Read it, Loved it, Reading it, Loving it!!!!

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	• Mixed Signals Liz Curtis Higgs Multnomah Books, 2005 - 384 pages average customer review:based on 30 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Mixed Signals - Liz Curtis Higgs

Can a Christian author who writes fiction and non-fiction pen a contemporary romance novel? Liz Curtis Higgs did. Mixed Signals, a RITA Award Finalist, is on par with the best contemporary romance novels I've read. Liz's characters are believable and well fleshed out. I guarantee you won't be able to wait until the kids are in bed and your husband is watching his favorite television program so you can find a comfy chair, put your feet up and slip into Belle O'Brien's world. Without giving away the story, I can tell you Belle is fed up with big time radio. She is tired of smooth talking men, ready to settle down and find a husband. Good men are in short supply in Abingdon, Virginia, and if you are lucky enough to find one, half the women in town are after him.

J. B. Williams
Author, Chase Your Dreams

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Good concept, not a page turner.

I was looking forward to reading this, as like Higgs, I have a history in broadcasting. I did learn a few new terms that I hadn't come across in working with five different signals. The beginning started off great. I could relate to the volatile radio market, never knowing how long a job will last and when managers will sweep into town changing everything or nothing. Belle moving to a smaller but more stable market is a totally credible and wise move.

The characters were great; I liked the fact that it wasn't a typically straight line romance. Though it was a predictable romance after you got a few chapters into it. Each of the characters had their own struggle to overcome, and there was some character development as the story unfolded.

But the reason why this story does not get 5 stars from me is that it lost momentum somewhere after the first few chapters. After reading 1/3 the way into the book, I pretty much knew where the story would end; only the exact details were yet to be determined. It wasn't a book that kept me up at night turning the pages, it was easy for me to put down, and forget. I kept reading to the end however, because I didn't have any other book with me last weekend.

There was too much explaining/telling, not enough showing or involving the reader in the story itself. I found myself skimming through the many pages of a character thinking or agonizing, when IMO a simple paragraph could have summed it up and been more interesting. If you don't mind reading every little thought and its details, then this book will be quite enjoyable to you. I also do not prefer stories that changes POV frequently, but that is just a stylistic preference. This story was told in third person POV, with the person's viewpoint shifting within a chapter though of course not in a section, which is the correct way to do it.

I am hopeful that Higgs will continue to improve her fictional writing skills, as she has good concepts and in parts, was quite humorous. This book could have been improved greatly by being edited down 1/3 - ? of its size.

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Read it, Loved it, Reading it, Loving it!!!!

This book is an exciting experiance travling in and out of peoples minds. It has good christian values and is filled with delicious humour. As a kid I got alot out of this book (though my reading level is hardly at 'KID' anymore). Even if you don't know anything about radio, it hardly matters! I recommend this book highly. If your thinking about buying it, do it!!

LIZ YOU HAVE DONE IT AGAIN!!!

I cried, I laughed out loud in crowded quiet rooms... wow what can I say? This book left me wanting more. Liz takes a myriad of wonderful (and some not so wonderful) traits and spreads them evenly over such a diverse group of characters. I identified with at least one of the struggles of each and every character. I also found myself wishing to gain the virtues projected in each. This book kept me turning the pages, I COULDN'T READ IT FAST ENOUGH! I often found myself speed reading through just to see how it turned out. But then I would go back and reread the pages to drink the beautiful imagery Liz poured onto paper. I can't believe this is her first novel! (But I am already reading "Bookends".) I left this book wanting to move to Abingdon and move in with Norah! But if you are looking for a dose of God's grace today, I STRONGLY RECOMMEND reading this beautiful book. WAY TO GO LIZ!! You've blessed me again!

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Higgs' first novel is worth the read.

It is obvious, if you are a fan of other novels by Liz Curtis Higgs, that "Mixed Signals" was her first venture into the world of novel-writing. Not to say that it is a poorly-written book, simply that her fiction-writing skills have improved very much since she first began. Fans of her series of historical novels about the Scottish McKie family will have a hard time adjusting to her writing a story set in modern-day, but will soon hear Higgs' loveable voice shining through.

"Mixed Signals" begins a tad slowly, and is bogged down with much sappy sentiment and cheesy dialogue. The lack of intelligent, realistic interactions is nearly enough to make one want to stop reading the novel all together, but be persistent and you will soon find yourself rather enraptured with the characters and their story. While the writing is a bit over-dramatic, and not nearly as enchanting as her later novels, "Mixed Signals" is still a charming and worthwhile read.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Love Is on the Air

Belle O?Brien, the woman behind the warmest voice in Virginia radio, has one problem: Her oldies show on WPER-FM is a solid-gold hit, but her love life, at thirty-two years and counting, is an off-the-charts disaster. The pickings are slim in small-town Abingdon. Will it be smooth-talking Patrick Reese, the man who launched her radio career a decade earlier? Moody but handsome David Cahill, the chief engineer with a mysterious past and a new life in Christ? Or Matthew the Methodist, her pastor across the street? Surrounded by an on-air cast of colorful characters, Belle?s journey toward joy is filled with humor, heartache, and endless surprises. Norah Silver-Smyth, her friend and encourager, will join Belle in discovering that it?s never too late to listen to your heart.

?One of the most delightful surprises I?ve had all year?

a first novel that moved me to both laughter and tears!?

Susan Wiggs, USA Today bestselling author Love Is on the Air

Belle O?Brien, the woman behind the warmest voice in Virginia radio, has a problem: Her oldies show is a solid-gold hit, but her love life is an off-the-charts disaster.

Her prospects for a husband are small-town slim. Will it be smooth-talking Patrick Reese, who launched her radio career? Moody but handsome David Cahill, WPER?s enigmatic broadcast engineer? Matthew the Methodist, her oh-so-available pastor? Or the mysterious radio listener who signs his letters, ?All Ears in Abingdon??

As Belle embarks on a journey toward joy, Norah Silver-Smyth, proprietor of The Silver Spoon, cooks up her own delicious recipe for happily-ever-after in this winsome tale filled with humor, tenderness, endless surprises?and two happy endings!

?Liz Curtis Higgs?has succeeded magnificently with her first fictional effort.?

K-LOVE News & Reviews

?Christian fiction isn?t known for humorous books, so this title is a special joy.?

Library Journal

?Great laughs, good solid story, surprises and twists, and great characters.?

Francine Rivers, bestselling author of Redeeming Love

?Absolutely wonderful. An outstanding and heart-warming debut!?

Angela Elwell Hunt, author of The Note

?Mixed Signals was my sweet reward at the end of my demanding days?a most satisfying treat!? Jane Johnson Struck, Senior Editor, Today?s Christian Woman

Story Behind the Book

Before she became a platform speaker, Liz Curtis Higgs spent ten years as a successful radio personality, moving town to town, up and down the dial. In Mixed Signals, Liz draws on that memorable decade to create WPER, an oldies station in Abingdon , Virginia . The Barter Theater was included with thanks to her experience with amateur drama productions, and the ten hot-air balloon ascents she weathered while a broadcaster were also put to use. Her heroine, Belle, marries a radio station engineer?just as Liz did nearly twenty years ago. But there the parallels end in this winsome tale with two happy endings.

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