Thursday, August 11, 2011

Lightkeeper's Ball

Eleanor Stewart is engaged to Harrison Bennett and is murdered. Her sister Olivia then takes it upon herself to investigate what happened. She suspects Harrison is the culprit and sets out to prove it. However, she tells everyone that she is Lady Devonsworth and a good friend of the Stewart family.

She gets pushed off her ship before arriving in Mercy Falls and is rescued by none other than Harrison Bennett, who is good friends with the lightkeeper. Eleanor quickly makes friends with the lightkeeper’s wife who thinks it’s absurd that Harrison would be capable of such a crime. When a storm destroys the lighthouse, Olivia puts together “The Lightkeeper’s Ball,” which is a fundraising masquerade ball. Through a series of events, this ball also turns into the celebration of an engagement.

As a fan of historical fiction, I didn’t expect to get tangled in a mystery. The twists and turns throughout the book will keep you on edge! I read this book over the course of two days and found myself wanting to throw a fit when I had to put it down. The scandals in this novel will turn you off or suck you in.

An interview with Colleen Coble, author of The Lightkeeper’s Ball

Q: Did you always dream of becoming a writer? Why did you choose the romance genre?

I wrote my first story in the first grade. It was about a horse that had twin colts. The teacher praised it and the writing seed was planted. I love illustrating God’s love through romance. I especially love the suspense I put into all my books as well. I have a strong streak of justice and it plays out in the suspense element.

Q: What inspired you to write a historical series based in the early 1900’s? What would you have enjoyed about living in that time period and what would you have found the most difficult?

I happened to read an article about the Gilded Age and it mentioned how that era was so similar to today’s. I was intrigued with that, plus I wanted to choose a timeperiod that wouldn’t be too much of a departure from my contemporary books. In that era, there were still cars and telephones!

I would have loved the simpler lifestyle. However, I would miss my jeans! How vain.

Q: Society at the turn of the century was very preoccupied with appearances and impressing other people. How is that not so different than our society today and how canwe keep from falling into that same trap?

That’s exactly right! The parallels between the two eras are astounding. I’ve been at the cancer hospital this week with a dear friend, and it was a reminder of how fragile this life is. We seek THINGS when God wants us to seek Him. We need to keep our eyes set on eternity and remember that THIS life is the real dream. When we reach heaven, we will finally start to really live.

Q: Bitterness and unforgiveness led to the death of Olivia’s sister. Why is it so important to forgive those who have wronged us?
An unforgiving spirit hurts us much more than the person we hate. It makes us ugly and crowds out the love we want to show other people. God is love, not hate. Bitterness is the very opposite of the attitude God wants us to have.

Q: This is the third book in your Mercy Fallsseries. Addie and Katie were the main characters in your first two books. Olivia was given a true gift in the friendship of Katie and Addie. What does it take to find trustworthy and loyal friends? Why do you think that we all desire to find friends like these?

You have to first be a friend. You have to be open and giving of yourself to have those kinds of friends. A true friend tells you the truth in love, and that’s an important component of the give and take of real friendship.

Q: What do you hope that your readers will take away from reading The Lightkeeper’s Ball?

I hope the readers who feel they have to earn love will take away the realization that their true worth is that Jesus loves them and died for them. They are valuable beyond comprehension. When we can step into the role of daughters and sons, we can realize our true potential.

Disclosure: Thanks to the B&B Media Group for providing me a free copy of this book. Opinions are my own and I was not obligated to provide a favorable review.

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