A Question of Destiny by Anita Higman

Book description and photo from Amazon.

A Question of Destiny

 

Publication Date: October 29, 2014

 

Lucy O’Brien is about to be given ten millions dollars and a chance to live a life she never imagined. Will this new found wealth be Lucy’s undoing, or can she rise above the temptations within high society and choose to become a nobler version of herself? And will the solitary Andrew Whitfield—a man who watches over Lucy as she adapts to her new lifestyle—cause her to close the door on her dreams or be the key that opens the rest of Lucy’s destiny?

My review:  A Question of Destiny by Anita Higman 

Contemporary, Christian, Romance

 They say your life can change in a second. Lucy and her boyfriend are waking down the street when they see an elderly woman being robbed. She takes off after the robber while her boyfriend tucks tail and runs for the hills. For humble Lucy O’Brien her good deed turned into a 10 million dollar reward. Her destiny is forever changed. 

   Ian a multimillionaire decides to reward Lucy for her good deed and her service to the community. But he has an ulterior motive. He would love nothing more than to play match maker to his friend and personal assistant Andy. Andy has been Ian’s loyal employee, friend and like a son to him. He would do anything to help Ian. So when he is asked to be a mentor of sorts to Lucy of coarse he say‘s yes. Lucy had no idea how crazy her life will become. She now has a choice as to her destiny. 

   Faith is interwoven through this fantastic story.  She can chose forgiveness, restoration of family, and love. She also has the chance to bless others or spend it on herself. I highly recommend this novel; it is well worth your time. 

   Wow another 5 star book by Anita Higman. A Question of Destiny is a fun and fast paced read. The author has done a great job of making this light read entertaining. It is well written with characters you are sure to fall in love with. I am hoping there is a sequel to follow. 

   I want to give a high-five to the author Anita Higman and publisher for bringing compelling Christian books that are entertaining and give hope to the reader with stories of faith. I was provided with this book in exchange for my honest review and I am so grateful the authors and publishers generosity. 

The author has graciously answered a few questions about 

A Question of Destiny 

Can you tell me a little bit about your novel A Question of Destiny?

I'd be happy to. It's basically rags to riches story with a few surprises along the way.

 Here's a short blurb to give you a few more details.

 Lucy O'Brien is about to be given $10 million and a chance to live a life she never imagined. Will this new found wealth be Lucy's undoing, or can she rise above the temptations within high society and choose to become a nobler version of herself? And will the solitary Andrew Whitfield- a man who watches over Lucy as she adapts to the new lifestyle- cause her to close the door on her dreams or be the key that opens the rest of Lucy's  destiny?

How did you come up with this story? 

I've always thought the rags-to-riches concept was fascinating. There's so much ready-made conflict. Even though we've been told by the world that to receive a windfall would be an idyllic situation, in reality, a lot can go wrong. You can truly lose your way. In life, love, faith. Everything. Since a writer needs a lot of conflict to keep those lovely readers turning the pages, I thought this would be a good place a good plot element to add to the love story.

In A Question of Destiny you have the hero loving the city while the heroine loves the country, and it becomes a sticky point between them. Where did you get your inspiration for this conflict? 

I suppose both of these viewpoints are inside me. I grew up on a farm, but I now live near Houston. I love the city and and the country equally, and so does my husband. So, we are building our retirement home in the country, but because of the soon-to-be-built freeway nearby, we will have access to the city. But I won't tell you how my heroine and hero work out this intense disagreement!

What is the farthest place from home you've ever been? 

Melbourne, Australia. I loved it there. It's such a beautiful and fascinating city. So much so, I set part of a novel there, which was entitled, Winter in Full Bloom. I'd love to go back to Australia someday, but it's expensive, and it's a very, very long flight!

Want to share one of your dreams? 

I would love to have one of my books made into a movie. Right now two of  my novels are optioned for movies, so I'm hoping something exciting will transpire from that.

How long have you know that you wanted to be a writer? 

Growing up I dreamed of telling stories. When I was very young I started working on a novel about a man from Mars who wanted to go to college in New York. I never finished that novel, but it left an impression on me. I knew deep down that writing was my dream, even though I didn't get around to fulfilling it until I was in my thirties.

What do you hope your readers will come away with after reading one of your novels? 

I would love for them to be inspired, challenged, and entertained. If I accomplish even one of these things I would feel my writing time wasn't wasted.

If you could have dinner with two well-known people, who would they be? 

Josh Groban, because his music inspires me and Leif Enger, because I love the way he writes.

Is there something about you most people wouldn't know?

 I love licorice ice cream, but it's rare find.

Any advice for new readers? 

My advice would be, "Don't rush the process. Take your time. Read and learn about the craft, network, and attend conferences. Start a blog, and following your own unique voice. Be faithful to your stories and write every day. If you really have a passion for writing, you won't fine my suggestions to be punishment – but a pleasure."

How can your readers connect with you?

 I would love for you to visit my website at Anita Higman.com and connect with me through the "Contact Me" button, or you can go to my FaceBook Reader Page.

Amazon

Home at Last by Anita Higman

About Home at Last by Anita Higman:

Olivia Lamington's never had a home or family

When her late employer leaves Bromfeld Manor to her, Olivia feels secure for the first time in her life. Then Bromfeld's prodigal son returns, challenging her claim to the estate—and everything Olivia understands about family…and love.

The woman his father left his fortune to is as beautiful as she is innocent, which is why Noah Bromfeld offers to let Olivia stay while he settles his father's affairs. The closer he gets to Olivia, though, the more Noah wonders if this sweet beauty is the key to his future. But will his dark past destroy his only hope for happiness?

My Review:
Olivia Lamington inherited Bromfeld Manor from her former employer after he passed away. She dedicated twenty years of service to Finney. Now she finally has a home to call her own after years of abuse in foster care and living as an employee in the attic at the Manor. Now it is all in jeopardy because the prodigal son Noah Bromfeld has returned from the dead.

Noah returns home to Southeast Texas years after leaving home because of a disagreement with his father. Unaware that everyone thought he had passed away years before he takes Olivia by surprise. Sparks fly when Noah and Olivia come together as they look for answers in Finney‘s journals. Can the find lasting love or will it all be destroyed by Noah’s past. Read this great book to see who gets to keep the manor and if secrets of the past destroy them.

The author Anita Higman has done a great job with Home at Last. I loved the innocence of Olivia’s character. You will find this book to display a strong faith, romance and a little mystery. I give 5 stars to Home at Last, it is well written with characters that are enthusiastic, inspiring and full of life. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for a compelling Christian book that is entertaining and gives hope to the readers with stories of faith. I want to thank the author Anita Higman and publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

About the Author Anita Higman:
 Bestselling and award-winning author, Anita Higman, has thirty-two books published (several coauthored) for adults and children. She has a BA degree, combining speech communication, psychology, and art. Anita love good movies, exotic teas, and brunch with her friends.

Winter in Full Bloom

 

Please welcome award winning author Anita Higman to 

 

One lucky winner will win a copy of Winter in Full Bloom,  see the

 

bottom of this post for your chance to win.

Anita Higman was able to answer a few question, I hope you enjoy

 

the answers:

 

1. I was curious as to what is her favorite scripture could be. She told

 

me it was Psalm 121:2-3 (KJV) "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,

 

from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which

 

made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved:

 

he that keepeth thee will not slumber." I have to agree with her, I

 

find great comfort in this scripture it is so true and a great scripture

 

 to cling to because God is always our help.

 

2. Winner in Full Bloom is set in Texas as well as Australia. What made

 

you want to set the novel in these two places? Well I live in Texas so I

 

wanted to make use  of my home state. After living here for about 30

 

years, I have a soft spot for Texas now.  Also I have visited Melbourne,

 

Australia for about three weeks and have taken notes, and since it was

 

such an exotic place and I had such an amazing time there, I wanted to

 

 share some of my experiences with readers.

 

3. The cover is beautiful did you have any input in this cover? Yes,

actually, I did. The publisher sent me a few samples to look at, and

I chose this one. But the cover you see now was tweaked a number

of times. One of the changes was the addition of the red tulips along

the snowy path. I'm so glad the publisher  was open to changes. I'm

 very happy with the final cover. It reflects the story even better than,

 and I think that bit of unexpected intrigue along the road will  be

eye-catching to the bookstore browser.

 

4. The title is unique. How did you come up with Winter in Full Bloom?

 

Sometimes I brainstorm titles, and then sometimes I use the phrase I

 

find within the manuscript that works well as a title. Winter in Full

 

Bloom was created in one of my brainstorming sessions. As a side note,

 

there are couple of meanings to this title. The heroin's name is Lilly

 

Winter. Also half  of the book takes place in Houston at the advent of

 

winter, but when she flies to Melbourne  at the same time of the year,

 

Australians are experiencing the beginning of spring. So even though

 

Lilly has begun getting ready for winter, she suddenly enters into the

 

 season springtime --- literally and in her personal life.

 

5. Are the characters from your imagination, or do they come from

 

real-life? My characters are a mixture of both. I'll be watching someone

 

at the airport or  the mall or at church, and I'll think, "Wow, that gesture

 

 is perfect for my characters." Then some of my character traits will

 

come straight from my imagination. Usually it's a fun brew of all the

 

 above.

 

6. Do you and your husband travel a lot? We travel much more now that

 

we have an empty nest. Last year we went to Alaska, Hawaii, and Canada.

 

This year we've been to Mexico, California, and right now as I type this

 

 answer, my husband and I are waiting at the airport to fly to Ireland.

 

Can't wait. I'm hoping to set one of my future novels in Ireland.

 

7. Why do you write? I have a real need to express myself creatively --- 

 

guess I was born that way --- writing and I fit well together.

8. Your hero, Lily Winter, is experiencing empty nest. Why did you add

 that element to the story? I was going through this rough phase of

motherhood , and  I thought it would be good to add this to the story. I

 hope it added an element of authenticity to the tale. And too, forcing

myself to write about the pain surely helped me deal with it better.

9. How long have you been writing? I've been in this profession for about

 30 years. It's been a long stumbly kind of journey. I've had some dark

hours --- those moments when I really didn't know what I was doing or

 why I was doing it. Moments when rejection swept me under like a

scary undertow. Moments when getting published seem pretty much

impossible. But I never gave up, and I'm glad I didn't. I have had 34

 books published  in many genres, and even though it's been a rough

ride, it has also been deeply satisfying.

 

10. This story is about twin sisters. Are you a twin or do you have a

 

sister?  I'm afraid I have to say no to both of these questions, but

 

 I've always  wanted to have a sister. And that desire I suppose

 

 fueled the dialogue and some of this story.

 

11. Winter in Full Bloom is a love story but also story of family

 

reconciliation. Have you experienced that last part in your own

 

life? Yes, I have known the miracle of family reconciliation, and

 

has brought me great joy.

 

12. Any final words for you readers? If you have ever taken the time

 

to read one of my novels, I thank you with all my heart. I sincerely

 

 hope that Winter in Full Bloom inspires you, and makes you laugh,

 

and when you come to the last page and close the book, I hope your

 

 heart and your step feels just a little lighter.



 

Book Description:Lily Winter's wings are folded so tightly

around her daughter that when empty nest arrives, she feels she can

no longer fly. But Lily's lonely, widowed life changes in a heartbeat

when she goes to visit a woman who is almost a stranger to her-a

woman who also happens to be her mother. During their fiery

reunion, her mother reveals a dark family secret that she'd been

hiding for decades-Lily has an identical twin sister who was put

 up for adoption when they were just babies. Without looking back,

Lily-with her fear of flying-boards a jumbo jet and embarks on a

quest  to find her sister which leads half way around the world to

Melbourne, Australia. Befriended by imprudent Aussie, he might

 prove to be the key to finding her sister. But her journey becomes

 a circle that leads  her back home to attempt a family reunion and

 to find the one dream she no longer imagined possible-the chance

 to fall in love again.

My 5 Star Review:

 Winter in Full Bloom a novel

by Anita Higman

Wow what I journey this book will take you on. The author Anita

Higman gives such vivid  descriptions, that you can not help but feel

 like you are in the mist of the story. Lily Winter has lived a hard life.

She has endured the hardship of being raised by a cruel mean unloving

mother. She has lost her father and husband but clings to her dear sweet

daughter, whom she loves and adores. After a nasty confrontation

with her estranged mother Lily finds out she has a twin sister she never

 knew about. So her journey begins and takes her to Melbourne Australia

in the search of her long lost sister Camille. There she meets American

Marcus Averill; he is charming, strange, funny, gentle. Like Lily, Marcus

 has lived through tough times. Together they  face life’s toughest

challenges, forgiveness, redemption  and the quest for acceptance and

 love.

Anita Higman is a fairly new author to me, I have not  read many books

by her but the few I have read I have really enjoyed. I highly

recommend this book; it is a Christian fiction with a little romance.

If you like what you have read here today and would like the chance

to win a copy, let me know in the comments below. I will announce

a winner on Octber 27, 2013. Include your email address  so I can

notify the winner.

 





Winter in Full Bloom by Anita Higman

Winter in Full Bloom a novel by Anita Higman

Wow what I journey this book will take you on. The author Anita Higman gives such vivid descriptions, that you can not help but feel like you are in the mist of the story.

Lily Winter has lived a hard life. She has endured the hardship of being raised by a cruel mean unloving mother. She has lost her father and husband but clings to her dear sweet daughter, whom she loves and adores. After a nasty confrontation with her estranged mother Lily finds out she has a twin sister she never knew about. So her journey begins and takes her to Melbourne Australia in the search of her long lost sister Camille. There she meets American Marcus Averill; he is charming, strange, funny, gentle. Like Lily, Marcus has lived through tough times. Together they face life’s toughest challenges, forgiveness, redemption and the quest for acceptance and love. Anita Higman is a fairly new author to me, I have not read many books by her but the few I have read I have really enjoyed. I highly recommend this book; it is a Christian fiction with a little romance.