Friday, November 2, 2018

Where the Fire Falls

GIVEAWAY
BARNETT, KAREN
WHERE THE FIRE FALLS

A beautiful piece of art. A stunning cathedral of trees. Both perfect for keeping truth hidden in the shadows.

Watercolorist Olivia Rutherford believes an avant-garde persona is key to becoming wildly successful in California's 1929 art scene. When she lands a lucrative contract to paint Yosemite National Park for a travel magazine, she reluctantly takes on the project, hoping the money will keep her past hidden from anyone traveling in the nouveau riche art circles.

When Olivia meets backcountry guide Clark Johnson, she assumes he is the rugged mountain man he appears to be. But Clark has secrets of his own and isn't sure if becoming a national park ranger is answering the call of the wilderness or fleeing God's divine guidance.

As Clark opens Olivia's eyes to the wonders of Yosemite, she discovers that people are as vital to the park's story as are its vistas -- and that the gap between who she is and who she pretends to be could mean the difference between life and death.

My Review:

Wow! This one ticks all the boxes for me. History, mystery and romance in the breathtaking wilderness. As Clark puts it, "Yosemite is a cathedral built by holy hands." (p 103) And the author really conveys that majesty in this book. In fact, it reads like a homage to the Creator in so many ways.

There's the rugged mountain man hero who, despite a firm faith, finds himself stalled on his life journey. He's come to the national park to seek out divine answers which aren't apparent no matter how hard he prays. There's this amazing scene where he seeks counsel with a local minister that, honestly, just blew me away. I actually stopped and gaped at the page because the words written there were an answer to my own prayers. It starts out with this:

 "You're frustrated because God won't give you direction, but maybe that's because you don't understand how He made you. What He made you." Reverend White cleared his throat. "Let's put it simply. In Christ's eyes, who are you?" (p 214)

And then goes on into some really powerful, straight-to-the-heart stuff that I so needed to hear. Piercing questions. Simple truths. Just one page out of 334 but so profound! Worth buying the book for that one page!

And then there's Olivia -- an aspiring artist who tries to bury her past beneath a worldly mask as she strives to make a name for herself in the art world. She's caught up in all the pretense and manipulated by unscrupulous people. But Yosemite works its magic and as she grows in courage and conviction, the mask slowly slips away. Clark can't help but be smitten. But sweet romance is threatened by treachery and there are a few gasp-out-loud moments that kept me on the edge-of-my-seat right to the very last page.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Where the Fire Falls, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of  @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday November 4 2018. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!

33 comments:

  1. Looks Great 👍
    I like books 📚 set in the 20's
    Thanks for sharing and Thanks for the chance 😍🍯🐝😍
    iamabho AT gmail DOT com 💖😘💖

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  2. Don't enter me as I have this book but I just wanted to chime in and comment what a wonderful and unique series this is. So many layers of interest!

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    1. Brilliant subject matter -- love the way the author finds parallels between nature and God's work in our lives.

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  3. I love national parks, Kav. Count me in, please! :)

    ckbarker at gmail dot com

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    Replies
    1. Awesome theme for a series! Good luck, Cheryl!

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  4. I love her vintage national park books. cheetahthecat1986ATgmailDOTcom

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  5. Been wanting to get my hands on this, the whole series really! Karen Barnett is an excellent writer :-)

    teamob4 (at) gmail (dot) com

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    1. I’m not sure when the third one comes out. I’m a bit late reading this one so maybe it’s soon. I must read them all! Good luck, Trixi!

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    2. The second one one' "Road to Paradise" was out in June and it looks like the third one "Ever Faithful" won't be out until June of 2019!! Set in Yellowstone National Park. WOW...that's a long way away!!!

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  6. I have this one on my shelf just waiting to be read! So many good books to read and just not enough time! Thanks for your review and the reminder, Kav, I’ll be reading this one soon.

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    Replies
    1. Too many books on the TBR shelf is a delicious dilemma to have!

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  7. I’ve heard such great things about her books. Thanks for the chance.
    mindyhoung AT msn DOT com

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  8. Book twins again. Twice in a week. 😘

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  9. I've been wanting to read this series! KAV, Thank you for the great review and the opportunity to win a copy.

    psalm103and138atgmaildotcom

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  10. I've always been intrigued with this series. Although I haven't read it yet, this book sounds incredible and I love the backdrop of a national park. Great review!

    usedtextbooks5(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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    1. It's definitely an interesting concept for a series and the author incorporates all the national park details so beautifully. Good luck C.

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  11. I'm intrigued by that treachery.
    turtle6422(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Argh -- doesn't treachery in a novel get your blood boiling?! Good luck, Jana Leah!

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  12. Love Karen Barnett's books. Love the idea of this whole series, which I'm dying to read. "WHERE THE FIRE FALLS" sounds amazing and your review confirms it. Don't you love the cover!
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

    Thank you for the chance to win a copy!
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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    Replies
    1. Definitely a series not to be missed. Good luck, Kay!

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  13. Thanks for the giveaway!

    ladysnowangelphotos(at)gmail(dot)com

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  14. I fell in love with the National Parks after we did a family trip to one when I was growing up. Hearing there is a series that includes them sounds great! adult4becky at aol dot com

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    1. I`ve never visited any but reading this series makes me want to experience them first hand. Good luck, Becky.

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  15. I read many new authors this year, but Karen is one I didn't make it to...

    pattymh2000(at)yahoo(dot)com

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