Leslie Lynch creates such amazingly REAL characters, as we see again in Christmas Hope. Fortunately, she took time after the story to explain how she went into the real world to find her fictional protagonists among the heroes and victims of our crazy times. Fans of the Appalachian Foothills series will enjoy meeting Leslie’s latest characters and welcome another visit with Father Barnabas, who, up to his old tricks, plays a pivotal role in this novella.
We often see only our defects and assume that others hold the same perception. The Christmas season may add to one’s miseries as the holiday reopens family problems, especially for wounded souls desperately in need of completeness. If the family failed as a resource, Tennessee Williams, via Blanche DuBois, reminds us and the protagonists that “you can always depend on the kindness of strangers to pluck up your spirits and shield you from dangers.” Dreaded disasters that we all shun actually bring a couple together. The question remains, can they control their demons long enough to push beyond their first impressions and establish a loving relationship that heals their wounds?
Christmas Hope is the author’s fourth book of 2014, all of them segments in the Appalachian Foothills Series. Lynch has established herself as a formidable author who blends romance with grit and reality. Her characters come from life and reflect her interest in regular folks, the down and out, as well as law enforcement and the military. Louisville, Kentucky shines brightly as a venue. I look forward to another productive year as novels flow from the fertile mind of author Leslie Lynch.
DonMulcare
A retired biologist with current interests in vegetable gardening, volunteering at a local nursing home, reading, and writing. Other activities include the study of the practical aspects of applied Gerontology, splitting logs, digging for quahogs and writing blogs. https://dmulcare.wordpress.com/