the diner, and only with Caelan's help does Zara survive the blast. But there is no time to spare, for one of the Council, the leading group of Observers, is after Zara, and if she doesn't accompany Caelan, she will die. Unwilling to believe one of the beings who have plagued her dreams for years, Zara decides she wants nothing to do with Caelan and his prophecy. But her life has taken a turn for the adventurous and downright dangerous. Zara soon learns that someone actually is after her, and she makes the instantaneous decision that maybe working with Caelan is the lesser of two evils. Can Zara trust this alien, who, while he pushes all of her heretofore sleeping sexual buttons, has his own agenda? Is Caelan the key to unraveling the mystery of her dreams?

THE SILVER SPOON is one hell of a science fiction ride reminiscent of the 1980s TV miniseries 'V'. Aliens have landed on earth and extended the hand of peace...or have they? Zara is happy with her life, except, of course, for the debilitating nightmares. The introduction of Observers into her personal sphere is daunting at best to her mental health. As for the prophecy, well, that she has to classify as the worst addition to her future. A mouthy heroine with a heart of gold, readers will root for Zara even as they laugh at her witty internal monologues. Caelan is searching for an identity and the means by which to solve the mystery of his origins as well as to save his friends from the Council. He finds the key to all three in Zara, along with an attraction that can't be denied. The secondary characters, including Caelan's Observer team, Zara's brother Scott, and, of course, the villain, Nevan, provide background and initiate the major events in the plot, although the story is definitely Zara's. While the plot threads are tied off at the end of the tale, the author hints strongly of a sequel.

If you're looking for a book with a bit of everything -- action, adventure, and romance -- pick up a copy of THE SILVER SPOON today.

Kathy Samuels
Romance Reviews Today