IN OUR DREAMS
PORCH SWINGS AND PICKET FENCES
IN OUR DREAMS - by Barbara Cummings, Patricia Gardner Evans, Ruth Glick (writing as Rebecca York), Courtney Henke, Mary Kirk, Corey McFadden, Linda Lael Miller, Patricia Potter, Mary Jo Putney, Susan Wiggs (Zebra - 1998) (5)
IN OUR DREAMS is a distinguished anthology that includes stupendous short stories that cross the vast spectrum of the romance sub-genres. Each author selected their fantasy hero from various media to serve as their role model. For instance, Sorbo's HERCULES serves as the inspiration for Courtney Henke's hero, and the LAST OF THE MOHICANS’ Lewis is the role model for Susan Wiggs' wonderful contemporary. Traits of the heroic cross all genres and are served up by an epic band of romance writers. All royalties from what may be the anthology of the year go to the Amiga Trust Fund. Hopefully, the romance publishing world will allow this talented pool to get back together for sequels. ~Harriet Klausner
PORCH SWINGS AND PICKET FENCES - by Lisa Tawn Bergren, Barbara Jean Hicks, Jane Orcutt, Suzy Pizzuti (WaterBrook Press Inspirational - 1999) (4+)
"Tarnished Silver" by Lisa Tawn Bergren:
Jemma Stuart is happy and completely satisfied with her life. Maintaining a stained-glass studio in New York City, with frequent forays into the country to do on-site restoration work, has always been exciting and fulfilling for her. Jemma can't
imagine trading it all away for a dull life in some backwater town; but when a summer-long window restoration project takes her to a church in a small Iowa community, her complacency is suddenly challenged when she meets Pastor Samuel Tucker. Fully committed to his ministry in Stillwater, but feeling a strong pull toward the worldly Jemma that he can't ignore,
Sam becomes determined to prove to her that life, with the right man, can be just as wonderful in a small town. "Tarnished Silver" is a great story. I loved its sweet gentleness, and the snapshot of rural America is a lovely touch.
"Twice in a Blue Moon" by Barbara Jean Hicks:
Widow Cait Reilly had experienced a "once in a blue moon" marriage and never dares to want, nor expects to find, another perfect love like that again. But when her childhood friend, Jack "Hoot-Owl" Van Hooten, returns to town for a visit, she is swept up in her memories of days gone by. Jack remembers "Cait-Cat" with fondness and a smile, too, but having had his
own "once in a lifetime" marriage, this very attractive widower isn't looking for anything more than renewed friendship. As their special bond seems to reemerge, however, deeper feelings develop between these two lonely people. "Twice in a Blue Moon" is a sweet, beautifully written story with dashes of humor that made me smile.
"Texas Two-Step" by Jane Orcutt:
Returning home after five years away, Molly Fuller can't help
but think of the dream she'd once had of sharing a wonderful
life with her high school sweetheart, Clay, whom she'd hastily married then left behind in the small Texas town.
Circumstances and more compelling desires had taken her life
in a different direction then, and now it was time to put an end to her sham of a marriage. God seems to have other ideas for
the couple though, and Molly finds that it's not so easy to put aside promises made in the past. "Texas Two-Step" is written in a more emotional vein than the other stories in this anthology, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, as well.
"The Boy Next Door" by Suzy Pizzuti:
Their families had always been close and they had even shared a house as they were growing up, but somewhere along the line,
Lucy Burns and Trevor Bacon had lost track of each other. When Trevor returns to town to take a short sabbatical from his life, while he fixes up his parents' half of the duplex that Lucy
still lives in, revisiting old memories brings up some very
new possibilities. Unused to thinking of each other as anything but best pals, however, true love comes only after each tries to play matchmaker for the other (with results that are often hilarious). "The Boy Next Door" is a well-written and witty reunion story, which nicely rounds out this wonderful anthology. ~Connie Ramsdell for Bookbug on the Web
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