Plane Of The Ecliptic
 

As if transporting a rare orchid, Maggie gently carried the infant to the padded bench near the window in the back of the room.

... A cloud moved aside just then, making way for the dazzling full moon to illuminate this woman and newborn, like a spotlight on the lead characters in a play. Maggie pulled back the soft blanket for a better glimpse. Her eyes locked with the puffy blue ones peering out of the small bundle as she reached for the tiny braceleted hand. A level of semi-consciousness, resembling that of waking from a pleasant afternoon nap, consumed them both as the crying, along with all of the surrounding tension, was replaced with the faraway sound of a flute. Or possibly chiming bells. Emotions that would take years to explain, or even admit to, arouse within the depths of Maggie’s being. The unfamiliar sensation was either bafflingly wrong or clearly right. She thought of calling out across the room, and tried to open her mouth, But speaking proved unnecessary, as the connection between her and this fresh soul intensified, held fast and inevitably recognized something long forgotten.

— from Plane of the Ecliptic
   
   
   
   
     
 


Recipient of publisher's Editor's Choice and Reader's Choice awards.

 

  
 


The author of Plane of the Ecliptic drew me into the book in the first few pages and kept me hooked all the way through to the last chapter. The plot revolves around a high school librarian and the quirky, amusing characters who are connected to her and the mysterious dreams that she and her granddaughter experience. In her debut novel, Karen Estes has created a suspense-filled story that keeps you guessing about the outcome until the final chapter. Set aside a few hours of free time to read this book because you won't want to put it down!

Nancy Bufalo
Coeur d’Alene, ID

 

 

I couldn't put this book down! Plane of the Ecliptic has a little bit of everything – mystery, humor, spirituality, and intrigue. And just when I thought I had it all figured out the author would surprise me once again. I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a story that’s new, fresh, and cleverly written.

 

Kimberly Shaddox
Tacoma, Washington

 

  

Karen Estes grew up in Spokane, Washington. She is a graduate of Eastern Washington University, with a degree in Secondary Language Arts and as an Educational Media
Specialist. She taught high school English, drama, and speech for a short time in Leavenworth, Washington, where she met her husband, Charley.

 

Although Karen has always had the desire to write a novel,
it wasn't until the main idea for Plane of the Ecliptic presented itself to her in a dream that she began setting aside time to actually work on it. She started by writing about what she knew best – the life of an ordinary school librarian. But as she developed the plot, some natural twists and turns occurred that surprised even her. Just like her main character Maggie, Karen discovered that day to day living becomes more meaningful when you break out of your routine and allow yourself to be open to the mystifying and unexpected.

 

Northern Idaho has been home to Karen Estes for over thirty years. Working as a middle school librarian enables her to match up potentially life-changing books with her students. She and her family spend time together watching movies, traveling, cooking, golfing, and laughing!

The following quote summarizes one of the themes embedded in Karen’s book, Plane of the Ecliptic:

    Three things cannot be long hidden:
    the sun, the moon, and the truth

    -- Siddhartha Gautama

 

Click here to visit the contact page with questions or comments for the author.

 

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BOOK REVIEW:

From Kirkus Discoveries…

 

Estes’s debut novel traces the mysterious unraveling of a woman’s neat, well-ordered life as dream and reality merge in strange and unexpected ways.

 

Maggie MacKenzie is a librarian whose quiet suburban life runs with the predictable regularity of a Swiss watch. But with the birth of her granddaughter Julia, Maggie’s world turns permanently upside down. From her first encounter with the infant, Maggie feels an overwhelming, inexplicable connection. At the same time, Maggie finds herself fixating on recurring dreams about two Scottish girls from the 17th century who witnessed a real historical event, the Glencoe Massacre. … Years pass, and for a novel that covers a fairly long period of time (about 13 years) the pacing works reasonably well. … Julia develops a wisdom that belies her youth and seems rooted in past lives. Maggie discovers that she and Julia have been dreaming the same dreams. Soon what initially seemed merely bizarre becomes a disturbing metaphysical puzzle that Maggie feels compelled to solve. In her quest for answers, she receives help from a cast of eccentric though static characters: an ex-student-turned-NASA astronomer, a clergyman with New Age sensibilities, a best friend with a complicated love life and an Italian neighbor brimming with maternal insights. Forced to re-examine her life and relationships—including one she had with her long-dead mother—Maggie eventually goes to the Scottish highlands in hopes that she will finally grasp the meaning behind her nocturnal visions.

 

Fanciful reading for a mainstream audience.

 

 

Plane of the Ecliptic
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