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Heartsong Reviews Title: Heartsong Author: Lynn Ames ISBN 978-1-933113-74-6 Publisher: Intaglio
Publications Available from: www.bellabooks.com;
www.scp-inc.biz Price: $16.95 Pages: 270 Genre: romance Early in Heartsong one of the main characters
states, "Life is seldom as we plan it. What we do--how we act and
react in those unscripted moments--that, in my opinion, is what defines who we
are". Those words are a window into the message of this book.
There are many unscripted moments in the lives of Danica and Chase, and, in the
telling, is how each character reacts. Danica Warren lost her lover
of eighteen years in an avalanche. She was able to save herself, and
three others, but not Sandy. In the three years following, she has
written a best selling memoir and built a successful career as a motivational
speaker. She has not forgiven herself for Chase Crosley is the CEO of
the New York State Credit Union Association. While her luck in love has
not been good, she has built a successful career and a network of
friends. She wasn't prepared for meeting Danica Warren. Heartsong explores the idea of a love between two people that
transcends all that has come before and which follows after. It's
the idea that there is one great love for each of us, if we can but find and
recognize it. For Danica and Chase, the connection is
instantaneous. The problems they face are huge. As their story
continues, each must cope with challenges and emotional
obstacles. Lynn Ames has a rich background
in politics, journalism and as a public information officer for the nation's
third-largest prison system. She is a nationally recognized speaker and
the CEO of a public relations firm with expertise in image, crisis
communications planning and crisis management. Her published works
include the Kate and Jay trilogy, and The
Flip Side of Desire. Beyond Instinct will be published in
2008. Her short stories appear in Infinite
Pleasures: An Anthology of Lesbian Erotica, The Call of the Dark: Lesbian Erotic
Tales of the Supernatural, Telltale Kisses, Romance for Life, Wild Nights and
the Lammy award winning anthology: Stolen Moments: Erotic Interludes 2.
Lynn Ames lives in the southwestern _____ Reviewed by RLynne Heartsong starts off with a bang, literally, since the story begins with the heroic efforts of the beautiful Danica Warren, former senator turned motivational speaker, to extricate herself from her own tomb, created by an avalanche, so that she could go on to rescue other mountaineers in her party. The heart-pounding account of the avalanche and Danica’s efforts to free herself are superbly descriptive and put the reader right there beside the character in her struggle. However, this horrific event proves to be nothing compared to the earth-shattering experience that Danica is about to have when she meets Chase Crosley. The two embark on a roller-coaster ride that almost proves to be their undoing as Danica struggles to overcome guilt about finally finding a new love after the death of her long-time partner, and Chase struggles against an illness that may be so serious that she will never be able to realize her dream of spending the rest of her life with her newfound love. From the opening paragraph, Heartsong grabbed me by the heartstrings
and wouldn’t let go.
Most people see Danica Warren as a hero. After all, the former crusading Senator and now motivational speaker managed to dig herself and three other people out of an avalanche that should have killed them. Her book about her experience is a best seller and a hit movie has been made from it. However, Danica doesn't agree with them because the only person she couldn’t save that day was her long-time partner. That was three years ago and Dani hasn't gotten over what happened yet. Chase Crosley is the CEO of a credit union organization and all she needs is to see Dani one time at a convention to know that her life is about to change. Once the women begin spending time together, they realize they have a special relationship, but there are obstacles. Dani has to overcome her feelings of guilt about the accident and accept that she isn't betraying an old love. Just as Dani seems comfortable with what is happening, Chase becomes seriously ill. Can Dani pursue love knowing that she might lose it again? Does Chase have the right to ask her to? It would have been easy to make Heartsong the story of Danica trying
to get over her survivor guilt and deciding that it was "OK" to love
again. That story has been told before and is familiar. How many people know someone who seems to move from crisis to crisis, enduring unbelievable heartache, while everyone else goes on living somewhat normal lives? There is that universal question about why some people seem doomed to suffer while others live easier lives. However, what starts out seeming to be the story of Danica turns out to be more the story of Chase. She's not used to opening up to another person and has finally seemed to win that struggle when she confronts a health crisis that could change everything. Heartsong then takes on the task of dealing with a relationship that may be on a short timeline. The resolution is not exactly what a reader might expect, but it's very appropriate. Lynn Ames seems to be a writer who is willing to stretch to improve her
writing. Instead of producing the same book time after time, her plots have
gotten progressively more complex. She still writes a pretty standard romance,
but there are little twists that are refreshing and show a greater depth of
story development. While her stories feel familiar, there are nuances that hold
the reader's attention. Heartsong is worth spending an afternoon or
evening with. |