Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss

Sara Reyes | Books As A Solace

April 4, 2009

Sara ReyesWhat a difference a week can make! Who knew! I guess everyone, but sometimes days go by without effort; work is done, food is made, eaten, drank, family listened to, friends are seen, all very very routine. And then like a Texas tornado, something happens that can be life changing or enough to jolt one out of the ordinary mundane. My week’s twister makes me reflect on what I do to overcome the, well for lack of a better word, stress.

I was greeted at 4am last Sunday with the embodiment of Carrie, yes, from the movie. Blood covered hair, dripping onto the white Greek flokati rug, ripped clothing, and generally messed up figure. Crying, gasping and semi-hysterical. Semi, because she lost her voice screaming during the run home from the flipped car, otherwise, I’m sure she would still have been screaming. Not to worry now, she’s okay and healing, the car, electric pole, and retaining wall, not-so-much. But that figure looming in my memory is much harder to be vanquished than I expected after all the excitement had lapsed.

So what to do? Well, I turn to that old stand-by I’ve used for over 45 years. Books. And what kind of books? Definitely not paranormal this time. The vampire ones I read sitting in the ICU waiting room when my husband had a heart attack some how comforted me then, but not now. The blood I see in my mind is much too vivid to be reading about blood-suckers. Thrillers, fast paced as they may be are not filling the gap or relieving the heart-stopping moments of fear when I replayed my voice messages and realized that could have been the last one I had from her. Yes, so for the Gwen incident, I’ve gone to the old favorites of romance. Lovely, relationship, character-driven romance. Misunderstandings, no big mystery, just characters in search of each other and sometimes a plot. Ah, I love romance. Romance always soothes me.

There are romance authors where, to quote a friend, “I’d be willing to pay to read her grocery lists.” Those authors have a way of crafting a story of a relationship I know will come to a very successful satisfactory ending but whose journey will allow me a couple hours relief from my reality and those gray-hair causing worry spells.

So this week I’m just thankful to all the romance authors out there toiling away, thinking they are underpaid and unappreciated. Not true, my darlings. Weeks like I had are the reason I SO love you all and will buy you, cherish you and rave about you forever!!!

Well, until next time…

Get out there and READ a book…
Sara Reyes
DFW Tea Readers Group
Join us at Readers ‘n ‘ritas November 13-15, 2009!

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