I've been doing a lot of reading this past week. At Barnes and Noble (referred to from here on out as BN) last Saturday I attended a book signing (more on that in a bit). Monday night I went to a different BN where a familiar title caught my eye. I walked over to the table and picked it up. They had redesigned the cover. I turned it over to reread the back and noticed the price.
$6.99 for a normally $11.99 - $13.99 book.... Take a wild guess what I did...
I have read this book many times and it is one of my favorites.
Set in fifth century Ireland, Maire is a tale of political intrigue, a young queen, her hostage, and spiritual warfare. The author, Linda Windsor has done her research. Maire paints a vivid image of both Wales and Ireland during that time period. Her characters and story come alive through use of speech patterns and terminology. Windsor's heroine, the young queen must find her footing both as queen and as a woman in the land she was born in. The culture of the lands are woven throughout the story.
Maire is part of a trilogy. Each book focuses on one young woman and her journey through life. Yes, these are romances and typically have some of the same "common" elements that all Christian fiction has, but the uniqueness of the tale and of the characters make it more than worth the read.
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Now for the book signing...
Last week I received notification from the ACFW loop that there was going to be a book signing at a local BN. They asked that members try to make an effort to be present to help encourage that BN because they had made a big push. I had a full schedule already on Saturday, but I got up early and started to tackle it. I managed to make the book signing with 10 minutes to spare.
The author, Anita Higman, was happy that I had been able to make it. Before she started talking, I overheard one person say they were from a location where I used to work. I went over and inquired about a couple of people I thought I might still be there and turns out they were. :) I asked her to say hi.
Mrs. Higman began her talk by handing out small satin boxes with questions enclosed. A way to "prime the pump" incase people couldn't come up with anything. She talked about her book Love Finds You in Humble, Texas and about how she got started in writing. When I read off the question she had given me, she mentioned I was an ACFW member... I didn't melt into the chair this time, but I'm sure my face was beet red. It did offer an opening for other people to ask about ACFW.
After her talk was over she started signing books. I'd not heard of her book until I walked in the door so I was flipping through it. I didn't have the money to buy it, but I was tempted. Someone came up to me and in the course of conversation I mentioned that. Turned out she was a friend of the author. She walked up to her, talked to her, and came back and told me that Mrs. Higman wanted me to stick around so she could give me a copy of her book.
I was stunned. Mrs. Higman decided to send me a pre-publication copy that the printer had sent her and I thanked her profusely.
Now, I don't normally read straight romances. I like novels with stories that have romance thrown in, but it isn't the main thread of the story. This book is a straight romance. It is a wonderful tale of two sisters who fall in love with the same man. This is a Christian tale, so there is nothing overly sappy or inappropriate. The sisters handle the issue with a lot of class.
I had fun reading the book comparing the locations that I knew in town pretty much fit the description of the places in the book. There was also a scene in the Mercer Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. I enjoyed the book so much that I had it read in 2.5 hours. Surprised myself as I didn't think I still read that quickly anymore (this book is a full sized novel 300+ pages I think). Guess I can still read that quickly uninterrupted. lol.
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