It Happened at the Fair

It was the best of books, it was the best of books. (hee hee hee, you didn't expect me to say "best" again, did you?)

Book Rating: Up All Night'er

What a way to come back from vacation! After a "blog" and "book" hiatus while I was out of town, I returned to my favorite past-time and oh, how I'd missed it! This book was a great way to get back into the swing 'o things, if ya know what I'm sayin'. Have you read it? OK, then you know what I'm talking about.

I know you are curious why I could rate this an "Up All Night'er" when I said it was a "best" book. Here, let me explain.

First of all, I believe there are three main characters in this book, not just two: the hero, the heroine and the setting--the fair. I've never really read any other book quite like this one. At first, it took me a long time to warm to the "third" main character because at times it seemed as though it was trying stealing the show. There is SO much detail and SO much history that it pert near (say that with a cowboy accent) overwhelmed me. But, as I got used to it, I realized that it was as much a living part of the story as Cullen (hero) and Della (heroine) are, and without it, the story would be only mildly entertaining.

On that note, for me, as much as I thoroughly enjoyed this story--I really did--I also found myself kinda bored a lot of the time. Cullen is a great hero, and he comes to life, but something about him left me wanting. The same thing can be said about Della. She is a sweet and truly lovable heroine, but how come I didn't reeeeeaaaaallllly get to know her? And where was the conflict? OK, there was conflict, but not a ton. There were some good rescues--you know how I loves those--and some good action etcetera, but there didn't seem to be enough conflict to keep the story moving forward. And yet, I still wanted to keep reading!! I had to know what was going to happen next! Weird, huh?

This is a beautifully simple story, about two lovely people who are simply trying to do their best and follow their hearts. You won't be disappointed if you read it--even if you only read it from a purely historical standpoint.

Beware! If you are like me, and you expect good kisses to be mingled through the book you will be disappointed. There is nothing until the end! So, that's a bummer. But, there is a great ending to the story--Dee never let's her readers down in that respect.

Lastly, there is no real Christian message. She mentioned scripture and God here and there, but there could have been GREAT and even powerful messages used with these characters, but for some reason there was nothing and I must say that alone forced me to rate it lower then I would have liked.

In the end, would I read it again? I'm not sure. Would you?! At any rate, you have to read it once!

Happy Reading!
Buy it!

May's Author of the Month: Deeanne Gist

Welcome to May!!! This year is moving right along, isn't it? I can't believe summer is right around the corner!! April was great, and I LOVED being able to have MaryLu Tyndall as our Author of the Month! Have you read her new book?! Oh good, I'm glad to hear you have! *hint, hint*

Pinch me!! Somebody please pinch me! Am I dreaming?! Ladies, I cannot tell you how THRILLED I am to be featuring one of my ALL-TIME-FAVORITE historical Christian romance authors this month-- Deeanne Gist! 

AHHH!!! Holy romance!!! Dee is my hero, my idol, my writing-role-model! Her new book IT HAPPENED AT THE FAIR has just been released, and I can't wait to get my copy in the mail!! Did you have it on pre-order too?! I thought you did. *wink*

I am so honored that Dee would do this interview for me and I am thrilled to share it with you. So, with no further ado, here is Dee!!

Tell us about Dee!! Is there anything fun or unique about you we might not know?

When I was in high school, one of the boys teased me mercilessly. So in speech class I used him as my “volunteer” to demonstrate how to tie someone up. Once I securely tied him, I informed the class my speech wasn’t really about how to tie someone up, but about how to throw a pie in someone’s face.

I wrapped a shower curtain around his neck, then proceeded to make a pie out of whipped cream. When I was putting the finishing touches on the pie, I said, “Now, the most important thing to remember is to … splat … catch them by surprise.” ☺

Your characters are so real, with real issues. How do you choose who/ what to write about?

I have always been fascinated with intriguing little historical tidbits I would find in those historical time-line books, or in an article somewhere. With It Happened at the Fair, the springboard for my idea was the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.

With that one detail, I went to the reference part of the library and found two huge, oversized albums filled with pictures and descriptions of the Fair. In one was a picture of a woman teaching children. It turned out, she and the children were part of an exhibit and she was teaching them to lip read. I ground to a halt and immediately thought of all kinds of fun scenarios that could take place with a heroine who could lip read. And Della Wentworth was born.


What is your favorite scripture? What about it inspires you?

There are so many great ones. I’m afraid I don’t really have a favorite, per se. Every day a different one jumps to the forefront because it’s so dependent on what my circumstances are. I don’t know if I could possibly choose just one.

But if I have to, I’d probably go with the one about love. Romans 8:38, 39.

Of all your characters, who would you say you are most like?

There’s probably a little bit of me in all of them. I think the heroine I relate to most, though, is Essie Spreckelmeyer from Courting Trouble and Deep in the Heart of Trouble. Not so much because of what she liked to do. (She’s a much better athlete than me and I hate snakes.) But more because I really empathized with her desire to find a mate. Though I married very young, being a “wife and mother” were the things I most wanted to be when I grew up. My benchmarks were Maria Von Trapp and Mrs. Brady. ☺

WOW! Wasn't that awesome! Dee, I can't being to thank you enough for being on my blog this month! You and your books have blessed my life in so many ways--and I know many other readers feel the same. I CAN'T WAIT to read and review your next book--I know its going to be awesome!!

What is your favorite "Dee" novel, my friends? Who are your favorite characters? I'd love to know--please share!!

God bless you all and Happy Reading!
Amber
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Deeanne Gist—known to her family, friends, and fans as Dee—has rocketed up the bestseller lists and captivated readers everywhere with her original historical and contemporary novels. A favorite among readers and reviewers alike, her popular titles include A Bride Most Begrudging, A Bride in the Bargain, and Maid to Match. Her latest book, It Happened at the Fair (releasing April 2013), is her ninth published novel.

A popular speaker, Gist’s presentations have been featured on the front page of the Wall Street Journal and in other publications. The Wall Street Journal’s accompanying online video was the most watched video on the FrontPageWSJ.com website for several days following their feature.

Gist has a background in education and journalism. Her credits include People, Parents, Parenting, Family Fun, Houston Chronicle and Orlando Sentinel. She is also the creator of I Did It!®, a parenting line of products. Gist lives in Houston, Texas with her husband of thirty years. The couple has four grown children.

Gist’s fans enthusiastically interact with her at her popular online communities: IWantHerBook.com, as well as on Facebook (@DeesFriends) and Twitter (@DeeanneGist).