Fun and quirky -- those are two things I have come to expect in an Anita Higman story. The characters may have challenges -- perhaps many challenges -- but as they deal with them, they will also have their share of fun along the way. And there will certainly be a few quirky folks show up as the story progresses.
Home at Last is a story -- sometimes sweet and at other times bitter -- of a mismatched couple, thrown together in a rather awkward way. Olivia has led a very sheltered, but enjoyable, life as the employee of the owner of Bromfeld Manor. She is settling into her new, secure life after he leaves the estate to her, when long-lost son of the manor, Noah Bromfeld, shows up.
Olivia and Noah go on a roller-coaster ride as they try to resolve the question of who really should have the estate. Issues of faith, family, love -- and an abundance of secrets -- all come into play as they get to know themselves and each other.
Home at Last is an enjoyable quick read that I would recommend to fans of good fiction. Thanks to Anita for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
GIVEAWAY ENDED!!!
***Anita Higman has graciously offered to give away two copies of this book to readers of my blog. All you have to do to have a chance to win is make a comment below by 5:00 p.m. Monday, March 24. I will randomly choose two names after that time. Be sure to include your email address so I can contact you if you win.***
About the Author
Anita Higman provided the following questions and answers to help us readers get to know her a little better and understand some of her "story behind the story"
of
Home at Last.
How long have you known you wanted
to be an author?
Growing up I longed to be a writer.
When I was very young (I don’t remember my age) I started working on a novel
about a man from Mars who wanted to go to college in New York. I never finished that novel, but
it left an impression on me. I knew deep down that writing was my dream, even
though I didn’t get around to fulfilling it until I was in my thirties.
When a reader finishes Home at Last, what do you want them to
come away with?
I would love for them to be
inspired, challenged, and entertained. If I accomplished even one of those
things I would feel my writing time wasn’t wasted.
Where did you come up with the idea
for the story, Home at Last?
The inspiration came from watching the
latest movie version of Jane Eyre
over and over and over. I love that story. I read Jane Eyre a few months ago,
and I was truly awed by Charlotte Bronte’s writing. I highly recommend it if
you’ve never read this masterpiece.
Any hobbies you especially enjoy?
I love decorating. I know that
sounds awfully girly, but it’s exciting to see the right drapes and the right
colors and flooring and accessories all come together to make a pleasant room—a
place where you want to spend time and a place you want to share with your
family and friends.
Home
at Last deals
with orphans and abandonment. Those are elements that show up frequently in
your work. Why is that?
There were times growing up that I
felt lonely and abandoned. But instead of sharing all of these details of my
past in interviews, I infuse my novels with those intense emotional memories.
That is one of the many blessings of creating art—to be able to sift through,
study, and then hopefully, through the miracle of writing, let go of some of
the painful pieces and burdensome baggage of our pasts.
If you could have dinner with two
special people, who would they be?
Josh Groban, because his music
inspires me, and Leif Enger, because I love the way he writes.
What are the fun things about a book
signing? The uncomfortable parts?
If I’ve invited friends, it’s always
great to see them and catch up. If strangers trickle by, and I’m able to tell
them about my book, or if I can encourage them in some way I feel like the book
signing was successful. The uncomfortable parts can be when people
automatically think you’re an employee at the bookstore and ask where the
restroom is located. Too many of those kinds of responses can lower the level
of enthusiasm significantly. Before I head into a book signing, I usually pray,
and the prayer goes something like, “Lord, if the sales are wonderful help me
not to become haughty about it, and if the sales aren’t so wonderful please
help me not to become discouraged.”
Home
at Last also
deals with dysfunctional families, estrangement, and then also forgiveness and
reconciliation. Why do you gravitate toward those themes?
Because they are powerful and
compelling themes, and because they are ones I understand on a personal level.
You’ve been published, so what do
you dream of now?
I would love to have one of my books
made into a movie. In the process, I’d like for these stories to entertain as
well as inspire people to see that God cares for them deeply and that His gift
of grace is a present just waiting to be opened.
How can readers connect with you?
During a six-hour road trip today, I had the pleasure of enjoying Vannetta Chapman's latest book. Murder Simply Brewed is not your typical Amish fiction. Instead, it is a "special blend" with a little something for everyone -- Amish, mystery, romance -- a "who-dun-it" that keeps you turning the page from beginning to end.
Vannetta Chapman is author of the best-selling novel A Simple Amish
Christmas. She has published over one hundred articles in Christian
family magazines, receiving over two dozen awards from Romance Writers
of America chapter groups. In 2012 she was awarded a Carol Award for
Falling to Pieces. She discovered her love for the Amish while
researching her grandfather’s birthplace of Albion, Pennsylvania. 
A Sky Without Stars contains some interesting history about the lives and culture of Indians in mid-twentieth century America. Frankie Chasing Bear and her son are struggling to find their way in a world where they live with a mixture of their Lakota heritage and white men's ways. In the midst of personal struggles, Frankie is a strong, single mother driven to complete a traditional Lakota star quilt for her young son Harold and try to provide the best life she can for him.
About the Author: Linda S.
Clare is an award-winning coauthor of three books, including Lost Boys and
the Moms Who Love Them (with Melody Carlson and Heather Kopp),
Revealed: Spiritual Reality in a Makeover World, and Making Peace with a
Dangerous God (with Kristen Johnson Ingram). She is also the author of
The Fence My Father Built. She has taught college-level creative
writing classes for seven years, and edits and mentors writers. She also is a
frequent writing conference presenter and church retreat leader. She and her
husband of thirty-one years have four grown children, including a set of twins.
They live in Eugene, Oregon, with their five wayward cats: Oliver, Xena the
Warrior Kitty, Paladine, Melchior, and Mamma Mia! 
I'm always on the lookout for good Bible studies -- either for individuals or small groups. So I was definitely interested when I had the opportunity to review these first four books in a larger, ongoing collection. Thanks to the BookLook Bloggers program for providing these books in exchange for my honest review. 
I've not read many of Colleen Coble's books, but I'm fast becoming a fan of her work. She is a masterful storyteller and offers her readers a real treat -- whether in a modern-day setting or on an adventure that takes us back to a different time and place. 
Terri Blackstock's name on a book is pretty much a guarantee of a great mystery topped off with a good dose of faith. And Distortion just provides more evidence for that guarantee. By the second page, the mystery is established, and the suspense continues to grow throughout the story. 
Terri
Blackstock has sold over six million books worldwide and is a New York Times
bestselling author. She is the award-winning author of Intervention,
Vicious Cycle, and Downfall, as well as such series as Cape
Refuge, Newpointe 911, the SunCoast Chronicles, Restoration, and
Moonlighters. 
