River of Dreams

Author Essay

Dear Reader,

I love books. I love the feel of a good paperback in my hand. I love big coffee-table books with glossy pictures. The thought of an afternoon spent trolling through bookstores or libraries is like contemplating a quick but thoroughly satisfying vacation. But what really gets me going is the thought of old, musty, obscure books. Is there a less-visited section of a library where I can peer at dusty tomes on the bottom shelf and maybe find an overlooked gem? Maybe a used bookstore in a sleepy little port town where I can find old copies of turn-of-the-century books on Scottish history? Bliss!

I think this is why I’m so fond of the two main characters in River of Dreams. Aisling and Rùnach have both spent their share of time chasing after books in various places, but they now find themselves in the most famous library in all the Nine Kingdoms. It’s probably fairly safe to say that they hadn’t anticipated being prevented from looking for what they came for by an angry librarian backed up by soldiers with very sharp swords, but sometimes the unexpected happens. They do manage to get at least something out of the trip—a rare tome they hadn’t been looking for—as well as acquiring a few things they hadn’t intended to.

I guess the moral of the story is, sometimes things aren’t as they seem and part of the adventure is enjoying where clues lead you. Or it could just be be careful in libraries. I’d love to hear which you think it is after the last page of the book!

Happy reading!

Lynn