REVIEW OF PATRICIA HICKMAN'S "THE PIRATE QUEEN" AND GIVEAWAY

And the winner is: Wendy!!! Thanks Wendy for entering the contest and I will be getting in touch with you very soon. I also want to thank Waterbrook Press for offering a copy of "The Pirate Queen" for this giveaway. I hope you enjoyed this review and be sure and look for the review and giveaway of Young Adult Books " Shoot the Wounded" and "Heal the Wounded" by Canadian Lynn Dove. You don't want to miss this one. Be on the lookout for the launch of "Heal the Wounded" on January 25th.


was not able to copy a picture of the book cover or a picture of Patricia. If you go to the Waterbook Press site you can find both of them.

Back cover: The envy of all her friends, wife and mother Saphora Warren is the model of southern gentility and accomplishment. she lives in a beautiful Lake Norman home, and has raised three capable adult children. Her husband is a successful plastic surgeon - and a philanderer. It is for that reason that, after hosting a garden party for Southern Living magazine, Saphora packs her bags to escape the trappings of the picturesque-but-vacant-life.

Saphora's departure is interrupted by her husband Benders early arrival home, and his words change her life forever: I'm dying. Against her desires, Saphora agrees to take care of Bender as he fights his illness. The relocate, at his insistence, to their coastal home in Oriental - the same house she had chosen for her private getaway. When her idyllic retreat is overrun by her grown children, grandchildren, townspeople, relatives, and a precocious neighbor child, Saphora's escape to paradise is anything but the life she had imagined. As she gropes for evidence of God's presence amid the turmoil, can she discover that the richest treasures come in surprising packages?

About Patricia Hickman: Patricia Hickman, author of the acclaimed novel Painted Dresses, is an award-winner, speaker, and humorist who has won two Silver Angel Awards for Excellance in Media as well as a Romantic Times Reader's Choice Gold Award for her novel Katrina's Wings. Patricia holds a master's degree in creative writing from Queens University and enjoys biking, hiking, and mapping out the Southern towns where her novels are set.

My Take: Four Stars: I wasn't sure what "The Pirate Queen" would be like. I wondered what the title meant. Now that I've read the book I know what it means. I'm not going to tell you though, so you can read the book and find out for yourself.

Saphora Warren is the main character. She has been married more than thirty years to a Doctor who has a personality bigger than life. He has also been a philanderer most of the marriage. Saphora has lost who she is and is just about to leave Bender when he comes home and tells her he has a life threatening illness.

What should she do? Leave or stay. She chooses to stay and take care of him during his last months of life. This might seem far-fetched, but I've heard of several women who have even taken care of their ex-husbands during their terminal illness. It is real life and could happen to anyone.

The story is about her journey taking care of him during his last days. It also probes the in and outs of their family dynamics and how this effects them.
It is a story of a family in crisis and then a time of healing.

I enjoyed reading "The Pirate Queen", but I found it hard to stick with sometimes. The pace was slower than I would have liked for it to be.With that said I am glad that I chose this book to review and believe anyone who reads it will not be sorry.

To enter the giveaway please follow the instructions:
1. Be a follower or sign up as a new follower
2. Leave an email address so I can contact the winner
3. Visit Waterbrook Press and check out their books and authors.

Contest will end on December 30th.