#earthrunes

"The book is wonderful, the imagery is amazing," Earl says after reading it "The protagonist was not too perfect, she had flaws, but was endearing and sympathetic enough one empathized."

Zara is listening, but is also hiding behind her knitting.

"Not sure about this Hunter fellow.... thought he was up to something in the first chapter he showed..." A smile to see if she peeks out.

"Mister Buchanan? Aye, he might well be up to something..."

"I'm sure he has designs upon her" but the sly smile shifts to honest admiration "But again I think I most was in love with the images and descriptions.. Zara, you paint with words."

"Well, the heroine would do well to choose him, but she is so distracted by Ezekiel and the Vicar..."

"Mind, Ezekiel's motives are far shadier than Hunter's."

"Ah yes, but you do a good job of making them all suspect a bit through her eyes" He says

"And all intriguing" He adds

"...Aye..."

"I noticed the later chapter, where she hides... and discovers the secret way? Touch of danger there"

"My heroine may, a'times, be reckless."

"if the men in her life knew the chances she took there, they'd be distraught" He almost chastises the character "Frantic with worry"

"Ah, but a lady needs her secrets."

"I suppose she wouldn't be who she is if she didn't" He admits

"Exactly."

"Still... when the crumbling stairway started to give a way under her feet... I was on the edge of my seat" He admits "That was very easy to imagine"

Blush.

"Zara, it's a good book. Even when I step outside myself and move away from the filter of my bias... it's good. Parts of it are great."

"Well, I pulled from good source material..."

"I am glad you aren't.. ah.. insulted? Offended?"

"No.. though I do wonder if. that's how you saw me, or wanted me to be, or just what I inspired?" A bit of a blush

"A little of all three? There are differences..."

"There are" he nods "I did not expect a certain someone to be such a good shot"

"Mister Buchanan is gentry, and an accomplished huntsman."

"Makes sense, and as you said, there are differences" Approval "Came in handy in the 5th chapter"

"I do fear she could not save Lord Ezekiel from himself, though."

"A tragedy, but Lord Ezekiel was filled with unnatural need"

"I suppose." Gentle regret.

A nod and a touch to her hand

"Now, methinks the book may live for a time on that side table... not too featured, aye? But it could... oh, it may amuse for others to read it unawares..."

He looks at her like she's .. made a rare miss, "Ah, Zara. It has romance in it."

"...aye?"

"Tasteful. I care not for anything too explicit, tis better to imply..."

"Oh it's tasteful, " he assures "it's just, well, we're in a Fiona hold and..."

Leonora peeks into the library "Good day all"

"Good morning, Leonora."

"Hey... got anything new in Romance?" She pokes around.

"And here we go.." Earl whispers amused

"Mmm... most of the new acquisitions are on this shelf..." She guides Leo away from the shiny new hardback with a floridly illustrated cover.

"Oh, this one's not in English" She sighs at one "Which is fine, but not for me"

"French is the language of love, but aye... now here, this is Natira Gold..."

"Love her work, got it on Kindle..." She says

A hiss from a book shelf

Nose-wrinkle.

"Sorry, Bronte," Leonora says at the hiss, then turns to see Zara's nose wrinkle "Oh not you too, Zara? it's.. handy and easy to access"

"Pearls before swine" the Bookwyrm mutters low, but Zara hears it

"But it's so... fugitive... it lacks the pleasure of knowing other hands have touched those pages, that future ones may also... do you never imagine who other readers may have been? A student, a lonely parent, a world-weary commuter?"

"I haven't, and now I feel guilty for a lack of imagination in that area" Then the sidhe crooks her neck at the shiny new hardback with the floridly illustrated cover "What's that?"

Bronte pipes up "The stuff dreams are made of"