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Dewey Decimal Number: 813 EAN: 9781931513531 ISBN: 1931513538 Label: Bella Books Manufacturer: Bella Books Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 224 Publication Date: 2003-10 Publisher: Bella Books Studio: Bella Books Editorial Review: Product Description: Meet Jackie Frakes, a talented architectural intern. Her life has fallen into unsatisfying patterns, both personally and professionally. Renowned artist Leah Beck is exhibited in galleries nationwide. But her life has darkened with the death of her lover, Sharla. Trapped by a mountain snowstorm over Thanksgiving weekend, Jackie is rescued by Leah. The snowbound weekend in Leah's cabin shakes the very foundations of Jackie's life. As for Leah, Jackie provides renewal and inspiration for her work. But ... exhibition of Painted Moon, her new series, will reveal Leah as never before, as a lesbian artist. Their relationship increasingly torn by conflict and misunderstanding, the winter weekend together will surely be their last. Then intervention comes ... from a most unlikely source. Related Items:      see moreAverage Rating:
 Rating:  - Simply LovelyI think this is one of the author's strongest and most passionate novels. I found the story highly original and the writing beautifully lyrical. This story was so believable and the characters so well developed and full of life that it wouldn't surprise me to learn that they had elements of people the author knew well. I particularly enjoyed the opening chapters and the beautiful setting set in the remote snowbound countryside. The element that attracts me most to this novel is that the main characters are people who you would enjoy spending a weekend with yourself. I especially liked Jackie's consideration of Leah's intense feelings for her deceased partner and how she goes out of her way to comfort Leah and give her some closure. Originally published by The Naiad Press in 1994 and re-issued by Bella Books in 2003 this book is a treasure that keeps on giving as you can find a short story featuring the main characters in the author's anthology 'Frosting on the Cake". I also enjoyed the following books by the author - One Degree of Separation Touchwood Watermark Embrace in Motion Unforgettable I can honestly say that this author has never disappointed me and I look forward to her next novel 'Finders Keepers' due out December 2006. From the publisher's website - Jackie Frakes is a talented architectural intern whose life has fallen into unsatisfying patterns - both personally and professionally. Renowned artist Leah Beck is exhibited in galleries nationwide. But her life has darkened with the death of her lover, Sharla. Trapped by a mountain snow storm over Thanksgiving weekend, Jackie is rescued by Leah. The snowbound weekend in Leah's cabin shakes the very foundations of Jackie's life. As for Leah, Jackie provides renewal and inspiration for her work. And the exhibition of PAINTED MOON, her new series, will reveal Leah as never before - as a lesbian artist. With their relationship increasingly torn by conflict and misunderstanding, the winter weekend together will surely be their last. Then intervention comes... from a most unlikely source. Rating:  - Kallmaker Never Disappoints...I recently ready Kallmaker's newest book (Just Like That) and liked it so much that I'm reading back through all the Kallmaker books I own. She is really a talented writer and this is one of her best. I won't rehash the plot, but suffice it to say that architect Jackie Frakes and artist Leah Beck quickly develop a heated relationship. It starts as heated arguing and ends up in the heated bedroom scenes Kallmaker writes so well. Even though the book is pure formula, Kallmaker is able to pull off the telling of a great story. The main characters are dimensional and believable. The supporting characters give the story some meat. The writing is mature and eloquent. Great book. Your collection won't be complete without it. Rating: - Bask in the Moon LightBella Books has re-released Painted Moon, one of this reader's favorite Karin Kallmaker romances. The novel deals with issues of grief and healing, self-discovery and coming out, falling in love and loving again. Leah Beck is an artist who lost her lover and partner in a freak accident two years ago. Jackie Frakes is a young architect who is struggling with her dissatisfaction with life. An unexpected snowstorm throws the two women together in a small cabin in the Sierras Nevadas for Thanksgiving. For Leah, the meeting will shock her into realizing that while her beloved Sharla is dead, she is still alive and still an artist. Kallmaker provides interesting illustrations regarding how an artist might see the world. Leah expresses her emotions and even tastes as colors. She speaks about where she grew up as " beautiful, full of life. The greens in the spring would actually hurt my eyes ..." (p48) and watching Jackie's " face flicker with emotions. She would paint it gray uncertainty, purple determination, chartreuse fear. " (p60) The pleasing addition to this re-release is the new cover art. Bella Books is to be commended for their graphic designs in general. This cover is one of their best to date. The photograph is reflective of a pivotal scene over Thanksgiving when the snowstorm breaks and Jackie, Butch --Leah's husky, named because, "she acts really tough, but when you get her on her back, she's a pussycat."(p19). -- and Leah venture out into the snow under a full moon. In an epiphany for Leah, for the first time since Sharla's death, she finds that she HAS to draw, to paint, to create what she sees. "Leah stood frozen, her fingers itching. The top of her head felt as though it was burning. The moon hung low in the sky, casting a faint blue over the snow, across the ground, on the tips of the dark pines. Jackie was etched in cerulean. Her braid spun in the light, the face reflected the moon's glow. Her cheekbones were dusted in blue celeste, and her chin was a blur as she threw herself into another drift of the silver-blue snow." (p37) The resulting series of paintings is titled "Painted Moon." Creative juices are not the only kind that Jackie inspires for Leah. Jackie's epiphany arrives a few hours later when she admits that she finds herself sexually attracted to the enigmatic Leah just as her aunt and uncle arrive to carry her home. There are complications and misunderstandings in the course of the romance. When the two women come together, the energy is electric. And it shows in Leah's work. The artist finds herself creating a highly senuous series of paintings that feature Jackie. (...) Painted Moon has what this reader considers classic Kallmaker elements with interesting characters, wry wit and steamy love scenes. (Some of the images of Jackie and Leah have lingered in my mind for years.) If you missed this title the first time around, or if you are new to Kallmaker's novels, pick up a copy of Painted Moon and bask its glow. Rating: - One of My FavoritesEvery once in a while, I like to re-read one of my Naiads (I have quite a collection at this point). This is one of those books that I love re-reading. It's a perfect one for someone looking to curl up with a good romance. I never seem to be able to put Kallmaker's books down once I've started reading them! Rating: - Defining the GenrePainted Moon is the quintessential lesbian romance novel. It rivals Curious Wine and Desert of the Heart as the benchmark of the genre. Like a favorite old movie, it doesn't matter how many times you visit it, know the plot, memorize the lines, experience the outcome, it never disappoints. It's that good. Artist Leah Beck has hidden herself away in a mountain cabin mourning the untimely death of her long-time lover. Her grief has left her angry, guilt-ridden and creatively bankrupt. Jackie Frakes is an aspiring and talented young architect working towards her license at a large San Francisco firm. She's trapped in a world of cookie-cutter designs and questionable professional ethics, but knows that it is the consequence for the choice she made when she decided to follow her boyfriend from Boston to the West Coast. Upon her mother's urging, Jackie plans to spend Thanksgiving with relatives in the mountains as a brief respite from her work-a-day world and her weekly 3-hour commute to visit her boyfriend in San Jose. On her way up to her aunt and uncle's mountain cabin, Jackie gets caught in a blinding snowstorm. Driving a vintage MG that her boyfriend insisted she buy, Jackie winds up stranded on the side of the road. Enter Leah Beck, who begrudgingly rescues her. With the storm raging, power lines down and no alternatives available, Jackie and Leah are forced to spend Thanksgiving and much of the weekend together. Their brief encounter changes both women's lives irrevocably. This story has it all: chance circumstances, intriguing setting, faithful dog, haunting dialog, disapproving friends, and among the best sex scenes every written. Kallmaker teases the reader, building enough romantic tension to melt an iceberg. As always, her characters are fully formed and real enough to remind us all of people we know. Painted Moon may follow formula, but it does so with wit, humor, angst and enough believability to pull it off wonderfully. For me, this was the book that crowned Kallmaker the Mistress of Romance. If you buy only one book from this genre, this is the one. Hunt it down. It's a keeper. |
Sales of semiconductors in November indicate that consumer products such as LCD (liquid crystal display) TVs, digital music players, and other devices sold well during the holidays, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) said Monday.
November chip sales rose 2.3 percent year-on-year to $23.1 billion, the SIA said.
Unit demand has far outpaced last year. But falling chip prices have hurt industry revenue, the chip association said. For example, DRAM (dynamic RAM) bit shipments grew 25 percent in the three months through mid-December, but average selling prices have declined 20 percent over the same period.
The association also noted that rising energy prices and concerns about the sub-prime lending issue in the U.S. do not appear to have had a significant impact on consumer spending for the holidays, the SIA said. The group reiterated its forecast that worldwide semiconductor sales will reach a new record in 2007. But it will take a stronger than expected December selling season to reach the 3.8 percent growth goal the group had forecast earlier this year, the SIA said.
Investment banking firm Credit Suisse was not as optimistic as the SIA.
The November data was below normal seasonal trends, noted analyst John Pitzer, in a report on Monday. Even if December reaches its normal seasonal growth, 2007 industry revenue will only reach $255.7 billion, up 3.2 percent over last year. The growth percentage would fall short of the SIA's 3.8 percent target.
The slow November prompted Credit Suisse to lower its 2008 chip industry revenue forecast to 9.4 percent year-on-year growth, down from a previous target of 13 percent.
Continuing a fortuitous tradition of capturing the Sondheim legacy on video recordings, this performance was filmed before a live audience in Los Angeles during the 1982 national tour. Almost 20 years later, Hearn returned to the role opposite Patti LuPone in an acclaimed concert production. But Sweeney Todd is an especially compelling experience in this 1982 version, complete with the clever staging tricks (e.g., the barber's chair) and as close to the original cast as we're likely to see. --David Horiuchi
