I'm welcoming Anne Mateer back to Ink Dots today, to celebrate the release of her latest historical romance, Playing By Heart.
Anne is passionate about bringing history to life through fiction. She is the author of four historical novels as well as a contemporary short story which can be found in this season’s A Cup of Christmas Cheer II. Anne and her husband live in Texas and are the parents of three young adults.
Playing by Heart ~ Lula Bowman has finally achieved her dream: a teaching position and a scholarship to continue her college education in mathematics. But then a shocking phone call from her sister, Jewel, changes everything.
With a heavy heart, Lula returns to her Oklahoma hometown to do right by her sister, but the only teaching job available in Dunn is combination music instructor/basketball coach. Lula doesn't even consider those real subjects!
Determined to prove herself, Lula commits to covering the job for the rest of the school year. Reluctantly, she turns to the boys' coach, Chet, to learn the newfangled game of basketball. Chet is handsome and single, but Lula has no plans to fall for a local boy. She's returning to college and her scholarship as soon as she gets Jewel back on her feet.
However, the more time she spends around Jewel's family, the girls' basketball team, music classes, and Chet, the more Lula comes to realize what she's given up in her single-minded pursuit of degree after degree. God is working on her heart, and her future is starting to look a lot different than she'd expected.
Anne Says...
If I could explore anywhere in the world tomorrow, it would be… Scotland. I’d spend at least a month, part in the cities, part in the country, part in a hotel, part in a small house. And of course I’d have my hubby with me. I imagine we’d spend a lot of time in dusty old bookshops. I love that, old Scottish bookshops. Couldn't get better. :)
The best thing I did today is… spend time praying for my family and others. I love that even if I don’t get to see or talk to someone every day or even every week I can still participate in their life through prayer.
A secret pleasure of mine is… Sundays. We attend church on Saturday night, so Sunday is truly my day of rest, one generally devoted to reading for pleasure. I really, really hate it when I don’t get my Sunday! Sounds perfect. :)
I wish I could relive the day when I… got the call offering my very first book contract. It truly was the perfect day—the culmination of what I'd been dreaming of and working toward without any of the stress of being on the other side of it yet!
When I was a child I dreamed I would… live in a high rise building in the middle of a city. I’m still hoping for part of that to happen one day. I don’t want a high rise apartment anymore, but a more urban setting would be fun. Not a permanent move, but a year or two. You never know! I hear you. We lived on the 28th floor of an apartment building in Bangkok for a year. An unforgettable experience.
I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but… I love to drive with my radio up really loud—and tuned to 80s music, if possible. :) We won't hold it against you, Anne. I know Ink Dots friends also listen to 80s music, with their ear buds in! Thanks so much for visiting us this week. I wish you every success with Playing By Heart.
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For your chance to win a copy of Anne's Playing By Heart, tell us what era/style music we'd hear in your car or home.
I'll announce the winner in the comment thread on Friday.
Good luck and happy reading,
