Start Your Own Restaurant and More by Jacqueline Lynn

 My apologies to the author of this book, who did a marvelous job of describing and analyzing all phases of the process of starting a restaurant, from a pizza parlor to a bakery and more. I began reading it when I was considering buying a restaurant, but when that deal didn't happen, I lacked the motivation to motor my way on to the end of the book. If you're curious about such things as how many place settings of silverware you need per "top" in the dining room, and the ins and outs of choosing suppliers and determining staffing needs, this is an excellent resource.

Dragon's Winter, by Elizabeth A. Lynn

It's been so long since I've read anything by Elizabeth A. Lynn that I can barely remember any of her stories. So, when I saw a new one out just recently, I swooped upon it like a starving vulture.


Dragon's Winter is a tale of conflict between two brothers; one heir to the throne of a powerful kingdom, the younger brother a powerful mage who covets his brother's position. The elder brother has inherited a shapeshifting ability from his father, but its exercise is dependent on a talisman that each shapeshifter must create. The younger brother deceives his brother's lover into helping him steal the talisman, then flees the kingdom.

As it turns out, the younger brother has been possessed by the spirit of an evil mage which delights in darkness, cold and death. He creates evil creatures which begin to harass and kill all with whom they come in contact, and which he sends to invade his brother's kingdom.

Anyway, there's some semi-inventive stuff in this novel dealing with shapeshifters and mages, but overall there's nothing we haven't seen a million times before in one novel or another. I'd hoped for something more exciting from Ms. Lynn after such long silence.

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