Tricia Stewart Shiu

This book is just such compelling reading, I just could not put it down.

We all have been victims of haughty secretaries, the ones who guard their boss better than the most highly trained Rottweiler. Treat him like he is God, and they are the handmaiden honoured to be in his presence – when he needs something.

Perhaps you have been there, got the tee-shirt as they say. Or, have you ever considered what it was like to be that person, the executive assistant, at his beck and call? What are the women in these positions REALLY like? What did they have to sacrifice to get there?

Well, this book gives us a fly on the wall peak inside. The main character in this extremely entertaining story is Sarah Marks. At the beginning of the story she is assistant to Lance Cheroux, one of the Executive Vice Presidents of worldwide Feature Productions.

The saying that those who listen at doors only hear ill, is certainly true for Sarah when she overhears two ‘friends’ discussing her imminent transfer to the dreaded Building 99. Apparently, however, the rumours are true, Mr Cheroux’s career is about to take a tumble, and she is there, right alongside him. So they are caste out to the farthest reaches of the lot, somewhere only talked about in whispers.

Sarah is a complex young woman, hardworking and dedicated to her career, how can this be happening to her, she asks, her mentor Mary Tyler Moore. Someone she talks to all the time.

Why Mary Tyler Moore? Well Sarah has a troubled childhood, drunken father, eternally young mother… but the Mary Tyler Moore show was always there, offering advice, with Mary being a role model. So, who can blame a girl if she idolises her, literally…

However, the trials and tribulations of executive office life offer a bundle of laughs as we learn more and more about Sarah, her hopes, her dreams, and what makes her tick. We follow her as she rises from the ashes and is resurrected into the higher echelons once again.

That her life is difficult is an understatement. As we walk in her shoes, we finally understand what it is like to be an executive assistant in this high flying world, dealing with rivalry and back stabbing from all directions, oh, and of course those dreaded blisters from wearing high heels every day.

This is the first book by award winning author Tricia Stewart Shiu I have read, but it certainly won’t be the last, I just loved every page!… (mer)

I just finished reading Iron Shinto. It is the third book in the Moa series by Tricia Stewart Shiu. Our heroines have lost their bodies and are on a mission to find them. They have to go through many challenges just like the first two books. This time, they have their gifts to help them. It also takes you to the journey of another soul's life story.

I really loved this book! I've loved this whole series so far! I'm hooked and I can't wait to read the fourth book. I have a feeling I already know who the main character's point of view is going to be. I love how the author transitions everything so smoothly. It's amazingly written and keeps you on edge throughout the whole story.

I especially love how great she is at throwing in dramatic twists. Most of the time you can't guess what happened until the very last minute. Don't get me wrong, I love when you're able to guess as well, but I love being thrown by surprise now and then.

I fully recommend this entire series to anybody who is into intense fantasy adventures. This is definitely a great series! I am so thankful that the author and her publisher gave me the opportunity to read these three books. They are definitely some awesome reads!… (mer)

I just finished reading Statue Of Ku. It is the second book in the Moa series written by Tricia Stewart Shiu. It takes place in Egypt. Hillary, Heidi, Molly, and Moa work together with the king and prince to recover the Statue Of Ku. It is a family heirloom of Moa's. Not only does she want it, it is discovered that without it her entire family line will perish.

I loved this book. I couldn't get enough of it. I didn't think it was possible to like the second book better than I liked the first book. It happened with this series though. I especially love how everything was described so vividly. I felt like I was actually there with them for the majority of the book.

The only thing I really didn't like about this book all that much is how mature they made Heidi. She talked like she was several decades older than she really was. She's a child. I'm sure that it's meant to be like that for the story line. It just kind of made me feel a little strange. I love Heidi though. She's an amazingly sweet and cute character.

I fully recommend this book to anybody who loves adventurous Wicca novels. Especially ones that come in series. It's action packed without being too violent. It does have some violence in it, but it's very mild. I think that's what I love the best about this series. The minimal violence. I am so glad I had the opportunity to read this book!… (mer)