Shadows on the Sand by Gayle Roper

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Shadows on the Sand Multnomah Books (July 19, 2011) by Gayle Roper





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Gayle is the award winning author of more than forty books. She has been a Christy finalist three times for her novels Spring Rain, Summer Shadows, and Winter Winds. Her novel Autumn Dreams won the prestigious Romance Writers of America's RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance. Summer Shadows was voted the Inspirational Readers Choice Contest Book of the Year (tied with fellow author Brandilyn Collins).



Gayle has won the Holt Medallion three times for The Decision, Caught in a Bind, and Autumn Dreams. The Decision won the Reviewers Choice Award, and Gayle has also won the Award of Excellence for Spring Rain and the Golden Quill for Summer Shadows and Winter Winds. Romantic Times Book Report gave Gayle the Lifetime Achievement Award.



Her Amhearst mystery series, Caught in the Middle, Caught in the Act, and Caught in a Bind, originally published by Zondervan, was reprinted in 2007 by Love Inspired Suspense with a fourth original title added, Caught Redhanded. Another original single title, See No Evil, was also released. Caught in the Middle has been optioned for film.



For her work in training Christian writers Gayle has won special recognition from Mount Hermon CWC, St. Davids CWC, Florida CWC, and Greater Philadelphia CWC. She directed St. Davids for five years and Sandy Cove CWC for six. She has taught with Christian Leaders, Authors and Speakers Services (CLASS), serving for several years as their writer in residence. She enjoys speaking at women's events across the nation and loves sharing the powerful truths of Scripture with humor and practicality.



Gayle is married to to Chuck Roper and has been "for more years than seems possible!". Gayle and Chuck live in southeastern Pennsylvania where they enjoy their family of two great sons, two lovely daughters-in-law, and the world's five most wonderful grandchildren. When she's not writing, or teaching at conferences, Gayle enjoys reading, gardening, and eating out every time she can talk Chuck into it.





ABOUT THE BOOK

Carrie Carter’s small café in Seaside, New Jersey, is populated with a motley crew of locals although Carrie only has eyes for Greg Barnes. He’s recovering from a vicious crime that three years ago took the lives of his wife and children—and from the year he tried to drink his reality away. While her heart does a happy Snoopy dance at the sight of him, he never seems to notice her, to Carrie’s chagrin.



When Carrie’s dishwasher is killed and her young waitress disappears, Greg finds himself drawn into helping Carrie solve the mysteries … and into her life. But Carrie has a painful past, too, and when the reason she once ran away shows up in town, the fragile relationship she’s built with Greg threatens to implode from the weight of the baggage they both carry. Two wounded hearts struggle to find a way to make one romance work. Failure seems guaranteed when Carrie locates her waitress but is taken hostage...



If you would like to read the first chapter of Shadows on the Sand, go HERE.

This novel was so not what I expected! I guess I thought it would be a strsight-forward mystery. It was so much more.

The characters all had complex back stories that were interwoven into a seamless story that, literally, kept me reading until way too late at might. This is, definitely, a quick read, as I had to know what would happen next. Some authors can kill a book by putting too much into it. Not here... everything just fits!

How have I never read anything by her before. It's such a delight to find a new author who you really connect with. Ms. Roper is a new-to-me author and I am thrilled that I have such an extensive backlist to read... yay!

Wednesday

It's been a while since I blogged about the randomness that is my life. So, on a lazy Wednesday night, that is what I am going to do :D

The dress code at work has changed. We are now in white tops and blue jeans. While I am truly ecstatic for the jeans, I am not as excited for the white shirts. Since I've been there for almost four years, I have an abundance of black tops (old dress code). With my coloring, I also think I look better in black (as do most women, I believe). I also think black tops with blue jeans is more "sophisticated" as opposed to white tops and jeans. And even though, we wear aprons... white shirt show a lot more dirt. That's not to say we're slovenly. We open freight boxes, we demo lotions, splashes, soaps, etc... it can get messy. At the end of my shift, I always felt better walking out of there in black. But, because I'm so happy about the jeans... I'll live with the white shirts.

I have a wonderful dilemma! I finished a great book last night and need to start a new one tonight. I have about three or four that are on my "short list". I'm still deciding which one but I'm thinking I will read M the first lines of each and see which one she chooses. Don't you just love the anticipation of beginning a new book?!?

I finally firmed up dates to visit Kansas City. My best friend lives there (and I'm from there) and we try to go every summer. So, now the dates are decided and I CANNOT wait. I've known her since high school and she is so wonderful! Her twin boys are J's age and her third son is M's age. She also has two other beautiful children and her husband looks just like Vince Gill.


I am also excited to go to Winsteads in KC. Winsteads is a landmark Kansas City diner... think Arnold's from "Happy Days". My father went there as a teenager... lol. They have the WORLD'S GREATEST onion rings!!! I love them so much that I only eat them there as no other onion rings even remotely compare. Yes, that means I only have onion rings once a year! Their chocolate milkshakes are TDF, too. But, when we're there... we go "gangbusters!! We stop at Winsteads before we even go to E's house. We'll be there five days... we'll eat there at least five times...if not more!! Horrible for my diet, I know... but, I can only do it once a year!

My friend, D, and I met for lunch the other day. Afterwards, we went to TJ Maxx. I love the handbag assortment there. I found two great bags. okay, really... it was the same bag but in two different colors. They were both leopard print but one was brown.black while the second one was black/grey. I could not decide which one I liked better and, because the price was so low... I bought BOTH!! And, I've worn each several times so I really got a great deal. In these pictures, the handles look a little long but, it is truly a handheld bag. It also has a strap so it can be carried on as a shoulder bag. I haven't used it as such but I do let the handle dangle. I like that look.

My mystery book club met last night. We discussed the new Craig Johnson mystery, Hell Is Empty. We are all huge Walt Longmire fans and we are so excited that a series based on these amazing books is coming to A&E this fall. There was even talk, last night, of having a potluck viewing party. I hope that comes to fruition... what fun! I just love the ladies in my book club! Next month, we are reading Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly. We read The Lincoln Lawyer a while back. I liked it... didn't love it. This book teams up two of Connelly's characters... "Lincoln lawyer Mickey Haller and LAPD Detective Harry Bosch team up in Michael Connelly's biggest novel ever.
Things are finally looking up for defense attorney Mickey Haller. After two years of wrong turns, Haller is ready to go back to the courtroom. When Hollywood lawyer Jerry Vincent is murdered, Haller inherits his biggest case yet: the defense of Walter Elliott, a prominent studio executive accused of murdering his wife and her lover. But as Haller prepares for the case that could launch him into the big time, he learns that Vincent's killer may be coming for him next.
Enter Harry Bosch. Determined to find Vincent's killer, he is not opposed to using Haller as bait. But as danger mounts and the stakes rise, these two loners realize their only choice is to work together.
Have you met Mickey Haller yet? If not, read The Lincoln Lawyer. Do you know his connection to Harry Bosch? If not, read The Black Ice for a reminder." If you've read it, let me know what your thoughts.