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!