About DREAMING OF CASTLES
When Spring Dalton’s best friend excludes her as a bridesmaid because of her 'less than perfect’ figure, she faces her life head-on. Thinking God may never answer her prayers, she accepts her cousin's offer and travels to Heidelberg, Germany with dreams of a becoming an artist, becoming thinner, and being swept away by Prince Charming.
On the train from Frankfurt to Heidelberg, Matt Sherman literally falls into her lap and the two strangers embark on a floundering adventure falling in love. From the first day, Matt is drawn to Spring, but guilt and anger from his past makes him feel unworthy to be loved.
Will Spring learn patience as she realizes prayer is answered in God's time? Will Matt learn to forgive and accept God’s forgiveness so he can follow his heart and ask Spring to be his wife?
Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Psalms 90:14
REVIEWS
DREAMING OF CASTLES
4 stars - Rich with German culture and vivid imagery. A fairy tale come true. Romantic Times, August 1999 - Bev Huston
Martin is a fine writer with
exceptionally good dialogue humor and description. If you've
never been to Germany, then you will no doubt want to go there as
soon as you finish "Dreaming of Castles."
News Chief Book Review, June 1999 - Velma Daniels
A great setting and fantastic
supporting characters keep you turning pages. Great story.
Rendezvous, June 1999 - MNM
4 stars - Gail Gaymer Martin's
DREAMING OF CASTLES is utterly charming and lovely, much like the
heroine, Spring Dalton. Spring is an overweight young woman,
strong in faith with God. She takes herself in hand and proceeds
to follow her dreams of being a professional artist. She answers
the invitation of an old friend and moves to Germany.
Romance Writers @Sine-Gen.com - Leann Ardnt
Gail Gaymer Martin weaves a
touching and comedic tale of long-awaited romance, with a
backdrop rich in German culture. Dreaming of Castles follows a
fairly predictable path to answered prayer and deeper faith, but
there is such merriment to the journey that you don't mind one
bit.
Inspirational Romance Web Site - SB
Excerpt from DREAMING OF CASTLES - Chapter one
Spring placed her carry-on luggage in the train's overhead compartment. She dropped into the seat and relaxed against the cushion back, looking out the window at the bustling activity of the Frankfurt railroad station. Reflecting on her flight, she was grateful that the train seats were more ample than those on the airplane. Jammed in the confining space, Spring had been miserable in her eight-hour trip from Michigan to Frankfurt. To add to her misery, she already felt homesick.
Although her flight was tedious, her taxi ride to the Frankfurt station hadn't been as terrifying as she had speculated. Relief swept over her when she learned the cab driver spoke English. Yes and no were the only words she knew in German, and those two words would never be enough to get her from the airport to the train station. Now she felt safe, seated by the window in the train. Her next worry - she prayed Jenny would meet her at the station in Heidelberg.
The whistle sounded as the train gave a lurch. Shuddering momentarily, it chugged its way through the station in slow, rhythmic jerks. Spring watched out the window as the station walls gave way to an urban landscape with tall buildings and wide streets like Detroit. She had expected to see cottages nestled together with colorful roofs and flower boxes on the windows, dripping with geraniums and petunias. A ripple of disappointed moved through her. As she turned away from the view, the train jolted, and a body catapulted toward her from the aisle.
A strong arm braced against her shoulder, and a masculine frame fell against her arm, then into the empty seat next to hers, knees first, then hip and torso. Her eyes focused on a smile framing a pair of straight, even teeth as white as milk glass, then rose to meet a pair of gorgeous, moss green eyes, and a face that looked as surprised as hers.
"Es tut mir leid." His pleasant expression broke into a chuckle. "Ist das Platz frei?" He slid himself into the seat, looking at her as if she should get the joke.
Spring stared at the friendly face, having absolutely no idea what he said. Tearing open her handbag, she searched for the German Quick and Easy she'd tucked inside. Unable to find the little book, she halted. She shrugged with an embarrassed grin and spoke in English. "I'm sorry. I don't speak German."
The gentleman opened his mouth as if to speak. Instead he sputtered a laugh, his eyes crinkling at the edges and his cheeks flashing tiny dimples. "You're American?" His English was as perfect as hers.
Her embarrassment turned to surprise. "Yes, I am." A deep sigh filled her lungs. "I didn't have time to learn a word of German before I left home - except yes and no."
"And that doesn't help if you don't know what you're yes-ing or no-ing." He grinned again, adjusting the briefcase on his lap.
"You're American, too." A comforting feeling washed through her."
My accent gave me away, right?" His eyes glinted. "I'm from Ohio - Cincinnati."
"That's pretty close to Detroit. We're practically neighbors." She leaned closer to him, pretending to whisper. "I feel better already. My mother told me not to talk to strangers. But you're almost a neighbor, so you're different."
"I've been told that by a lot of people."
His humor helped her relax. "I didn't mean it that way."
"I'm glad." He winked at her. Spring wriggled in her seat to face him. "So, what did you say to me . . . when you made your grand entrance?"
"Let's see. First, I said I was sorry. People say that in German when they land on top of someone." Amusement flickered in his eyes. "Then I asked if the seat was unoccupied."
Clearly, he was trying not to laugh, but the end of his sentence became muddied in his swallowed chuckle. "Obviously, it wasn't occupied until I landed in it."
The surprised expression on his face rose in her thoughts, causing her to snicker. "You did look surprised . . . and silly."
"Why thank you for your kind words." He made a little bow at the waist.
"Don't mention it." An unexpected tingle edged through her. Bantering with a stranger - and a male, to boot, was an oddity for her. She glanced at her shoes, wondering if this were her first step getting her feet out of the rut. "I'm glad you're American. I've been so nervous, coming here without knowing the language. I decided to make this trip on short notice."
His eyes twinkled. "You're running from the law then?"
"No, just running," she joked back, but her words played with the truth. She paused for a moment in thought, then continued. "I should have taken a Berlitz course in German or something. I did buy a little vocabulary book, but as you noticed, I couldn't find it."
"Best way to learn the language is stay in Germany awhile. You'd learn it fast enough then."
She rolled her eyes. "Thanks for your confidence."
Spring studied his pleasant face, amazed at how relaxed she felt. Her nerves had been on edge since she boarded the airplane in Detroit, but at this moment, she felt confident, even a little witty. And like Jenny had said, a little adventuresome.
#
Matt Sherman looked at the young woman with curiosity. Running, she'd said. What might she be running from? Though she wasn't model-thin, she had a pretty face and a wonderful smile. Her soft, cornflower blue eyes sparkled with humor. He adjusted himself more comfortably in his seat. "So, business or pleasure?"
"I'm sorry?" She looked at him quizzically.
"Is your trip business or pleasure?"
"I'm hoping to study art in Heidelberg. If I sell some watercolors eventually, it's business. Otherwise, I'll have to settle for pleasure - or neither, for that matter."
"Or both." His teasing tone covered the thoughts trickling into his mind. He sensed her lack of confidence. Her expectations seemed to be as negative as his had been when he arrived in Germany. Why did she have to be burdened with a weight problem? Weight problem. Guilt spread through him. He sounded like his father. What made him an authority on what troubled her? He pushed the thoughts from his mind. "Heidelberg, huh? That's where I'm headed."
Her eyebrows arched above her teasing eyes. "Business or pleasure?"
"Both. I'm coming home from a teacher's conference."
Her eyes widened with a look of admiration. "Teacher? Do you teach in German?"
Matt held back a laugh. "No, I teach English and social studies at the American school in Patrick Henry Village. It's for dependents of military personnel from Patton Barracks." In the momentary silence, he realized he hadn't introduced himself. "By the way, I'm Matthew Sherman." He extended his hand. "Friends . . . and near neighbors' call me Matt."
Her face glowed as she offered a firm handshake. "Spring Dalton. And you can call me anything, but 'don't call me late for dinner.' " As the words exited, her radiant smile melted into crushing silence.
Matt's mind raced to fill the emptiness. "Don't call us, we'll call you. That's what I don't like to hear." He hoped the silly cliche covered the uncomfortable moment. Her hurt knifed through him. He thought of his own father's hurtful comments, his thoughtless and cruel sarcasm.
She remained thoughtful, and he scuffled for conversation. "So you're here to follow your dream, huh?"
"I guess you could call it that." She lifted her downcast eyes to his. "And you?"
"Oh, I was in a rut. I'd always wanted to travel, so I started looking into American schools in Europe - and here I am." His answer flowed. He'd said the concocted story so many times his words had become his truth.
"You were in a rut, too, like me. Sounds as if we both tackled our dreams."
"We did. We're pretty courageous." Courageous. Was that what he was?
She nodded brightly. "We are, aren't we?"
#
The countryside flashed past the window. Now, she witnessed the Germany she'd pictured in her mind. Villages dotted with church steeples, nestled in circular clusters on the rolling, green hills. New scenery. New friends. New opportunities. Maybe things were looking up. She gaped out the window, amazed that she was really here.
Her gaze spied a castle looming on the skyline, perched like a fairytale on the hill rising above the red slate-roofed village. A gasp escaped her before she stopped it, and Matt eyed her over his magazine. She pointed and pressed her hands against the window. "It's a castle. A real castle." She grimaced at her exuberance and turned to him. "I sound like a kid."
"It's your first castle. It thrills everyone. Even the second castle. After awhile, you'll be like the rest of us. 'Another castle? Bor...ing.' Germany's filled with them. Wait until you see the one in Heidelberg."
Watching the castle disappear on the horizon, her voice hushed like a private whisper. "Growing up, I dreamed of being carried away to a castle by a prince on a great white steed." Despite her efforts to the contrary, her prince acquired a face with deep green eyes that crinkled when he smiled. Embarrassed that she'd spoken her thoughts aloud, she turned to Matt. "I suppose all little girls have a dream like that. Now, I'd settle for visiting a castle, maybe spending the night in one."
Tenderness filled his face. "You may just do that."
Spring's heart skipped a beat, and she turned her gaze back to the window. Control, she needed control. She caught Matt's reflection in the glass. He leaned against the seat and closed his eyes, the magazine rolled in his hand. Spring's mind soared, creating imaginary stories of what awaited her. Today she sat on a train traveling through a fairytale countryside with a handsome man at her side. The most excitement she enjoyed in Detroit was when she got more than three wears out of a pair of pantyhose.
©1999 Gail Gaymer Martin