Hmm. I wish there was more than one way to categorize a book. I'm hoping that the names "Mercedes Lackey" and "Catherine Asaro" will clue readers in that Charmed Destinies is Science Fiction/Fantasy as well as Romance. I've listed the book under "Romance" because each story does have a "happy ever after" ending, and the focus is on a relationship between a man and a woman.

The collection is good, but of all the stories, I think I like Catherine Asaro's "Moon Glow" the best. Good world building (as usual), good romance. Asaro is really quite expert at blending the...hmm...I guess you might call them the "requirements" of science fiction and romance, although "requirements" is rather restrictive. Perhaps "expectations" would be better. Yes, expectations. Anyway, she's good at it. It's a good "wounded hero" type of romance.

Rachel Lee's story, "Drusilla's Dream" is cute and funny. She comes from the Romance side of the publishing world, and she also does a good job of blending the romance and fantasy with the "what ifs?" of ordinary life and "unordinary" life. You might call this story "Xena the Warrior Princess meets Office Space," more or less, if you're familiar with the TV series and the movie.

Mercedes Lackey's story "Counting Crows"...it's a good story, good fantasy. But the romance element...I'm not sure it was convincing to me. I'm not convinced that people get over traumatic events as quickly as depicted in the story, particularly as it was portrayed. Kept thinking that the heroine was still going to have some major problems in that marriage. Still, it was an interesting read.

Released on Friday, November 07, 2003 at Starbucks on Auburn Way S next to Fred Meyer store in Auburn, Washington USA.

My, I felt as if I were on a covert operation. Successfully left the book on one of the tables in the south east corner of the Starbucks after purchasing a venti soy latte.