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Books by Friends
In my writing ministry and working with WinePress Publishing, I have the chance to meet some great Christian writers. On this blog spot I will review books and products that you will enjoy reading, many of them by friends.
To order any of these products and discover other great resources, check out The Salt Shaker Bookstore. My son Joshua runs this charming Christian bookstore in Enumclaw, WA. He grew up tagging along with me to writers' conferences and has a wonderful understanding of the Christian market. He has given me my own Mom's Friends Page on his website to post announcements about my friends' books. | Sweet Waters by Julie Carobini | | Posted on Saturday, April 10, 2010 at 4:32pm |  This book is part of the Pure Enjoyment series by Broadman & Holman and certainly fits that category. I picked this book up at Mt. Hermon after spending time with my friend Julie Carobini. Little did I know that it would become such a “place of rest” for me in the upcoming week. If you have followed my blogs or Facebook page, you know that we had a very sick grandbaby. Julie’s book took me on a walk along the beach during a very stressful time. Julie calls herself a “beach read” novelist, and she captures the setting of the beach—the cool breeze, warm sand on your feet, sun shining on your face—beautifully.
In a workshop, Julie shared how she started writing with a “beach” theme. Her first memory of the beach was at the age of six. She recalls driving through a long dark California tunnel on 10 Freeway West and suddenly coming out with the beautiful ocean beach before them. Julie wants her books to feel that way. We all travel through dark tunnels, but at the end God has a beautiful, peaceful view waiting for us. I certainly felt that way last week as we prayed for our grandbaby and I rested reading Sweet Waters.
Sweet Waters is a contemporary fiction story about Tara, a young woman, the eldest of her siblings, who carries the weight of the family on her shoulders. (Boy, did I relate to that character.) When her mother runs off with her new, much younger husband, to Europe, Tara decides it’s time for a change. Now is the best time to honor her father’s dying wish and take her sisters back to their fairy-tale life in Otter Bay, California—yes, you guessed it, a sweet tourist town right on the ocean front. Tara leaves Missouri (having been born and raised in MO, of course I related again) and heads West.
Of course, Tara discovers that life wasn’t as grand as childhood memories led her to believe. She struggles with finding out the truth about her family as she faces rumors, secrets, and a past an entire church and town want to ignore. In the midst of this, she meets a young firefighter, Josh Adams, who also battles his own family secrets. Together they discover that revealing the lies and accepting the truth helps them find faith and the real Truth that sets them free.
What I liked the most about this book was the way the past sins of her family were handled. Tara learns that everyone has sins they need to face and deal with in their lives, even those peoole we feel are above such things. Yet, she also learns that when we make amends, God redeems our lives. If you want a fun, fast-paced read, and a little escape to the beach, I recommend this book.
Julie Carobini writes women’s fiction for the young at heart. Her previous books include Chocolate Beach and Truffles by the Sea. She is an award winning writer and lives with her husband and three children in California. | | | | |
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